Scottish Connections Fund: successful applicants

Projects 2025 to 2026

The third round of the Scottish Connections Fund was launched in July 2025 to help Scottish diaspora organisations and their members set up projects to promote Scotland’s reputation and interests. 
Applications closed on 9 September 2025. All projects align to the aims and objectives of the Scottish Connections Framework.

International organisations and their members were able to apply for a maximum of £5,000. Applications were assessed using a competitive scoring process.

The available budget for 2025 to 2026 was £75,000. A total of 79 applications were received, with a very high quality demonstrated. We are able to fund the following 18 projects, with a total value of up to £77,737.51.

Ref No: SCF25-26-01
Grantee: Business Improvement District (Not for Profit) BID4Oban
Grant: £4,500
Title: Round the World Clipper Yacht Race – bringing Oban and Argyll to the global diaspora

Oban has successfully secured host post status for the prestigious 2025-26 Round the World International Yacht Race.

We want to leverage this event by working closely with Clipper Events, Visit Scotland, Historic Environment Scotland, Argyll and Bute Council, SAMS, Diageo and BID4Oban. We are partnering with Washington DC, the American Scottish Foundation, the British Embassy in US and the Council of Scottish Clans and Associations to promote the Highland heritage and Gaelic links in Oban to the US diaspora and to develop digital content and events which can be used to attract more trade links, visitors, and students.

Ref No: SCF25-2 -12
Grantee: The Charleston Pipe Band
Grant: £1,244.51
Title: The Teaching Tent: An Open Invitation for Making Scottish Connections

The Charleston Pipe Band’s “Teaching Tent” initiative will encourage meaningful connections between potential students and knowledgeable piping and drumming tutors for on-the-spot teaching moments. Interactions such as these will remove the above-mentioned impediments to making inquiries about how to learn to play the pipes and drums. Through “The Teaching Tent” initiative, the Charleston Pipe Band plans to be more strategic about “growing” our Scottish pipe band, while supporting the scope of Scottish traditions connections through musical participation. Inside “The Teaching Tent,” curious passersby will have the opportunity to meet with an experienced piper and/or drummer for casual drop-in group instruction. These hands-on sessions throughout the event day will provide the opportunity for the public-at-large to experience playing the practice chanter and/or snare drum pad.

The project will encompass public appearances to capitalize on the outreach initiative of “The Teaching Tent” at the following events from October 2025 to March 2026.

October 11 2025: 30th Anniversary Showcase of Celtic Connections: Hosted by The Charleston Pipe Band with invited guest Celtic musical groups based in Charleston.

November 1 2025: Charleston, South Carolina Scottish Games

February 22 2026: Northeast Jacksonville Florida Scottish Games and Festival

March 14 2026: North Charleston, South Carolina St. Patrick’s Day Block Party

March 15 2026: Hilton Head, South Carolina St. Patrick’s Day Parade

March 17 2026: Charleston, South Carolina St. Patrick’s Day Parade

Ref No: SCF25-26-17
Grantee: Ceilidh Stockholm
Grant: £4,000
Title: Ceilidh Stockholm goes to Gothenburg

Our project is to organise and deliver a traditional Scottish ceilidh in Gothenburg, Sweden, in March 2026. This event will celebrate Scottish culture, foster community spirit among the Scottish diaspora, and introduce Scottish music and dance to a wider Swedish audience. Ceilidhs are renowned for being welcoming, lively, and family-friendly occasions that encourage participation from all, regardless of age or experience. We have identified Gothenburg as having one of the largest Scottish communities in Sweden, yet opportunities for cultural connection remain limited. Numerous Scots and locals have approached us about hosting a ceilidh in Gothenburg, but until now, costs have made this impossible. Our aim is to establish the ceilidh as an annual event, laying the foundation for ongoing community building and cultural exchange.

Ref No: SCF25-26-21
Grantee: Erli Sarilita, BDS, MSc, PhD Director Non Degree Education, Universitas Padjadjaran, Indonesia
Grant: £5,000
Title: Scottish Higher Education and Cultural Festival in Indonesia

The Scottish Higher Education and Cultural Festival in Indonesia will highlight Scotland’s academic excellence, cultural heritage, and creative industries in partnership with Universitas Padjadjaran (Unpad). The week-long programme at the Unpad Knowledge Theatre will showcase Scottish films, present profiles of leading Scottish universities, and feature a cultural photo booth with traditional costumes alongside authentic Scottish cookies. The festival will be officially opened by the Rector of Unpad. By fostering meaningful people-to-people connections, the event will strengthen Scotland’s visibility in Southeast Asia and build sustainable education and cultural partnerships.

Ref No: SCF25-26-22
Grantee: Social Enterprise Academy
Grant: £5,000
Title: Connecting Scotland and Canada – Community-led Tourism Leaders Sharing and Learning Together.

