Storytelling and song: National Lottery funding for arts projects across Scotland

Across Scotland, 39 cultural projects have received funding from The National Lottery in the latest round of Creative Scotland’s Open Fund awards.

Following its premiere at last year’s Manipulate Festival, Glass Performance theatre company will stage The Yellow Canary at Edinburgh International Children’s Festival (EICF) in May 2024. Created by artistic director Tashi Gore, writer Will Gore and animator Ross MacKay, The Yellow Canary narrates the harrowing journey of a young boy compelled to flee his homeland to evade the ravages of war. Drawing inspiration from a real-life account within the creators’ own family, the performance delicately explores profound themes such as love, loss, and the anguish of displacement.

Image: Tashi Gore of Glass Performance performing The Yellow Canary, photography by Jassy Earl.

Tashi Gore, artistic director and performer of The Yellow Canary commented: “I’m looking forward to sharing my family’s story with school children, young people and communities in Edinburgh. We hope to encourage audiences to have intergenerational discussions about real lived experiences and create a space for reflection on the current refugee crisis and the forced displacement of children.

“This award from the Open Fund will allow us to re-mount the production with the creative team focusing specifically on young audiences and making the show adaptable to tour to diverse venues and spaces in anticipation of any touring opportunities that may arise from presenting the work at this international platform.”

The Mull of Kintyre Music Festival‘s five-day celebration will take place in Campbeltown this summer from 21-24 Aug. Alongside traditional Scottish and Pan-Irish folk music, contemporary rock and pop acts, the festival will also feature workshops, heritage walks, and its signature community gala day and parade.

Alex McKinven, Funding Secretary of Mull of Kintyre Music & Arts Associatio said: “Our Creative Scotland award allows us to bring top-class artistic talent and music to an area far removed from the main centres of entertainment. It also supports the expansion of our project’s reach, assists audience and artistic development, and helps us provide a programme of quality tuition for young students”.

Spoken word company I AM LOUD will present the Our Loud Poets 2024-25 Season featuring spoken word showcases, poetry slams, workshops and digital media initiatives. The season will feature a lineup of 12 showcases, spotlighting both local Scottish talent and esteemed voices from across the UK. Additionally, the company will spearhead a national series of slam events, encompassing regional heats and culminating in a grand slam finale at the Edinburgh International Book Festival in 2025.

Bex Bidgood, Marketing & Communications Director at I Am Loud CIC commented: “This funding from Creative Scotland allows us to provide many performance and development opportunities for spoken word poets across Scotland. Paid opportunities for spoken word poets are generally limited, particularly for those outwith the central belt, so we are looking forward to supporting our community this season through coordinating events nationwide, including in some new locations.”

Further awards in this round of the Open Fund include:

• SOLAS FESTIVAL, who have received £47,000 for their 2024 gathering this summer. The festival will bring a vibrant programme of multidisciplinary events to Errol Park in Perthshire throughout June.
• OUTSPOKEN ARTS SCOTLAND who will use their award of £19,989 to run a year-round programme of free creative learning workshops at The Art Department in Paisley, led by professional artists in a range of visual art disciplines.
• HANNA LOUISE, who will use £2,915 from the Open Fund for her project Recovery Magic, which will offer six free creative workshops in accessible artforms for people in mental health recovery in Aberdeen.

Paul Burns, Interim Director of Arts at Creative Scotland commented: “Increasing access to the arts brings so many benefits to communities across Scotland. The fantastic projects awarded in the latest round of our Open Fund will bring vital opportunities for people all over the country to experience enriching culture and creative learning activities, all thanks to this crucial National Lottery funding.”