Council earmarks £100,000 funding for festival to mark Adam Smith’s 300th

The summer programme is set to bring big names and academics to the Lang Toun where the renowned economist was inspired to pen The Wealth Of Nations.

Run by the Adam Smith Global Foundation, headliners announced so far include Robert Peston, ITV’s political journalist, and author Alexander McCall-Smith at the Adam Smith Theatre.

This week, Kirkcaldy area committee agreed to consider requests for support of up to £100,000 towards the overall project costs.

The decision sparked some comment with Councillor Rod Kavanagh (SNP, Kirkcaldy East) asking: “The global foundation, as its name suggests, has global reach and significant membership from which it can draw funding. I question the need for funding to the tune of £100,000.”

Councillor Carol Lindsay (SNP, Kirkcaldy North) also asked why the funding issue was only coming to committee now - just months before the event.

“I have very little information - why in February are we just getting snippets of it now?” she asked.

The committee was told work had been on going for a year to pull the events together, and this report was the financial element, and any support would be considered on an event by event, activity by activity basis.

A report said the year long celebrations “will also offer an opportunity to enhance and develop projects and activities that leave a legacy for the area.”

The committee agreed to the funding.