The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo has announced that, following the success of its annual August extravaganza, it will donate one million pounds to 13 UK-based charitable military organisations and arts bodies this year.
We’re delighted that, following the pilot in 2018, The Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo Youth Talent Development Fund will run for a second year.
A total £150,000 will provide young artists in Scotland with the opportunity to develop their skills in the realms of traditional music and dance such as piping, drumming, highland dancing and fiddle playing. The fund allows artists to create new, innovative work for showcase and increase accessibility across traditional Scottish arts.
With the fund opening again this October, we heard from two of the projects funded in the previous round about their projects.
St Margaret’s Trust in Braemar were funded for their project Mountain Melodies, a collaboration between the Trust and Live Music Now Scotland.
The project will see 20 young people from the Deeside area, who are already learning Scottish traditional instruments and singing, work with award-winning Scottish traditional band Barluath and composer Simon Thoumire during a week of music sessions and workshops, which will culminate in a number of community performances and a concert at St Margaret’s.
The young people will learn musical skills and write new pieces of music, which will be premiered during the concerts. The support from the REMT Youth Talent Development Fund has made it possible for both of the organisations to work together for the first time.
Jaimie Munn from Live Music Now Scotland said: “The opportunity has been great for both St Margaret’s and Live Music Now Scotland to build links between the two organisations, and to develop the project.
LMNS doesn’t often get the chance to work this extensively in this part of the country, and this fund has allowed both organisations to provide opportunities for young people and emerging musicians that otherwise would not have been available."
The funding also inspired The Amanda Kane School of Dance to develop their Highland Magic project, giving twelve young people in the Edinburgh North area the opportunity to learn Highland Dancing and work towards an opportunity to showcase their attainment in a choreography competition in Disneyland Paris in November.
The funding has helped to overcome a potential barrier of the costs associated with class tuition fees and also associated costs for attending the international choreography competition.
The project was widely advertised through the local schools in the North Edinburgh area and on social media, which generated a lot of interest and enabled the Dance School to hold a successful Open Day and Audition event.
Amanda Kane said: “The REMT and Creative Scotland have helped me significantly to implement the project and we are well under way in achieving its goals.
"The 12 young persons have been learning Highland Dancing since May and we have recently commenced rehearsals for the choreography competition. The project has created an exciting experience for those involved and I’m confident they will all continue with their learning of Highland Dancing it has completed.
"In addition to the above, I was put in touch with the North Edinburgh Arts through the REMT and am now utilising their theatre to hold my Christmas Show on 15 December, which will be another opportunity for the twelve young persons in the project to showcase their achievements in the local community.
"I would encourage any applicant to allow sufficient time to complete the application form and give careful consideration to the information being sought in each section. Completing the application form actually helped to develop the project more thoroughly and also influence some aspects it. Ultimately, believe in your project and seek help from others as needed."
Find out more about the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo Youth Development Fund at creativescotland.com/funding/archive/the-royal-edinburgh-military-tattoo-youth-talent-development-fund.
The deadline to apply is 10 December 2018.
