Nine exciting creative networks across Scotland receive a share of £120,000 to support the development of sustainable creative communities.
Creative Dundee is delighted to share the recipients of Create:Networks 2024/25 – a fund enabling groups, organisations and creative practitioners to build new or develop existing local creative networks as enablers for sustainable creative communities in Scotland.
Create Networks Angus Creatives (Neil Hannah).
Launched in June 2024, the fund invited proposals for a 12-month programme of localised activity designed to build and grow a network that will support creative practitioners and businesses in developing sustainable practices. With new networks eligible to apply for up to
£10,000 and established networks able to request up to £20,000, the fund total of £120,000 was distributed to nine awardees, supported by The National Lottery through Creative Scotland.
The nine recipients represent a breadth of geography, communities and creative artforms, stretching from the south-west to the northernmost point of Scotland. Narture will launch Creative Futures, designed to link organisations, artists, and social enterprises in South Ayrshire, while the newly-formed Shetland Textiles Network will nurture new talent and assist practitioners in looking to the future while safeguarding local knowledge and processes.
Create Networks Creative Futures (Narture).
Several networks will use the fund to build on existing foundations: Neuk Edinburgh allows the neurodivergent-led Neuk Collective to explore a localised programme of in-person networking, skill development and peer support. Circus Artspace will further opportunities for visual artists in the Highlands with CaraVAN through co-created activity for emergent practitioners and regional invitations to connect and collaborate. The Forth Valley Creative Network spans Stirling, Falkirk and Clackmannanshire, solidifying preliminary research into a new programme of peer-led and community-focused activities.
In the north east, Angus Creatives will build on local provision for rural practitioners, responding to demand for further professional development and collaborative opportunities; in neighbouring Dundee, Biome Collective continue to forefront collaboration and innovation in digital creativity, with a focus on strengthening the longevity of their network as well as the practices of its participants.
Create Networks Biome Collective (Erika Stevenson).
In Glasgow’s southside, Network Q centre mutual-support for marginalised freelancers, with activity designed and delivered by and for their community. The city is also the base of the Universal Recognition Movement – Alba Hub, which includes members in Lanarkshire and Edinburgh, who seek to support the development of Disabled creative practitioners with a passion for accessibility and service design.
Jen Collins, Programmes Producer at Creative Dundee, looks ahead to connecting with the awardees: “Having grown our own Amps network since 2016, it’s wonderful to be able to support nine networks – five being new and four of which are established – through Create:Networks.
Developing the fund has been a chance to reflect on how creative communities are vital enablers of mutual-support, connection and exchange. They’re collective spaces that centre collaboration over going it alone – and we’re so looking forward to doing exactly that with this brilliant cohort. Alongside each network’s programme of activity, the fund provides the opportunity for them to share learning, values and processes with peers. The ripple effects of this fund will strengthen not just the networks themselves but their places and the wider creative ecosystem, too.”
Saskia Singer of Narture expressed her delight at receiving funding for their new network, Creative Futures: “We’re incredibly excited to receive Create:Networks funding, which will enable us to expand our local network and strengthen connections between artists, social enterprises, and communities in Ayr. This support will allow us to host a range of creative workshops, events, and collaborative projects, offering new opportunities for skill-sharing, creativity, and social impact. By bringing together diverse voices and talents, we aim to inspire positive change and create a vibrant, inclusive space for learning and artistic expression in our community.”
Rebecca Lee, founder of the Universal Recognition Movement, shared how Create:Networks will enable their work: “It costs Disabled households an extra £1,010 per month to live compared to non-disabled households (Scope, 2023). This affects our practitioners as well as the folks whose experiences we are trying to improve. Running our local network voluntarily in a world not designed with us in mind would be impossible. This funding bridges the much needed gap between purely creative project funds and austere business funds to enable our network to establish itself sustainably and cover most of our foundational costs. It will help us develop in such a way we can flourish long into the future and continue our important work. Work that we know will benefit everyone, it is an exciting time!”
Tzipporah Johnston, Director of Door in the Wall Arts Access CIC who facilitate Neuk Collective, shared: “Thanks to Create:Networks funding, we can finally bring Neuk Collective out of the online space and into the real world with an in-person network for neurodivergent creatives in
Edinburgh. This is a huge step for us in building a stronger, more connected community where neurodivergent creatives can meet face-to-face, share experiences, and collaborate in meaningful ways.”
Kirsten Body of Circus Artspace spoke to how the fund will open up opportunities for artists in the Highlands: “We are thrilled to be able to continue our programme of Circus Associates for emergent visual artists and also open up new exciting opportunities for artists to come together in different locations across the Highlands. One of the key elements in sketching out our initial values and aims, as a voluntary artists’ collective six years ago, was to be part of a sustainable and vibrant network of practice. We recognised the need to retain emergent artists in the north of Scotland, and seek to provide a space to engage, learn and share with each other.”
Jessica Bonehill, Creative Industries Officer at Creative Scotland said: “Create:Networks is enabling vital connections for the creative businesses and freelancers that produce the creative activity our nation enjoys, strengthening and enriching their work. It’s fantastic to see the range of networks included in this year’s cohort and the range of support they offer to creative businesses across Scotland including neurodiverse and disabled creative communities, work from the Highlands and Islands to the Forth Valley, as well as across a range of art forms including textiles, writing and gaming.”
Activity from the networks is now underway, with development and programming running from mid-September until August 2025, accompanied by opportunities for those taking part to share knowledge and experiences through development sessions in October and concluding with a sharing event in summer 2025.
Background
Create:Networks is managed and delivered by Scotland’s Creative Networks, led by Creative Dundee, with support from The National Lottery through Creative Scotland.
The Create:Networks selection process was supported by Creative Dundee, Creative Edinburgh, DG Unlimited and freelance project manager and practitioner, Lynne Hocking.
Create:Networks 2024/25 received 94 applications, which represented a total ask of £1,242,928 – 90% beyond the total available funding of £120,000. 49 emerging and 45 established networks applied, with 26 out of 32 Local Authority areas represented across Scotland.
To find out more about Create:Networks and Creative Dundee, and meet the networks, please visit: https://creativedundee.com/2024/09/createnetworks-awardees
For information about the Create:Networks open call, please visit: https://creativedundee.com/2024/06/opportunity-createnetworks/
About Creative Dundee
Creative Dundee centres creative practitioners and communities as powerful catalysts for collective good. Since 2008 we’ve provided local artists, designers and makers with opportunities, support, space and connections to enable the growth of sustainable practices and ideas that will lead us all to a more just world. www.creativedundee.com.
About Creative Scotland
Creative Scotland is the public body that supports culture and creativity across all parts of Scotland, distributing funding provided by the Scottish Government and The National Lottery. Further information at creativescotland.com. Follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram. Learn more about the value of art and creativity in Scotland and join in at www.ourcreativevoice.scot
Create:Networks design by Kate Scarlet Harvey: https://www.katescarletharvey.com/
Media contact
Enquiries about Create:Networks can be directed to Jen Collins, Programmes Producer: [email protected].