What a wonderful month July has been. Some wonderful weather, and such a joy to see so many wonderful performances springing up; at Merchant City Festival and Surge Festival in Glasgow, and also in venues, parks, town squares and a host of imaginative performing spaces across Scotland. It is so exciting to see the amazing diversity of the work: from the crazy kitsch joy of Unicorn Dance Party to the visual poetry of Ocean all over to the perfectly pitched clownery of Mess, to name but a few. And strangely comforting for conversations to return to the familiar strains of dealing with the vagaries of the Scottish summer.
However, it is not all plain sailing, and already there have been shows and events cancelled or postponed because of the ‘pingdemic’. And it is clear that it is going to take a bit of time to work out how to ensure that all the people who book the limited tickets actually turn up, and how these new relationships and communications with the public can be renegotiated to fit with circumstances.
We should also spare a thought for street performers who seem to be being squeezed out of their traditional pitches in Edinburgh with both the Royal Mile and the Mound being restricted. While it is understandable why the Fringe has moved to control outdoor spaces this year, the cynical amongst us might worry that it will establish a precedent for future years.
In other news, I hope that everyone who was able to participate in the Moving Out Symposium and the Scottish Outdoor Arts Platform enjoyed and benefited from it. It has been really heartening hearing of connections being made and bookings being pencilled in as a result. In the next few days we will be sharing the recording of the sessions for those who were out and about and unable to make it, and also sharing the Scottish Outdoor Arts Index, so look out for that appearing in your inbox.
Please feel free to fill up our inbox with events, opportunities, ideas, or suggestions that you would like to share with us, or that you would like us to share with the sector.
Here’s hoping for a glorious, dry, calm August, and look forward to seeing many of you out and about over the coming weeks.
The opportunities list is longer than ever, so be aware that some browsers will clip the end off this email, so you may need to click to read it all or use the above link.
The live-streamed show will be ready to roll on 29 July 2021 at 7pm on the Aerial Edge YouTube channel. You'll watch awesome performances, interesting interviews on how the role of circus in the film world has changed, and premieres of the five short films commissioned by Aerial Edge for Braw Screen.
What a wonderful month July has been. Some wonderful weather, and such a joy to see so many wonderful performances springing up; at Merchant City Festival and Surge Festival in Glasgow, and also in venues, parks, town squares and a host of imaginative performing spaces across Scotland. It is so exciting to see the amazing diversity of the work: from the crazy kitsch joy of Unicorn Dance Party to the visual poetry of Ocean all over to the perfectly pitched clownery of Mess, to name but a few. And strangely comforting for conversations to return to the familiar strains of dealing with the vagaries of the Scottish summer.
However, it is not all plain sailing, and already there have been shows and events cancelled or postponed because of the ‘pingdemic’. And it is clear that it is going to take a bit of time to work out how to ensure that all the people who book the limited tickets actually turn up, and how these new relationships and communications with the public can be renegotiated to fit with circumstances.
We should also spare a thought for street performers who seem to be being squeezed out of their traditional pitches in Edinburgh with both the Royal Mile and the Mound being restricted. While it is understandable why the Fringe has moved to control outdoor spaces this year, the cynical amongst us might worry that it will establish a precedent for future years.
In other news, I hope that everyone who was able to participate in the Moving Out Symposium and the Scottish Outdoor Arts Platform enjoyed and benefited from it. It has been really heartening hearing of connections being made and bookings being pencilled in as a result. In the next few days we will be sharing the recording of the sessions for those who were out and about and unable to make it, and also sharing the Scottish Outdoor Arts Index, so look out for that appearing in your inbox.
Please feel free to fill up our inbox with events, opportunities, ideas, or suggestions that you would like to share with us, or that you would like us to share with the sector.
Here’s hoping for a glorious, dry, calm August, and look forward to seeing many of you out and about over the coming weeks.
In response to feedback from applicants, Creative Scotland’s Open Fund for Individuals will move to a simplified online application process from Tuesday 10 August 2021.
Deadline to submit applications to current Open Fund for Individuals: 3 August
Refreshed Open Fund for Individuals opens for online applications: 10 August
Fly High Convention 2021 The Oak, the Lost in Translation Circus Centre, Norwich
1 October 2021 - 3 October 2021
An intense weekend of aerial and acrobatic circus for both professionals and enthusiasts. With world class workshops happening over the weekend, Fly High promises to stretch, amaze and stun even the most experienced acrobats – and WOW circus lovers of all abilities, including complete beginners.
Cirqulation is Scotland’s only ongoing circus cabaret event, showcasing new acts of established and emerging local circus artists. The show brings a range of high quality circus acts the Scottish circus industry has to offer to local audiences indoors or outdoors.
The event will take place on 18 September 2021 with an afternoon and an evening performance. This will be part of a larger event (to be revealed at a later stage).
Would you like to perform in the sixth edition of Cirqulation? Do you have an act that you worked on during lockdown, a strong idea, new skills to show off?
The Fringe Festival is back this year! Enjoy the best of theatre, dance and music from Scotland live in-person and online. The curated showcase includes a variety of work showing the quality and resilience of Scotland’s amazing artists producing work in these challenging times.
