New Chorus Awards Launched to Celebrate Choirs all over Scotland

From Rebecca Giblin

Special stories from singing groups across Scotland are being hunted out for the newly launched Chorus Awards. Anyone can nominate a group, individual choir member or musical director for the Local Connection, Newcomer, Milestone, Unique Story, Inspiration and Young People categories.

Scotland Sings has launched the Chorus Awards to showcase the wonderful activities choirs are involved in and to celebrate the people helping to make great things happen. Anyone can make a nomination and choir members can even put themselves forward for one of the six categories.

Alison Burns, Scotland Sings Coordinator, says of the new awards, “What’s great is that this is not about the best singer or which choir has sung to the biggest audience, it’s all about the stories behind what makes each group so special. I know of one choir that has members from teenagers up to 80 year olds who sing together every week. What other awards would celebrate something like that?”

image by photographer Ros Gasson 

So, whether you’re part of a choir that is experimenting with new music or know an inspirational musical director who is bringing a community together, the Chorus Awards are the way to recognise and applaud this contribution.

Nominations can be made via an online form by the closing date of Friday 15th May (the event or activity being highlighted should have taken place between 16th May 2014 and 15th May 2015).

Winners will be announced online on Friday 19th June and will form part of a showcase on the Scotland Sings website. To find out more about the individual categories and make a nomination see the website here

E-Course on Bookbinding and Paper Art

From Rachel Hazell

Get Creative Online This Spring!
Sign up to PaperLove: a five-week e-course on Bookbinding and Paper Art.

PaperLove was developed by bookbinder and paper artist Rachel Hazell to enable everyone, no matter where they live, to develop their skills and creativity through the medium of paper. All that’s required is your imagination and wi-fi.

The course unfolds over five weeks and includes step-by-step instruction on the creation of over 20 paper projects using easily available resources. From origami to collage, there is plenty of opportunity to develop your own interests while being encouraged to discover new ones.

Every PaperLove course has its own private community on Facebook where you can share ideas and photographs and enjoy interacting with other course participants from around the world.

Each week has a theme: Paper, Collage, Words, Books, and Mail. Rachel provides plenty of inspiration to help you find the creative ideas and techniques to design and make your projects.

The next e-course starts on 23 March 2015. To find out more and to register to take part in the PaperLove e-course visit Rachel's website here 

Interns Wanted

From the Wigtown Book Festival

Wigtown Festival Company has launched three new internships with some of the flagship festivals in the region.

Available to people aged 15-25 in Dumfries & Galloway, Spring Fling, Dumfries & Galloway Arts Festival and Wigtown Festival Company are all offering opportunities to gain a variety of skills and experience. 

Spring Fling is looking for a social media coordinator to work before and during Spring Fling weekend. This will include blogging about activities including poetry collected by the Writer in Residence on her visits to various artists and The Stove's food and drink project where a chef will cook seasonal, local produce in artists' studios. 

Dumfries & Galloway Arts Festival offers the opportunity for the intern to learn about PR and Marketing and work in the office before the festival and to write reviews of shows aimed at young people during the Festival. 

Wigtown Festival Company will run its annual Writers' Gathering and is looking for an intern to support the event, taking responsibility for key tasks, including meeting and greeting authors and marketing the event beforehand. 

Full details can be found on the Wigtown Book Festival website here

Opportunities from Craft Scotland

From Craft Scotland

Craft Scotland are currently offering a number of opportunities for Scottish-based makers, including open applications to sell work at the prestigious SOFA exposition (the world’s premier Sculptural Objects and Functional Art Fair) in Chicago 2015, and our 2015 Summer Show at White Stuff in Edinburgh.

We are also looking for venues, organisations or groups of makers who would be interested in hosting a Meet Your Maker event for 2015/16, and have some upcoming tourism training for makers looking to break into the tourism industry.


SOFA Chicago: We are delighted to announce our participation at SOFA Chicago 2015. The Sculpture Objects Functional Art + Design (SOFA) Fair in Chicago is the premier gallery-presented art fair dedicated to three-dimensional art and design. We invite applications from makers producing design-led statement pieces to take part in this prestigious event. Full details here

Craft Scotland's Summer Show 2014, more online here

Summer Show: We are delighted to be hosting our annual Summer Show once again in White Stuff, George Street, Edinburgh. We would like to invite makers to apply to exhibit and sell at our Summer Show 2015, to be held from 07 to 30 August 2015, during the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
Full details here

Meet Your Maker Hosts: Craft Scotland invites applications from venues, groups or organisations to host a Meet Your Maker event.

