Visual arts notices

Featuring notices and announcements from the Scottish Arts Council's Visual Arts department including activities, opportunities and other key notices about the visual arts in Scotland.  Be sure to check the International area of our website for more opportunities and the Visual Arts news and opportunities newsletter.

Visual Arts Awards available - last updated 20 August
Jobs and Opportunities - last updated 20 August
General Visual Arts notices - last updated 20 August 

Visual Arts awards available

Scottish Screen’s Digital Projection Equipment Fund

Funding is available to purchase digital projection equipment and associated apparatus that will increase opportunities to screen specialised film in rural and remote areas of Scotland.

Organisations also have the option to apply for a contribution towards the cost of a DCI-Compliant projection system, which would allow screenings of new releases at industry standards.

To complement the launch of the Digital Projection Equipment Fund, Scottish Screen is also making available a digital cinema resource, Tentpoles and Pixels, to help people understand more fully the changing cinema landscape and what the benefits and challenges are.

Deadline - Friday 31 October 2008.

Further details are available from  Scottish Screen website

Jerwood Photography Awards 2008
In Association with PORTFOLIO Magazine

The Jerwood Charitable Foundation is dedicated to excellence and to supporting talented artists in the early stage of professional life. Having made the commitment to training as an artist, the period immediately after art college can be extremely difficult. The aim of this initiative is to give opportunities to five promising photographers that will help establish them in their careers.

These annual Awards are open to artists who work with the medium of photography. Applicants must be resident in the UK between January 2005 and September 2008. There is no age limit. Five winners will each receive an award of £2,500, an exhibition at Jerwood Space in London, and publication in Portfolio Magazine.

The 2008 Selectors are:
Dewi Lewis, Dewis Lewis Publishing
Neeta Madahar, Visual Artist
David Scull, Director, Hoopers Gallery, London
Marta Weiss, Curator, Photographs, Victoria & Albert Museum, London
Gloria Chalmers, Editor, Portfolio Magazine

Awards will be made to five artists whose submitted photographs, in the opinion of the selectors, demonstrate originality and excellence. The selection will take place in September 2008 and the winners will be announced at an awards ceremony at Jerwood Space in London, on 6 November 2008.

Registration:Complete the registration form (available on Portfolio’s website or by contacting Portfolio). The deadline for registration is 11 August 2008
Applications must be received by 22 August 2008

For further information and registration form available at the Portfolio website
PORTFOLIO Magazine
43 Candlemaker Row
EDINBURGH
EH1 2QB
Tel: 0131 220 1911
Or email PORTFOLIO.

For more information on the following three awards please follow this link

Creative and Professional Development

To assist individual artists with the costs of creating and presenting work, for example research, production of new work, materials or exhibition costs, as well as professional development.

Funding is also available to assist curators with professional development costs relating to curatorial practice. The maximum funding curators can apply for is £3,000. 

There are three fixed levels of bursaries available:
£1,500, £3,000, £5,000

Deadline 6 October 2008
 

Visual Artists' Awards of £15,000

Up to 6 awards of £15,000 each are available for the financial year 1 April 2008 to 31 March 2009

Awards of £15,00 are available to visual artists to supplement or replace existing income in order to provide a period of time for exploration and experimentation. 

Deadline 6 October 2008

Artists' Film and Video

The Artists' Film and video fund is run jointly by the Scottish Arts Council and Scottish Screen to support the best innovative and experimental work by visual artists working in film and video.

Level of funds can be between £5,000 to £15,000

Please refer to the information sheet for the Artists' Film and Video fund for further details.

Deadline 6 October 2008


Artists Awards Partnership Schemes for Visual Artists

An updated information sheet for the Artists Award Partnership Schemes is now available. The scheme provides funding for individual artists through partnership with a number of local authorities and other visual arts organisations across Scotland. The information sheet contains further information, contact details and upcoming deadlines.  Download the Artists Award Partnership Schemes information sheet.

Creative Islanders is an ongoing initiative by HI~Arts to foster better cultural links throughout the islands of the Inner and Outer Hebrides. This new fund will enable island-based arts practitioners, arts groups and community groups with an interest in the arts, to undertake visits to other Hebridean islands, with the aim of encouraging better dialogue and the hope of stimulating joint projects and activities. 

Grants of up to £500 are available to support the costs involved in inter-Hebridean visits, which may include transport costs, accommodation, subsistence and other directly relevant costs (eg child care). This is not an exhaustive list - please consult HI~Arts before submitting your application. For further info visit the HI~Arts website or telephone 01463 720881.

