The Scottish Arts Council (SAC) has awarded £1.7m of lottery funding to a new arts and cultural centre in Kirkintilloch, East Dunbartonshire, Scotland.

The new facility will include a 300-seat theatre, a multi-purpose studio and performance space, a recording studio, committee and dressing rooms, a bar and a café as well as space for community events.

The development is central to a 10-year, £56m regeneration project of the town’s Southbank area, which is being overseen by the Kirkintilloch Initiative (KI) – a partnership between East Dunbartonshire Council and NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde.

Council leader John Morrison said: “The new arts and cultural centre will be an important canal-side facility attracting users from a wide area and adding to the growing range of opportunities for leisure and recreation associated with the Forth & Clyde Canal. This will help make Kirkintilloch more attractive for people visiting western Scotland.”

KI board member Cllr Rhondda Geekie added: “This project complements the development of the Southbank area as a destination. Having this attractive building sitting next to the new marina and the modern footbridge is an exciting prospect for the people of Kirkintilloch.”

Glasgow architects Page and Park designed the building – due to open in September 2009 – in consultation with local arts organisations and community groups.

In addition, the SAC has shortlisted 20 artists for its Creative Scotland Awards, which provides £30,000 for up to 10 artists with a record of major achievement to exercise their talent and realise imaginative ideas in a major project.

An SAC panel will reconvene in February and the final 10 award recipients will be announced at an awards ceremony in Edinburgh in March. Details: www.scottishharts.org.uk