Meet Your Maker is part of Craft Scotland's flagship campaign to connect craft makers at work with the public. It's a campaign that aims to showcase the skill, design and quality of Scotland's talented makers. It creates opportunities for our makers and builds new audiences for their work. Full details here

Craft Tourism training: Craft Scotland invites makers who would like to explore opportunities in the tourism industry to register their interest in taking part in a 'How to work with the Travel Trade' seminar. More details here 

 

Job Opportunity with the Wigtown Book Festival

From Wigtown Book Festival

Wigtown Festival Company Ltd
Portfolio Manager (Young People)

Region: Dumfries & Galloway
Location: Wigtown
Contract Type: Part-time
Hours per week: 26
Salary: £13,500 (£20,769 pro rata)
Closing Date: Friday 13 March 2015

Wigtown Festival Company is seeking an inspirational individual to help develop its year-round programme of activities for children and young people throughout Dumfries & Galloway and to create opportunities for 0- to 25-year-olds to participate in literature and associated art forms as creators, organisers and audience members.

The successful candidate will take a leading role in managing WFC's children's, education and young people's programmes, and will be expected to work closely with the Literature Development Portfolio Manager, Artistic Director and our team of young people's Project Officers, young people aged 14-25.

The candidates are expected to show an understanding of the aims of Scotland's national youth arts strategy, Time to Shine.

The post holder should be able to demonstrate:

· A passion for and knowledge of literature, especially writing for young people
· Experience of working with children and young people
· Organisational and planning skills
· Excellent verbal and written communication and listening skills
· The ability to build good relationships and earn trust and respect
· The ability to relate to people from all backgrounds
· Ability as a self-starter with the capacity to work alone or as part of a team
· A commitment to equal opportunities and diversity

This post is subject to a Disclosure Scotland check and a driving license is required.

The deadline for applications is Friday 13 March 2015. Applications in writing only, complete with CV and 2 references. These should be addressed for the attention of Anne Barclay, Operational Director, Wigtown Festival Company, County Buildings, Wigtown, DG8 9JH or emailed to anne@wigtownbookfestival.com.

Full job description available on the book festival website here

John Muir Artist Residency in Dunbar

From North Light Arts

North Light Arts and East Lothian Council are delighted to present the first John Muir Artist Residency at Dunbar Town House, Dunbar, East Lothian to celebrate the John Muir Festival 2015.

The artist will explore the theme of ‘Fertile Ground : Soil‘, in particular investigating the importance of East Lothian’s soil during International Year of Soil 2015. The resulting work will be shown in an exhibition at Dunbar Town House Museum and Gallery in May – June 2015.

Artist Proposals Deadline: 5pm Friday 28 February 2015

Artists Selection: Thursday 5 March 2015

Residency Timeframe: The John Muir Artist Residency will take place between 13 and 27 April covering the John Muir Festival on the 18 and 19 April 2015

Residency Base: Dunbar Town House Museum and Gallery

Exhibition: The artist will create an exhibition at Dunbar Town House Museum and Gallery in May – June 2015, which will include artwork or research resulting from the residency shown alongside selected pieces of the artists previous work. There is a separate budget for the exhibition.

Artists Residency Fee: Max fee including materials £1,000

The United Nations has proclaimed 2015 International Year of Soils, which offers a unique opportunity to address the crisis in soil sustainability. Soils are essential to our ecosystems, playing a key role in the carbon cycle, storing and filtering water, and improving resilience to floods and droughts. The residency will take place in and around the coastal town of Dunbar, East Lothian, this former fishing community lies in an intensely farmed rural area and is a rapidly growing commuter town for Edinburgh. Local community organisations are actively exploring sustainability and carbon reduction initiatives and in 2014 Dunbar was named Scotland’s first ‘Zero-waste town’.

Proposals are welcome from artists with a strong environmental and public engagement practice. The artist is expected to develop a project, which has public engagement as part of the process and they will deliver workshops related to their practice in the local community. The artist will explore the outlined theme ‘Fertile Ground: Soil’ and an artwork, documentation or piece of artistic research which results from their residency will be retained in the North Light Arts, John Muir Resource Archive.

Please send a maximum two-page artists project proposal along with the contact details for two referees and 4 digital images of your previous work to -

Tracy Morgan, North Light Arts, Programme Manager: infonorthlightarts@gmail.com
Full details on the North Light Arts website here

Emerging Photographers Opportunity in Carlisle

From Carlisle Photo Festival

Carlisle Photo Festival Bursary – £500

Open Theme: Any Subject

Who is eligible: New and Emerging Photographers with up to three years experience.

