£15,000 to support Scotland’s young creative stars
Nathanael Macdonald will use the funding to enhance the visual quality of his latest documentary project.
Creative Scotland’s Nurturing Talent Fund is aimed at creative 11 – 25-year-olds and is designed to help them to develop their passions and talents in their chosen medium. These include short film making, recording songs in a professional studio, producing music videos, and attending music masterclasses.
The Nurturing Talent Fund was developed and is managed by the National Youth Arts Advisory Group (NYAAG), directly supporting the creative ideas and ambitions of young people in Scotland. NYAAG represent a voice for young people in shaping the future of culture and arts in Scotland and is made up of 35 passionate volunteers, aged 14-23.
The fund was established in 2014 as part of Time to Shine, the National Youth Arts Strategy. Since then, it has supported over 200 exciting and creative ideas led by young people including, film-making, music production, publishing poetry, photography collections, recording demos and hosting dance shows.
The recipients of the latest round of funding are:
The Penguins Tuxedo, Nairn, a youth-led street drumming band for any young person to join and has been running for 10 years. The band members will take part in a band leadership course.
Emily Middlemas, Glasgow is embarking upon phase two of rebranding as an artist. After successful rebrand as the new artist ‘ili’, the next phase is to create a new body of music works.
Nathanael Macdonald, Edinburgh, will create a short documentary film drawing inspiration from realist painter Edward Hopper which will be a celebration of love, death and jazz music - told through an intimate character portrait of a local elderly jazz enthusiast.
Jordy Delight, Edinburgh, will create a piece of drag theatre exploring lung transplants in Cystic Fibrosis.
Alisa Dixon, Aberdeenshire, will take part in a storytelling apprenticeship led by Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland and the Scottish Storytelling Centre.
Mary-Beth McFern, East Lothian, will run a performance arts summer school in 2020 for young people aged 6-13.
Chris Timmins, Glasgow, will publish an anthology of poems and illustrations from young, queer, Scottish poets.
Tosia Bargielowska Johnsen, Edinburgh, will create a seven-chapter book based on the feminine archetype as conceptualised by Carl Jung.
Louise Mclachlan, Edinburgh, will deliver ‘Scope’ - a photography workshop aimed at teaching participants the power of their perspectives. The workshop aims to show participants how their individuality and circumstances can create powerful pieces of art.
Will Peppercorn, Edinburgh, will create a short film project called ‘Skeletons’ about a young man, Marcus, on the morning of his father’s funeral going to collect his Grandfather for the service.
Sara Gatland, Perth & Kinross, will create a musical film retelling of a selkie folk tale.
Island Life Productions, Edinburgh, will create a radio series centred around a group of young people working as receptionists at an Edinburgh-based branch of a chain hotel.
Margherita Pescarin and Florentina Abendstein, Edinburgh, will create a monthly inclusive multilingual poetry, live drawing workshop and open mic night.
Birds with Words, Edinburgh, is a space that gives women, trans and non-binary people a platform to share their creativity. They will organise a one-day arts festival.
Shaun Duggan, Glasgow, will document the emerging hip-hop/street scene in Glasgow, showcasing local artists and the street style of young hip hop fans.
Adam Mende, Midlothian, will launch a website to sell enamel pins designed by local artists to showcase their work to a larger audience whilst supporting them financially.
Rosie Dignan, Dundee, will travel to and from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland Junior Musical Theatre Course.
Judas Milvidaite (artist name Medis), Edinburgh, will create a series of creative workshops that focus on the exploration of the senses and celebration of artistic experimentation.
Kate Wills, South Lanarkshire, will write, record, and release an EP focused on mental health.
It’s fantastic to see the young people on the NYAAG panel working in partnership with Creative Scotland to support their peers who aspire to work in Scotland’s thriving creative industries. Louise Macdonald OBE, Chief Executive, Young Scot
Living in rural Aberdeenshire and being reliant on public transport, travelling anywhere can pose financial difficulties. With this funding, I can focus on improving as a storyteller instead of stressing over transport costs. But being awarded the Nurturing Talent fund means so much more than the practicalities. It means that other people believe that my all-consuming love for telling and sharing traditional stories is valid and worthwhile. This faith in oral tradition will enable me to open doors to new opportunities in Scotland and beyond, give me confidence, let me meet inspiring storytellers and spread the love of oral traditions as wide as I can. Alisa Dixon, Aberdeenshire
It’s fantastic to see the sheer breadth of creative ideas, ambitions and talent that Scotland’s young people are bringing to life with the support of the Nurturing Talent Fund. It’s very important to continue to ensure young people are central to the development of the arts in Scotland, and providing young people with the financial means to make work, develop skills and access opportunities is helping to strengthen our success as a creative nation. Sarah McAdam, Interim Time to Shine Programme Manager