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Scotland's creativity celebrated at 2006 Creative Scotland Awards

Ten of Scotland’s leading artists will be honoured at a glittering awards ceremony at Glasgow’s Old Fruitmarket this evening (Thursday 9 March) at the Scottish Arts Council’s Creative Scotland Awards.

The prestigious lottery-funded awards, which were initiated in 2000 to reward, honour and celebrate Scotland’s leading artists and help raise the profile of the arts, will provide the ten talented artists with £30,000 to realise their creative ideas in a major project.

The final selection by a judging panel of experts and previous Creative Scotland Award recipients, was chaired by writer and commentator Michael Russell who will present each recipient with a handmade award by Scottish glass artist Anita Pate, at this evening’s ceremony. 

Commenting on this year’s award recipients, Michael Russell said: ’For the panel, the choice was exceptionally difficult.  Virtually every art form was represented on the shortlist and all demonstrated great skill, refreshing originality and huge potential.  The ten recipients fully deserve their awards which will help to produce work that will enrich our country and all who live in it.’

Richard Holloway, Chairman of the Scottish Arts Council added: ‘The Creative Scotland Awards have become an important element of creative life in Scotland. They allow artists to experiment, refresh their work and exercise their talent to break new ground.  This year’s projects demonstrate the exceptional artistic talent that exists in Scotland at this time and I look forward to seeing these exciting projects reach fruition.’

Culture Minister, Patricia Ferguson said:  ‘Previous recipients of Creative Scotland awards, such as Kathleen Jamie, who won the Forward Prize for poetry in 2004 and Bernard MacLaverty, whose work was nominated for a BAFTA, have shown that these awards help artists create truly significant work.

'I am sure that this year’s recipients will produce work of similar acclaim – and will cement Scotland’s reputation as a hub of artistic excellence.'

The ten award recipients are:

• Rory Boyle (Girvan, Ayrshire)
  Project: An opera, with libretto to be written by Dilys Rose around the themes of child neglect and exploitation.
• Claire Cunningham (Rutherglen, Glasgow)
  Project: Research and development of a new performance style based on the enhancement of abilities created by disability.
• Pauline Goldsmith (Glasgow)
  Project: To research and stage a live performance installation in Govan Lyceum Theatre fusing vaudeville, cinema and bingo.
• Murray Grigor (Inverkeithing, Fife)
  Project: To unite Grigor's 1972 Cardross Seminary film with a shot-for-shot remake of today's ruin using two screens and a string quintet.
• Gerry Loose (Glasgow)
  Project: To spend a year in Sunart Oakwoods writing and responding to its geology, history, folklore and language.
• Toby Paterson (Glasgow) 
  Project: A new body of work developed from an architecturally focussed series of journeys through Eastern Europe.
• James Robertson (Blairgowrie, Perthshire)
  Project: To write a novel charting the political and cultural changes in Scotland, from 1945 to 1999.
• Stephanie Smith and Edward Stewart (Glasgow)
  Project: Research, development and studio-based production of a new body of 'live' sculptural installations which explore intimacy and threat.
• Pernille Spence (Dundee)
  Project: A series of surprise interventions in the landscape along three of Scotland's busiest commuter rail routes.
• Jim Sutherland (Edinburgh) 
  Project: To compose a new musical score for a European Parading Orchestra of musicians from four countries.

Notes to editors

1. The Scottish Arts Council champions and sustains the arts for Scotland, investing over £60 million from Scottish Executive and National Lottery funding to support and develop artistic excellence and creativity throughout Scotland. Further information is available from our website at www.scottisharts.org.uk. 
2. The Creative Scotland Awards, funded through the National Lottery, began in 2000 and there are 70 previous award recipients.
3. The Scottish Arts Council offers up to ten Creative Scotland Awards of £30,000 from National Lottery funding. Awards are made to individual artists with a major record of achievement who live and work in Scotland. The awards provide a unique opportunity to experiment and realise imaginative ideas in a major project.
4. For further details about the awards, how to apply, details of previous award recipients and a full list of this year’s awards panel search the creative scotland website.