A thoughtful, reassuring and joyful route back to live performance! The International Festival presents a programme featuring the finest performers and ensembles from the worlds of dance, opera, music and theatre. The majority of this programme takes place in covered outdoor auditoria with a few carefully planned indoor events.
It’s time to regroup, reconnect and reignite our passion for live performance. The Big Meet-Up will take place on 7 October 2021. More warm hug than conference, this online event will allow a collective sigh of relief as we kick back, share, listen and dream. There will be drop-in sessions on hot topics – requested by you – creative networking opportunities, guest speakers, fun activities and more than a few surprises along the way.
Are you in any way involved in professional performing arts for children and young people in Scotland? The Young Audiences Group has commissioned Culture Radar to undertake a consultation with the young audiences sector.
The Young Audiences Group is a collection of freelance artists, producers and organisations from the young audiences sector who are committed to making exceptional work for children and young people in Scotland.
Have you recently applied for funding for a creative project? Please consider adding details of the fund/award/bursary + a wee review of the application process - help others access the tools to maintain an arts practice.
MESS: Behind the Scenes - Online Conference Tenterhooks
Deadline: 5 August 2021 at 12pm
Conference: 5 August 2021, 7-8pm
Meet with some of Tenterhooks's creatives on Zoom. They'll share insights about their process of adapting and touring socially-distanced theatre for young audiences with complex additional support needs. The event will be informal and will include presentations from our creative team, filmed clips of our process, and time for participants' questions. Suitable for people who are interested in making theatre.
The Creative Hustle will collate and share frank information on the realities of how artists and creative practitioners build a financially sustainable living. Interviewees sought - £100 fee.
Waypoint 1 - Mentorship Opportunities for recent graduates Al Seed Productions
Deadline: 5 April 2022 at 12pm
Waypoint-1 is a Scotland-wide project supporting early career performance makers. Its purpose is to deliver one-on-one mentorship programmes, lasting up to a year. The ultimate aim of Waypoint-1 is to empower early career performance makers and help build their self-sufficiency, while encouraging an openness to collaborative working and partnership. The project also offers a space to reconsider working models for creating performance, and how the success of such work can be evaluated.
Year of Stories 2022 - Open Events Fund Visit Scotland
Deadline: 12 August 2021 at 5pm
The fund has been designed to support new, creative event proposals and programming that will provide high profile content created especially in response to the 2022 Themed Year opportunity.
#ShiftThePower Scotland Coronavirus Response Fund CORRA Foundation
Deadline: 20 August 2021 at 12pm
#ShiftThePower supports organisations with passionate people to make meaningful change in their communities. The purpose of the fund is to support grassroots organisations that are providing help and assistance to vulnerable individuals, families, and communities, including coping with the impacts of Coronavirus.
A new £300K Youth Arts Fund: Bursary Programme is now open for applications with a deadline of Friday 27 August 2021, supporting early career artists and creative practitioners aged 18-24 across Scotland in the wake of Covid-19. industries. Organisations can apply for funding to offer bursaries to these artists, to help them develop and produce work.
The Scottish Government has launched a new Arctic Connections fund to encourage cooperation and mutual learning between Scottish organisations and their Arctic partners. The fund will support initiatives including (but not limited to) seminars and conferences, hackathons and workshops, community learning opportunities and academic research. Projects that set the scene for longer-term initiatives are also eligible.
A series of online workshops introducing some of the key techniques within the Theatre of the Oppressed methodology. These will be interactive, fun sessions to introduce key concepts.
All Circus - Improvisation Workshop Aerial Art House, Edinburgh
Deadline: 11 August 2021
This 4-hour live workshop is for circus artists of any discipline who have a creative approach to their practice. Join Circus performer, maker and tutor, Zinnia Oberski, for a free and structured improvisations to music, watch each other and experiment across different disciplines. Improvisation games will be inspired by physical theatre, dance and somatic movement.
Requirements:
– good level and vocabulary in your chosen discipline
– confidence to be watched while improvising solo
– a playful, open-minded approach to your practice
– experience in dance, theatre or other performing art is helpful but not essential
Online Physical Theatre Course Facciocose Physical Theatre Company
Deadline: 6 October 2021 at 6.55pm
This Online Physical Theatre Course explores the fundamentals of Jacques Lecoq’s Techniques and Physical Theatre. Students are introduced to organic movement exercises, mime, embodiment techniques and improvisation, to discover the expressive possibilities of their body and to develop self awareness.
Intersectionality and Anti-Racist Action - Online Workshop Scottish Youth Theatre
Deadline: 9 August 2021 at 5pm
Workshop: 12 August 2021, 10am to 12pm
A developmental workshop exploring intersectionality and its expansion into real and consistent anti-oppressive action, led by Intercultural Youth Scotland. This event is intended for Scotland-based practitioners working on a freelance basis within the arts sector (all artforms welcome).
