Tag: Creative Scotland

Edinburgh’s creative community adapting work during COVID-19

Edinburgh based creative projects Neu Reekie and Out of the Blueprint are among 68 projects across Scotland who have received a total of £1.6million from The National Lottery through Creative Scotland’s Open Project Fund, to reimagine work and create new opportunities during COVID-19.  

Neu Reekie has been rethinking its year-long 10th anniversary programme, adapting and refocusing plans to reach audiences digitally.  

Kevin Williamson, Co-founder, Neu Reekie said: “For our 10th year we organised our fullest, most diverse, and most ground-breaking programme of events to date in Edinburgh, with a year-long series of core shows, as well an ambitious tour of Scotland’s towns and islands. 

“All of these have had to be postponed because of coronavirus. To this end we’ve marked Edwin Morgan’s centenary with a live streamed show on the weekend of his birthday which was conceptualised and programmed in the same unique way we do for our live shows.

“We’re hosting the Scottish leg of the BBC’s Words First talent development scheme over the summer months to help discover new spoken word talent; as well as launching a public appeal for new commissioned work from poets.  

“We’ll be at the ready to re-organise our core events, our national tour, and collaborative events when the coast is clear.” 

Social enterprise and print studio, Out of the Blueprint is developing Walk Don’t Walk, an exhibition of work by 20 young illustrators and comic-makers. 

Originally imagined as a summer presentation at Leith’s Drill Hall, plans are now underway to showcase work on the streets of Leith. 

Johnny Gaily, Manager at Out of the Blueprint, said: “There’s a real need this summer to put art and community up front and central, and I can’t think of a better way than to showcase some of the amazing young talent we’re working with.”  

Joan Parr, Director of Arts and Engagement at Creative Scotland said: “COVID-19 has had such a significant impact on artists and organisations working across the country that it is sometimes difficult to think positively at this time.

“We’re therefore pleased to share news of these projects where artists have been able to adapt their practices and work, finding new and engaging ways to connect with audiences and contribute to our national wellbeing in these challenging circumstances.” 

Image: Out of the Blueprint exhibition opening. Credit: Out of the Blueprint

Emergency funds reaching Scotland’s culture sector

Emergency funds designed to support people working in Scotland’s who are experiencing immediate financial difficulty as a result of COVID-19  are now  reaching those most in need. 

Information published today by Creative Scotland, reveals that 865 people have now received one off grants of between £500-£2,500, in the first phase of the Creative Scotland Arts and Creative Bridging Bursary programme.

A combination of existing funding from The National Lottery and Scottish Government, over £1.5million has been distributed to date to freelance artists and creative practitioners based in each of Scotland’s local authority areas.

Cabinet Secretary Fiona Hyslop said: “This is a deeply worrying time for Scotland’s world-renowned culture sector, which has been particularly affected by the coronavirus pandemic. Many artists, performers and freelancers have seen an immediate shutdown of work, resulting in a dramatic loss of income, with many facing real hardship. 

“We want to do all we can to help and, working quickly with Creative Scotland, we have repurposed grant money and built packages of focused support for those who need it most. More than 850 individual freelancers and artists who have lost income due to COVID-19 will now receive a vital lifeline from the Bridging Bursary Fund to help them through this extremely difficult time.

“Culture is central to who we are. It is one of Scotland’s major strengths and it will continue to play a crucial part in getting us through this crisis as we rebuild our country and look toward the future.”

Iain Munro, Chief Executive of Creative Scotland commented: “In the midst of the very serious personal and professional impacts being experienced by so many people working across the creative sector, it is encouraging to be able to report today, that these vital funds are reaching so many people so quickly. 

“Nevertheless, while the measures we’ve already undertaken are responding to the initial impact of this crisis, we recognise that they are limited when compared to the significant future challenges faced by our arts screen and creative industries sectors.  Our absolute priority is now about concentrating our efforts to safeguard and protect their longer-term future.”

More detailed information about today’s update on the first phase of the Creative Scotland Arts and Creative Bridging Bursary can be found here.

The Bridging Bursaries Programme is an important part of Creative Scotland’s initial response to the country’s creative community during the COVID-19 outbreak. 

To help alleviate pressure on organisations as much as possible, all existing funding awards, regardless of whether activity is cancelled, reduced or rescheduled, are being honoured. In addition, existing resources have been repurposed to provide £8.5m for individuals and organisations to sustain their creative practice and to develop new work in the coming months.

The Scottish and UK governments are also offering support to those most in need  and information about these alternative sources of funding alongside resources and sector specific support groups and organisations, can be accessed through Creative Scotland’s website.  

