GRANTS
Culture Night Stirling 2027
Forest of the Unicorn
GRANTS FOR CULTURE NIGHT STIRLING 2027
FOREST OF THE UNICORN
We want to hear from artists, musicians, performers, storytellers, collectives, venues and groups who want to fill Friday 30 April 2027 with music, art, story and performance rooted in folklore and myth. Grants of up to £750 or up to £2,500 are available for events between 6pm and midnight across Stirling. Read the guidance below, come to our drop-in, and apply online. Any questions? Email hello@scenestirling.com
Applications open: Friday 6 November 2026
Drop-in session: Tuesday 17 November, 4.30pm to 7pm, Number 7, Upper Craigs
Deadline: midnight, Sunday 22 November 2026. Decisions by Friday 4 December.
Before you apply
Apply
APPLY BY MIDNIGHT, SUNDAY 22 NOVEMBER 2026
About Culture Night Stirling 2027
An annual night of culture across Stirling: music, art, crafts, literature, dance, drama, comedy and more. It brings together communities and sectors, from arts and heritage to hospitality, tourism, health and business, to celebrate culture and grow Stirling’s night time offer.
When: Friday 30 April 2027, 6pm to midnight.
Where: Stirling city centre and the wider Stirling area.
Who for: As a night time event, the main focus is adults, and most funding will go to events for adults. There is a small amount of funding for all ages activity between 6pm and 8pm.
Why: To support the night time economy and Stirling’s creatives, with a vibrant night out that is free to attend and gives visitors more reasons to stay overnight.
What we are looking for
All kinds of performance, especially work that explores folklore, myth and legend, or this year’s theme, Forest of the Unicorn.
Activity suited to a mainly adult audience, in the evening and late at night.
Something new, unusual or unexpected, rooted in Stirling.
Grants
There are two grant sizes. You can apply for one grant per organisation or group.
Level 1: up to £750. A single performance, pop up, installation or intervention.
Level 2: up to £2,500. A bigger piece, several artists together, or a venue takeover.
Key dates
Applications open: Friday 6 November 2026
Drop-in session: Tuesday 17 November, 4.30pm to 7pm, Number 7, Upper Craigs
Deadline: midnight, Sunday 22 November 2026
Decisions: by Friday 4 December 2026
Who can apply
Artists, musicians, performers and collectives, with a venue or host for the night. No venue yet? Tell us on the form and we will try to help.
Community groups and voluntary organisations, including village halls and community hubs.
Cultural and heritage organisations and venues.
Local businesses working with an artist or group.
Find collaborators in the Creative Directory.
Every project must
Be free to attend.
Take place in the evening or at night on Friday 30 April 2027.
Pay everyone fairly, using Scottish Artists Union and Musicians’ Union rates and the Real Living Wage.
What we can fund
Artist and performer fees, materials, equipment and tech.
Venue hire (if you do not have a partner venue providing space in kind), insurance, marketing and transport.
Access costs, for example BSL interpretation or transport.
What we cannot fund
Projects with no creative activity on Friday 30 April 2027.
Regular running costs, salaries or ongoing costs.
Costs you have already paid.
Projects that only benefit one person.
Activity that promotes religious or political beliefs.
Passing the money on as grants or donations.
Alcohol, or other licensed products such as tobacco or vapes.
Gambling, raffles or lotteries.
Fireworks.
How we decide
A small panel scores each idea on four things, and also looks at the programme as a whole: art forms, places and times across the night.
Theme: how it responds to Forest of the Unicorn.
The night: how well it supports the night time economy, keeping people happily out late in Stirling and the surrounding area.
Something new: how new or experimental it is.
Delivery: whether it can be delivered, with a realistic budget and fair pay.
How to apply
Fill in the short online form. It takes about 15 minutes.
For the longer questions, write your answers or paste a link to a short video or voice note (up to 2 minutes).
Applied before? Tick the box to skip some questions. We will send you your details from last time to check.
After applying, please fill in our short, anonymous equal opportunities form. The panel will not see it.
We will let you know our decision by Friday 4 December 2026.
If you are funded
You sign a short grant agreement and send an invoice. We pay part of the grant up front and the rest after your report.
Funded last year? We will check your details with you.
Funded for the first time? You will need to register as a supplier through Stirling Council’s process.
Use the Culture Night Stirling logo and toolkit, and please do not create separate branding.
If your event needs a licence, you are responsible for getting it.
By Friday 28 May 2027, send us 3 to 5 photos, a few lines on how it went, and your audience numbers.
Need help?
Come to the drop-in session on Tuesday 17 November, 4.30pm to 7pm, at Number 7, 5 to 7 Upper Craigs, Stirling FK8 2DG.
Or contact us: hello@scenestirling.com or 01786 450971 (voicemail).
TERMS AND CONDITIONS
Grants for Culture Night Stirling 2027
Applicants must also agree to the following:
Branding and communications
All funded events must use the Culture Night Stirling logo and follow the official toolkit and guidelines. Please do not create separate branding.
All promotional or press materials should acknowledge the support of Culture Night Stirling.
Access and free offer
All events must be free to attend.
Applicants must tell us about any practical barriers, transport issues or access needs, for example public transport times, physical access to the venue, entrances, seating or pathways, and access to facilities such as accessible toilets, parking or changing spaces.
This helps the Culture Night team plan timings, locations and access across the programme.
Fair pay and conditions
Artists, musicians and creative professionals must be paid at least Scottish Artists Union or Musicians’ Union rates.
All staff and freelance contractors must receive at least the Real Living Wage.
Volunteer roles must be advertised through the Stirlingshire Voluntary Enterprise portal or University of Stirling volunteering platforms.
Programming priorities
Priority goes to new, unusual or unexpected creative events, in unexpected places.
For 2027, applicants are encouraged to respond to the Forest of the Unicorn theme. The theme is open and can be taken literally, symbolically or playfully.
Projects should clearly benefit artists living or working in, or connected to, Stirling.
The main focus is adult audiences and the night time economy. A small amount of funding is available for all ages activity between 6pm and 8pm.
Collaboration and coordination
Applicants must work with the Culture Night team to avoid clashes of time and place, help audiences move between sites, and group venues or routes where needed for access and flow.
Projects must be open to scheduling within the programme hours.
Delivery and reporting
Projects must be delivered as part of Culture Night Stirling on Friday 30 April 2027.
If your event needs a licence, you are responsible for getting it.
By Friday 28 May 2027, send us 3 to 5 photos, a few lines on how it went, and your audience numbers.
Culture Night Stirling is supported by the Scene Stirling cultural partnership with funding from Stirling Council.
