After the success of last year's Crowdfunding Creative Scotland competition, it's back and bigger than ever with 20 projects competing to win up to £10,000 in match funding towards their projects in Creative Scotland Crowdmatch.
The projects have been going through weeks of tailored coaching from the Crowdfunder team and have just gone live with their Crowdfunding campaigns. Ready to meet them?
The 100 Days Project Scotland encourages daily creativity by supporting people as they explore daily creative pursuits - open to all!
This project aims to raise funding to support the annual celebratory show as it moves online in response to the pandemic; creating digital spaces to celebrate with and meet other community members; and to empower and engage people in daily creativity.
"This Crowdfunder is a very exciting opportunity; funding is vital for the 100 Days Project Scotland to grow. It will help us create an online exhibition for sharing and celebrating the achievements of the 2020 project participants, allow us to throw an online event for the opening night, and help widen participation to the project. The project gives anyone (regardless of age or ability) a framework and the permission to be creative; to help people embed creativity in to their daily lives."
Go to the Crowdfunder page
We are an artist collective based in Ayr. Our unique vision straddles gastronomy, arts and sciences to reanimate vacant shops in our historic town, commissioning local artists and creative people to produce inspirational new digital/physical artworks and documentary film to show how these spaces can be enlivened for a post-pandemic, post-retail, future. We will develop exciting experiential retail and cultural events to attract people back, and restore vibrancy to the heart of our historic town. This reimagining will be a socially responsible way of catalysing Scotland’s town centres, as sustainable places of employment for artists and makers, for the future.
"Narture nurturing the arts respecting nature, we are an artists collective to reanimate empty spaces and the historical sandgate area of Ayr" Robert from Narture
Go to the Crowdfunding page
CeilidhFest Glasgow is a new citywide event for the people of Glasgow, taking place 1-30 November 2021, encompassing all things expected of a Ceilidh in its traditional sense - a gathering where people offer hospitality, take part in, and enjoy other people’s company with dancing, music, songs, food, drink, stories and crafts.
The group is seeking crowdfunding support for the ‘ceilidh’ packs they will supply to families and communities to help them host their own event, building the festival locally and safely under any COVID-19 measures in place. The more money they raise, the more packs they can provide.
"CeilidhFest is for everyone. Our moto in Glasgow is let Glasgow flourish. The moto for CeilidhFest is let Glasgow, Glaswegians and all people flourish"
Go to the Crowfunding page
Cloud Comic Con is a virtual comic fest, taking place from 18 - 19 June 2021, bringing together audiences from Glasgow Comic Con, Edinburgh Comic Art Festival, and Rai Con all into one online space. It will include a series of talks, panels, and a virtual artists alley to promote the works of independent creators.
Special guests will include J.M.Demattis (Justice League Int, Batman), Tillie Walden (On a Sunbeam), Charlie Adlard (The Walking Dead), Shazleen Khan (Buzza), Dave Cook (Killtopia), Claire Lim (Wee Claire) and Frank Quitely (Jupiter’s Legacy) plus many more TBA.
"This Crowdfunder will enable us to produce a one-off virtual event that will have a legacy far beyond its broadcast date. And set in place the groundwork for digital streaming content to live alongside our in real-life events, post covid."
Go to the Crowdfunding page
A singer and multi-instrumentalist, Amy will play keys, synths, guitars and electric upright bass on the record and will be working with percussionist Guy Nicolson and co producer Cameron Malcolm.
Amy’s crowdfunder will be an opportunity to preorder Cocoon as a Bandcamp digital download or compact disc. There will be special offers unique to the project such as limited edition greetings cards and handmade lyric booklets. Tickets to the album launch in November will also be available as well as the opportunity to have Amy play a gig in your own home.
“I am so happy to have this opportunity to take part in the Creative Scotland Crowdmatch and am really looking forward to sharing my music with the community. The songs on Cocoon were written in 2020 and I hope that the album will resonate widely with people through the shared experience of being in lockdown.”
Go to the Crowdfunder page
Floating Head is an iconic sculpture by Richard Groom, commissioned for the Glasgow Garden Festival of 1988. The piece - a giant cement head built on the hull of a boat - has been out of the public view ever since, and narrowly avoided destruction. Sculpture Placement Group are planning to restore and relocate Floating Head, temporarily floating it in its original location in the Canting Basin, next to Glasgow Science Centre at Pacific Quay. We hope this will be an opportunity to remember this historic event - and to help find a long term public location for the artwork.
