Welcome to your January newsletter

In your first edition of 2024, we bring welcome news of funding delivered to a host of creative projects across Scotland through The Scottish Government's Youth Music Initiative and The National Lottery in the latest round of the Open Fund.

Also this month, WOMEX have opened their call for proposals for artists to showcase at their 30th event this year in Manchester and we've announced a new project funded through an ambitious partnership between the Arts and Humanities Research Council and the UK arts councils to explore the creative potential of immersive technologies.

Plus, we've gathered all the latest news and opportunities from across Scotland.

Megan Lovat, Kirsty May Hamilton, Rowan Heggie, and Keira Smith

Get to know the 36 creative projects awarded over £800k funding from The National Lottery in the latest round of the Open Fund

A man wearing VR goggle in a room with walls covered in brightly coloured neon paint

The new XRtists project will support over 200 UK-based artists and organisations to explore the creative potential of virtual, augmented and mixed reality technologies

Violinist Joanne Green, Gaelic singer Mischa Macpherson and fiddle player Donald Grant gather on the steps of Glasgow Royal Concert Hall on Thursday 18 January for the opening of Celtic Connections 2024.

Europe’s premiere folk, roots and world music festival Celtic Connections is taking place at venues across Glasgow until 4 February

A group of young people in a band, wearing baseball hats and sunglasses, play together on mic, base guitar, electric guitar and drums

We've delivered Scottish Government funding for 52 community projects engaging young people with music-making activities through the Youth Music Initiative

"WOMEX gave us some incredible opportunities that we never knew would be possible." Mohsen Amini, Talisk, on why you should apply to take part in WOMEX.

The WOMEX call for proposals is now open for those looking to showcase at the 30th edition as an artist or take part in the conference as a music professional

Sign up your project for National Lottery Open Week to say #ThanksToYou to National Lottery players between 9 and 17 March 2024

Licht up yer January wi Hen Hoose artists, filmed at The Barrowlands fir Burns Night 2024 and showin aff wir crackin music scene

The deadline to apply to join our EDI Advisory Group and share your expertise of the various aspects of Equalities, Diversity and Inclusion (EDI) is midday on Friday 2 February

We're delighted to welcome The British Council to the PRS Foundation's International Showcase Fund partnership, to connect opportunities for UK music creators in more overseas markets

Start 2024 right with the latest new music from Scotland in our playlist on Spotify

A reminder for organisations applying to the Multi-Year Funding programme that Stage 2 Guidance is now available

Respond to the UK Government's consultation on intangible cultural heritage in the UK, as part of the first stage of their intention to ratify the 2003 UNESCO Convention

Congratulations to the team at Culture Collective, which won The Stage's award for Community Project of the Year 2024 and is funded by The Scottish Government through Creative Scotland

Producer Cathy Mager shares the story of her career as a disabled producer and what it takes to work in such a multi-faceted role

The Edwin Morgan Poetry Award is now open for applications, with a prize pot of £20,000 to support emerging Scottish poets under 30

This month's funding deadline highlights are from Creative Scotland, Edinburgh Art Festival and the John Yorke Story.

The Visual Artist and Craft Maker Awards (VACMA) are small grants designed to support Scotland-based visual artists and craft makers in their development

Visit Creative Scotland's site

Platform is Edinburgh Art Festival’s early career artist award, providing a dedicated platform for artists based in Scotland and working in contemporary art

Visit Edinburgh Art Festival

John Yorke Story is offering a bursary for their Story for Video Games online training for creative professionals, covering 25% of the cost for women

Visit the John Yorke Story site

For the full list of upcoming funding deadlines delivered by Creative Scotland, Screen Scotland and across the sector, visit our website

Visit the funding deadlines page

Connecting Scotland's creative community through Opportunities

We've got over 450 jobs, workshops, funds, awards, residencies and other professional development opportunities for the arts, screen and creative industries on the Opportunities website.

You can also advertise your own opportunities for free.

Visit the Opportunities website

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Image credits

Open Fund - Megan Lovat, Kirsty May Hamilton, Rowan Heggie, and Keira Smith, pictured devising during the HYSTERIA R&D 2022 (funded by OFFI), photographed by Vivid Roots Collective.

YMI funding - Image courtesy of Soundsystems Project

XRtists funding for virtual technology - Image by Polly Thomas (WMC Battlescar)

Celtic Connections - Image courtesy of Celtic Connections/Glasgow Life.

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