New call-out from #LoveDanceScotland Recovery Bursaries scheme

Tramway, Citymoves Dance Agency, Dance Base Scotland, and Dundee Rep & Scottish Dance Theatre are pleased to announce a new call-out as part of the #LoveDanceScotland Recovery Bursaries scheme, a collaborative nation-wide programme of support for Scottish-based independent artists to support them to return to their practice and create with a process and timescale that works for them.

We are looking for approximately 12 artists to support, from a pot of £70k, to devise and deliver a project of recovery that gives them what they need now, with projects running from October to December 2021.

Deadline for applications: Monday 20th September, 11am
Panel meet: Monday 27th September
Artists Informed: Friday 1st October

You can either download full information and application documents immediately below, or if you prefer, scroll further to read the call-out in full on this web page.

Download the full Call-Out information as a Word Document HERE>

This call-out refers to a number of documents which will aid your application: 

Application Form (download here)
You can submit you application in writing or as a video/audio recording, but this document will give you details of what you should incldue.

A Project Budget (download here)
You are required to submit a project budget which should detail the fees that you require to deliver your project. This template may help.

Cover Sheet (download here)
Please note, this asks for your contact information, which will be removed from your application by our producing team prior to sending it to the decision-making panel, to ensure your data is protected.

An Equality Diversity, and Inclusion monitoring form (download here)
Please include in your submission a completed form, if you feel comfortable to do so. This is not mandatory. 

All documents will open in new windows. 

The last 18 months have had a profound impact on the arts sector with the performance and creative landscape being shut down overnight.
As we start to re-emerge from this time, and look to re-engage with our work, our colleagues and our audiences, Citymoves Dance Agency, Dance Base Scotland, Dundee Rep & Scottish Dance Theatre, and Tramway have joined together to deliver the #LoveDanceScotland Recovery Bursaries – a programme of financial and in-kind support for Scotland-based professional dance artists to provide the time, money and space for them to reengage with their creative practice, and with a process that works for them.

The fund of £70,000 will support approximately 12 artists to devise and deliver a project of recovery that gives them what they need now, with projects running from October to December 2021.

We anticipate that the #LoveDanceScotland projects will focus on one of two main areas, or a combination of the two:

• To provide artists with the space, time and resources to engage with a slow process to reignite their creative practice. This could be a period of research of an idea, a gentle return to practice or time for a period of connection and partnership building

• A focused period of research and development for a current idea, or one that has been on pause over the last 18 months. This may require studio space and other collaborators and could take place in-person or remotely.

Each project must incorporate an element of audience engagement and provide a way for the artist to reconnect or establish links with their audience after this period of separation. This could range from a blog post featuring writings or clips documenting the process, to working with the public to create and develop an idea, right up to a work in progress sharing organised and promoted in collaboration with the #LoveDanceScotland Partners. These elements can be delivered in-person or digitally, whatever suits you best. The goal is to provide a way for audiences re-connect with your creative practice, therefore this element is open to you, and should reflect what you feel will strengthen your work, process and connection to audiences again.

Projects will be required to take place between October and December 2021 and the duration of each project will be determined by the applicant. For example, you may need 1 day a week for 3 months to re-engage with your process slowly, or you may prefer to have two weeks working with a collaborator and testing out ideas with an audience.

This programme of support is driven by what you need, and each project will be different and unique. Tell us what you need and when you need it, and the #LoveDanceScotland Partners will use the bursaries and their own resources to support this as best we can.

This programme is supported through the Performing Arts Venue Relief Fund from Scottish Government and Creative Scotland which aims to reconnect artists, audiences, venues and communities and to celebrate the vibrancy of dance in Scotland, and the diverse array of voices that make it what it is.

What the #LoveDanceScotland Recovery Bursaries provide:
We are seeking proposals from independent dance artists and choreographers based in Scotland for projects that will provide them with a programme of recovery and reconnection, both with their practice and their audience. Each project must take place by the end of December 2021. Full funding will be provided to cover artist fees and project delivery costs and supported by an offer of in-kind support including:

• Connection to the #LoveDanceScotland Partner Venues audiences to aid research, feedback and development as required.

• Marketing support from the #LoveDanceScotland Partner Venues, as appropriate. This will include cross promotion of audience engagement processes

• Dramaturgy support from the #LoveDanceScotland Partner Venues, in particular Bush Hartshorn from Dance Base, and connection to external mentors where possible and required

• Partnership building and connection with existing partner contacts, and with external groups or organisations where possible

• Possible studio space at the four Partner Venues when and if available (exact number and dates agreed in consultation with the artist and venue – please note that these are limited and that the Venues may not be able to provide the dates requested. We advise that you budget for additional venue hire in your application)

Black, Indigenous and People of Colour (BIPOC) and d/Deaf and Disabled Artists:
The #LoveDanceScotland Partners recognise that there are significant barriers to working in the dance sector and that these challenges are experienced more acutely by those facing marginalisation and deep-rooted systemic injustice. This includes people with protected characteristics as defined by the Equality Act 2010 across age, disability, gender reassignment, marriage and civil partnership, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation alongside those with chronic illness, neurodiversity, parental/caring responsibilities, experience of the immigration system and people from working-class and criminal-class backgrounds.

We are committed to increasing the diversity of artists working in our sector and especially welcome applications from those who identify as having characteristics currently under-represented in our sector.

