Creative Scotland – Page 10 – The NEN

Thank you for the music

Emergency Scottish Government relief funds reach grassroots music venues in Edinburgh

16 Edinburgh venues have received over £932,000 through the Scottish Government’s Grassroots Music Venues Stabilisation Fund delivered by Creative Scotland.

Bannermans, Henry’s Cellar Bar, LaBelle Angele, Leith Depot, Opium, Sandy Bell’s, Sneaky Pete’s, Stramash, Summerhall, The Banshee Labyrinth, The Bongo Club, The Caves, The Jazz Bar, The Mash House, The Voodoo Rooms and Whistle Binkies in Edinburgh are among 82 venues across Scotland which have received a total of £4million.

Aimed at providing grassroots live music venues with emergency support to help address the impact of the Covid-19 pandemic and prevent closure, the £4million fund closed for the second round of applications on Wednesday 3 February 2021.

Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop said: “This is an incredibly difficult time for the live music sector and it is important that we support our grassroots music venues – which are key to our rich and diverse music scene – to survive until they can reopen.

“This fund, part of our ongoing commitment to support cultural sectors during the pandemic, aims to do that by ensuring financial support reaches a wide variety of music venues across the country.

“I thank the music sector for continuing to work with us to identify the most effective ways to help it.”

Alan Morrison, Head of Music at Creative Scotland said: “We’ve now been without live music for much longer than anyone could have imagined. Covid-19 has hit the music industry hard, and we all look forward to the day when musicians and audiences can get back together – in the same place, at the same time – to ignite the special spark of live performance.

“Grassroots venues are where talented musicians test and perfect their original material, where careers are borne and local scenes have their deepest roots. The first round of awards from this fund covered the length of Scotland, from Dumfries to Kirkwall.

“The second round broadens that support, reaching Arran and the East Neuk of Fife. These awards are proof of the confidence that the Scottish Government and Creative Scotland have in our music sector, its artists, its audiences, its technicians and, of course, its much-loved grassroots venues.”

This is the second of two funding rounds. To date, over both funding rounds combined, 85 venues across Scotland have now received a total of £6.2million through the Fund. £2.2millon was awarded in the first round in September 2020.

Rowan Campbell of Summerhall said: “Summerhall is immensely grateful for this award which will help to secure our staff, our ongoing costs while closed and our ability to reopen in the coming months.

“It is a welcome lifeline that recognises our place as an important venue in the live music landscape of Scotland.”

Henry’s Cellar Bar owner/manager, Claire Grandemange said: “Thanks to the Creative Scotland’s Grassroots Music Venues Fund and all the help from the team of the Music Venue Trust, the uncertainty over our ability to carry on paying staff and other fixed costs has been removed, and we are confident about our future reopening as a music venue once restrictions are lifted.”

Recipients of the £4m Grassroots Music Venues Stabilisation Fund are:

