Over the past month, I’ve been tracing the role of creative labs, scratch nights and artistic residencies in creating the conditions of possibility for live art in Scotland. This research strand recognises the ways in which interdisciplinary and experimental arts might need particular kinds of support oriented on process rather than product, and rely on contexts that allow for critically generous feedback and response. It also reflects a long history of artist-led and institutional attempts across Scotland to create space in which artists might take risks – whether as emerging artists first making work in public, or in transitioning between ‘emergent’ and ‘established’.
In exploring that history, I’ve begun keeping track of current development opportunities for artists working in live art who are based in Scotland – not least because that information didn’t seem readily available anywhere else. So here’s the first draft of that resource: a list of residencies, mentoring and development schemes for interdisciplinary artists based in Scotland.
A few notes:
- Most of the schemes are listed because they either explicitly support live art and interdisciplinary practice or have a record of supporting artists working across/between multiple art forms as part of their practice. A few programmes identify a specific artform focus or have criteria relating to particular communities of practices – I’ve tried to note these.
- A number of schemes are suspended or under review following the 2020/21 global pandemic and in response to renewed attempts to address structural racism and other inequalities in the arts – but most organisations (such as Jerwood Arts) have a mailing list for updates and announcements.
- I’ve included a few more generic funding databases accessible to charities and social enterprises in acknowledgement of live artists working in that space. For funds managed by Creative Scotland, see: https://www.creativescotland.com/funding/funding-programmes.
- This list focuses on opportunities based in Scotland. Arts Admin has a really excellent UK-wide directory of resources and funding opportunities: https://www.artsadmin.co.uk/for-artists/resources-directory/
- The Live Art Development Agency maintains a helpful FAQ intended to be a starting point for artists who work in Live Art and who are at the start of their career: http://lada-memset.thisisliveart.co.uk/resources/information/faq/
- It’s a first draft with some gaps that I’m working to address over the next few weeks – let me know if something is missing or included in error: stephen.greer@glasgow.ac.uk