Scottish arts organisations have received new funding to enhance cultural engagement within local communities. Think Circus, Stellar Quines and Media Education are among 20 UK/international exchange partnerships to have secured a share of £360,000 in the latest round of the Cultural Bridge programme.
Made possible with investment from Creative Scotland, Arts Council England, Arts Council Northern Ireland, British Council, Arts Council of Wales/Wales Arts International, Fonds Soziokultur and Goethe-Institut London, Cultural Bridge enables socially engaged, grassroots cultural groups in the UK and Germany to share ideas, learn new skills and develop creative projects addressing social issues, enriching the creative and cultural lives of communities.
Edinburgh-based Think Circus is partnering with socio cultural German theatre companies, WHEELS and Junges Theater Münster for Missing Link, an exchange project that will bring circus arts into communities and create new creative opportunities for young people.
Think Circus’ Founder Kat Borrowdale said: “We are delighted to be building an international connection with WHEELS and Junges Theatre Münster.
“Our organisations all have roots in community theatre practice but take very different approaches.
“This collaboration will introduce new methods for our teachers and performers, which will be shared with the children and young people in our community projects – enhancing their skills, enjoyment and creativity.”
Fife-based Stellar Quines Theatre Company is teaming up with German film education leadership group, MPower on a project giving voice to women of colour in Scotland and Germany through writing and filmmaking. Specially tailored residencies in Scotland and Berlin will enable refugee and migrant women to develop their skills via workshops, film production and public showcases.
Caitlin Skinner, Stellar Quines’ Artistic Director said: “MPower and Stellar Quines are over the moon to have this support to continue our partnership.
“Our time with MPower has already been transformational for us as practitioners and as organisations and we’re so excited to be able to extend this work to more participants.
“In the current global climate our collaboration is a vital opportunity for young women to use film and theatre to explore the connections between feminism and migrant justice and to share their experience across borders.”
Empowering individuals with lived experiences of trauma, discrimination, and adversity is central to a new collaboration between Scottish grassroots activists Media Education and digital inclusion innovators Q3.
This partnership aims to enhance cultural engagement and empower underrepresented communities through knowledge exchange. By providing opportunities to build skills, explore identities, and express creativity through filmmaking and podcasts, participants can find audiences and make a meaningful impact with their stories.
The insights gained will be shared locally and across Europe, shaping future social arts practices and fostering a more inclusive society.
Iain Shaw, Media Education’s Company Director said: “We’re thrilled to start our collaboration with Q3, whose important work we deeply admire.
“At the heart of our partnership is the belief that sharing lived experiences is key to building bridges between people from all walks of life and creating a fair and equitable society.
“This programme gives both organisations the time to strengthen practice by exploring similarities and differences in our approaches and sharing that learning more widely.”
Karen Dick, Creative Scotland’s Head of Place, Partnerships & Communities said: “Central to the ethos of the Cultural Bridge initiative is the gift of time, empowering meaningful collaborative international exchange between socially engaged and grassroots arts organisations and fostering lasting connections within local communities.
“The programme’s diverse activities and projects will have the freedom to explore new approaches to cultural practice, promote co-creation and community engagement, working together to shape local place, shared identity and collective agency.
“We extend our warm congratulations to Stellar Quines, Think Circus and Media Education on their awards and, thanks to our partners’ continued support, we’re excited to build on the programme’s successes further enriching the creative and cultural lives of communities in the UK and Germany.”