Venue Name	Awarded Amount	Local Authority
1703 Dunfermline	£35,000	Fife
1807	£35,000	West Lothian
1912	£35,000	West Lothian
Aros Centre	£28,000	Highland
Audio	£32,000	Glasgow City
Backstage Kinross	£40,000	Perth and Kinross
Bannermans	£66,200	City of Edinburgh
The Banshee Labyrinth	£50,000	City of Edinburgh
Beat Generator Live!	£51,608	Dundee City
Berkeley Suite	£57,060	Glasgow City
BLOC+	£66,200	Glasgow City
The Blue Arrow Jazz Club	£66,200	Glasgow City
The Blue Lamp	£9,554	Aberdeen City
The Bongo Club	£50,000	City of Edinburgh
Box	£66,200	Glasgow City
Bridge Street Social Club	£50,000	Aberdeen City
Broadcast	£66,200	Glasgow City
The Bungalow	£38,000	Renfrewshire
Café Drummonds	£60,000	Aberdeen City
Callums Cavern CC’S	£19,298	Renfrewshire
The Caves	£66,200	City of Edinburgh
The Church	£66,200	Dundee City
The Clutha Bar	£45,000	Glasgow City
Conroy’s	£23,422	Dundee City
Cottiers Theatre	£30,000	Glasgow City
The Douglas Arms	£20,000	Dumfries and Galloway
Dreadnoughtrock	£45,490	West Lothian
Flying Duck	£60,000	Glasgow City
Futtle	£22,000	Fife
The Gellions	£50,000	Highland
The Glad Cafe C.I.C	£66,200	Glasgow City
Harleys	£66,200	South Ayrshire
Henry’s Cellar Bar	£66,200	City of Edinburgh
Hootenanny	£66,200	Highland
The Howlin Wolf	£66,200	Glasgow City
The Hug and Pint	£66,200	Glasgow City
The Hunter S Thompson	£21,000	Dundee City
Ivory Blacks	£40,601	Glasgow City
The Jazz Bar	£66,200	City of Edinburgh
King Tuts Wah Wah Hut	£66,200	Glasgow City
King’s	£66,200	Dundee City
The Kings Theatre Kirkcaldy Limited	£30,000	Fife
Krakatoa	£59,500	Aberdeen City
LaBelle Angele	£66,200	City of Edinburgh
La Cheetah Club	£66,200	Glasgow City
Leith Depot	£27,981	City of Edinburgh
Marmions	£35,000	Scottish Borders
The Mash House	£66,200	City of Edinburgh
McChuills	£63,800	Glasgow City
McGeochs	£43,500	Inverclyde
Midnight Breakfast Club	£3,749	West Lothian
Mono	£60,000	Glasgow City
Muckys Bar &	£28,774	Perth and Kinross
Nice N Sleazy	£66,200	Glasgow City
Opium	£66,200	City of Edinburgh
Nicos bar	£40,000	Glasgow City
The Old Hairdressers	£55,000	Glasgow City
The Pierhead Tavern	£30,000	North Ayrshire
PJ Malloys	£52,732	Fife
The Poetry Club	£30,000	Glasgow City
Priory Bar	£45,000	Glasgow City
Purple Orange	£28,524	West Lothian
Room 2	£59,049	Glasgow City
The Rum Shack	£19,251	Glasgow City
Saint Luke’s & The Winged Ox	£66,200	Glasgow City
Sandy Bell’s	£10,000	City of Edinburgh
Sneaky Pete’s	£66,200	City of Edinburgh
The Sound Archive	£34,911	Orkney Islands
Stramash	£66,200	City of Edinburgh
Stereo	£66,200	Glasgow City
The Sub-Club	£66,200	Glasgow City
Summerhall	£66,200	City of Edinburgh
Swing	£50,000	East Dunbartonshire
Temple	£64,200	Falkirk
The Tooth and Claw	£59,996	Highland
Tunnels	£50,000	Aberdeen City
The Twa Tams	£66,200	Perth and Kinross
Unit 51	£50,000	Aberdeen City
The View	£20,000	Argyll and Bute
The Voodoo Rooms	£66,200	City of Edinburgh
Whistle Binkies	£66,200	City of Edinburgh
Woodside hotel	£15,000	Fife
Total

Live In Leith

Leith Theatre launches mini-series of digital gigs to showcase breakthrough Scottish artists

A grant from Creative Scotland’s Performing Arts Venue Relief Fund has allowed Leith Theatre to secure a small staff team of expertise, enabling them to produce a mini-series of digital gigs and provide vital incomes for industry professionals and production crew as well as for the musicians and artists themselves.

Shining a light on new music in Scotland has been key to the programme’s conception. Live in Leith aims to nurture fresh talent by providing a harbour – a safe space – for those who are sacrificing their incomes to pursue careers in music at what is always a tender time, no matter what the economic situation or industry climate.

If the funding is the anchor for the whole programme, the theatre itself is certainly the port, a place that has inspired many musicians to return already since the first stage of its revival in 2017: The Snuts for example, played as part of EH6 festival back in November 2018 and Teenage Fanclub featured in EIF’s offering in August 2019. Both bands have since returned to film their latest singles in the theatre’s auditorium in 2020.

Though Leith Theatre’s doors have been closed to the public for almost a full year now, closed sets like these have been able to take place.

In 2020 the theatre was also home to the virtual edition of Scotland’s annual Wide Days music convention, EIF’s My Light Shines On recordings featuring Honeyblood and Breabach, and Posable Action Figures’ latest music video for a single in their debut album.

