CREATIVE PLACE AWARDS 2015
JURY ANNOUNCED
Vic Galloway
Julie Fowlis
Iain Campbell
Jim Tough
Janet Archer
Creative Place Awards to take place on
Wednesday 10 June, 2015 in Falkirk
CREATIVE Scotland is today (Tuesday 5 May, 2015) delighted to announce the five jury members of this year’s Creative Place Awards 2015.
Presenter Vic Galloway will join musician Julie Fowlis alongside fellow jury members Iain Campbell of Bòrd na Gàidhlig, Jim Tough of the Saltire Society and Creative Scotland’s Janet Archer, to select this years’ Creative Place Awards winners.
Since their launch in 2012, the Creative Place Awards have been made to smaller communities across Scotland, outside of the main cities, to enable them to enhance and promote the creative activities and programmes in their area.
The awards recognise the communities’ ambitions in using the arts for the benefit of both local residents and visitors alike.
Vic Galloway said: “I am honoured to be part of the Jury for this year’s Creative Place Awards, and look forward to discussing the applications in depth with my fellow panellists.
“These three substantial prizes to be awarded to smaller, creative communities can really help motivate, develop and nurture the arts in some of the more rural and remote corners of Scotland.
“We are a consistently creative nation and the nine nominations demonstrate how much is already happening around the country.
“There’s a veritable passion and dedication to music, film, literature and visual arts here, and I find that incredibly inspiring. Best of luck to them all!”
Janet Archer, chief executive at Creative Scotland said: “We are delighted to welcome Vic, Julie, Jim and Iain to the Creative Place Awards jury.
“We received a number of high calibre applications from across Scotland, and selecting the winners will be no easy feat. The quality and quantity of the applications received this year are a testimony to how much Scotland values its culture and how important creativity is to communities across Scotland.
“Our jury bring with them a great talent, experience and knowledge of the arts and Scotland, and I look forward to working alongside them to identify and select this year’s Creative Place Awards winners.”
Nine Scottish communities have been shortlisted across three categories:
* The three communities shortlisted to win £50,000 are: Aberfeldy, Bathgate and Moniaive
* The three communities shortlisted to win £100,000 are: Forres, Isle of Arran and Loch Lomond & Trossachs National Park
* The three communities shortlisted to win £125,000 are: Banchory, Fort William and Stornoway
The winners will be announced at an awards ceremony on Wednesday 10 June, 2015 at Falkirk Town Hall, Falkirk.
Falkirk has been selected as the host of this year’s awards after winning a Creative Place Award in 2014.
Applications were encouraged from cultural organisations, community groups and local authorities across Scotland, to represent their village, town or community to bid for an award.
The shortlist has been selected for proposing an imaginative and ambitious programme of arts and creative activities, which has been developed through consultation with a range of organisations in their communities.
They have also indicated a good level of collaboration with potential partners to support and deliver the programme.
Follow the Creative Place Awards updates on Twitter using #CreativePlace.
ENDS
Media contact:
Helen Sim
Media Relations & PR Assistant, Creative Scotland
E: Helen.Sim@creativescotland.com
T: 0131 523 0019
M: 07801 226605
S: 0330 333 2000
Notes to Editors:
Jury biographies
Jim Tough, executive director, Saltire Society
Jim has more than 25 years’ experience in the public and voluntary sectors, in community education and youth work and the arts. He is currently executive director of Saltire Society – a non-politically aligned charity; an independent promoter of Scottish heritage nurturing, supporting and celebrating Scotland’s diverse creativity. He was the former area executive director at Arts Council England and CEO at Scottish Arts Council.
Iain Campbell, CEO, Bòrd na Gàidhlig
Iain Caimbeul is a native Gaelic speaker, originally from South Uist. He is currently the Ceannard (CEO) of Bòrd na Gàidhlig. Prior to that, he was the senior project manager of Soillse, an inter-University partnership involved in a range of research areas associated with Gaelic language maintenance and revitalisation. He also represents Bòrd na Gàidhlig on the board of MG ALBA.
Vic Galloway, presenter
Vic Galloway is a music and arts radio and TV broadcaster with over 15 years of experience for BBC Radio 1, BBC Scotland and BBC 6Music. He currently presents his long-standing weekly show for BBC Radio Scotland which consistently champions the best in new, alternative music from Scotland and elsewhere.
