Funding Fosters Creativity Across Generations

Creative Scotland has announced the latest round of National Lottery and Scottish Government backed Open Fund awards, distributing £792,125 to artists and organisations across Scotland.

Amongst this round of funding are projects aimed at inspiring and empowering children and young people:

Possible Paths by Fife-based photographer, Cate Gillon (primary teacher and former Edinburgh Evening News and The Herald staff photographer).

A composite image. From right to left: A woman with pale lilac/white hair wearing a formal white shirt and black bow tie and a cropped, shocking pink blazer. She is holding an open a ‘spell book’ which produces a bright yellow flame, as if by magic. This is Louise Andree. A man in a black t-shirt and dark blue jeans and trainers is standing on a pier, holding a bicycle which stands on it back wheel. A wind turbine can be seen in the background, nestled along the coast. This is Scott Maguire. A professional-quality headshot of a woman with long curly brown hair and black rimmed glasses. This is Dr Amy Rankine. A man with short brown hair wearing a grey crew neck sweatshirt balances three books on his head, looking up at them with a playful almost-smile and a raised eyebrow. This is Keith Houston, and the three books are his own publications - The Book, Shady Characters and Empire of the Sum.

(Left to right) magician Louise Andree, Specialized CEO Scott Maguire, astrophysicist Dr Amy Rankine and author Keith Houston. Images by Cate Gillon for Possible Paths.

Possible Paths celebrates state school alumni as relatable role models, exploring themes of self-esteem, identity, place, and employment. By broadening young people’s horizons and challenging their perceptions of the working world, the project hopes to inspire greater self-belief and community optimism. 

Reflecting on her inspiration, Cate shares: "You can be anything you want to be in life is a bold statement but hard to imagine if you never see it happening around you. A local journalist once told me, 'You've done alright for yourself coming from Kennoway,' when I had my first solo exhibition at the City Art Centre in Edinburgh. We still hear comments like this today, and it’s simply unacceptable. It's an issue of social justice that such prejudice limits the aspirations of our young people, and this sparked the idea for the Possible Paths project."

"Young people are more likely to follow a path if they can see it’s possible. Yet, a child’s opportunities are too often determined by the socioeconomic conditions of their home. As a matter of equity, Possible Paths showcases people who have turned their passions into inspiring careers - whether close to home or far away — through striking, compelling portraits."

The project, which has received funding from Creative Scotland and OnFife, opens on Wednesday 6 November at Methil Heritage Centre, features portraits of former Levenmouth Academy students, including those from its predecessor schools, Buckhaven and Kirkland High. 

The exhibition will spotlight the careers of distinguished alumni such as former Dyson executive, Scott Maguire, now CEO of one of the world’s top cycling innovators, Specialized; astrophysicist Dr Amy Rankine; magician Louise Andree; author Keith Houston; and Ruth Davidson, member of the House of Lords, amongst others.

Among newly funded projects is Slamming It 2025! - a spoken word poetry initiative by conFAB that will involve 200 young people from across Scotland, many with limited access to the arts. Over the course of four weeks participants will take part in spoken word workshops and produce a live event attended by over 300 in-person and 100 remote audience members.

Dumbarton-based Clifftop Projects’ Intergenerational Dance Company (CIDC), will continue its impactful work thanks to renewed funding, enabling the company to advance its mission of uniting people of all ages and abilities, fostering confidence and community through the power of movement.

A group of young people performing together on a stage. Some younger members of the group are sitting on the floor, looking up. Two of them are peering round from bending a door that’s just been opened with another two looking over their shoulders. On the other side, two others smile as their friends come into view. They’re all dressed casually in comfy-looking, black and white clothes.

CIDC, image by Joseph Dalton.

Lottie Barker, CIDC’s Artistic Director explains: "This new round of funding will allow us to create and share short solo films, showcasing our work, broadening our reach and demonstrating that creativity has no age limit, and that dance truly is for everyone!"

Award-winning dance artist Hayley Earlam will collaborate with a team of creatives to develop Brrr - a new sensory dance performance for young audiences with profound and multiple learning disabilities. This performance, which offers an immersive sensory experience of winter, will debut in January 2025 in both theatre spaces and specialist education settings.

A woman wearing a pastel-pink winter bobble hat and pink top holds a white condenser vent up over her mouth and nose - the vent appears lit from inside and glows softly over her face and hands.

Hayley Earlem. Image by Amy Sinead.

These awards are just a few of the 29 individual grants made to writers, musicians, theatre makers and other creative practitioners across Scotland, supporting a wide range of innovative and impactful projects, including:

  • Funding for the development and production of new albums from singer/songwriters Kathryn Joseph and Carla J Easton.
  • A collaborative public art project from action research group Durty Beanz and Turner-nominated visual artist Mark Titchner, for the development of a new billboard artwork for Glasgow's Govan Road.
  • The return of Aberdeen Jazz Festival for 2025.
  • Three immersive comedy events from Glasgow-based comedian Zara Gladman.

Iain Munro, CEO at Creative Scotland said: “The Open Fund awards are vital in nurturing talent across all generations. By supporting a wide range of worthwhile projects, these grants ensure that creativity thrives, inspiring people across the country while providing opportunities for lifelong creative expression and growth”.

Background

Creative Scotland’s Open Fund

  • In September 2024, Creative Scotland’s Open Fund made 29 awards totalling £792,125.
  • 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 our website.   

Since The National Lottery began in 1994, National Lottery players have raised more than £47 billion for good causes. More than 670,000 individual grants have been made across the UK - the equivalent of around 240 National Lottery grants in every UK postcode district.

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

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