Leith Theatre was once a music machine in the form of legendary gigs of the seventies and eighties and is well on its way to becoming a well-oiled one for today in the new twenties through such productions.

Just as the Port of Leith once fostered connections as a confluence of old and new, production and industry – a stage that was both world-class and local – Live in Leith aims to cultivate all of these elements and bring entertainment home in 2021 (and beyond).

The theatre, where community has always been at the heart of its role as a civic centre, wants to help raise the next generation of musicians, industry professionals and crew right here in Leith, safe in the knowledge that exploring the unfamiliar and investing in what is new and inspiring is always in all of our best interests.

Hosted by Vic Galloway, this programme – Live in Leith – will be streamed over three consecutive Saturdays starting this March via the online platform DICE and will help to showcase and establish up-and-coming young Scottish artists at what is undoubtedly a crucial time in their careers.

All of the artists will be captured playing a 25-minute set in real time, to create a live concert feel and the broadcasts will include introductions and on-stage interviews with host, Vic Galloway.

Each gig will feature two artists, the first duo being Connor Fyfe (youngest musician to sell out at King Tut’s in Glasgow), and Retro Video Club.

Lynn Morrison, Chief Executive of Leith Theatre, said: “It is a dream come true to be producing our very first in-house Live In Leith programme from our grand auditorium!

“This programme has allowed us to see what is possible, brought a greatly missed creative network back into the building and enabled us to showcase incredible live music in a new way.

“Thank you to Creative Scotland and the Performance Arts Venue Relief Fund: the whole production process has been exciting and challenging and we hope that this is just the start of new futures! This launch will mark a new chapter and in doing so the theatre hopes to establish itself as the home for new music in Scotland.”

“I’m delighted to be involved in presenting the ‘Live in Leith’ series for Leith Theatre. As a long-time resident of Leith, it’s so satisfying and inspiring to see this legendary theatre come to life once again”, said presenter Vic Galloway.

“Its history is rich and varied, but ‘Live in Leith’ is also a great opportunity to bring the space into 2021 with three exciting music programmes. We’re not only showcasing some brilliant local talent here, but also shining a spotlight on the building itself as one of Scotland’s best Music and Arts Venues. I hope you enjoy the shows and see the potential of the wonderful Leith Theatre!”

Leith Theatre Programme Co-ordinator Callum Jones added: “Having graduated from my Honours degree in Music Business back in Spring 2020, it was daunting to see that the industry in which I had studied for a career had, in many ways (from a live music perspective) been decimated.

“However, Performance Arts Venue Relief funding via Creative Scotland allowed Leith Theatre to retain me on a full-time basis and in a new role as Programme Coordinator.

“Our intention was then to create a digital programme which would showcase up-and-coming Scottish talent, providing an income stream for artists when there are currently so few alternatives. By doing so, we have been able to provide work for industry professionals across the sector and re-engage with our pre-existing network and supply chain.

“The funding has allowed us to deliver a high quality, digital offering for music fans to enjoy from the safety of their own homes. Our ambition is to establish Leith Theatre as a home for new music in Scotland by supporting the development of artists.

“I hope the broadcasts can provide some much-needed respite until we can welcome visitors back to Leith Theatre.”

Live in Leith:

March 20th: Connor Fyfe and Retro Video Club

March 27th: Ransom FA and Nova Scotia the Truth

April 3rd: The Ninth Wave and Lucia & The Best Boys

Tickets on sale Friday the 12th February at 10am at https://dice.fm (see direct links below) and will cost £11.50

RVC & Connor Fyfe (20/3/21) https://link.dice.fm/fcw7qwAYEdb

Ransom FA & Nova (27/3/21) https://link.dice.fm/jzbf9SAOJdb

Lucia & Ninth Wave (3/4/21) https://link.dice.fm/6LLm13nUJdb

#liveinleith

Twitter/Facebook: @LeithTheatre

Instagram: leiththeatre

Winners of nationwide search to pair up songwriters and community choirs announced

Producers of Scotland’s largest community choir, Love Music, have ‘blind date’ matched five of Scotland’s most talented songwriters with five community choirs busy keeping the music alive despite lockdown across the country.

They will now come together to create five new works to share with the world in August this year, sharing their experience as they go.

