Published: 31 Mar 2017
45 Open Project Funding awards of between
£1,000 and £65,000 made in February 2017
Creative Scotland has awarded over £900,000 through the Open Project Fund in February 2017 to 45 recipients, including individual artists, musicians, dancers, writers, theatre makers, festivals and organisations working across the arts, screen and creative industries. Over £800,000 of these awards are supported through National Lottery Funding.
Architectural social enterprise, The City of Play has received funding towards the design, development and creation of Pop-Up Playscapes. This portable playground will be used to temporarily re-purpose streets and other shared public spaces for play.
Dundee Design Festival, 25-28 May 2017, has received an award to support this year’s programme.
Test Unit, a summer school and events programme delivered by TAKTAL has received funding towards its second programme which aims to turn talk into action by prototyping creative ideas in a public space, in this case, the canal area in North Glasgow.
Clive Gillman, Director, Creative Industries at Creative Scotland said: “A growing awareness of the powerful role of design as a creative tool for civic and community development is emerging across Scotland with strong projects in Glasgow and Dundee recently being supported through Open Project Funding.
“For the second year of the Dundee Design Festival, it aims to shine a light on design processes, using the theme of 'Factory Floor' to explore current trends in making and manufacturing. In addition, the Open Project Fund has supported strong projects looking at craft skills for public mosaics; and studio provision for ceramic artists. Scotland’s makers and designers are clearly shaping their ambitions to make a difference.”
Among the awards made to Literature, Boswell Book Festival, 12-14 May 2017 and Orkney Book Festival, 9-12 November 2017, have received funding towards their 2017 programmes. Meanwhile, The Society of Authors in Scotland has received support towards ScotsWrite, 22-24 September 2017 in Glasgow. The conference for writers will empower writers by developing skills and expanding knowledge of the craft and business of writing.
Northwords Now literary magazine has received funding towards its next two issues as well as the publication of a Gaelic supplement, Tuath. Glasgow-based Author Lisa Ballantyne, The Guilty One (2012) and Redemption Road (2015), has received funding towards her third novel.
Linda Strachan, Chair of Society of Authors in Scotland, said: "The Society of Authors in Scotland are delighted to be supported by Creative Scotland. ScotsWrite offers published and emerging writers alike the chance to network with other literary professionals, hear how to broaden their income streams, share ideas and learn from specialists. However you put pen to paper -as a novelist, children's writer, non-fiction author, translator, poet, playwright or screenwriter - ScotsWrite will address the challenges of breaking through your creative, financial and promotional barriers.”
In music, Loch Shiel Spring Festival,20-23 April 2017and Glasgow International Jazz Festival, 21-25 June 2017, have received funding towards the development of their respective programmes.
Glasgow-based band Youth of America has received funding towards the production of a new album. The band features members of already established Scottish bands Belle and Sebastian, Trembling Bells, Lucky Luke and Big Hogg.
Music Management Company SKMGMT has received funding to support the development of three new SKMGMT artists.
Loch Shiel Spring Festival said: “We are delighted that Creative Scotland is supporting the festival again this year, making it possible to bring such high-quality music to the small communities around Loch Shiel. We are looking forward to some fabulous cross-genre collaborations in venues in the stunning scenery of the West Highlands."
Toonspeak Young People’s Theatre has received funding forits new production Ma’ Bit, a large scale contemporary musical theatre production co-created by over 40 young people and a team of creative professionals. Telling the story of a young woman struggling to save a run-down theatre, Ma’ Bit will build on script, story and character development research from real life experiences of the young artists.
Writer Steven Fraser has received funding to develop I Remember, a semi-autobiographical play about living with Aspergers. The play is a collaborative theatrical performance with performers Aisling Fahey and Jamie Scott-Smith, director David Loumgair and producer Soph Nurse.
Steven Fraser said of his project I Remember: “I am very much looking forward to working on I Remember. The funding will allow me to undertake intensive research and complete a final draft of the script. Being able to work with other artists will ensure the project is exciting and collaborative and will be the most ambitious and energising project I have worked on.”
Among awards made to Screen, animator and filmmaker Ross Hogg has been supported to research and develop new work. The project will inform the production of an immersive exhibition and a short film.
The 48 Hour Film Project has received funds towards its events in Edinburgh, 19-21 May 2017 and Glasgow, October 2017. The 48 Hour Film Project is an international network of events which challenges amateur filmmakers to complete a film in 48 hours. The films are then entered in a competition at each venue with the winners invited to attend Filmapalooza, the international 48 Hour Film Festival.
Ross Hogg, animator and filmmaker said: “I'm delighted to have the opportunity to develop this project and the funding award from Creative Scotland will allow me to realise the initial ideas and move them towards production. The funding award will also be hugely beneficial as it will allow me to get the project moving prior to a two-month artist residence I've secured in Vienna, where I plan to develop a large portion of the project.”
In Dance, Maker and Curator Luke Pell has received an award for his work on In the Ink Dark. This new participatory project based on experiences of loss and landscape, memory and materiality with people in Leith and across Edinburgh will include a live dance performance, a publication and an accompanying series of podcasts as part of a digital artwork.
Luke Pell, In the Ink Dark said: “We are delighted to have been awarded support for In the Ink Dark. The project sets out to do something quite nuanced, by meeting with folks from all over Leith and Edinburgh in many different ways to create something that can only be brought into being because of them coming together to listen, reflect, remember, celebrate and share experience. We are working with a wonderful, eclectic group of artists to create the project and look forward to beginning work in May.”
Among the Visual Arts awards creative agency, This is Wyld has received funding to support Viewfinder, a project enabling seven Scottish moving image artists, to take part in a programme of international showcases.
In Glasgow, David Dale Gallery and MANY Studios have received funding towards their arts programming. Clydeside Initiative for Arts (SWG3) award will be used for the development of the Yard Works adjacent to Glasgow’s SWG3. This will provide a new facility for artists, with three separate making and creating spaces, to develop and exhibit outdoor work, design, and large scale architectural and sculptural installations.
Funding for Thurso-based Caithness Horizons will enable the organisation to host ARTIST ROOMS: Johan Grimonprez in March 2017, as part of the ARTIST ROOMS National Touring programme. The exhibition will consist of three video pieces and it is the first time that this exhibition will be shown as part of the ARTIST ROOMS programme.
ENDS
Open Project Funding is available to a wide range of organisations and individuals working across Scotland in the arts, screen and creative industries. It supports a broad spectrum of activity including creative and professional development, research and development, production, small capital requirements, touring and collaborations, festivals, arts programming, audience development, etc. A full list of activities supported through this route is set out in the Open Project Funding application guidance. Support is available for projects of different scale and duration with the maximum period of award being set at 2 years. Awards are made in the range £1,000 to £100,000 (or up to £150,000 by exception).
Details of the Open Project Fund and all other Creative Scotland funding can be found on our website at https://www.creativescotland.com/funding/funding-programmes/open-project-funding
Please note the funding awards listed (attached) remain offers of funding until such time as all terms and conditions have been formally accepted and fulfilled by the award recipient. If an award recipient fails to accept any offer, the funding award will be withdrawn and credited to future Open Project Funding Panels.
Creative Scotland is the public body that supports the arts, screen and creative industries across all parts of Scotland on behalf of everyone who lives, works or visits here. We enable people and organisations to work in and experience the arts, screen and creative industries in Scotland by helping others to develop great ideas and bring them to life. We distribute funding provided by the Scottish Government and the National Lottery. For further information about Creative Scotland please visit www.creativescotland.com. Follow us @creativescots andwww.facebook.com/CreativeScotland
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