Glasgow 850 fund backs jazz, arts and community events

The Glasgow Jazz Festival, Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival, and WestFest are among the recipients of the second phase of the one-off Glasgow 850 Festival Fund.
Five organisations that stage annual city events received a total of £25,000 to improve their existing offerings that celebrate Glasgow talent, engage young people and expand community outreach.
The 39th edition of the Glasgow Jazz Festival, which will be held from June 18 to 22, will feature five special free and discounted afternoon events during the weekend of June 21 and 22.
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Jill Rodger, director of Glasgow Jazz Festival, said: "As Glasgow's longest-running festival, we're incredibly excited to be part of the Glasgow 850 celebrations and mark this milestone moment for our vibrant home city, known for its rich musical heritage and diversity.
"This support from Glasgow 850 has allowed us to expand our festival programme and stage a series of weekend afternoon events which bring the joyful spirit of jazz to children, reach new audiences in Govan, and celebrate Glasgow's role as a thriving hub and destination for Scottish and international jazz talent to collaborate and flourish.
"We look forward to bringing it all to life for audiences at our 39th edition this June."
At the end of October, the Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival will mark Glasgow 850 with two new initiatives.
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In addition to these flagship awards, £35,000 was distributed through the Glasgow 850 Celebration Fund to 44 grassroots projects of up to £850, with each ward in the city represented.
Councillor Susan Aitken, leader of Glasgow City Council, said: "Glasgow 850 is a celebration of our city's past, present and future – and it's the people of Glasgow who are making it their own.
"These events, both large and small, reflect the pride, creativity and community spirit that define how people feel about their city and how they want to mark the year.
"With this money, we've been able to support such a wide range of activities that will bring people together in every part of the city.'

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