Social enterprises in the community-led tourism sector support the sustainable development of remote rural communities across northern Canada and the Highlands & Islands of Scotland. These communities have a shared Gaelic and Celtic heritage. Community-led social enterprises lead the tourism sector in these areas with peripheral communities and are already stepping up and doing things for themselves. This project will bring together practitioners in this space across Northern Scotland and Scotland’s diaspora in Northern Canada (particularly Nova Scotia), in a collaborative, online learning programme across four evenings to identify best practice and develop networks for future collaboration.

Ref No: SCF25-26-26
Grantee: The Victorian Scottish Heritage Cultural Foundation (VSHCF)
Grant: £1,320
Title: The Big Melbourne Kilt Run

When you visit Melbourne it is a must that you either walk, jog or run Melbourne’s iconic ‘Tan Track’ around the beautiful Botanic Gardens beside Melbourne’s Yarra River. The Tan, Melbourne |The Long Run Australia

Suitable for participants of all abilities, The Tan has become one of the most popular running/walking tracks in the world. The Tan will be the high profile, publicly visible location of the inaugural Big Melbourne Kilt Run and is open to individuals, families, workplace, club & school teams. The event’s aim is to promote our Scottish connections, reach out to the Australian Scottish diaspora, connect with young 2nd and 3rd generation Australian/Scots and be inclusive of our wider multicultural community in a fun, outdoor activity which promotes health, wellbeing, mental health and community inclusion.

Entrants are encouraged to wear kilts or an item of tartan clothing and will be greeted by pipers. Highland Dancers in traditional dress who will act as arrival course marshals. Prizes will be linked to Scottish connected companies or themes

Ref No: SCF25-26-31
Grantee: Greater Moncton Scottish Association
Grant: £4,953
Title: Tartan & Tides: A Saint Andrew's Day Celebration

Tartan & Tides: A Saint Andrew’s Day Celebration launches the lead-up to the Greater Moncton Scottish Association’s 20th anniversary Highland Games & Scottish Festival. This variety concert & community gathering will invite acclaimed artists such as Gaelic singer Cathy-Anne MacPhee, World Highland Dancing Champion Marielle Lesperance, award-winning New Brunswick fiddler Samantha Robichaud, & talented local youth, showcasing Scotland’s living traditions while fostering diaspora pride in Atlantic Canada. Outreach to school music & drama programs will engage young performers, while a full recording will be shared with seniors’ residences, extending access to those unable to attend in person & ensuring lasting cultural impact across generations.

Ref No: SCF25-26-35
Grantee: Chris Moser, CEO, Redwine Productions LLC
Grant: £5,000
Title: THE SCOTS-IRISH – A MUSICAL HISTORY

Our two-hour documentary film for U.S, U.K. and Ireland television will combine narrative and music performance to explore the important role of the Scot-Irish in the history of American democracy. There will be significant attention to Irish and Scottish history to provide context. This grant will support field production in Scotland and development of a section of our website previewing the film’s content related to Scotland. Topics will include Scottish migration to Ulster, influence of the Scottish Enlightenment and Scottish Presbyterianism on the American Revolution, and Scottish/American traditional music connections.

Ref No: SCF25-26-36
Grantee: The Saint Andrew’s Society of the State of New York
Grant: £5,000
Title: Finding Scotland in the Declaration of Independence

This project will highlight the influence of the Scottish Enlightenment on the founding of the United States, with a particular focus on Scotland’s role in shaping the Declaration of Independence, addressing a potential gap in public awareness. The project will deliver a lecture supported by an educational booklet, held in partnership with the Fraunces Tavern Museum. The lecture will be recorded and shared with the public on our website. The event seeks to deepen appreciation of Scotland’s intellectual impact on the formation of our country, foster transatlantic collaboration, and provide lasting educational resources for use in future events or commemorations.

Ref No: SCF25-26-40
Grantee: Scottish Society of Ottawa
Grant: £4,950
Title: The Scots of Bytown Part of Bytown’s Bicentennial celebrations (1826–2026) by Scottish Society of Ottawa with Scottish Connections

The Scots of Bytown is a new historical play by acclaimed playwright and performer Pierre Brault, known for his award-winning historical works such as Blood on the Moon and Dief the Chief. This original piece celebrates the vital role of Scottish immigrants in the founding of Bytown (later Ottawa) and the building of the Rideau Canal in 1826. Through humour, history, and lively Scottish voices, Brault’s script conjures up engineers, masons, navvies, doctors, entrepreneurs, and families whose resilience and spirit shaped the future Canadian capital. The play honours the Scots’ enduring legacy with wit, humanity, and a strong sense of cultural pride.

Ref No: SCF25-26-41
Grantee: MacPB Inc dba MacMillan United Pipe Bands
Grant: £4,900
Title: Recruiting and Training the MacMillan Youth Pipe Band

MacMillan United Pipe Bands is starting a youth pipe band to effect change in 3 key areas:

1. Enriching the Scottish Arts in the United States: we will build the first youth program based in Virginia with plans for expansion into Maryland and Washington, DC.