“Sculpture Placement Group are really excited about the prospect of bringing Floating Head back to the Clyde, where it was last seen in 1988 for the Glasgow Garden Festival. Its a really iconic piece of artwork and a great reminder of this significant historical event. We think the piece will be really popular with new audiences as well, and will take on new significance in relation to the COP26 event in the same location. We are delighted to have the chance of match funding from Creative Scotland to support our Crowdfunded campaign, and we can’t wait to launch the campaign and bring back Floating Head!”
Go to the Crowdfunding page
Connecting the dots between creative communities and individuals in Scotland through an independent magazine. Providing a platform, revenue, and community support for arts and music in this country, one issue at a time.
"Front Left is a platform dreamt up in the first stages of lockdown last year, as our spaces and lives closed up, we went looking for new ways we could connect with others. Since launching the project we’ve been overwhelmed by the amount of talented people who call Scotland their home and the range of work we’ve fallen for. Our goal is to share the stories of these people with you and promote the vast amount of people making Scotland a special place to be.
We share work from a wide range of creative practices, including; visual artists, photographers, feature writers, poets, musicians and DJs. We look for the things that connect these different disciplines and explore the role that music plays in our creative and everyday lives.
We hope to connect you with people and things that inspire you, invite you away from a screen and into an exciting landscape of Scottish creativity."
Go to the Crowdfunding page
Glasgow Open House Arts Festival is a DIY non-profit city-wide event, that encourages people from all walks of life to explore alternative ways of interacting with the arts, outside of the usual gallery or museum. Hosted by the local community, the festival has traditionally taken place in flats, garden sheds and other unexpected locations. This year, we aim to create a safe & socially distanced festival, from the 24th to the 27th of September. With the help of Crowdfunder, we aim to spotlight artists from under-represented communities and work towards the sustainability of the festival long into the future.
"We have all really missed engaging together in cultural and community events, and the pandemic has made us realise just how important the arts are for our mental health and well-being! With the help of this Crowdfunder, Glasgow Open House Arts Festival 2021 will bring desperately needed opportunities for joy and togetherness to the local community, as well as support to artists and groups taking part." Amalie Silvani-Jones, Festival Director.
Go to the Crowdfunding page
Flew The Arrow will be returning to work with Sound Engineer, Luigi Pasquini, at his incredible new Dystopia Studios over in Partick, to record the bands next Double A-Side Singles 'Huntress/The Warmth & The Weight'.
Along with Sarah McWhinney, Ross Hull and Caitlin MacKenzie accompanying these songs on Cello, Fiddle and Flute, the aim is to bring these songs to life and into the hearts and minds of the fondest listeners, in the hopes that they will transport you into the Celtic landscape of imagery and emotions that Lee envisioned when he wrote these songs, and still when he sings them today.
These are songs of love and loss, of humbling hope, and a deep recognition of the grander picture of life, and the countless lifetimes before us, with a dash of mythology to wrap it neatly in a bow. 'Huntress/The Warmth & The Weight' is set to be released on 12" Single an on all digital platforms.
"Before being accepted as being a part of this Crowdmatch programme by Creative Scotland, I'd held off for months on starting my Crowdfunder journey, and hesitated because I was worried about putting myself entirely out there and not making a success of it during these times of much uncertainty. Being an independent artist during these times, I knew that the only way for me to make it back into the studio was to Crowdfund and reach out to my audience on a level I haven't done so before. Finally undertaking this journey, I can see now that it was only me holding myself back, and it has given me the confidence to truly see the worth in my music and that the right people will tune in and show support in ways that I couldn't have imagined before. Now I'm taking the leap, I'm so excited to make the best of this campaign and be successful in making some small dreams of mines come true".
Go to the Crowdfunder page
The planned facility – to be called ‘Ink on Mesh’ - aims to provide affordable studio space for the local community, artists, makers, graduates and hobbyists to meet, learn, explore and connect through the crafts of screen printing and stitched textiles. Free access spaces will be offered each term with the intention of making these valued craft skills accessible to all, including those who currently face barriers to creative education. The Ink on Mesh community will have access to a fully equipped studio space, a wide range of classes and expert technical support. It will provide a learning environment that nurtures creativity at any age, stage and ability and offers one-off experiences, progression routes and professional development in screen printing, textile dying, machine and hand stitched textiles.
“With the support of Creative Scotland Crowdmatch and Crowdfunder UK I’m looking to achieve my dream of establishing INK on MESH in the heart of my local community. The studio will allow me to continue to develop my own textiles brand as well as providing invaluable space and specialized equipment for developing, emerging and graduate textile practitioners. I know just how challenging it is to pursue your professional career as a textile graduate without access to screens, studio space and the support networks that college life offers".
