Creative Scotland is seeking partners to help administer funds to previously under-represented groups of young people.

As part of the Scottish Government’s announcement of Friday 28 August of £59million emergency funding for culture and heritage, the Nurturing Talent Fund was given a £50k boost in order to provide opportunities to young, emerging artists who are entering a challenging funding environment.

Specifically, we are looking for partners who can help us reach:

• Young artists from care experienced backgrounds
• Young artists from rural communities and local authorities we get fewer applications from, specifically: Angus, West Dunbartonshire, Inverclyde, North Ayrshire, and Fife
• Young disabled artists, or young people who need additional support

We are looking to work with three organisations who can each manage a Nurturing Talent Fund that explores how to work with young people from the priority groups above to deliver:

• Direct support for young people to undertake their own self-directed creative or artistic project or activity
• A youth-led decision-making process for applications and awards.

More information is available on the Nurturing Talent Fund: New Routes page.

The deadline for submissions of expressions of interest is 5pm on Friday 8 January 2021.

The Nurturing Talent Fund: New Routes is part of a Scottish Government package of COVID-19 emergency funds for creativity and culture being administered through Creative Scotland, the funds were announced by the First Minister on Friday 28 August. Progress on delivery of these funds is as follows:

• The £8million Hardship Fund for Creative Freelancers remains open for applications for one off grants of up to £2,000. Hardship Funds through Screen Scotland – also available to commercial photographers - has re-opened from Wednesday 2 December. Applicants already in receipt of an award from Screen Scotland’s Hardship Fund can now apply for a supplementary payment of £500.
• The £1.5million Culture Collective programme (referred to in the Scottish Government’s Programme for Government) is designed to establish a network of creative practitioners, organisations and communities, working together to create a positive difference locally and nationally in response to COVID-19. Launched on Tuesday 3 November, the Fund has received 148 Expressions of Interest (EOIs) totalling £28million. 68 organisations, with proposals totalling £14million, have now been invited to make full applications. Awards will be announced at the beginning of February 2021.
• The £15million Culture Organisations and Venues Recovery Fund received 348 applications totalling over £22million. 233 applicants have been awarded a total of £13.2million. Creative Scotland is in discussion with the Scottish Government as regards how the remaining £1.9million budget from this emergency fund will be allocated and more information on that will be shared in due course.
• The £3.5million Independent Cinemas Recovery and Resilience Fund opened for applications on Monday 14 September with a deadline of Monday 5 October. On Tuesday 3 November it was announced that 30 independent cinemas and two touring operators serving communities across Scotland received £3.55million.
• £3.5million additional funds for Creative Scotland’s Open Fund which is open for applications to individuals and organisations on a rolling basis.
• A £3million Youth Arts funding package comprising of at least £1.2million through the Access to Youth Arts Fund open to applications until Thursday 12 November; £700,000 Small Grants Scheme which opened on Thursday 24 September until Monday 2 November; £50,000 assigned to the Time to Shine Nurturing Talent Fund which has opened for Expressions of Interest today, and an additional £1,050,000 allocated to support a number of targeted national and local area youth music and wider youth arts organisations.

Previously announced funds from the Scottish Government are:

• £12.5million Performing Arts Venue Relief Fund which has reached 79 venues across Scotland. Recipients were published on Thursday 24 September and full information on awards made can be read in our news.
• £2.2million Grassroots Music Venues Stabilisation Fund which has reached 72 venues across Scotland. Recipients were published on Tuesday 22 September and full information on awards made is available in this news release

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