Young creatives to benefit from community arts fund
Highland arts communities have come together to provide significant funding for young people to support them with their creative ambitions, writes Fiona Scott.
The current Covid-19 situation has put a huge strain on the arts world across the globe and, fearing that emerging artists would be put off a promising career in the arts, the Fèis Rois led Highlands Youth Arts Hub (HYAH), have launched a new arts fund which offers 18 young artists from across the region the chance to secure £1,000 each.
Creative In Your Community will support the artists with projects which will maintain and develop their creativity and inspiration whilst also engaging with their local community.
Each of the 18 artists will also receive three days of mentoring from well-known, successful industry professionals, including; renowned Gaelic singer, Julie Fowlis, filmmaker Thomas Hogben, performance maker Robbie Synge, award-winning visual artist Joanne B Kaar, theatre maker Jenna Watt and Highland writer, Anne MacLeod.
The initiative is open to young artists, 16-25 years old, across the six art forms dance, theatre, digital art/film, literature, music and visual art - who live in, or are originally from, the Highlands. Applicants must also either be in their final year at school and considering studying their chosen art form in the future; currently in further/higher education in an arts/creative industries discipline; or have recently graduated.
Applicants are asked to come up with a project, involving at least one art form, which engages with their community, collaborates with a professional mentor and perhaps explores some of the challenges faced in Highland communities or around the world today.
Fiona Dalgetty, chief executive, Fèis Rois, one of the HYAH project partners, commented ‘The current global pandemic has really hit the arts and cultural sector hard.
‘We have such a rich arts community here in the Highlands and it is under threat at the moment; we cannot risk losing the next generation of talented artists.
‘We also recognise that the situation is having a significant impact on people’s mental health and wellbeing, so we are hoping that this fund will not only provide the financial support to stay creative, but it will also inspire and motivate young talent here in the Highlands.’
The fund to support emerging artists at this difficult time has been created by the Highland Youth Arts Hub with support from Creative Scotland. The organisations who have collaborated to deliver this project include, Fèis Rois, Moniack Mhor, Eden Court, Highland Print Studio, Fèisean nan Gàidheal, Lyth Arts Centre, North Lands Creative, Youth Highland and High Life Highland.
The closing date for applications is July 24 and the successful applicants will be announced on August 7, with the final projects being completed by Christmas 2020. For more information on how to apply to this fund, please visit https://hyah.co.uk/.