Photos: Earnsong

The pairings of a diverse range of organisations and individuals across Scotland, from Moray, West Highlands, Falkirk, Lanarkshire and Perth & Kinross are:

Sing Mor, a small Scottish folk/roots project in rural Lochaber near Fort William, is only 18 months old but its singers are managing to run online weekly sessions and creating some lovely vocal recordings together. The song leader describes herself as self-taught and avidly learning on the hoof. Through the accessible nature of zoom, they now have regular singers from across the West of Scotland and the Islands. Sing Mor will be working with Debbie Armour, one half of the Scottish folk duo Burd Ellen, who are sonic adventurers combining innovation with a deep love of traditional song.

Stonehouse Male Voice Choir is one of longest formed groups which began in a builder’s yard in Stonehouse in Lanarkshire in 1936 as a lunch time sing. With over 40 members aged from 12 to 80+ the choir has managed to run some sessions using familiar repertoire but feel there is more to be done to try and bring more of their members on board and tackle the digital isolation some of their group are facing.

As they haven’t learned any new songs since lockdown, they are excited to take up the challenge. They will be collaborating with highly respected songwriter Penny Stone. One of the most active song leaders in the Scottish sector Penny uses singing to support people living with chronic health conditions such as Parkinson’s and dementia and is passionate about peace and social and environmental justice.

Fochabers Community Sing in Moray is a project run by Lizzie, who has been a music teacher and music therapist and is now delivering fun and accessible community focused projects in her local area.

Since the first lockdown she has turned her hand to making instructional videos of specially arranged songs, contemporary and pop, asking people to send in their own recorded versions and mixing them into joyful music films for people to share.

Their songwriter collaborator is emerging artist Zac Scott. Zac is a Glasgow based acoustic singer-songwriter with a pop sensibility who has spent the past two years writing and recording a unique collection of songs inspired by Scotland and Iceland, leading to the release of his debut album in 2020.

Earnsong, a project from Comrie in Perth & Kinross who describe themselves as a close and supportive community, have worked hard to embrace new digital platforms. They love harmony and are up for anything. Challenge us! is what they said on their application!

To keep local spirits up since March 2020, they have been making musical video gifts to share with friends and residents in their local care home. Earnsong will work with Djana Gabrielle, a French-Cameroonian singer-songwriter who has been honing her craft on the Scottish music scene for a few years. Djana was a 2019 Celtic Connections Danny Kyle Stage Winner.

Photo: Djana Gabrielle

Freedom of Mind Choir is a welcoming, inclusive and supportive project in Falkirk that provides opportunities for their members to focus on the benefits of singing for good mental health.

They have been working hard to address digital exclusion during the pandemic and creating weekly learning videos. They will be working on a new collaboration with Hannah Fredsgaard-Jones who was born in Denmark and is now living in Glasgow. Hannah is a singer, songwriter, composer and audio documentary maker. Rooted in storytelling, her work encompasses folklore, memory, voice and intimacy.

Stephen Deazley, Love Music’s artistic director said: “The recruitment process for choirs was fascinating and moving in equal measures. Each application really conveyed their own style, a strong sense of identity, purpose and musical interests.

“The work and efforts that everyone is doing in this difficult time is so inspiring, producing videos and running online sessions, phone calls to stay connected, newsletters, songwriting, homemade DVDs, intergenerational and family projects, filmed musical gifts for friends and family living in care settings – all are testament to the importance of community singing to our health and creative well-being.

“You get a real sense of determination, resilience, personal and collective motivation and great acts of kindness – there were more than a few tears on our ‘at-home’ desks during the selection process.

“A big thanks to all our applicants. It was great to be introduced to such a range of choirs and songwriters from the length and breadth of Scotland. This country has more than its fair share of diverse songwriting talent and such a long history of musical innovation especially in folk and indie music, it’s always punched well beyond its weight. We were truly inspired, and sad to have to select only five.”

Love Singing is a community engagement initiative aimed at promoting and supporting creative, healthy singing communities across Scotland.

It focuses on collaborative practice, connecting choirs across the country, addressing digital isolation, increasing tech skills and confidence, and buddying up with professional songwriters to commission five brand new songs and a bank of useful and accessible song resources, providing information and motivation to help people stay connected in these challenging times.

The project is made possible with funding from Creative Scotland.