Creative Scotland launches support for organisations to take creativity online

Creative Scotland has announced a new programme  for creative organisations to adapt their programming and content to the digital landscape, during the COVID-19 outbreak. 

Delivered by cultural consultant and independent producer Suzy Glass, the Digital Pivot initiative will offer one-to-one, tailored support to move programming, content and audience engagement strategies online.

Suzy Glass said: “As a producer specialising in digital contexts, I’m aware of how complex it can be to pivot creative projects so they exist authentically within online environments.

“I hope that these tailored sessions will offer creative practitioners and organisations access to the space and expertise they need to refine and develop their ideas, and support them to find ways of connecting meaningfully with audiences across Scotland and beyond despite the distance between us all.”

Those interested in applying can sign up for free, open webinars where more information about the scheme can be accessed.

The application portal will open on 18 May 2020 and close on 1 June 2020 for one-to-one sessions in June/July.

A second cycle of applications will open on 6 July 2020 and close on 20 July 2020 for sessions in August/September.

Ashley Smith-Hammond, Creative Industries Officer, Creative Scotland said: “We want Scotland’s artists, makers and creative organisations to have opportunities to continue to develop and evolve in these challenging times. 

“We hope that the programme will strengthen the ways in which individuals and organisations can meaningfully connect with audiences under the current circumstances, until we are able to share live experiences with one another again.”

Further details about the programme, including selection criteria for applicants can be found on the Creative Scotland website.

Additional funding opportunities – through Creative Scotland, Screen Scotland, Scottish Government and UK Government – alongside helpful resources and sector specific support groups and organisations, are also accessible through the Creative Scotland website.

Creative Scotland announces further support for creative sector

Creative Scotland has announced an additional £2 million to further support and sustain the country’s creative community during the COVID-19 outbreak. 

The extra £1million from the Scottish Government and £1million from the Freelands Foundation will be used to increase the original £2million Creative Scotland Bridging Bursary Fund  (Arts and Creative) which is providing financial support for freelance creative professionals most deeply impacted and disadvantaged by the cancellation of work due to the COVID-19 emergency.

The Creative Scotland Bridging Bursary Fund (Arts and Creative), which re-opened on Monday, offers one-off bursary payments of between £500 and £2,500.

Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop said: “The Scottish Government believes culture and creativity are essential to our wellbeing, and we are working hard to support those who make this hugely important contribution to our society as they navigate these difficult times. 

“The Bridging Bursaries Fund is already set to benefit hundreds of people from the first round of applications and this additional £1million funding from the Scottish Government, along with the support from Freelands Foundation, will mean Creative Scotland can help many more in the sector who are doing their best to cope with the impact of this health pandemic.”

Welcoming the announcement, Creative Scotland Chief Executive, Iain Munro, said : “As these  extremely challenging times continue, they bring with them serious personal and professional impacts to artists, creative practitioners and organisations and the work they do with communities across Scotland. 

“At Creative Scotland we’re continuing our focus on keeping funding flowing and today’s significant additional contributions from the Scottish Government and Freelands Foundation will enable us to enhance support for those in immediate need and help to sustain people and their work at this time.”

The announcement follows the previously launched £11million funding package available through Creative Scotland and Screen Scotland providing dedicated resources to those in need of immediate support in the film and tv sector, as well as support for individuals and organisations to develop and create work over the coming months.

All funding guidance, eligibility criteria and application forms are available at Creative Scotland and Screen Scotland.

A list of other helpful resources and sector specific support groups and organisations is also available on the Creative Scotland website.

Lifeline support for business confirmed

Economy Secretary Fiona Hyslop has confirmed that grant funding for the newly self-employed suffering hardship and SMEs in distress will be available ‘in the coming days’.

The £100 million fund to support the self-employed and SMEs announced last week will be broken into three separate funds as follows:

• £34 million Newly Self-Employed Hardship Fund, managed by Local Authorities, will be allocated to the newly self-employed facing hardship through £2,000 grants
• £20 million Creative, Tourism & Hospitality Enterprises Hardship Fund, managed by the Enterprise Agencies in partnership with Creative Scotland and VisitScotland for creative, tourism and hospitality companies not in receipt of business rates relief
• £45 million Pivotal Enterprise Resilience Fund, managed by the Enterprise Agencies for vulnerable SME firms who are vital to the local or national economic foundations of Scotland

The Scottish Government is also providing £1 million to top up Creative Scotland’s Bridging Bursaries in the not-for-profit sector.

