A DONATION of £8,350 is music to the ears of Delivering Dunfermline and the iAM (Initiative Arts & Music) project.

They have secured funding from the National Lottery Awards for All Scotland and the money will go towards the project which provides young people from across Fife with hands-on experience of working within the creative industries.

Delivered in collaboration with Police Scotland and Substation Studio in Rosyth, the initiative was set to take place this summer.

The final performance was expected to be part of Outwith Festival in September but it will now be held next year after the festival was called off due to the coronavirus pandemic.

As well as learning valuable skills in music production and live performance, youngsters will also get wider experience in film production and arts management. They will also be gaining qualifications during the process which will help them in their careers.

Chris Foote, of Delivering Dunfermline, said: "We're really pleased to be able to expand the programme into new forms of media and to help young people pursue qualifications that they can take into later life."

The original iAM project was delivered with support from Like Minds Alliance, ONFife, and Avocado Sweet.

Last year’s project saw a packed Carnegie Hall with 75 young people helping to stage the performance and a 15-track album featuring original music and covers.

The National Lottery funding follows on from the February announcement of a donation of £8,500 from the Coalfields Regeneration Trust which will help take iAM on tour to former coal mining villages in Fife.

Delivering Dunfermline has been working in partnership with Scott Morgan, Police Scotland School engagement officer, as well as Woodmill and St Columba’s high schools and Substation Studio in Rosyth.

A major long-term priority for the project is to build indigenous resources for Fife’s creative industries, increase transferable skillsets, decrease the attainment gap for young people and give them self-confidence and direction for possible future careers.

Organisers of Outwith Festival had to make the "very difficult decision" to postpone this year's six-day arts and music festival due to COVID-19.

It has been pushed back until 2021 and will now take place from Tuesday, September 7, to Sunday 12.

The festival is organised by Delivering Dunfermline in conjunction with Avocado Sweet, Fire Station Creative and the Outwith Music Team.

Anyone interested in getting involved with the iAM project can email: info@outwithfestival.co.uk