The 8-month project through to August 2021 will tackle the ongoing challenges of distanced rehearsals and remote learning head on, sharing the journey as it happens through a series of blogs, and creating an online information bank of what is learned, sharing the trials and triumphs with choir leaders across Scotland.

Project title is Love Singing
Love Singing website: https://sing.lovemusic.org.uk

Project is run by charity Love Music Productions Ltd
Love Music website: https://lovemusic.org.uk

Four Edinburgh-based writers receive New Writers Awards

Scottish Book Trust today announces the 11 recipients of the New Writers Awards 2021, which provide a selection of talented writers who have not yet published a full-length book or collection with professional guidance to help them move towards publication, as well as financial support.

Funded by Creative Scotland and run by Scottish Book Trust, the awards have supported over 100 creative individuals since 2009.

Four Edinburgh-based writers have received a New Writers Award: Hazel Knox, Deborah Chu, Thomas Stewart and Tim Craven:

Hazel is a Children’s Occupational Therapist originally from Thurso. She was shortlisted for the 2020 Chicken House Open Coop and given an honourable mention in a 2020 Society of Children’s Book Writers and Illustrators slush pile challenge looking for funny middle grade.
Deborah Chu was born in Taipei and raised in Vancouver, moving to Scotland to complete an MSc in Literature and Modernity at the University of Edinburgh. She is currently a Content Editor at The List. She was the recipient of the 2019 Fringe Society’s Allen Wright Award for excellence in arts criticism.
Thomas Stewart is based in Leith, originally from Cardiff, Wales. A writer and an English teacher, his debut pamphlet empire of dirt was a Poetry Book Society selection and is published by Red Squirrel Press.
Tim Craven was raised in Stoke-on-Trent and is now based in Edinburgh. He has an MFA from Syracuse University and completed his PhD thesis at the University of Edinburgh on the characterisation of mental illness in Confessional poetry. His pamphlet, Lake Effect is published by Tapsalteerie.

The prestigious judging panel included Scots Makar Jackie Kay, Niall Campbell and Colin Waters for poetry; Tendai Huchu, Janice Galloway, Denise Mina and Alan Bett judging fiction; and Dean Atta, Lari Don and Hannah Sycamore (Scottish Book Trust) judging Children’s and YA entries. The Gaelic Books Council selects the two Gaelic New Writer Awardees.

Former New Writers awardees include Nicola White, whose novel The Rosary Garden (Profile) was re-released in January; Helen Sedgwick’s third novel Where the Missing Gather (Oneworld) will be published in May 2021 and Man Booker Prize shortlistee Graeme Macrae Burnet will release Case Study (Saraband) in October 2021.

The 2021 awardees are:

Poetry

Nasim Rebecca Asl

Thomas Stewart

Tim Craven

Children’s and Young Adult

Hazel Knox

Sally Costelloe

Fiction and Narrative Non-Fiction

Deborah Chu

Gillian Shearer

Hannah Nicholson

Samantha Dooey-Miles

Gaelic

Beth Frieden

Roddy Neithercut

Each of the 11 recipients will receive a £2,000 cash award and support tailored to their needs including mentoring from writers and industry professionals, training opportunities, and the platform to showcase their work to publishers and agents.

Marc Lambert, CEO of Scottish Book Trust, said: “In uncertain times, it is more important than ever to celebrate and discover new writers in Scotland.

“Working within COVID restrictions, Scottish Book Trust will support the awardees through online training, workshops and mentoring. As always, the standard of the applications were very high and we look forward to future publications from this group.”

Alan Bett, Interim Head of Literature, Languages & Publishing, Creative Scotland said: “The list of past winners speaks for itself and gives us all reason to expect that the names on this year’s list will be on bookshelves across the country in future.

“It was a pleasure to sit on the fiction panel and the wealth of talent, while hugely encouraging, made decision making a near impossible process.”

Alison Lang, Director of the Gaelic Books Council, said: “The Gaelic Book Council’s on-going partnership with Scottish Book Trust allows us to give Gaelic writers this valuable opportunity early in their careers to work with experienced mentors and develop their craft, and we are excited to be working with new writers of Beth and Roddy’s calibre this year as they work towards their first publications.”