Speaking in parliament, Ms Hyslop also confirmed that the grant funding will be open for applications by the end of April, and that recipients will receive funds in early May. She said: “This funding is intended to relieve the hardship of individuals and smaller firms that are ineligible for support from the UK Government or are not in receipt yet of the funds they need to survive.

“Our hospitality, tourism and creative sectors have been decimated by this crisis and previously profitable businesses have seen demand dry up overnight.

“However, because of the decisions the Scottish Government has taken, thousands more self-employed people and small businesses will be able to benefit from support compared with elsewhere, and we have been able to help sectors of the economy that are not being supported in other parts of the UK.

“As well as dealing with this immediate crisis, we must look to the future. We must ensure that those businesses with a part to play in strengthening resilience in Scotland’s economy survive this crisis and thrive in future, which is why £45 million is being allocated to those firms.

“We continue to engage with businesses on a regular basis to understand their needs and press the UK Government to deliver for them.”

Following this afternoon’s announcement, Creative Scotland’s Chief Executive Iain Munro commented:  “We welcome today’s Scottish Government announcement of £100 million funds to support the self-employed and SMEs.

“Creative Scotland will work hard with partners to ensure that those who are eligible in the creative sector can access the new funding as far as possible.

“Today’s announcement also includes the extra £1m from the Scottish Government which we announced yesterday to supplement the Creative Scotland Bridging Bursary Fund and has enabled us to double the budget, providing much needed financial support for freelance creative professionals most deeply impacted and disadvantaged by the cancellation of work due to the COVID-19 emergency.”

Action! Major film and TV studio set for Leith

Screen Scotland has announced that First Stage Studios Ltd, led by Oscar-nominated and BAFTA winning film and television producer Bob Last and actor and director Jason Connery, has been appointed to run a large-scale film and TV studio space in Leith.

The studio space in Leith has already hosted major international productions, including Marvel’s Avengers: Infinity War. Its scale complements the range of studio facilities and flexible build spaces available across the country and will benefit both the indigenous sector and Scotland’s ability to attract high value international productions that work with the local sector.

Fiona Hyslop, Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Fair Work and Culture, said: “This announcement represents a great step forward in Scotland’s ambition to drive growth across all aspects of the film and TV sector.

“Having a studio of this scale will provide a home in Scotland for film and high-end TV productions, generate significant revenue for Scotland’s wider economy and support sustainable careers across the film and TV industry from writers, producers and directors to those working in craft and technical areas.”

Screen Scotland’s Executive Director Isabel Davis commented: “The studio is key in expanding film and TV production in Scotland. We’re delighted to be working with First Stage Studios to bring it to life. Bob and Jason bring a wealth of expertise and industry knowledge that is invaluable to the development of the studio.

“Scotland is internationally renowned for its world-class talent, crews, facilities and breath-taking locations, this facility means we can raise the visibility of Scotland on screen, anchor more film and high-end television productions in Scotland and capitalise on the global boom in the industry.”

Bob Last of First Stage Studios Ltd said: “We look forward to building on the strong interest already expressed by international and UK customers.

“We are grateful to Screen Scotland for their commitment to an ambitious film and television sector and look forward to contributing to its development.”

Jason Connery of First Stage Studios added: “There is no question Scotland needs a film studio, I could not be more excited to be involved in bringing it to fruition”.

Welcoming the announcement of the new film studio in Leith, local MP Deidre Brock said: “This is great news for Leith and for Edinburgh.  I’ve spoken to Bob Last and Jason Connery about their plans and I’m delighted with some of the ideas they’ve got.

“I like the way that they’re talking about opening up opportunities for local young folk to get a foot in the door, I like the way they’re talking about Edinburgh being ready-made for the industry and the chance to hire local crew quickly.  This is an exciting opportunity.

“We have two recognised names in the film industry which will help to bring production here and get the ball rolling.  With the support of the Scottish Government and Edinburgh Council we should see things start to happen relatively soon.”

Iain Smith, Producer and Chair of the British Film Commission said: “I am delighted by today’s news of this appointment of a Scottish company to run this major studio facility in the heart of Edinburgh. It will bring massive benefits not only to the local screen sector, but also to the wider economy further bolstering the UK studio offer.

“The UK’s screen industries are enjoying exceptional growth and it is crucial that Scotland continues to play its part in this by continuing to develop a world-class infrastructure, invest in skills development and provide as much studio space as will enable Scotland to compete more effectively for this valuable inward investment business.”