What are we looking for: A written project proposal up to 1000 words outlining your proposal to include timescales and costings. Plus a short artists CV.

Submission Deadline: Midnight Saturday 28th February 2015

How to enter: email your application to carlislephotoenquiries@gmail.com

What happens next: Bursary winner announced the end of March 2015

Bursary winner’s work will be exhibited in Carlisle Photo Festival 16

Full details on the festival website here

Opportunity to become Dance Galloway's Treasurer

From Sara Lockwood

Dance Galloway seeks a Treasurer

To be voted on to the Dance Galloway committee at the next AGM end of April 2015. (Date & Venue to be confirmed).

Summary of Role-voluntary position

• To present the yearly financial report at Annual General Meeting.
• To manage Dance Galloway's bank account and book keeping.
• To attend committee meetings. Time committment 10 hours per month, expenses covered.

If you are interested, please contact Sara Lockwood by email sara.lockwood@sky.com 

Identity Design Brief: Spring Fling Evolution

From Spring Fling

Background
Spring Fling is developing.
Spring Fling started as a visual art and craft open studios weekend in Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland, in 2003, and has grown to become a regular yearly event, involving over 100 artist, makers, exhibitions and add-on events. It attracts over 13,000 visitors to the region, and is estimated to generate about £1.4m for the economy. Spring Fling now also undertakes other events at intervals throughout the year, and is looking to create a new umbrella organisation to run and promote this expanded programme of activity.

Spring Fling (the event) will remain, but we are in the process of developing a new organisational structure. Spring Fling is currently exclusive and, as a membership organisation, open only to those who have been selected for the event. The selection process (for the event) will always remain in place, however we would like to be able to work more with all artists and makers who would like to work with us.

Project Information
Through this project we aim to create a world class visual art and craft development organisation which works with local, national and international partners in creating quality opportunities which encourage excellence and experimentation. We are currently developing the organisational structure, and are looking to engage a design agency to work on;

• The development of a name for this new organisation

• The development of a visual identity for this organisation, and production of identity guidelines and identity in standard formats.

• An initial set of marketing materials with which to launch the organisation.

• A website and CMS

This work will take place in parallel with the organisational development work. This work is being undertaken by the Spring Fling management and board, in consultation with its members, and with input from Collaborate Consulting Ltd.

Project Requirements
Companies invited to interview will be issued with a further briefing document articulating the aims and ethos of the new organisation, and provided with additional technical information regarding website requirements.

Project Timescale
Deadline for expressions of interest: 20 Feb 5pm
Interviews: week beginning 2 March
Project Deadline: early June 2015
Launch: 30.06.15

Project Budget
As part of the interview process we’d be happy to discuss the budget breakdown in greater detail, but for indicative purposes, the project will be undertaken with a total design fee of £8,000 – £10,000 (inclusive of VAT).

Tender Process:
Stage 1: Expression of interest
Please send your credential documents (PDF / max 20 pages) to leah@spring-fling.co.uk along with a covering letter (1 side of a4 max) briefly articulating;

• your interest and experience in this area
• why you want to work on the Spring Fling Evolution project

Stage 2: Interview
A shortlist of 3 companies will be invited to prepare a short presentation and meet with the Spring Fling Evolution team. From this process a company will be chosen to undertake the commission. The interview panel will comprise of members of the Spring Fling management and board, and an external advisor.

Submissions
Expressions of interest should be sent in digital format (PDF) to evolution@spring-fling.co.uk marked “SF Evolution Design”.

At this expression of interest stage we unfortunately can’t enter in to any correspondence about this project, due to time constraints.

For full details head to the Spring Fling website here

Admin and Media Commission for DGUnlimited

From DGUnlimited

Admin and media commission

Purpose – to provide administrative support for the Board of Trustees of DG Unlimited (the Dumfries and Galloway Chamber of the Arts) and to carry out a broad range of administrative functions to support delivery of communications and marketing.

Priority tasks

·      To handle media relations, including assisting with the preparation and issue of press releases, and securing and enabling media coverage of DGU in the widest sense.

·      To assist in maintaining and developing DGUs on-line presence, using various social media platforms, including the following; creating and distributing a regular newsletter, gathering and writing news for regular web-site and Facebook updates, and organising and creating regular blogs.

·      To maintain and update the DGU website.