The Dundee Visual Artists Awards Scheme (DVAA) is open to Dundee-based visual artists of all ages, at any stage in their career, working in any visual media.  This year the maximum grant has been raised from £500 to £1,000.  The DVAA Scheme is a partnership between Dundee City Council and the Scottish Arts Council.  For further information and an application form visit the Dundee Visual Artists Awards Scheme website or contact the DVAA Administrator, Leisure and Arts, DCA, 152 Nethergate, Dundee, DD1 4DY. Deadline: 5 November 2008

Tayside Healthcare Arts Trust

Tayside Healthcare Arts Trust works within the arts and healthcare environment.  Their work ranges from commissions for new landmark buildings and health centres, to a new opportunity funded integrated arts programme for stroke sufferers both within rehabilitation settings and communities.  They would like to hear from visual and applied artists who are interested in working within an arts and healthcare environment and would like to be considered for future developments within Tayside and possibly outwith.  Previous experience is not essential but useful.  If you would like to be considered for potential work, please send your relevant information and, if applicable, examples of your work to:

Karine Neill
Development Officer
Tayside Healthcare Arts Trust
Trust Offices
Royal Dundee Liff Hospital
Dundee DD2 5NF

You can email Karine or phone on 01382 423000 ext. 24093.

Jobs and Opportunities

The University of Abertay - Call for submissions
 
The University of Abertay's Hannah Maclure Centre is currently researching the area of sports and leisure and how the biological and psychological influences of sport, and through sociology, can influence and shape contemporary society.
This call is to hear about your current practice and how it could explore one of the many areas of sports and leisure - the aesthetics of sport, its theory or psychology, mark making and movement, modes of athletic performance, temporal and spatial dissonance.
 
We are looking to receive submissions from cross-disciplinary work at any stage of career but have a keen interest in technologies being used for creative expression. It is envisaged that a number of artists will be selected to work on new works either as solo pieces or as a collaborative commission to then be part of a large exhibition starting August 2009.
 
Submission deadline: 22nd August 2008
 
Please send us a statement of practice and how you would investigate the theme, a current CV and 1 ­ 5 images.
You can email your submission (images as jpeg less than 2MB) or submit on CD-ROM or DVD by post to:
Donna Holford-Lovell
Cultural Projects Officer
University of Abertay Dundee
Whitespace, Bell Street
Dundee, DD1 1HG
 
For more information on sporting activities at Abertay visit the Abertay website.

Edinburgh Art Festival - Exhibition Staff Needed

If you are an art student looking for an opportunity to be involved with the visual arts in Edinburgh this summer and gain valuable experience, then please get in touch.

An exhibition which runs as part of the 2008 Edinburgh Art Festival (city centre) is looking for volunteers to staff a site specific exhibition space. Individuals with a working knowledge of contemporary art and experience of staffing exhibition/gallery spaces is preferred.

The exhibition runs from 31st July - 25th August 2008.

If you are interested in finding out more then please call Fiona on 07970 694970 for details.

Arts Professionals in Moray

The Moray Council’s Arts Development Team is currently updating its database of artists living and working in the area.
The Arts Development team uses freelance arts practitioners on a regular basis and is asked to recommend people who can deliver high quality workshops and projects. There is an increasing number of professional artists living in Moray and it is important that an up to date database is maintained. So, if you are a visual artist, musician, dance or drama specialist, video/film-maker or writer and have experience of delivering workshops to a range of ages and abilities please let us know by completing a very simple form.

The form and further information can be obtained from:
Arts Development, Moray Council, Commerce House Annex, South Street, Elgin, IV30 1JE  tel: 01343  557146. Or email Nick Fearne  Arts Development Officer. 

Stills is currently recruiting for freelance tutors specialising in Illustrator, InDesign and Dreamweaver

Stills has just relaunched its new digital training zone and is developing its team of tutors to provide in-depth knowledge of specific programs. Tutors will require excellent communication skills and flexibility to work with Stills’ staff and schedules.

This is an open ended opportunity - For more information visit the Stills website.

Visual Arts general notices 

Call for Artists

Short term Visual Arts Residency 2 months duration January – March 2009

South Lanarkshire Council’s Education Resources are looking for a contemporary visual artist to work in residence in High Mill Primary School between January and March 2009. Hours are negotiable to suit artist and school, with total equivalent to 75 hours.

They are looking for someone who has experience of working with young people, or demonstrates that they have an aptitude for this kind of work.  

The artist will be expected to collaborate with pupils and staff to create new work in response to the local area and /or the school environment, engaging in research and discussion with staff and pupils to ensure their creative involvement:  this may include skill-based workshops.  The artist will therefore work alongside class teachers to enthuse & inspire pupils in creating art.  There will be two in service sessions which will be offered to the teachers of the schools.  The selected artist will also be charged with presenting work at a concluding exhibition.  

Applications from visual artists working in a variety of media will be considered including traditional media, new media, environmental art, drawing etc.

A budget of £2250 is available for the residency to cover all expenses including artist fee, materials, exhibition costs and travel.

All posts are subject to enhanced disclosure.

To express your interest please send a CV, a short proposal and supporting visual material (CD, DVD, slides or photos) to:
Kimberley White
Integrated Children’s Services
Woodpark Primary
Priory Avenue
Lesmahagow
ML11OAD

Tel 01555890289
kimberley.white@ics.s-lanark.org.uk 

Please take in to consideration that applications will be read and assessed by upper primary pupils so the statement of approach should be child friendly. Interviews will be conducted by pupils in early November 2008.

Closing date for submissions Friday 3 Oct 2008.

