Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal today confirmed £25 million funding package for the city’s major new music venue, Dunard Centre

Dunard Centre moves confidently forward towards first phase of construction work

World-class music centre set to boost Edinburgh’s international reputation for culture

At a meeting today of the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal Joint Committee, Dunard Centre supported by Royal Bank of Scotland was confirmed as receiving support of £10 million each from the UK and Scottish governments, and a further £5 million from the City of Edinburgh Council.

The music venue, which was given the green light by Edinburgh’s planning authorities in November, is being funded through substantial philanthropic donations, including the visionary support of £35m from Dunard Fund, and underpinned by £25 million support from the Scottish and UK governments and the City of Edinburgh Council, as part of the City Region Deal.  

The Royal Bank of Scotland is supporting the project by providing a long-term lease for the land.

Having successfully secured planning permission and this substantial grant towards its £75million budget, the team behind Dunard Centre is now confidently progressing the final design details and preparing to begin work on site. A fundraising campaign to secure the remaining £15m of the project budget is already well underway. 

Dunard Centre supported by Royal Bank of Scotland is set to be Edinburgh’s first purpose-built music and performance venue in over 100 years.  A number of studies have highlighted the need to augment the City’s venue base with a world-class hall of this scale and quality, attracting major artists who currently rule out a visit to Scotland’s capital because of a lack of appropriate provision.

The 1,000 capacity Dunard Centre transforms a forgotten site between St Andrew Square and the new St James Quarter into this exciting new destination in which music lovers can come together to experience incredible performances from the very best artists from all genres, with unexpected collaborations and bold programming designed to appeal to audiences of all ages and tastes. The flexible setting will be a home for the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, and a key venue for the Edinburgh International Festival, as well as host for other ensembles, choirs, solo musicians, performers and bands.

A welcoming café and an all-day events schedule will ensure the Centre’s contribution as a cultural hub and showcase venue, with education and community outreach programmes encouraging participation throughout the region. 

Joanna Baker, Executive Director of Impact Scotland, the charity responsible for the construction and operation of the Dunard Centre said: “Edinburgh is a diverse and growing city, and it is our strong belief that the Dunard Centre will drive the future of music and culture across the region.  In building an iconic piece of 21st century infrastructure we are creating space for a new generation of music making and we are delighted that this is recognised by the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal partners.  We thank them for this endorsement and look forward to collaborating with colleagues to ensure that the project inspires artists and communities across the region.”

Councillor Russell Imrie, Chair of the ESES City Region Joint Committee said: “The Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal Joint Committee today confirmed a package of support totalling £25million towards Edinburgh’s first new purpose-built music space in 100 years. IMPACT Scotland has made clear in its business case the reach of this project; its positive impact on our cultural reputation regionally and nationally, as well as the impact and opportunities for employment and skills development, economic benefit and sustainable value that it brings the Edinburgh and South East Scotland city region.”

City of Edinburgh Council leader, Adam McVey said: “This major investment by City of Edinburgh Council, with support from government and an extremely large contribution from a private benefactor, will help to make this exciting and important new cultural venue for our Capital a reality. It will be the first purpose-built concert venue in Edinburgh in more than 100 years and will give us a state-of-the-art facility which matches our international standing as the world’s premier festival city.

 “I know so many people in the city are looking forward to enjoying all that this first-class cultural experience has to offer and will benefit from its central location with fantastic public transport connections. The cultural flagship of our City Region Deal, it will complement the wider transformation of the east end of the city centre alongside the Edinburgh St James Quarter, our George Street First New Town transformation project and all the private investment currently taking place across Princes Street and the city centre, all helping to keep our city centre a vibrant and thriving destination.

 “I look forward to the next major milestone of the Dunard Centre and seeing how IMPACT Scotland, who will operate the venue, work with the local communities and schools to make music accessible for all.”

UK Government Minister for Scotland Iain Stewart said: "The pandemic has been challenging for performing arts across the UK, not least in Edinburgh with its internationally famous festivals, artists and venues.

 "But we will build back better and I can think of no finer example than helping create the capital's first new music venue in a hundred years as well as a home for the Scottish Chamber Orchestra.

 "The UK Government is investing £10m in the Dunard Centre as part of our £300m support for the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal."

 Scottish Government Economy Secretary Kate Forbes said: “The Scottish Government is providing £10 million towards construction of the Dunard Centre in recognition of its potential to significantly boost Edinburgh’s cultural offering and provide a new home to the Scottish Chamber Orchestra.

 “Projects like this, supported through our £300 million investment in the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal, are helping us rebuild a more sustainable and fairer economy for all.”