Producing: Proper job, honest! Workshop CGO Institute
Deadline: 17 August 2021 at 12pm
Workshop: 17 August 2021, 4-6pm
This two hour, taster workshop from the CGO Institute is aimed at aspiring creative producers of the future. It will guide participants through the different pathways into a career in producing.
Organisational Sustainability Programme Arts & Business Scotland
Deadline: 23 August 2021 at 12pm
Arts & Business Scotland, supported by Creative Scotland, is seeking to recruit a group of established and emergent leaders of culture organisations, to take part in a development programme of focused training over a six-month period. It is designed to embed enterprise and entrepreneurship within all aspects of organisational activities, to develop sustainable creative business models for future growth. Open to established and emergent leaders from culture organisations across Scotland.
If you are 12 to 25 years old and want to extend your practical skills in Percussion, Brass, Dance or Visual Arts join the Future Leaders Programme!
Next cohort will take place between October 2021 and April 2022 as follows:
Residential 1 (5 nights, during half term) – Sat 23rd Oct to Thurs 28th Oct 2021
Residential 2 (weekend) – Fri 3rd Dec to Sun 5th Dec 2021
Residential 3 (weekend) – Fri 4th Feb to Sun 6th Feb 2022
Residential 4 (5 nights, during Easter break) – Mon 11th Apr to Sat 16th Apr 2022
Global Grooves will deliver another cohort in 2022-2023.
By the end of each course, all future leaders will be in an improved position to deliver their own work, develop new ideas with other likeminded artists, and feel a greater sense of confidence and belief in their abilities to take their skills to the next level.
Gravity & Levity Attenborough Centre for Creative Arts, Brighton
28/29 August 2021
Delve into the practicalities for developing aerial dance for screen language in-person over 2 days at Attenborough Centre for Creative Arts, Brighton, with screen dance and circus arts film supremos Marisa Zanotti and Mark Morreau.
Art Strategy Implementation Officer Glasgow City Health and Social Care Partnership
Deadline: 30 July 2021 at 5pm
This is an opportunity for an experienced arts project planning officer to support implementation of an Arts Strategy for the new North East Health and Social Care Hub at Parkhead, Glasgow.
Open Call: Residency/Project - Room to Grow Deveron Projects, Aberdeenshire
Deadline for expressions of interest: 1 August 2021
Deadline for applications: 22 August 2021
For this call, Deveron Projects are looking for artists based in Scotland to work with them over the next 18 months to explore the relationship between art and ecology; their green spaces at Deveron Projects and in the town; how they can share these as community resources, for pleasure, food production and medicine; how plants and growing point to history/gaps in history.
Imaginate is looking for an Assistant Producer to assist the Senior Producer in delivering the Edinburgh International Children’s Festival and Creative Development projects, activities and events.They are particularly interested in recruiting a BPOC candidate or someone who feels their voice is currently under-represented in the arts.
Inverclyde Artist Development Bursary CVS Inverclyde
Deadline: 10 August 2021 at 12am
Two exciting opportunities to support 1x Emerging and 1x Experienced Artist to take up a 2-week research and development plus shared content creation as part of Creative Scotland’s Culture Collective. The residency is open to artists who live, already work, or are inspired to work or build new relationships with Inverclyde.
The Kings Quarter development is a milestone in the regeneration of Gloucester City Centre and Gloucester City Council is inviting proposals for a spectacular opening event in 2022 for Kings Square. Gloucester Culture Trust will contribute a £25,000 grant towards the delivery of this project with the expectation that this can be used as match funding.
The Walking Theatre Company is seeking to expand their database of experienced, versatile, professional Scottish actors. Please send your CV/Spotlight with Cover Letter detailing your experience to Alana Mathers Company Development & Operations Manage: alana@thewalkingtheatrecompany.com. Please detail on initial correspondence your location, and whether you are a driver with car.
Has your creative group shown resilience and imagination during the Covid-19 pandemic? Then nominate it for this year's Creative Lives Awards now!
The Creative Lives Awards - formerly the Epic Awards - are an annual celebration of the achievements of voluntary and community-led creativity. The awards are free to enter.
What better way to celebrate a release from lockdown than to revel in the stunning, dramatic landscape of Highland Perthshire? Join an outdoor summer season of stage premieres, concerts, adaptations and family entertainment – a programme we can be confident is safe and enjoyable for all audiences. All shows for Summer 2021 will take place outdoors!
Grief Floats Company of Others
From 31 August 2021
Grief Floats is a protest, an honouring, a remembering. Set in the North Sea, Grief Floats will be Company of Others’ first outdoor work premiering at Cullercoats Bay, North Tyneside.
Performances: 31 August to 5 September, Daily. Times TBC
A 25-minute live action cartoon escapade for all ages to enjoy, featuring physical slapstick comedy and dynamic dance. Can be performed in the day and as a nighttime light up spectacle!
Commissioned by Festival of the Sky, Arts Council of Wales with support from Chapter Arts Centre, Dance Blast and Newport Live
Call Out to Artists and Makers, groups and organisations involved with Circus, Street Arts, Physical Theatre - let us and others know about your work. Take your place in Articulation’s Directory on the Website by sending your information to info@articulationarts.org
