104 projects are sharing in over £1.7m of National Lottery and Scottish Government funding through Creative Scotland in the latest round of Open Fund awards.
These funds are supporting creative people, projects and organisations across Scotland to adapt and respond to the current changing circumstances brought about by COVID-19 and helping to sustain creative development at this challenging time.
With the live music scene paused due to lockdown restrictions, Glasgow-based music platform Tenement TV has received £14,954 to create TTV COLLECTIVE; an online space to support and showcase emerging Scottish musicians. Allowing artists to create new recorded live experiences for music fans, the project will provide a paid platform for musicians in the absence of live gigs and concerts.
Chae Houston, Director, Tenement TV said: “After almost a year without live music, TTV are delighted to launch this brand-new project which will allow artists in Scotland to collaborate and create, in line with current guidelines.
“We’ve curated a fresh live recorded content programme featuring new combinations and collaborations from up-and-coming Scottish musical talent across the country and we cannot wait to share it with our audience.”
The Scottish BAME Writers Network has received £49,837 for its 2021 programme, ‘Staying Connected’. Founded in 2018 to engage, validate and connect Black writers and writers of colour, the network advocates for inclusive publishing and promotes diverse voices within Scotland’s literary sector.
The ‘Staying Connected’ programme will sustain community connection at a time when many are living in isolation, and create paid opportunities for BAME voices across publishing, mentoring and editorial roles.
Jeda Pearl Lewis, Co-Director, Scottish BAME Writers Network said: “This year we plan to provide writing workshops, paid work, submission opportunities and writer development initiatives for our community and integrate more accessibility into our programming. Taking a nuanced, inclusive and intersectional approach to our work will continue to be at the heart of our organisation.”
Community art project Fun A Day Dundee has also received £6,963 to help children, hobbyists and ‘non-artists’ to get creative by making art or doing something fun every day throughout the month of January. This free initiative will culminate in an online group exhibition, showcasing work by participants of all ages and abilities.
Samantha Sherriff, Co-ordinator, Fun A Day Dundee said: “By supporting artists and non-artists, we hope to encourage new patterns and habits of playful making that will improve mental health, grow small businesses and support artistic development.
“We welcome all skills and art mediums, and it’s a delight to see this wide variety of artists and makers encouraging each other, as well as sharing ideas and techniques.”
Other initiatives supported by the latest round of Open Fund awards include William Letford’s Unexpected Poetry project, which will bring poetry installations to the streets of Stirling, and writer Elspeth Lewis’s memoir ‘The Sun on My Skin’, which aims to explore nature writing through the lens of disability and identity.
Joan Parr, Arts and Engagement Director, Creative Scotland said: “As we begin 2021, the Open Fund continues to support Scotland’s arts and creative community to adapt and respond to the current changing circumstances brought about as a result of Covid-19.
“From championing Scottish BAME writers to reimagining live music for digital audiences, these projects are testament to the determination, resilience and imagination of creative individuals and organisations in the face of extremely challenging circumstances.
“Thanks to the generosity of National Lottery players, who raise £30 million for good causes across the UK every week, and funding from the Scottish Government, these awards are helping to sustain the great value that creativity brings to our lives.”
A full list of recipients of Open Fund awards is available on the Creative Scotland website.
The fund has no deadlines, and full eligibility criteria and application guidance can be found on the Creative Scotland website.
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