Go to the Crowdfunder page
Award-winning independent publisher 404 Ink will crowdfund the launch of their non-fiction series INKLINGS. Big ideas, small books. Funding: production costs (printing, design); doubles as pre-orders for books.Commissioned titles: exploration of living between two cultures, celebration of women in UK hip hop, deep dive into the legacy and impact of Prince's fashion, a look at the queer revolution of sitcom Schitt's Creek, a reimagining of Universities and who they benefit, scrutinising the fascination of apocalypse fiction, finding transmasculine joy in a transphobic culture, and an education on blindness. Boosting new voices on important and varied subjects.
"What a thrill to see our new Inklings series launched with Crowdfunder and the Creative Scotland Crowdmatch initiative! The idea for this series came mid-pandemic when life was looking bleak for so many people and 404 Ink was in hibernation and now that idea has bloomed into a full series of topics that are vital, timely, and insightful, we can't wait to get the books into people's hands. We're honoured to be working with such talented writers who are trusting us with their words and experiences - we hope we can do them justice and that this campaign will launch the Inklings with the fanfare it deserves.'
Go to the Crowfunder page
Iona Fyfe recently made headlines after her success in campaigning for Spotify to add the Scots language to it’s list of languages. Iona Fyfe’s second album will see her work with Graham Rorie (Gnoss) as producer, and a host of Scotland’s finest folk musicians. Iona won the title of Scots Performer of the Year at the Scots Language Awards in 2020 and was the youngest ever winner of Scots Singer of the Year at the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards in 2018. The album will feature 11 songs from the James Madison Carpenter collection. James Madison Carpenter was a folksong collector from Mississippi who came to the North East of Scotland and discovered ballad singers which other collectors of the time had not discovered. The collection was published by the Vaughan Williams Memorial Library, the National Library of Congress and the Elphinstone Institute at University of Aberdeen.
“After a year of no live gigs and all my tours being postponed, I’ve had time to write my second album. I’m really excited to record the album, but of course albums cost a lot of money. I’m hoping that the crowdfunder and the match funding from Creative Scotland will support the creation and marketing of the album. I hope to raise enough funds to employ over 21 creative freelancers whose livelihoods have been impacted by the pandemic. “
Go to the Crowfunder page
Iona Fyfe by Elly Lucas
In our combined 50+ years in the screen industries, Producer Penny Davies (co-owner of Smashing Pictures), Director Shiona McCubbin and Writer Amy Hawes have never worked on a project with a female-only cast and crew. For our ten-minute short scripted film, Maureen, we want to assemble a small, talented team, to explore how and if a set runs differently when women work exclusively together. We’re developing the script now, and aim to shoot one weekend in early summer, at minimal cost. We believe the film and concept behind it will attract interest from funders, and audiences at festivals and beyond.
"Shiona, Amy and I have talked about working together a number of times, so we're absolutely delighted to have been selected for Creative Scotland Crowdfunder with our short film Maureen. Amy has written a fantastic script, and we have a wonderful all-female team lined up - we can't wait to get going now!"
Go to the Crowdfunding page
Having recently been diagnosed with a degenerative eye condition, which may require a corneal implant in both eyes, I have decided to change my painting style. Working on larger paintings, in a looser style, will bring with it significant benefits to my occupational health. Following extensive research, I have found the easel that will perfectly facilitate this vital change to my working life. Having no pension fund, I will happily paint forever.
"I am a 61 year old artist, Living and working in Scotland. I am beginning a Standard Crowdfunding Campaign to raise the funds required for my new easel.""I wasn't quite sure what to expect from Crowfunder in terms of support and guidance, but I have been really pleased with the whole experience. I particularly liked the daily coaching sessions via FB rather than via a zoom call, so I could choose a time that suited me to sit down and study that day's message. I am sure lots of other people appreciated that too. I could never have pulled this project together without Anna's help and advice".
Go to the Crowfunder page
Positive Imaginings Rowanbank is raising money to develop an original, outdoor circus/theatre show to address the climate emergency for a young audience in a creative and positive way. The development process will be a collaboration between professional theatre makers, environmental educators and children from areas of multiple deprivation in central Scotland. Through a series of play-based outdoor workshops we will gather children’s positive imaginings for their future and use this as the basis for the show’s development process. The project aims to enhance children’s health and wellbeing and build creativity and resilience. The show will tour school playgrounds and community greenspaces.