 Malcolm Buchanan, chair, Scotland Board, Royal Bank of Scotland, said: “Edinburgh is a global capital and world stage for international arts, culture and music. The Dunard Centre will provide further space to continue that tradition and offer further opportunity for more musicians and artists to develop and create. This project is a great example of what can be achieved with close collaboration across the city’s public and private sectors.  Royal Bank of Scotland is delighted to play a part in helping bring this project to life.”

ENDS

For further information on Dunard Centre and IMPACT Scotland please contact Susie Gray, The Corner Shop PR, susie@thecornershoppr.com 07834 073795

 Images of Impact Centre here

NOTES: 

IMPACT Scotland is the charity taking the project forward, with the majority of the investment coming from private philanthropy, £35m of which from Dunard Fund, a long-term funder of the arts and music in Scotland.  Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal is a partnership of national and local government and is investing £25m into the project.  Through the support of the Royal Bank of Scotland, Dunard Centre will be built behind and directly connected to the Bank’s historic registered office on St Andrew Square in the heart of Edinburgh.  It will be ideally located, minutes from train, bus and tram stops linking it throughout the city, region, and the wider country.  

 The building is being designed by world-renowned David Chipperfield Architects with Nagata Acoustics as consultants. 

It will be the new home of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and a principal venue for the Edinburgh International Festival.  With both organisations supporting and contributing to the year-round education and outreach programme, held in the finest musical accommodation.  Through partnerships, opportunities will be developed to enable people to enjoy culture throughout their lives as both participants and audiences. 

IMPACT Scotland is bringing communities and organisations together to create a one-off alignment of partnership, funding and location, to create a transformational venue long recognised to be missing in the region’s cultural infrastructure. 

Find out more at www.impactscotland.org.uk 

GOVE TOURS EDINBURGH’S NATIONAL ROBOTARIUM TO SEE LEVELLING UP AND SCIENTIFIC INNOVATION IN ACTION

Secretary of State for Levelling Up Michael Gove today (24 February 2022) toured a state-of-the-art research facility for robotics and artificial intelligence in Edinburgh, which is backed by £21 million in UK government funding.

Mr Gove saw some of the innovative research projects being developed at the National Robotarium including a demonstration from the facility’s resident robot dogs. These four-legged robots will be used to support people working in hazardous environments like energy inspection and disaster recovery as well as making the construction process safer, more efficient, and sustainable.

The funding, which is provided through the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal with an additional £1.4 million from the Scottish Government, is supporting the National Robotarium to create cutting-edge solutions to many of the challenges we face in everyday life. Examples of projects include the development of a train cleaning robot that can complement existing staff while reducing health risks, a robotic coach to aid the process of long-term rehabilitation after stroke, and underwater robots to support safer inspection and repair of offshore wind turbines. Mr Gove also heard more about the facility’s growing partnerships with industry, healthcare organisations and its support for entrepreneurship.

Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Michael Gove MP said:

“Levelling up is not going to be an easy task. To be successful, it requires a huge collaborative effort as we have seen here in Edinburgh where governments, local authorities, partners from academia and private sector come together to delivery real results.

“The National Robotarium is the perfect example of what is possible when we work together, and it has been fantastic to see some of the innovative projects being developed here that genuinely have the potential to change people’s lives for the better.”

Based at Heriot-Watt University’s Edinburgh campus, the new facility is due to be completed this year, bringing with it jobs and prosperity to the region.

The Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal draws on a combined total of £600 million in funding from both Scottish and UK Governments to invest in projects over a 15 year period focussing on research, employability and skills, transport, culture and housing.

Professor Mark Biggs, Vice-Principal, Heriot-Watt University said:

“Backed by the combined experience of Heriot-Watt and the University of Edinburgh, we’re demonstrating how Scotland and the UK can lead global developments in robotics and AI, pushing the boundaries of what’s possible and addressing some of industry and societies biggest challenges.

“We look forward to working closely with governments to ensure the National Robotarium makes a positive impact by accelerating growth, attracting investment and acting as a catalyst for entrepreneurship and job creation.”

This comes less than a month after the UK Government set out an ambitious plan to level up the whole of the United Kingdom. In addition to existing City Region and City and Growth Deals, our Levelling Up White Paper set up further plans to harness innovation, including £100 million in funding to set up three innovation accelerators across the UK, including one in Glasgow. These will create “Silicon Valley” set ups which will harness research and development in the area.

We have already seen investment as part of the UK Government suite of levelling up funds. £1.7 billion was invested throughout the UK in round one of the Levelling Up Fund including £172 million on 8 projects in Scotland.