The New Writers Showcase, a celebration of work by last year’s awardees, will be held online through Scottish Book Trust’s social media accounts on Wednesday 31 March. Information about tickets will be available on Scottish Book Trust’s website soon.

Creative Scotland: Latest round of Open Fund awards announced

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. 

Further support for Scottish grassroots music venues

Grants of between £10K and £70K available for grassroots music venues

Deadline for applications: Wednesday 3 February 2021

In response to the impact that the ongoing Covid-19 pandemic is having on art and culture in Scotland, on December 20, 2020 the Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop, announced an additional £4m in emergency funding for the Grassroots Music Venues Stabilisation Fund, delivered through Creative Scotland.

The purpose of the fund is to provide grassroots live music venues that were financially sustainable before Covid-19 with the funds to prevent permanent closure and stabilise until end June 2021.

Full eligibility criteria and further details are available on the Creative Scotland website.

Iain Munro, Chief Executive, Creative Scotland said: “In these extremely challenging times, this additional £4m in support of Scotland’s grassroots music venues is enormously welcome.

“Grassroots music venues are a vital part of Scotland’s cultural ecology, developing music and audiences as well as supporting talent. They will play a vital role in Scotland’s cultural recovery as and when we emerge from the COVID-19 pandemic.”

The awards for the first round of the Grassroots Music Venue Stabilisation Fund were announced on Tuesday 22 September, when £2.2m in emergency support was provided to 68 venues across Scotland.

Tailormade coaching support for Scotland’s creatives

Creative Scotland has launched Creative Scotland Crowdmatch 2021 in collaboration with Crowdfunder – the UK’s largest crowdfunding platform – offering expert coaching and match funding, to support Scotland’s creatives to run successful crowdfunding campaigns.

The second iteration of the programme will launch with a series of introductory, free to attend webinars:

Friday 27 January 12:00 – 12:45

Thursday 4 February 18:00 – 18:45

From Monday 25 January, interested parties will be invited to express their interest in participating by noon Monday 8 February.

A shortlist of projects, selected by Crowdfunder and Creative Scotland, will receive tailored coaching support from the expert Crowdfunder team to set up their campaigns.

Jason Nuttall, Programme Director, Crowdfunder said: “We were blown away by the successes of the projects involved in Creative Scotland’s 2020 initiative.

“The range of ideas and the creativity shown in things like the rewards offered was fantastic to see. We have high expectations for this competition, and are looking forward to supporting the chosen projects to being their campaigns to life in 2021.”

Jackie Stewart, Creative Industries Officer, Creative Scotland said: “This is a fantastic opportunity for practitioners and organisations across Scotland to raise funds for creative projects as well as grow awareness of their work and foster meaningful relationships with audiences.”

Expressions of interest are invited from all artforms, and shortlisted projects will be announced on Tuesday 16 February.

Thanks to National Lottery players, Creative Scotland will contribute a total of £75,000 of match funding, and entrants can receive up to £10,000 towards their projects.

Eligibility criteria, information about the initiative and about Crowdfunder is available on the Crowdfunder website.

The first phase of the programme which launched last year, saw 18 projects achieve their target crowdfunding campaign figures with many stretching beyond their original targets.

In total, those 18 projects raised £151K with funds coming from a mix of Creative Scotland match funding (£40,000), match funding from other Crowdfunder partners (Royal Bank of Scotland Back her Business £18,225) and pledges from 2,360 individual supporters.

The recording and production of experimental focus musician James Lindsay’s second album, Torus was made possible through the first iteration of Creative Scotland Crowdmatch.

James Lindsay said: “I couldn’t have done a pre-order self-release like this independently to the same effect.

“The crowdfunding process gave people the drive to help the project and the tutorials offered by Crowdfunder were very helpful in helping me bring some shape to the campaign”

Eligibility criteria, information about the initiative and about Crowdfunder is available on the Crowdfunder website.

Youth arts and creativity to be celebrated in virtual festival

UNCON 3.0 is the third iteration of a biannual festival, designed for and by young people, celebrating the best in youth arts and creativity in Scotland.

The coronavirus pandemic has had an enormous impact on every aspect of children and young people’s lives, including on art provision, and their opportunities to participate and progress within the arts, screen and creative industries.