"2021 is the year we must address the climate emergency. Coming out of COVID-19 we have an opportunity to create a new way of living. Scotland is hosting COP26 this year, the most important meeting on climate change since 2015 when the Paris agreement was drawn up. This project aims to both educate and give a voice to children creating a sense of agency and hope for their future."
Go to the Crowfunder page
Leading Scottish harpist Rachel Hair is collaborating with acclaimed Manx Gaelic singer Ruth Keggin to record a new duo album that will explore and celebrate the cultural and musical links between Scotland and the Isle of Man.
The songs, predominantly in the flourishing Manx language, will be a blend of traditional, well-known repertoire, and contemporary compositions by Manx writers and will complement the instrumental sets, specially chosen to represent the mutual passion and respect that both musicians have for each other’s nations and cultures.
"I'm so grateful to Creative Scotland and Crowdfunder for giving myself and the Manx Gaelic singer Ruth Keggin the opportunity to fund-raise for our duo album celebrating the links between Scotland and the Isle of Man. It's been a really tough year for musicians, and with no gigging income to put towards new projects, the fact that we can crowdfund and be in with the chance to receive extra funding from Creative Scotland, well, it just means we can finally put into reality our recording plans for the album we have been working towards."
Go to the Crowfunder page
ReStyler is a brand-new and sustainable garment restyling alteration and mending service in Edinburgh.
Remode Collective is an award-winning social enterprise set up to explore ways to repurpose textiles locally and build new skills while celebrating multicultural diversity.
"We are based in Edinburgh and we offer a range of creative workshops, classes, community projects, and events, as well as collecting leftover and unwanted textiles to produce handmade and unique items.
We would like to start up a new service targeted at those who don’t have a personal interest in sewing but still want to have a sustainable and responsible approach towards their clothes. We understand that not everybody feels confident with needles and sewing machines! The idea is to develop a drop-in or postal Garment Styling Alteration and Mending service we will call “ReStyler”.
Go to the Crowfunder page
In response to lockdown, Sonic Surroundings offers virtual journeys to unique locations to hear beautiful music within stunning settings. The most important element of this project will be the feeling of space and freedom, something which many of us have been missing during the pandemic restrictions.
"Striking a note of inspiration and optimism, we will launch this globally accessible digital event with a captivating, cinematic performance from Glasgow’s electro-pop goddess, Elisabeth Elektra. Showcasing her signature-style of “solid neon-streaked escapism” (The Quietus) against breath-taking backdrops of the Scottish Highlands, Sonic Surroundings will be a memorable audiovisual treat for all to enjoy."
Go to the Crowdfunding page
Elisabeth Elektra, photo credit Marina Fini
"All Sing" will bring together community choirs from across Scotland (and further afield) to mark the end of an unprecedented period of human 'separation' and the value of connection through music. Using songs from the award-winning album Songs of Separation, the project will recognise and reward ten community choir leaders for the immense support they have given to their choirs during lockdown, whisking them away to a Scottish island to sing and hone arrangements, learn, share and revitalise amongst peers. Creating learning resources and a strong peer network, preparing for a massed performance and experimenting to expand music’s ‘reach’.
"I would love to make this incredible adventure happen for ten choir leaders - a mixture of fun, rewarding music and respite on faraway island! I know how much goes into creating musical opportunity for others, and keeping community music happening! In this past year, community singing is one of the things that has kept people going. 'SoS Music - ALL SING!' will give those community choirs leaders a rewarding and enriching experience, which I hope will yield loads of opportunities for their choirs in the future, along with some brilliant new arrangements of powerful and peaceful songs for choirs to learn!”
Go to the Crowdfunding page
The team are crowdfunding to finance a new album by Scottish folk-pop group Starry Skies called ‘Small Wonders’.
A theme of many of the songs is the importance of love, hope and service to others along with a greater appreciation of all the things we have in common. All funds raised will be spent with local businesses and support jobs here in Scotland.
There are a range of rewards including pre-sales of the Small Wonders album, limited edition t-shirts, live concerts and songwriting mentoring sessions.
The new record will be the follow-up release to Starry Skies 'Be Kind' and 'Do It With Love' albums which received significant radio play in a number of countries around the world.
"Starry Skies are very grateful to have been one of the twenty creative projects picked by Creative Scotland and Crowdfunder UK and hope we meet our target to allow us to record our new songs.
Go to the Crowdfunding page
Warren and Heather Starry Sky, by Jim Byrne
