36 projects spanning a broad range of artistic genres and reach have received backing from The National Lottery in the latest round of Creative Scotland's Open Fund, including several which draw on Scotland’s history for inspiration.
Header image shows Megan Lovat, Kirsty May Hamilton, Rowan Heggie, and Keira Smith, pictured devising during the HYSTERIA R&D 2022 (funded by OFFI), photographed by Vivid Roots Collective.
£58,921 of funding to Highland theatre company Vivid Roots Collective is supporting the production and presentation of Highlands-based playwright Annie MacDonald’s new play, The Wound, The Rag & the In-Between.
Premiering at Eden Court Theatre on Saturday 4 May, the play brings together Highland theatre-makers to tell a story set in the Far North of Scotland, past and present. The commission by Vivid Roots Collective will explore gender inequalities in medicine, offering a poignant and powerful response, and telling a story which reaches across centuries. The Wound, the Rag & the In-Between asks unsettling questions about the spaces between trust, belief and recovery.
To be part of the production, applications can be made via Vivid Roots Collective’s website.
Vivid Roots Collective’s CEO & Producer Laura Walkercommented: “This is a unique opportunity to create professional theatre in the Highlands by local and emerging artists, for a local audience. The play touches on big issues that matter to all of us, but is also a beautiful story, and we are so excited to be bringing this to the stage."
Quinie's (aka musician and artist, Josie Vallely) latest album Forefowk, mind me will continue her exploration of language, landscape, tradition and identity through Scots song.
She will embark upon a two-week research residency in Kilmartin, Argyll, exploring the landscape on horseback, which will be documented by artists-book designer Dominique Rivard, and filmmaker Lizzie Mackenzie. Josie will then use her experiences from the residency to create her third album of contemporary Scots song, working with multi-instrumentalists Oliver Pitt, Stevie Jones and Harry Gorski-Brown. With this work, Josie aims to raise awareness of the history and culture of the Scots language and Scots Traveller community (Nawken).
Josie Vallely said: “The most significant thing for me in terms of receiving Creative Scotland funding is that it enables me to work with a whole range of people to bring my project to life. Being able to collaborate with filmmakers, artists, Nawken activists, a piper, sound engineers, players of weird and wonderful instruments, mentors… It's going to be an exciting (and busy!) year.”
Similarly using historical inspiration to create contemporary art is Dundee-based ceramics designer and maker, Steph Liddle. Steph has been commissioned by Park Gallery and Callander House in Falkirk to create a contemporary response to Dunmore Pottery Archive in Falkirk Council’s museum collection. With support from an Open Fund award of £8,617, Steph will undertake a period of research studying the Pottery’s archive, in particular the work of master potter (the pottery’s late nineteenth-century manager), Peter Gardner, known for creating experimental glazes.
Steph Liddle commented: “Receiving this funding gives me the opportunity to take some time away from "business as usual" in my studio to focus more of my time and energy into researching the Dunmore collection, experimenting with form and glazes, and developing new work in response to the historic collection. I'm really excited to have this chance to play and explore, and to share the outcomes of the project in an exhibition in Summer 2024. I hope that my learnings will also benefit the wider ceramics community that I'm part of by allowing me to deepen my knowledge of glaze making which I can then inform the work I do in my teaching and technical roles.”
Steph will exhibit her collection from 24 August to 27 October, at Callendar House.
Other recipients in this round of awards include:
- Charco Press have received £14,883 for their project New International Literary Voices, publishing four new translated works by four critically acclaimed Latin American authors. Three of these authors have never had their work translated into English before.
- Scottish trad music agent Rosie Munro will use her funding to attend the Folk Alliance International Conference - the world's largest gathering of the folk music industry and community, in Missouri, USA.
Creative Scotland’s Interim Director of Arts Paul Burns commented: “The exciting projects which have been awarded in the latest round of the National Lottery Open Fund exemplify how vital these awards are for culture across the country. We are thrilled to be able to support these organisations and individuals, including so many who draw inspiration from historical subjects to create contemporary artistic responses. This work allows us all the opportunity to reflect on Scotland’s rich history – highlighting stories, artistic practices and traditions of the past in ways that connect to our modern lives.”
Download the full list of December 2023 recipients
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Background
Creative Scotland’s Open Fund
- In December 2023, Creative Scotland’s Open Fund made 54 funding awards totalling £815,734.00
- The Open Fund is one of Creative Scotland’s key funding routes, supporting the wide range of activity initiated by artists, producers and other creative practitioners in Scotland. The Open Fund has no deadlines, and full eligibility criteria and application guidance can be found on the Creative Scotland website.
- The National Lottery has raised more than £41 billion for more than 565,000 good causes across the UK since 1994. Thanks to The National Lottery players, up to £600 million has been made available to support people, projects and communities throughout the UK during the Coronavirus crisis.
- Creative Scotland is the public body that supports the arts, screen and creative industries across all parts of Scotland distributing funding provided by the Scottish Government and The National Lottery. Further information at creativescotland.com. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Learn more about the value of art and creativity in Scotland and join in at www.ourcreativevoice.scot
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