While in Edinburgh, Mr Gove also visited the flagship UK Government Hub in Edinburgh, Queen Elizabeth House, and spoke at the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities and Improvement Service Annual Conference 2022. He also appeared before a Scottish Parliamentary Committee.

Further information

· The National Robotarium is a world-leading research facility for robotics and artificial intelligence, the largest and most advanced of its type in the UK. 

·  Opening on Heriot-Watt University’s Edinburgh Campus in 2022, the purpose-built building will have unrivalled facilities, adding high precision manufacturing and dedicated laser labs to existing laboratories in ocean systems, human-robotic interaction and assisted living.

· Home to world-leading experts in data analytics, the National Robotarium is exploring collaborative interaction between humans, robots and their environments, translating cutting-edge research into new technologies, underpinned by an ethical approach.

For more information, please visit www.hw.ac.uk/nationalrobotarium

Follow Twitter: @NRobotarium / LinkedIn: @The National Robotarium

Sector Engagement Manager (Public Services) for the Edinburgh Futures Institute

One of the Data-Driven Innovation hubs created through the City Region Deal is recruiting for a Sector Engagement Manager (publics services).

As a member of the Business Engagement Team for the University of Edinburgh's new Edinburgh Futures Institute (EFI), the successful candidate will play a key role in supporting EFI to make a positive impact in the Public Services Sector, including fulling its challenge-based mission, and supporting its objectives as a key Innovation Hub in the Data Driven Innovation Programme, supporting inclusive economic growth through innovation.

 The EFI aims to be a global centre for multi-disciplinary, challenge-based DDI research, teaching and societal impact. It will help transform the application, governance and benefits delivered from the use of data by bringing together a range of academic disciplines, third party organisations, and sectors including financial services, cultural industries and the public sector, that are dealing directly with these challenges.

 Apply here:

https://elxw.fa.em3.oraclecloud.com/hcmUI/CandidateExperience/en/sites/CX_1001/job/2741/share/300000437468728?utm_medium=jobshare

GREEN LIGHT FOR DUNARD CENTRE AS CITY APPROVES PLANNING APPLICATION

On Wednesday 24 November, The City of Edinburgh Council’s Development Management Sub Committee approved IMPACT Scotland’s application to build Dunard Centre on Edinburgh’s St Andrew Square.  

Dunard Centre, Supported by Royal Bank of Scotland, is set to be Edinburgh’s first purpose-built music and performance venue in over 100 years after City of Edinburgh Council approved the plans at today’s Development Management Sub Committee.  

One of the boldest ventures in the city’s contemporary story, with the visionary support of Dunard Fund, the hall is ingeniously inserted just behind Dundas House off St Andrew Square.  The 1,000 capacity Dunard Centre transforms a forgotten site into an exciting new destination for music lovers. 

As the cultural flagship for the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal, the Dunard Centre will fill a recognised gap in the region’s cultural infrastructure and provide a platform for local, national and international musicians to perform to audiences in a hall designed to rival the very best in the world.

Expert consultants Nagata Acoustics have been working with award-winning David Chipperfield Architects on the sleek auditorium design, which will welcome acclaimed UK and international musicians from the worlds of classical, traditional, jazz, pop, world and folk music. Nagata’s previous high-profile projects include the Walt Disney Concert Hall in Los Angeles, the Philharmonie de Paris and Elbphilharmonie in Hamburg, all venues renowned for their rich and immersive sound. David Chipperfield Architects have made their name around the world working on historic renovations and designing contemporary buildings including projects in UNESCO world heritage sites, such as the Neues Museum and James-Simon-Galerie on Berlin’s Museum Island, and the Procuratie Vecchie on St. Mark’s Square in Venice.

The new building will be a place where people can come together to experience incredible performances, with unexpected collaborations and bold programming designed to appeal to audiences of all ages and tastes. The flexible setting will be a home for the Scottish Chamber Orchestra as well as host for other ensembles, choirs, solo musicians and bands. 

A welcoming café and an all-day events schedule will ensure the Centre’s contribution as a cultural hub and showcase venue, with education and community outreach programmes encouraging participation throughout the region.  

The new performance venue is a much-needed investment for Edinburgh which continues to be the world’s festival city. Other cultural destinations in the world are investing heavily in new venue infrastructure, leaving Edinburgh, which has not had a new hall in 100 years, at risk of lagging behind. 