Cllr Adam McVey, City of Edinburgh Council Leader commented: “This is a very exciting boost for the creative industries in the capital and the Council is delighted to have been involved in this project throughout.

“With strong links to the film industry already – which is testament to the efforts of Film Edinburgh, our city’s film-friendly approach and annual international film festival – it’s fantastic that First Stage Studios Ltd will be running an internationally competitive studio in Leith. There will be even more benefits to the City when large scale filming takes place, bringing great economic benefits to Leith and our whole City.”

Stuart Wallace, Chief Operating Officer, Forth Ports said: “Everyone at Forth Ports is thrilled to be welcoming First Stage Studios to the Port of Leith. This is great news for Scotland’s film industry and for Scottish film buffs.

“Our ‘blue shed’ has proved popular with the creative industry in the past with Marvel’s Avengers: Infinity War using Leith as a studio space for their film production. We look forward to working with First Stage Studios and we wish them every success with this.”

Communities get creative with Awards for All

Communities across Scotland will be supported to explore and share their creativity through a diverse range of arts activities thanks to Awards for All funding.

217 community groups and projects across Scotland will share over £1,551,849 of National Lottery Community Funding under the Awards for All scheme, over £120,000 of which is awarded through Creative Scotland.

Awards for All is a joint awards programme from the National Lottery Community Fund, Creative Scotland and sportscotland.

Projects ranging from community cinema to a book festival have been supported in this latest round of funding including: Crofting Environment Improvement Association, Intercultural Youth Scotland, Birnam Book Festival, Shire Housing Association and Kelty Community Cinema.

Creative Scotland’s Graham Reid said: “From celebrations of traditional Scottish culture to a community cinema, these projects demonstrate the diverse creativity of communities across the breadth of Scotland, from Fife to Uist. These awards are testament to the fantastic work that National Lottery funding makes possible.”

Birnam Book Festival will be supported to run community engagement activities to complement its core Festival programme. Activities will include public readings and creative writing workshops and will aim to provide people living in rural areas the opportunity to engage with literary arts, and to create a sense of community ownership in the Festival.

Tabitha Hilliard, Chair, Birnam Book Festival said: “The funding from Awards for All will enable us to appoint a writer in residence who will work with the community before, during and after the festival, delivering sessions to rural and isolated communities in their own settings and helping to draw in a more diverse range of people into reading and to participate in the events.”

Kelty Community Cinema has been awarded funding to continue running their community organised cinema, and its associated programme. The Cinema aims to offer a creative leisure activity that is affordable and accessible for the community.

Wayne Hayles, Chairman, Kelty Community Cinema said: “The funding will make such a difference to the experience at our cinema for the people of Kelty. The support that our visitors have shown us already has been phenomenal, and our visitors will now enjoy a higher quality of picture and sound.”

The Crofting Environment Improvement Association has been awarded funding towards The Land Sings, a project which will celebrate the crofting and fishing histories of the Uists through music, story and traditional skills. Its programme will include three mini-festivals throughout the year: the first around the opening of the new Grimsay Boat Haven in April, an August event for local people and visitors, and a week of activity in October aimed at local primary schools.

Intercultural Youth Scotland have received funding to provide opportunities for black and minority ethnic young people to come together through music production. As well as collective practice, participants will perform at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2020.

Shire Housing Association has been awarded funding towards a roving arts project to take place in and around East Ayrshire’s Netherthird Community. In partnership with Netherthird Community Council, Impact Arts and other local groups, a bespoke mobile mosaic plaque will be created to celebrate the 70th birthday of the Netherthird Community. The project aims to encourage creativity in residents, as well as to strengthen community cohesion.

Photograph courtesy of Birnam Book Festival 2019.

Creative projects across Scotland share in over £927,000 of National Lottery funding

A GOVANHILL-based community space dedicated to DIY publishing, a community theatre project telling the stories of daily life in coastal communities, and the 38th edition of New Writing Scotland are among the 41 awards made in the latest round of National Lottery funding through Creative Scotland’s Open Project Fund. Continue reading Creative projects across Scotland share in over £927,000 of National Lottery funding

Scottish Book Trust celebrates publication of free Blether book

On Wednesday 30 October, an event was held at City Art Centre in Edinburgh to celebrate the publication of Blether, a free book created by Scottish Book Trust for this year’s Book Week Scotland celebrating a Year of Conversation.

Writers from Edinburgh, Glasgow, Dundee, Inverness, Oban and more had the opportunity to gather together and read their works. Continue reading Scottish Book Trust celebrates publication of free Blether book