·      To attend and to take and circulate the minutes for DGU Board meetings and AGM. Note: - Most meetings are held in Dumfries but a mileage allocation is set aside for this commission to allow for travel to meetings.

·      To take and circulate the minutes of any sub-committee or working party, in particular the Regional Arts Hub

·      To market and manage new membership applications, handle member communications and to maintain membership records

·      To take and circulate the minutes for Regional Arts Hub meetings.

This commission description is not exhaustive, and is intended to convey the types of, and level of, duties and responsibilities required, which may be amended by the inclusion of other duties commensurate with the nature of the commission.

Secondary tasks subject to available contract time

·      To provide admin. support for the Area Hubs.

·      To assist the Policy and Development Commission holder in the preparation of reports.

Essential skills and attributes

·      Experience in concise minute taking.

·      A clear understanding of confidentiality, especially in relation to personal data.

·      Ability to work to tight deadlines.

·      Experience in using social media as a marketing tool.

·      Knowledge of database management/data entry.

·      Working knowledge of maintaining and updating web based information including content management systems.

·      Working knowledge of Microsoft Office packages, including Word, Excel and Powerpoint.

·      Excellent written and oral communications skills.

·      Excellent organisational and planning skills.

·      Ability to work as part of a team and with minimum supervision.

·      Ability to exercise a high degree of initiative.

·      Ability to work under pressure.

·      Willingness to be flexible.

·      Current driving licence and access to a car.

·      Knowledge of the arts and creative sector.

Desirable skills and attributes

·      Knowledge of local authority practice.

·      Working knowledge of image processing.

Background

DG Unlimited or DGU (the trading name of Dumfries and Galloway Chamber of the Arts) was established in 2013 to act as a strong and independent voice for the arts and creative sector in Dumfries and Galloway. It is a registered charity with a Board of Trustees and a membership which is growing rapidly.  The membership is served by an active Regional Arts Hub and Area Convenors who facilitate communications throughout the region. It is supported by Dumfries and Galloway Council, Creative Scotland and other organisations in the arts sector. 

Remuneration

The current commission is intended to run from March until September 2015 with a budget of £7,500.

Responses

The closing date for applications is 5pm on Monday, 16 February. Letters of application plus a CV should be sent to The Secretary, Jim Tildesley at jim.tildesley@virgin.net. Please also contact Jim if you require any further information.

“Landscape Photography” Commission from NHS Ayrshire and Arran

From Will Levi Marshall

NHS Ayrshire and Arran

Deadline: 27 February 2015 at 17:30

Project 1 Sea Photographs 
Outline 
Three, digital photographic prints of light on the surface of the sea. These will provide a key visual feature on the journey into the hospital. Their position and scale will allow them to be seen, through the glazing, on the approach to the building’s main entrance.

Project 2 Secret Place Photographs 
Outline 
The selected artist(s) is to photograph a series of twenty images from set locations based upon consultation already undertaken. Patients were asked for their beautiful, ‘off the beaten track’, places in Ayrshire. The commissioned photographer will visit twenty of these places to produce the imagery, e.g. Hanging gardens at Auchincruive.
The project also has the scope of being produced as a small visual publication for distribution throughout bedrooms and waiting areas. 

Project 3 River Photograph, Lightbox
Outline 
The selected artist(s) is to photograph an Ayrshire river. The work will be incorporated into a wall mounted light-box. By being in an area with seating the work will provide a contemplative resting point. The work is located in an area of little natural light, where the light box method of presentation will be most effective. The light-box will have daylight frequency lighting to add to its therapeutic effectiveness. 

Timescale/Stages
The commission will be completed in four stages within a total delivery period of about 9 months from the start date of 18th March 2015. 
Contractual Payment Details
The commission is based on a maximum assumed limit of 25 days for this work and invites competitive tenders based on a day rate. 
Additional to the photography fee, a budget is available for printing, framing, workshops, travel and the lightbox. This will not exceed £8,590 and the artist is to provide the required outputs from within this budget sum.

A further additional modest sum is available for enabling works for the light box to be carried out by the building contractor to the agreed design.

All applicants must email with a subject line “Landscape Photography” for full brief and application procedure.

Applications not in the format specified in the application procedure will not be accepted.

Location: East Ayrshire, North Ayrshire, South Ayrshire

For further information, please contact will.levi.marshall@btinternet.com (Will Levi Marshall), or call 01556 640399, or visit https://ayrshirehealthandarts.wordpress.com

The deadline is Friday 27 February 2015 at 17:30.