New website resource for artists
PAR+RS: Public Art Resource+Research Scotland

The Public Art Resource+Research Scotland (PAR+RS) is a new initiative being developed by the Scottish Arts Council that aims to promote excellence and innovation within public art, by building the capacity, knowledge and expertise of people working in public art across Scotland. PAR+RS will form a central part of a wider strategy for public art currently under development within the Scottish Arts Council.

PAR+RS has grown from a range of research and consultation processes, which have fore-grounded concerns for greater visibility of past and current public art projects; wider forms of participation and contribution in the shaping of content and ability to influence policy and funding development.

For more details, to sign up to the mailing list or to leave your comments about the site, visit the PAR+RS website

Are you looking to create links with Chinese Arts Organisations, unsure how to get started, or need guidance on how to over come bureaucratic hurdles to further develop links already established? Connections through Culture could be just the scheme for you.

China — UK Connections through Culture is a joint initiative between the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, the Foreign and Commonwealth Office and the British Council with support from the Scottish Government.  The initiative offers support, information, advice, networking opportunities and development grants to cultural organisations in China and the UK, aiming to build relationships and to develop exciting cultural collaborations between organisations in the two countries.

There is a website which contains a searchable database of organisational profiles and interests. All cultural organisations in the UK and China can register on the database to enable potential partner organisations to make contact.

For further information visit the Connections website, email Malena Malbaek, Projects Co-ordinator, British Council Scotland or telephone 0131 524 5729.

Are you challenged, inspired or mystified by contemporary art? 'Spin' is a members group set up in Edinburgh and Glasgow, which takes you right to the heart of contemporary visual art. For an annual fee of £45 (£35 concs) or £75 (£55) for joint membership, you can enjoy:

• Monthly events at contemporary art exhibitions either in Edinburgh (last Thursday of the month) or Glasgow (third Wednesday of the month)
• The chance to meet and chat to artists, critics and curators
• Special trips to major events in the art calendar
• Regular e-mail bulletins
• The opportunity to invite up to three guests per year to Spin events

For more information visit the Spin Scotland website.

The Scottish Artists’ Network is a web based directory.  The website showcases Scottish based learning disabled artists and the visual arts organisations that support them.

The Scottish Artists’ Network has been set up by the Glasgow based arts organisation Project Ability to encourage interaction, collaboration and support between artists with learning disabilities and inclusive arts organisations in Scotland.  It is a one-stop-shop for people who want to find out more about who is currently working and exhibiting from the Highlands and Islands to the Borders. 

The website aims to encourage individuals and groups to promote their work and to share their practice and experience to create a more confident, better connected arts and disability sector.
For further details or to sign up, visit the Scottish Artists’ Network website. 

You can also contact Kirstin Bannerman, Project Ability, 18 Albion Street, Glasgow, G1 1LH
Tel: 0141 552 2822 or email Project Ability or visit Project Ability's website. 

ZENDEH Lab will be a creative learning space based in Edinburgh for emerging and established artists and practitioners. The organisers are currently gathering expressions of interest from prospective participants. If interested, please contact Nazli Tabatabai directly for an informal meeting at the ZENDEH office. For further information visit the ZENDEH website. 

Full contact details:
Nazli Tabatabai, Artistic Director, ZENDEH, Drill Hall, 30-38 Dalmeny Street, Edinburgh EH6 8RG.
Tel: 07970 180 857. 

Art in Healthcare (formerly Paintings in Hospitals Scotland) is a forward-looking arts-in-health organisation working with healthcare communities to create opportunities for patients, visitors and staff to enjoy and engage with the visual arts.

The organisation is currently looking to recruit volunteers to be involved with its work around Scotland.

AiH would like to hear from people who are passionate about visual art, interested in improving their local hospitals and looking for an enjoyable volunteering experience.

We have Scotland-wide opportunities to be involved with:

• Overseeing the hanging of artwork in local hospitals and healthcare centres
• Advising staff and patients on where best to place work
• Providing regular checks on the artwork
• Recruiting and training local volunteers
• Encouraging hospitals to use visual art to improve their working environments.

We will provide you with the training and support you need and reimburse ‘out of pocket’ expenses. For further information please call 0131 554 5481 or email Volunteer Network

PAN, an independent membership-led organisation supporting all who promote touring arts events in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, now has a website at www.panpromoters.co.uk.  Collectively PAN members promote a wide range of professional arts events touring in the Highlands and Islands. The artforms include theatre, music, performance dance, comedy and the spoken word as well as local events and ceilidhs.  Visit the new PAN website to find out more details about the network.

Recent graduate artists from Scottish Art Schools have been given a new platform on which to promote their work with the launch of artistri online gallery. 

Never before has it been possible to view the work of artists from the four main art schools in Scotland: Edinburgh College of Art; Glasgow School of Art; Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design; and Gray’s Art School in the same online exhibition. More than 240 works representing over 20 artists at the forefront of Scottish contemporary art are exhibited online

For more informatrion go to the Artistri website or contact Kevin Ross, Managing Director on: 0845 2578740.

For other Visual Arts news - go to the Visual Arts news page