Craft Scotland is offering a small number of fully-funded bursaries to provide Scotland-based craft professionals with the opportunity to visit Collect Art Fair 2026.
Collect is the leading international art fair for contemporary craft and design, organised by the Crafts Council. Presented each year at Somerset House in London, the event connects makers, organisations and galleries with an international audience for craft, which includes museum curators, interior designers and collectors.
Over 40 galleries and organisations are selected each year with around 400 makers showing work. A wide range of disciplines and materials are represented at Collect: ceramics, furniture, glass, jewellery, wearable art, metalwork, non-traditional materials, precious metalwork, sculpture, textiles, woodwork and more. Through the Collect Open platform, the fair also exhibits a curated selection of work by individual artists and collectives.
Collect 2026 will be programmed by the new Fair Director, TF Chan.
Collect 2026 runs from 26 February - 1 March 2026. Go See will cover the dates Friday 27 and Saturday 28 February.
Apply through the Online Application Form
Deadline for applications: Friday 16 Jan 2026 at 5pm
Why We Created This Opportunity
We want to support craft professionals to benefit from first-hand insight into the scale and professional standards of this major international Fair. A Go See bursary offers an opportunity to explore the range of contemporary craft on show, observe how exhibitors present and price their work, and assess the fair’s market trends, and commercial potential.
Through this visit, attendees can reflect on how their own craft practice or organisation might engage with Collect or similar events, whether through future applications, collaborations, or sector development. Craft Scotland will support networking opportunities where possible by making professional introductions and organising meetings.
More generally, the Go See bursaries aim to broaden understanding of market expectations and strengthen sector awareness by providing a view of opportunities within the craft and maker economy. Bursary recipients will be expected to participate in a Craft Scotland event to feed back to the sector about their experience, learning and views on the event.
Craft Scotland has participated in 10 iterations of Collect between 2008 and 2024. In 2025, we commissioned research into the impact and value of the Fair for participating makers whose work we had presented over that time. The research evidenced the value of Collect for makers in terms of reputation, professional connections and creative development. It also made clear the value in presenting work by Scotland-based makers under the banner of Craft Scotland.
This research will be published in January 2026 and as an additional resource, Craft Scotland is offering makers, curators and independent craft galleries the opportunity to visit Collect 2026 to develop their understanding of the potential of the event and the audience who visit it.
Who can apply
The Go See bursaries are available to Scotland-based craft professionals including:
- Professional Makers
- Freelance curators
- Owners or staff at independent galleries
- Producers e.g. organisers of regular craft selling events
Who cannot apply
- Curators working in publicly owned museums or galleries (If you are working 0.6 FTE (3 days per week) or fewer you may be eligible if you can explain how this would benefit the sector more widely through your other work)
- Those who have participated in Collect within the last three years, either with Craft Scotland or another gallery
- Students studying a craft discipline or related field
Details of the Opportunity
Collect 2026 runs from 26 February - 1 March 2026. Go See will cover the dates Friday 27 and Saturday 28 February.
Craft Scotland will cover associated costs to include travel, accommodation, per diems, Collect Fair entry tickets.
If you have any access needs that incur additional costs, please do let us know how we can best support you.
As a way to mitigate the carbon footprint connected to this opportunity, we strongly encourage participants to travel by rail or bus, and to travel by air only as a last resort. We will fund additional nights’ accommodation to support this where necessary.
Selection Criteria
- Clear evidence of how your participation will benefit you and your creative practice or your organisation
- Evidence to show how your participation will benefit the craft sector in Scotland
- Commitment to sharing your experience and recommendations with the sector, for example speaking at a public or invited event, or contributing to a recorded or published interview
- Confirmation of your availability for the dates of the opportunity
- Evidence of a professional practice or business sustained over three years or more
How to apply
Applicants should apply through the Online Application Form
Deadline for applications: Friday 16 Jan 2026
Before starting your application, please be aware that you will need to gather some documents and information. We recommend you prepare your answers on a separate document before beginning your application form, to make sure you have a backup of your responses.