As part of our on-going commitment to support artists who have this lived experience and ensuring that we support the full vibrancy of the dance sector in Scotland, we guarantee that at least one of the awards will be made to a lead artist who identifies as a member of the Black, Indigenous and People of Colour communities and that at least one will go to a lead artist who identifies as d/Deaf or Disabled. This is a minimum but not a limit.

Artists are invited to identify if they are part of these communities on the Cover Sheet and this will be brought into the decision panel making as the awards are allocated.

Who the #LoveDanceScotland Recovery Bursaries are for:

The #LoveDanceScotland Recovery Bursaries are for Artists who:
• See their work as based in physical or choreographic practices. Formal dance or choreographic training is not a requirement.
• Who see themselves as working at a professional level and are at any stage of their career
• Are predominantly based in Scotland (this applies to the lead artists - you can welcome collaborators from outside of Scotland)
• Are interested in exploring how audiences are centred in their approach, not just in presentation but in process.

The #LoveDanceScotland Recovery Bursaries are not open to:

• Artists who are predominantly based outside of Scotland
• Artists who are in full time academic study
• Regularly Funded Organisations

The Budget:
The #LoveDanceScotland Partners commit to providing the full funding that each artist requires to deliver their project and to pay themselves and their collaborators fairly. Applicants are asked to complete the Sample Budget and submit this with their application. Our producing team are on hand to support applicants who have questions about creating a budget. When creating your budget, we ask you to ensure that your payment rates abide by the minimum fair pay standards as laid out by the ITC.

The #LoveDanceScotland Recovery Bursaries have a total budget of £70,000 with £60,000 being allocated to artists. We anticipate that this will support approximately 12 projects. The remaining £10,000 will be used to support access requirements for each project (as required), alongside marketing and promotion of the selected projects.
Funds from the #LoveDanceScotland Recovery Bursaries will support:

• Artist fees for those taking part, in line with fair pay standards
• Travel & Accommodation expenses
• Studio / venue hire
• Mentoring and dramaturgy support
• Materials such as props and costume (with an understanding of the total budget available)
• Technical expenses or hire costs (with an understanding of the total budget available)
• Audience engagement expenses such as participant travel costs etc (with an understanding of the total budget available)
• Marketing and promotional
• Professional development or training

We expect a high rate of applications and envisage that unfortunately our budget of £70,000 will not be able to support all the applications that we receive. We therefore ask that when compiling your budget that you consider any additional funding that you have in place to support the project already and incorporate this into your request accordingly. For example, if you have Creative Scotland funding to support the lead artists time already, this cost shouldn’t appear in your ask. This will ensure that we can support the largest number of artists possible.

Budget to Support Access Requirements:
The #LoveDanceScotland Partners are committed to ensuring that all artists can access this support programme. 10% of our overall budget (£7,000) will be ringfenced to support access requirements for artists and their collaborators to deliver their projects as required.

Access costs do not need to appear in your project budget. Any associated costs or adjustments will be discussed with the successful applicant(s) after funding decisions have been make. Applicants who wish to make us aware of any needs in advance are welcome to notify Kirsty Somerville, Programmes Manager at Dance Base, or include details in their application. This is not a requirement as it will have no bearing on the decision outcome.

If you have any question or would like to discuss this further please contact Kirsty, Kirsty.Somerville@dancebase.co.uk

How to apply:

To apply applicants will be invited to complete and submit the following:

An Application Form with an Expression of Interest answering the following questions:
• What do you need to support the return to your creative practice?
• How can the #LoveDanceScotland Recovery Bursaries support this?
• Where do you see this process taking place and on what timescale?
• How will you engage with audiences during this project?
• Anything that you want us to know that we haven’t asked

This should be either as a video/audio recording of no more than 6 minutes or in a written format of no more than 800 words. Visual quality, camera and editing skills will not be taken into consideration for filmed submissions and spelling and grammar will not form part of the consideration of written applications.

A Project Budget: The budget should detail the fees that you require to deliver your project

A Cover Sheet: Please note, this asks for your contact information, which will be removed from your application by our producing team prior to sending it to the decision-making panel, to ensure your data is protected this page 

A link to more information about your practice: This could be a CV, personal statement or a link to your website.

A completed Equality Diversity, and Inclusion monitoring form, if you feel comfortable to do so.

These should be sent to Kirsty Somerville, Programmes Manager at Dance Base, on Kirsty.Somerville@dancebase.co.uk

Deadline: Monday 20th September 11.00
Panel meet: Monday 27th September
Artists Informed: Friday 1st October

Judging Criteria:

The selection panel will be comprised of Hayley Durward (Citymoves Dance Agency), Tony Mills (Dance Base Scotland), Joan Clevillé (Dundee Rep & Scottish Dance Theatre) and LJ Findlay-Walsh (Tramway Glasgow) and two external panellists (including practicing artists) who represent a wide demographic of lived experiences.

The panel will base their decision on a range of factors including:

• The information provided in the expression of interest
• How the applicant proposes to engage with the audience as part of each project
• The geographic spread of projects
• The diversity of voices represented through the projects
• The overall distribution of opportunities across the sector

Should you wish to have a conversation about the application process, require this information in an alternative format, or have access requirements we need to meet to support you in making an application please contact: Kirsty Somerville, Programmes Manager at Dance Base on kirsty.somerville@dancebase.co.uk