Welcoming the decision, Fergus Linehan, Festival Director and CEO of Edinburgh International Festival and co-chair of IMPACT Scotland said: “The Council’s decision today is fantastic news for the city and for music in Scotland. Edinburgh is a city famous for its cultural life and home to world-renowned arts festivals which generate over £300 million for the Scottish economy, but it lags behind many other cities in its provision of cultural infrastructure which currently deters some artists from choosing to perform in the city.  By creating a modern hall with outstanding facilities and acoustics, we are closing the recognised gap in the region’s cultural infrastructure and helping to sustain Edinburgh’s position as a leading cultural city against national and international competition.  At the same time, we are creating a year-round cultural hub to offer a diverse range of performances and an extensive education and community outreach programme.”   

Gavin Reid, CEO of Scottish Chamber Orchestra and co-chair of IMPACT Scotland said: “Today’s approval is tremendous news for the City and turns the ambition for a world-class centre for music and performance, into a reality. The Dunard Centre will become the new home of the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, and will be transformational. A stunning auditorium offering the very best in modern acoustics and boasting state of the art digital broadcast facilities will allow us to dream big, expand our repertoire, collaborate with ever more composers and artists, present our work innovatively, courageously and flexibly all with a new-found sense of adventure and ambition, always seeking to reach more and more people.”

Malcolm Buchanan, Chairman of the Royal Bank of Scotland’s Scottish board, said: “The City Council’s decision to approve plans for the Dunard Centre is an important milestone for Edinburgh and represents great progress with an exciting project that will enrich the education, music and arts communities in the city and beyond. Royal Bank has almost 300 years of history since our inception in Edinburgh in 1727. The Dunard Centre’s close association with our iconic building at 36 St Andrew Square means this is a project that we are proud to be part of.”

Sir David Chipperfield, Principal, David Chipperfield Architects, said: “Throughout the process of developing the design of the Dunard Centre we have embraced both the qualities and the challenges of working with such an extraordinary site. Embedded in the dense area of the Registry Lanes and also on the grand civic axis with Dundas House, the project marks the pivoting point between the New Town and St. James Quarter. Our ambition is to create a building of distinction that is respectful of its complex context while establishing a significant new cultural destination and place in this wonderful city.”

Among the musicians welcoming the announcement were:

Roddy Woomble, lead vocalist with Idlewild said: 
“It's always exciting to hear about a new arts and music venue opening in Edinburgh. Since I've known the city, many great venues have come and gone, but the Dunard Centre sounds like it will be here to stay - an ambitious, creative space that will encourage and showcase local talent, alongside national and international performers. New music is always going somewhere in Edinburgh and the Dunard centre will see that it gets there.” 

Anna Meredith said: 
“Delighted to write in support of the proposed new venue in Edinburgh. As someone who works across creative genres, this kind of space is especially exciting to me as it offers the flexibility to allow artists to work across mediums and realise their work to its full potential.”  

The Proclaimers said: 
"The Dunard Centre would be a prestigious and fantastic cultural asset to the city"

Composer Errollyn Wallen CBE said: “Scotland has one of the richest, most varied music scenes in the world. I am inspired and proud to live here. As the country's artistic reach goes from strength to strength, a new concert hall for Edinburgh is a concert hall for the world’s stage.”

Gateway to Success

The Data-Driven Innovation Skills Gateway was a finalist at this year’s Digital Leaders 100 awards.

The Skills Gateway made it into the final three for Digital Skills Initiative of the Year, out of hundreds of entries from across the UK. With over 700 nominations, judges recognised the Skills Gateway‘s innovative and cross-sector approach to improving data skills as a key component of the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal’s skills and employability programme.

The growth of Scotland’s technology ecosystem and changing world of work has led to a rapid increase in demand for workers with appropriate data skills. The Scottish Futures Institute estimates that 175,000 new digital jobs alone will have been generated in Scotland by 2030, with 37,000 of those based in Edinburgh. Yet, around 60% of digital organisations in Southeast Scotland say limited supply of talent is their biggest challenge.

Alison Muckersie, Programme Lead for the DDI Skills Gateway, commented: “The DDI Skills Gateway set out to be innovative and inclusive, but we have also learnt the importance of being responsive. We are all about ensuring that our citizens are well equipped to recognise and understand the opportunity provided by the data revolution – regardless of their gender, background or location – and that they are given options and support to develop the wide-ranging data literacy skills which we will all need.”

The Skills Gateway is tackling digital skills shortages by growing the data skills of the region’s citizens, and helps to deliver targeted activities in local schools, colleges, universities and across employability and work settings. The team has already developed the first school-based data science qualification in Britain, is offering a wider range of data training at all levels and can provide individuals and organisations with grants to be used for upskilling activities.