Projects and ideas from individuals and organisations can be supported both by targeted funds managed by the Creative Industries team and by Open Project Funding.
Through Creative Industries Targeted Funds, we support projects that create the conditions for creative businesses to grow and become sustainable. These projects will always aim to benefit more than one business, often through place-based or sub-sectoral interventions. We also consider potential projects against the ‘triple-bottom line’, reviewing how they contribute to the generation of cultural, social and economic value.
These project ideas could include:
And these projects could be delivered in a range of ways including:
Budgets would normally range from £1,000 up to £30,000, but we could consider a higher amount based on the project idea. We aim to discuss budgets as part of a process of developing an idea and will be happy to do this through reviewing outline proposals and meeting with anyone with a great idea.
To find out what kinds of projects we supported recently, have a look here:
Following work on a feasibility study, Creative Scotland supported the implementation of a credit union for the craft sector through a partnership of Craft Scotland and the Castlemilk Credit Union.
Support for specific development work with a focus on emerging creative industries within The Oven. Specifically: Prototyping/Action Testing creative industry activity in The Oven space prior to refurbishment alongside a demand survey targeted to local, regional and national creative industries, creative start-ups and recent graduates. This specific development work will feed into the general business plans being prepared for Midsteeple Quarter and The Oven and their aspiration to support creatives, by offering resources in Dumfries.
Changes in the music industry’s business models – e.g. loss of visible high-street retail outlets, collapse of paid downloads, identifying routes to influential playlists, lack of record label investment – have presented a number of challenges to self-employed musicians in the niche of traditional music. The Traditional Music Forum were supported to explore this challenge further and to fill gaps in information about the reality of the economic situation for traditional and folk musicians.
The Make Bank is a social project established by Kirsty Thomas, founder of Scottish design studio, Tom Pigeon. The Make Bank provides Art and Design Kits for disadvantaged pupils who want to pursue creative education and a creative career. The organisation also works with industry professionals to share inspiring stories, creative journeys and career advice.
The Creative Entrepreneurs Club is a member-driven community, designed to help creative people sustain their career or businesses - based on their own motivations on how to grow and the triple bottom line – culturally, socially and economically. The club aims to be accessible and useful, using peer to peer networking, as well as speakers and advisers, to increase/share knowledge and develop business skills and confidence.
Creative Stirling is a Community Interest Company (CIC) based at the Old Town Jail in Stirling. During 2018 they established a city centre creative hub and ran a series of events to grow opportunities for the creative workforce in Stirling. Creative Stirling have identified three objectives for a year-long project to support the development of sustainable creative businesses in association with Stirling Council Economic Development Department and Historic Environment Scotland.
This programme activated three vacant spaces in the city centre, utilising the ‘Meanwhile Spaces’ model. This provided capacity and support for creatives to develop sustainable business models in the city. It aimed to impact on creative talent retention, a key priority of the recently published Culture Aberdeen strategy. The spaces housed incubator, residency, gallery and pop-up retail opportunities.
Made in Glasgow by Local Heroes was an innovative project to promote and celebrate the vibrancy of Glasgow-based designers, through a showcase and shop of curated design, craft and textiles work. The showcase was part of the European Championships 2018 held in Glasgow (and Berlin).
Local Heroes worked closely with selected Glasgow-based designers on commissions and existing work, to showcase some of the best design, craft and textiles coming out of Glasgow, and to add to the City’s shopping experience. The shop was in a vacant site in a prominent corner of the Merchant City during the Festival.
Partnership support for the PRSF Momentum programme, offering support for ‘tipping point’ acts from Scotland through this industry-led investment mechanism that is intended to contribute to the growth and sustainability of Scotland’s independent music scene.
The primary focus of the research is to understand more about the key drivers and influencing factors that are having an impact on the way that the UK art market is evolving. This will include consideration of the role of national funding bodies in supporting/enabling the development of artists’ practice, supporting institutions that form part of the arts infrastructure and/or consumer facing market development initiatives such as Own Art may potentially be identified as ‘drivers’ or ‘influencers’ of change.
This fund supports artists, groups, and creative organisations based in Scotland who are looking to apply for a wide range of artistic and creative project activity. Find out more on the Open Project Fund page.
We also manage some Open Calls for project activity that aligns with our strategic approach.
Currently this includes:
Go See Share is a small fund for individuals, organisations and creative businesses to undertake trips allowing them to explore new ways to expand their business activity and make them more financially sustainable. Find out more about Go See Share.
Crowdfunding Creativity was a pilot mentoring and match-funding scheme for those looking to embark on a crowdfunding campaign. It aimed to provide people who are working in the creative industries in Scotland with the skills and knowledge to develop their own successful crowdfunding campaigns. Find out more about Crowdfunding Creativity.