The recent review by the Scottish Arts Council will change how it offers support to individual makers, galleries and organisations in its role as a development body.

The review aimed to ensure the Scottish Arts Council was using its resources in the most effective way to meet its aims and priorities. The Council has announced that its priorities are:
 
• increasing the scope and quality of our support for artists
• securing the foundation of Scotland’s artistic development
• creating flexibility to support the new and innovative
• creating opportunities for participation in the arts

Each of the priorities will be reflected in different ways across each artform, but the implications for crafts are:

• increasing funding for support for individual artists
• investment in the infrastructure that supports artists, largely through two organisations with a strong national role, North Lands Creative Glass and craftscotland
• more money into the network of crafts development officers
• support  to improve the market for crafts, mainly through craftscotland, but also in continued partnership with visual arts and the Own Art scheme
• curatorial and programme development, which will involve working with venues on a rolling basis to encourage curators to consider a more ambitious craft element in their exhibition programmes.

The most important benefit of this review is the increased funding which will be available for individual makers.  The funds available will increase by 50% in 2006/07 and by the following year should have increased by 100% to £200,000.  These will be continue to be awarded through the Start Up, Professional Development and Creative Development funds; the latter will see the maximum award available increased from £8,000 to £10,000.  

There will also be money for devolved funding schemes, and the Scottish Arts Council will work with local authorities or agencies such as Hi-Arts to offer small scale awards to makers at a local level to increase their creative and professional skills.  In 2006/07 this pilot will operate mainly through areas with existing craft development officers, with the ultimate aim of extending the scheme so that it will cover the whole of Scotland. 

This approach creates a stepping stone for individual makers to reach a standard to apply for a national award. Locally-awarded funds will reach out to more individual makers than in the past.

The Crafts Council in London also concluded a strategic review in 2005/06 and the results of this are gradually becoming clearer.  The partnership between the Scottish Arts Council and the Crafts Council will continue to allow makers in Scotland to benefit from their activity.  This includes:

• in 2006/07 Crafts magazine will continue to feature Scottish makers and events
• Scottish makers are eligible to apply to show at the new event for contemporary craft which is replacing Chelsea Crafts Fair in 2006
• ‘One Year On’ is being replaced this year by a new event for which emerging Scottish makers selected to participate will be able to apply for Scottish Arts Council support to attend
• in 2006/07 the Crafts Council will provide a training day in partnership with the Cultural Enterprise Office on selling at events

The new body Creative Scotland, announced by the Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport, Patricia Ferguson, to bring together the functions of Scottish Arts Council and Scottish Screen, will have a pivotal role in developing talent and supporting artists. However, this new body is not expected to emerge before April 2008. 

In order to focus more support on individual makers, curatorial development and selling or promotional opportunities, the Scottish Arts Council will cease funding, conferences and training events and, eventually, one-off exhibitions. From 2007, crafts residencies in schools will be absorbed into the Partners: Scotland’s Artist Residency Programme.

Further details of the funding available through Scottish Arts Council, how to apply and application forms are available on the Scottish Arts Council website.

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