Milestones - A Waymarking Sculpture Commission for NHS Aryshire and Arran

From Will Levi Marshall

NHS Ayrshire and Arran

Deadline: 27 February 2015 at 17:30

Outline 
A key to mental and physical health and well-being is an active lifestyle. Support to help patients enjoy the outdoors is built into the new hospital facilities. This project helps reinforce these aims by providing distance waymarks, or “milestones” around the campus as prominent landmarks with possible supportive text. These will be benchmarks for activity and pleasing visual objects in themselves. 

This project is to design, manufacture and install these waymarking interventions in the landscape to mark significant distances. Starting at key location points (such as the main entrance/car parking etc.) distances (10m 25m 50m 100m) will be annotated by sculptural interventions. Patients participating in rehabilitation programmes could aim to reach ever increasing milestone distance targets as part of this programme. The sculptures are visual punctuations, creating a place for contemplation and rest within the landscape. The locations may have additional supporting text clearly delineating distances in an illuminating and engaging way, for example “A harbour porpoise can travel around 10 metres in a second”. 
Whilst the text and sculptural forms to be made will be agreed as part of the design process, they should relate directly back to the landscape, flora and fauna of the Ayrshire coast as directed by the strategic goals of the Arts Strategy. 

Please email with a subject line "Milestones brief" for Full brief, application procedure and supporting documentation. 

Applications not in the format detailed in the application pack will be ineligible. 

Contractual Payment Details

Base budget comprises of £ 17,430 Of the budget it is assumed that £13,680 will be used for manufacture and install of the sculptures. This assumes £3,750 is available for artists design fees.

A further additional £1,200 is available for engineering certification or permissions if needed, and a modest sum is available for enabling works executed by the building contractor if required by the design agreed.

Location: East Ayrshire, North Ayrshire, South Ayrshire

For further information, please contact will.levi.marshall@btinternet.com (Will Levi Marshall), or call 01556 640399, or visit https://ayrshirehealthandarts.wordpress.com

The deadline is Friday 27 February 2015 at 17:30.

Wanted: Whithorn Trust Museum Attendant

From Julia Muir Watt

The Whithorn Trust has a Museum Attendant job on offer for the season, 35 hours per week, which is an opportunity for someone to act as custodian in our lovely museum to some of the most important early Medieval artworks and epigraphy in northern Europe !

If you are willing to post, or give our details, our e mail address is enquiries@whithorn.com

Silver Sceatta of King Eadberht and Archbishop Ecgberht - more details on The Future Museum

Atkins CIWEM Environmental Photographer of the Year

From Forest Art Works - Forestry Commission England

Now open for entries, the Atkins CIWEM Environmental Photographer of the Year competition is an international showcase for the very best in environmental photography and film. The competition offers a top prize of £5,000 and is free to enter

Launched in 2007 by the Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM), and sponsored by Atkins, one of the worlds leading design, engineering and project management consultancies, the competition honours amateurs and professionals of all ages. It provides an opportunity for photographers to share images of environmental and social issues with international audiences, and to enhance our understanding of the causes, consequences and solutions to climate change and social inequality.

Man in the face of nature VII, Bogumil Kruzel

The prizes for the 2015 competition are:
Atkins CIWEM Environmental Photographer of the Year - £5000
Atkins CIWEM Young Environmental Photographer of the Year (25 years or under) - £1000
Atkins CIWEM Environmental Film of the Year - £1000
Atkins Cityscape Prize - £1000
Forestry Commission England Exhibition Award - One photographer will be invited to exhibit a solo exhibition at one of England’s public forests.

Entries will be judged from the open submission by the distinguished panel of judges:
Dr David Haley - Senior Research Fellow, Director - Ecology In Practice, Route Leader MA Art as Environment, Manchester Metropolitan University
Brigitte Lardinois - Deputy Director of the Photography and the Archive Research Centre at University of the Arts London
Tim Parkin - Landscape photographer and Editor of On Landscape
Hayley Skipper - Curator of Arts Development, Forestry Commission England
Stephen Vaughan - Photographer and Senior Lecturer, Bath Spa University and Plymouth University

Rainwater collection, Prasanta Biswas

How To Enter:

Open to all photographers, professional and amateur alike, the competition encourages entries that are contemporary, creative, resonant, original and beautiful. Entry is free and photographers may submit up to 10 works.
Deadline for entries: 7 April 2015, by 5pm GMT

For further information and to apply: www.epoty.org