During the virtual UNCON on Friday 29 and Saturday 30 January 2021, partners from across the youth arts sector will share reflections on the challenges of the past year and consider how children’s voices and aspirations can be heard in the recovery process.

The partner organisations are: Media Education, Intercultural Youth Scotland, Collective, Arts End of Somewhere/PAMIS, Glasgow Connected Arts Network, Starcatchers, Fèis Rois/Highland Youth Arts Hub and CELCIS.

The programme will feature a mix of pre-filmed and live performances, presentations and panel discussions, artwork and manifestos created by children and young people.

Children, young people, policy makers and anyone with an interest in children and young people’s rights are invited to join the conversation. The programme includes live events which are free to access. Full details of the programme and information about how to register is available on the Creative Scotland website.

Fiona Dalgetty, Fèis Rois said: “Young people from Fèis Rois and the Highland Youth Arts Hub have taken part in every UNCON to date, and we are excited to participate online this year.

“Overcoming the challenging move to a digital event, the team at Creative Scotland have put together an ambitious programme and we are excited for the audience to see the video our young people have created.”

Katie Brennan, Collective said: “For this year’s UNCON, we’ve been working in partnership with Edinburgh Young Carers on a postal project, asking young people to reflect on their experiences of lockdown and hopes for the future through mail art.

“We look forward to UNCON as a space in which the hopes, concerns and priorities of young people from all backgrounds will be heard by organisations and policy makers.”

Paul Sullivan of CELCIS said “We know the importance of creativity in helping children and young people to develop new skills, express themselves and have fun. COVID-19 has had an enormous impact on every aspect of children and young people’s lives, including their opportunities to access creativity.

“Our hope for UNCON is that through showcasing the creative skills of a number of talented care experienced young people and projects, we can further highlight the need for creative opportunities to be protected for children and young people all across Scotland.”

Sarah Mcadam, Time to Shine Manager, Creative Scotland said: “As with so many things, the lead in to this UNCON has felt very different to previous years. We know that the coronavirus will continue to have a significant impact on children and young people’s futures and it’s more important than ever to make sure we are listening to what is important to their lives.

“As this UNCON takes place at the beginning of a new decade, we look forward to working with a youth arts sector that meets these challenges head-on and continues to support Scotland’s children and young people to thrive in and through the arts and creativity.”

UNCON 3.0 is an outcome of Time to Shine – Scotland’s National Youth Arts Strategy.

Showcase Scotland EXPO at Celtic Connections

Scottish musicians will be in the global spotlight this month when more than 100 leading music promoters, record label representatives and agents from across the world will gather virtually, for the 21st annual Showcase Scotland event at Celtic Connections.

From Wednesday 20 to Friday 22 January, the music industry delegates from 25 countries will experience performances from Scottish bands and musicians including Elephant Sessions, who will appear in a stream from Ironworks in their hometown of Inverness; Siobhan Miller, who was recently awarded BBC Alba Scots Trad Award’s Scots Singer of the Year, as well as emerging artists as part of the online Danny Kyle Awards.

Each delegate will also have access to the full online Celtic Connections programme, bringing Scottish artists to a truly global stage.

A virtual trade fair will also take place, allowing promoters to meet artists, their representatives and cultural organisations.

The event, which is supported by Creative Scotland and organised by Active Events on behalf of Celtic Connections, provides invaluable opportunities for the artists to raise their profile and secure new opportunities, as well as highlighting the dynamic music scene in Scotland.

The average annual income from gig and concert bookings and album sales generated for Scotland-based artists from the usual invited delegation to the Showcase is in the region of £3million.

Each year, as part of Showcase Scotland, Celtic Connections partners with a country to help create new international links and advance opportunities for their musicians. In this 21st anniversary iteration of Showcase Scotland, Scotland is the selected country and a special focus on Gaelic artists will feature through a specially commissioned film, Gaelic the Untold Story.

Produced with support from BòrdnaGàidhlig and Creative Scotland, Mary Ann Kennedy tells the story of the language, arts and culture in a 30-minute documentary, highlighting the importance of music and song in keeping the language alive.

Donald Shaw, Creative Producer for Celtic Connections said: “It’s brilliant to see Showcase Scotland celebrate its 21st edition, albeit in a different way than originally planned. I am delighted to see the Gaelic language take centre stage as part of this year’s showcase.