He co-presents the RAPAL TV show for BBC Alba, presents programmes on the BBC iPlayer and writes for the Sunday Herald newspaper.
His first book, ‘Songs in the Key of Fife’, has recently been published to great acclaim with successful events at the ‘Edinburgh International Book Festival’, ‘Aye Write! Festival’ and beyond.
He also continues to work as a freelance journalist, podcaster, DJ, MC and event host.
Vic is a passionate and committed supporter of music and art from Scotland and across the world.
Julie Fowlis, musician
Julie Fowlis is a multi-award winning Gaelic singer who is deeply influenced by her early upbringing in the Outer Hebridean island of North Uist. Julie has collaborated, recorded and performed with artists such as Nicola Benedetti, and acclaimed singers Aled Jones, James Taylor and Mary Chapin Carpenter.
Her passion for folk culture, song and music is exemplified in her collaborations in 2015 with the Québécois band Le Vent du Nord, her Vocal ConneXions project in summer 2015 and her continued musical friendship with Irish singer and musician, Muireann Nic Amhlaoibh.
Julie’s most recent studio album of traditional songs in Gaelic, ‘Gach Sgeul / Every Story’, was released in 2014, and received five-star glowing reviews from the likes of Songlines World Music magazine, and which led to her and her regular touring band winning ‘Folk Act of the Year 2014′ at the Scots Trad Music Awards, and she also made history as the first Gaelic solo artist to win a Scottish Music Award in December 2014.
Julie has also become a sought-after and successful presenter on radio and television, on BBC ALBA, BBC Radio 2, and 4, BBC Radio Scotland, SKY ARTS HD and TG4 in Ireland.
Janet Archer, CEO at Creative Scotland
Janet Archer became CEO of Creative Scotland on 1 July 2013. Prior to taking up her post at Creative Scotland, Janet spent six years at Arts Council England as director, Dance, working as part of the national strategy team.
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The Creative Place Awards is for smaller communities across Scotland, outside of the main cities, to enable them to enhance and promote the creative activities and programmes in their area.
The awards recognise the communities’ ambitions in using the arts for the benefit of both local residents and visitors to their area http://www.creativescotland.com/funding/funding-programmes/targeted-funding/creative-place-awards.
Shortlisted communities have been selected primarily on the quality of their creative plans and ambitions, and the strength of collaboration their communities. The awards are not open to the nation’s cities.
The deadline for applications was 2 February 2015. 32 applications were received from a range of organisations across 21 local authority areas.
The Creative Place Award shortlist was selected by a panel made up of individuals with expertise across the arts, tourism, enterprise and community development from Creative Scotland, EventScotland, Scottish Enterprise and VisitScotland.
Run by Creative Scotland and supported by EventScotland the awards encourage cultural organisations, community groups and/ or local authorities to represent their village, town or other community, and bid for an award to further develop their creative programme and profile.
Creative Scotland is the national organisation that funds and supports the development of Scotland’s arts, screen and creative industries. Creative Scotland has four objectives: to develop and sustain a thriving environment for the arts, screen and creative industries; to support excellence in artistic and creative practice; to improve access to and participation in, arts and creative activity; and to deliver our services efficiently and effectively. In 2013/14, we will distribute over £100m in funding provided by the Scottish Government and the National Lottery. For further information on Creative Scotland please visit www.creativescotland.com Twitter: @creativescots Facebook: www.facebook.com/CreativeScotland
EventScotland is working to make Scotland the perfect stage for events. By developing an exciting portfolio of sporting and cultural events EventScotland is helping to raise Scotland’s international profile and boost the economy by attracting more visitors. For further information about EventScotland, its funding programmes and latest event news visit www.EventScotland.org. Follow EventScotland on Twitter @EventScotNews. EventScotland is part of VisitScotland, the national tourism organisation which markets Scotland as a tourism destination across the world, gives support to the tourism industry and brings sustainable tourism growth to Scotland.
For information on previous Creative Place Award winners: http://www.creativescotland.com/what-we-do/latest-news/archive/2014/01/winners-of-the-2014-creative-place-awards-announced
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