We are pleased to launch this year’s funding stream for Visual Artists and Craft Makers living or working in West Dunbartonshire.
The Visual Artist and Craft Makers Awards (VACMA) scheme offers small grants to visual artists and craft makers for their creative development at all stages of their career. These awards are delivered by West Dunbartonshire Council in partnership with Creative Scotland. This year there has been an increase in money awarded in one of the bursaries so the fixed bursaries are now £500 and £1000.
Next Deadline for Applications
- Winter deadline: 5pm, Tuesday 4 February 2025
VACMA offers fixed bursaries of £500 and £1000. The purpose of these bursaries is to support visual artists and craft makers in their creative and professional development
- £1,000 Bursary is for artists and makers who have been practising for over
5 years, regardless of whether they have gone through formal education or
not. - £500 Early-Career Bursary is for artists and makers that have been
practising for less than 5 years. This includes recent graduates (2019
or later) and those that have not studied art formally but have been
practising as an artist or maker for up to 5 years
The fund is open to visual artists and craft makers who can demonstrate a commitment to developing their creative practice and who are living or maintaining a studio space within the Local Authority area to which they are applying.
Application Process
All eligible applications go to a panel meeting that will make decisions on who is supported. The panel is made up of representatives of West Dunbartonshire Council and local arts professionals. Creative Scotland officers are also involved in the panels to bring a wider overview of developments at a national level.
In advance of the panel meeting, the panel will read and consider your written application as well as viewing the six supporting images. During the panel meeting, the visual and written material is reviewed and discussed against the criteria. The recommendations for awards are based on these discussions. If you are not successful individual feedback will be provided.
Please make sure you read the guidance notes before submitting your application.
- Guidance Notes for Applicants (External Site - notes at the bottom of the page)
- Application Form
- Equalities Monitoring Form
- VACMA artist checklist
Alongside your application, you must complete an Equalities Monitoring Form. This provides Creative Scotland with essential statistical information so that they can understand who receives funding and any gaps. The Equalities Monitoring Form is anonymous and will be processed separately from your application. Data is managed confidentially, has no bearing on your application and is processed in accordance with Data Protection laws and GDPR.
Please make sure you read the guidance notes before submitting your application.
All applications, forms and evidence should be sent to the Arts Development Officer at arts.development@west-dunbarton.gov.uk. The 6 images must not exceed 5MB in total and must be in PDF, Word or JPEG format.
Applicants will be notified within 6 weeks of the deadline on the outcome of their application. You will be contacted if there is any change to this timetable.