“As a festival we connect with international cultures and indigenous languages through music, especially this year as we take Celtic Connections to the world, so using this opportunity to showcase one of the languages of our own culture to delegates and audiences on a global scale is fantastic.

“Showcase Scotland at Celtic Connections continues to provide opportunities for Scottish musicians, and it is great to see it continue this year.”

Alan Morrison, Head of Music, Creative Scotland said: “Showcase Scotland’s 21st anniversary presents a fantastic opportunity for us to come together from near and far.

“As ever, we’ll be shouting from the rooftops about Scotland’s traditional music and the world-class artists who are eager to get back out and performing in the months and years to come.

“At Creative Scotland, we’ve worked hard with the Scottish Government to keep the music industry afloat in this most difficult of years. We hope that Showcase Scotland will provide the bridge that’s needed to ensure our musicians have a bright future playing the towns and cities in your part of the world.”

Lisa Whytock, Active Events said: “It’s important to stay connected with the international music industry and for our artists to remain in the spotlight.

“It’s been a very difficult year for a lot of people and for artists they have not worked since March. This edition will bring together the industry from as far away as Australia, the US and Canada to all corners of Europe in a very different, but immensely important edition of Showcase Scotland.”

Brian O hEadhra, Partnerships Manager, BòrdnaGàidhlig said: “Gaelic is important to Scotland’s identity both at home and internationally.

“We are happy to support the Gaelic Showcase once again this year and hope that festival organisers will see the wealth of Gaelic artists there are, and in return give Gaelic artists the opportunity to take the language across the world.”

Joe Frankland, CEO, PRS Foundation said: “Following a very successful Virtual Visit event in 2020 which set the tone for how the global live sector can engage with outstanding Scottish talent online, we are very pleased to be supporting this week’s Showcase Scotland at Celtic Connections event.

“With so many barriers to music export, it’s vital Scottish artists and bands are seen by industry delegates around the world. The combination of virtual showcases, trade fairs and informal networking will no doubt get great results this year, and we can’t wait to gather again soon for more of the same.”

Simon Thoumire, Hands Up for Trad said: “It’s brilliant to be going live for Showcase Scotland 2021! If we can’t be there in person at least we can bring you some live streamed music from afar.

“It will be great to see all the delegates again even if it is only one a screen!”

Breabach’s Megan Henderson said: “It’s great to have such a brilliant focus on Scotland and in particular Gaelic artists this year.

“Showcase Scotland really delivers opportunities for artists and for us was the catalyst to collaborations with the likes of Sydney Opera House. It’s great to see it happening and to so many of the international music industry being involved.”

Understanding the impact of Covid-19 on cultural participation

Creative Scotland has published the findings from independent research looking at public attitudes to cultural participation and attendance in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic.

Surveying a representative sample of the population in Scotland, this is the second wave of research, following the first wave which was completed in August 2020. The survey provides valuable insight regarding how the Covid-19 pandemic has changed attitudes towards, and engagement with, cultural activity and also looks at public attitudes towards cultural participation in the future.

Key findings include:

More than half the population (56%) say they really miss attending cultural venues and events
However, there is wariness amongst the culture-going public as regards returning to venues and events as restrictions ease, more so than with many other leisure activities
The vast majority of the population (98%) are engaging with cultural activity from home during the Covid-19 pandemic but only a small proportion (17%) say they are willing to pay for cultural content that has moved online due to the pandemic
Audiences are nevertheless looking forward to attending cultural activity when they can; are open to trying new experiences at different types of venue (70%); and audience levels look likely to return to pre-Covid levels, or increase, once a vaccine is widely available

Iain Munro, Creative Scotland Chief Executive said: “The impact on Scotland’s art and culture sector by the Covid-19 pandemic has been severe. This important and ongoing research helps us understand that impact from a public perspective and is helping inform our ongoing discussions with partners, including Scottish Government, regarding current and future support.

“The research also provides invaluable insight that will help shape our collaborative work with the sector in terms of recovery and renewal as we emerge from the impacts of the pandemic through 2021.”

The report summarising the findings from the research can be found on the Creative Scotland website. A further wave of this research is planned for Spring 2021.