2. Create Competitive Success: we will train and bring students to competitions across the US, Canada, and Scotland

3. Train the next generation of music leaders and performers in Highland Piping & Drumming: this band will be managed and led by its members, giving youth opportunities to develop leadership skills alongside world-class instruction for their musical success.

Ref No: SCF25-26-42
Grantee: The Chicago Scots, Caledonia Senior Living & Memory Care
Grant: £3,725
Title: Advancing Dementia Care:  A Collaborative Symposium on Best Practices & Future Possibilities from Scotland & U.S.

Chicago Scots will convene leading experts from Scotland and the U.S. to discuss and exchange knowledge on research advances and best practices addressing the global rise of dementia which is estimated to triple by 2050.  This symposium will help shape the recommendations and solutions Chicago Scots will model to create a “Centre of Excellence in Memory Care” at the senior community it has owned and operated for more than 100 years – Caledonia Senior Living & Memory Care.  The symposium will be multidisciplinary bringing together neurologists, neuroscientists, social workers, epidemiologists, geneticists, neuropathologists, and leaders in dementia care. 

Ref No: SCF25-26-48
Grantee: Scots in London Events Ltd
Grant: £3,800
Title: Kidlit Scotland Roadshow and St Andrew’s Day Reading Record

In this new initiative, we will bring award-winning children’s authors from Scotland (KILTS - Kidlit Scotland), to facilitate events for London schools, both in-person and virtually for a wider reach.  We will launch a lasting partnership with London schools to participate in the annual St Andrew’s Day Reading record (current record over 13k pupils and over 150 schools reading something Scottish simultaneously). The aim is to champion Scottish books beyond Scotland’s borders. We will also offer public family events over the weekend.

Ref No: SCF25-26-49
Grantee: Leisure & Culture Dundee
Grant: £4,795
Title: Whanganui X Dundee: Textile Legacies

Textile Legacies is a residency programme that connects indigenous and ancestral textile practices between Whanganui, New Zealand, and Dundee, Scotland, to foster meaningful cultural and creative exchange. The project initiates a new connection between two UNESCO Cities of Design, supporting the development of contemporary textile design specialists.

The project recognises the deep-rooted history of textile production in both cities, and the significance of textiles in expressing and sustaining ancestral and familial connections within both Māori and Scottish cultures. It also acknowledges the vital role that the reclamation of traditional textile practices plays in cultural revitalisation in both Aotearoa New Zealand and Scotland.

Ref No: SCF25-26-52
Grantee: Digital Skills Education
Grant: £4,600
Title: “Code Your Own Tartan - Live Lesson for young people”

Can you use code to craft a digital tartan?

This workshop is a mashup of Scotland’s heritage and traditional tartan design with creative computer coding and generative digital art.

In this interactive online event, thousands of teenagers will learn about how tartan is designed and woven, then use computer code to create their own unique tartan patterns.

Participants will reflect on what these new tartans mean in today’s digital world - how do we identify as belonging to a group or “clan”?

This live massive collaborative lesson mixes digital skills, textile design, and storytelling, all centred around Scotland's cultural history.

Ref No: SCF25-26-62
Grantee: The National Trust for Scotland Foundation USA
Grant: £5,000
Title: THE BURNS PROJECT / US Tour

THE BURNS PROJECT is a new piece of theatre by Scottish performer and educator James Clements, commissioned by the National Trust for Scotland and based on the Trust’s recently digitized archive of Robert Burns manuscripts. The work conjures a complex, irreverent, and honest portrait of Scotland’s national hero and a global cultural icon. THE BURNS PROJECT premiered at Edinburgh Festival Fringe in August 2025 and, following a tour to Trust properties across Scotland, will come to the US in March 2026 for performances and post-show talk backs in New York City, Washington, DC, and Chicago.

Ref No: SCF25-26-64
Grantee: The DataKirk
Grant: £4,950
Title: African-Scottish Educational Diaspora Digital Storytelling

This project will create a series of high-quality digital stories, including videos and podcasts, to showcase the contributions of the Scottish educational diaspora from Africa. By highlighting the academic and professional achievements of this community, the project aims to strengthen connections between Scotland and Africa, enhance Scotland's global reputation, and inspire future generations. The content will be hosted on a dedicated section of The DataKirk's website and promoted via social media, providing a lasting resource that celebrates the diaspora's role in promoting Scottish interests

Ref No: SCF25-26-75
Grantee: The Washington Tattoo
Grant: £5,000
Title: Drams, Drums & Diplomacy: Scotland in America 250

Drams, Drums & Diplomacy: Scotland in America 250 is a three-event cultural diplomacy and business engagement series in Washington, DC, led by The Washington Tattoo. Running from December 2025 to March 2026, the programme will showcase Scotland’s music, whisky, food, textiles, and innovation in the build-up to America’s 250th anniversary. With Scottish music as the constant heartbeat, the series will highlight Scotland’s heritage, strengthen diaspora and political connections, and create pathways for trade, cultural exchange, and investment, ensuring Scotland’s story is visible at this once-in-a-generation commemoration.