An award-winning Inverness theatre group which is on the brink of disbanding is to have crunch talks with an leading arts agency about securing an urgent lifeline.
The board of Dogstar Theatre Company, of Westfield Lane, met on Tuesday to discuss its future after it failed to secure regular funding, with the prospect of dissolving the company a distinct possibility.
Its artistic directors Hamish MacDonald and Matthew Zajac now face the difficult decision of whether to carry on or not.
Mr Zajac said: “Against all the odds, we have grown from a small Highland-based group into an international theatre company that has now toured all over the world.
“We have an impressive record, and an extensive body of work, without getting a lot of money – Creative Scotland needs to have a greater understanding and respect about what we are doing.”
Mr MacDonald, a novelist and playwright, set up Dogstar in 1999, with Mr Zajac, an established actor, joining him four years later, and have sustained the company, between projects, by taking on low-paid work themselves.
Mr MacDonald added: “While we understand that Creative Scotland have a limited budget, and cannot meet every need for financial support, we don’t see what more we can do to receive the regular support we need.
“Unfortunately it looks likely that this will be the end of the road for Dogstar, unless some kind of lifeline can be agreed”.
A spokeswoman for Creative Scotland said: “We do not discuss the details of individual applications with anyone other than the organisations themselves.
“Applicants can access their detailed assessment which expands on the funding decision and meet with us to discuss alternative funding routes – a meeting is already scheduled with Dogstar Theatre Company to do this.”
This would look at ways to provide financial support other than the regular funding, which is a three-year package, and was the subject of the refused application.
Highlands and Islands MSP, Rhoda Grant, said last night: “I also hope to meet with the company on Friday as we need to support organisations like Dogstar.
“If we are going to seriously support the arts in our communities, we have to find the funding.”
Her colleague, MSP David Stewart, said: “It is important we support the arts and we will do what we can to help the company obtain the funding required.”