Visual Artist & Craft Maker Awards Orkney
2025-26 Bursaries
VACMA Orkney is funded through a partnership between Orkney Islands Council, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Creative Scotland.
IMAGE: Cover page for the Visual Artist & Craft Maker Awards, Orkney 2025-26 Bursaries. It includes the wording “VACMA Orkney is funded through a partnership between Orkney Islands Council, Highlands and Islands Enterprise and Creative Scotland” and the logos of Lottery Funded, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, and Orkney Islands Council.
Visual Artist and Craft Maker Awards: Orkney
in partnership with Creative Scotland
VACMAScotland
Please ensure that you have read the guidelines carefully before completing this form.
Your Details
Legal Name (for finance and contracting purposes):
Preferred Name (if different from your legal name):
Pronouns (optional):
Address:
Postcode:
Contact Tel No(s):
Email:
Website (optional):
Application Questions
1. I am applying for
Please select one.
- £500 Early-Career Bursary
- £1000 Bursary
2. Artform
Please select one.
- Visual Art
- Craft
3. Where you are based
Please select all that apply.
- I live in Orkney
- I maintain a studio in Orkney
4. When will your project or activity take place
Please write in.
Project start date:
Project end date:
5. Please provide a short summary of your proposed activity.
Max 30 words.
Please note that we may use this text for marketing and communications purposes if you are successful.
6. Please tell us about your creative practice.
Max 250 words.
Please provide a brief outline of your interests and motivations, your creative process, the work that you make and any key achievements to date.
7. What will you use the bursary for?
Max 300 words.
Please provide us with an outline of your proposed activity. You should expand on the information provided in the summary above. Try to be as specific as possible.
8. How will the bursary contribute to your creative and professional development?
Max 300 words.
How will the bursary support you to develop your creative skills and ideas? How might this impact on your practice now and into the future?
9. Please provide a brief timeline for your project and tell us about how you will manage any risks.
Max 200 words.
Outline the key stages of your project and tell us how you will mitigate any risks you have identified. You can use bullet points in this section.
10. Is there a public element to your proposal?
Max 200 words.
If so, please tell us what it will involve and how you will reach or engage people?
Equalities, Inclusion and Diversity
11. Would you like to make the panel aware of any barriers that have limited your ability to develop and progress your practice?
Max 200 words.
If so, please tell us about them here.
Environmental Sustainability
12. Please tell us how you will minimise the environmental impact of your proposed activity and/or how you are responding to the causes and impact of climate change through your practice.
Max 200 words.
Previous Applications
13. Have you received funding through VACMA or any other Creative Scotland funding programmes in the last 3 years?
Please select.
- Yes
- No
If yes, please tell us the name of the fund and the year it was awarded.
14. Are you awaiting a decision from any other Creative Scotland funding programmes?
Please select.
- Yes
- No
If yes, please tell us the name of the funding programme.
Budget
15. Does your project/activity cost more than the bursary you are applying for (not including personal access costs)?
Please select.
- Yes
- No
If yes, please tell us how much your project/activity will cost and where the other partnership income will come from. Please use the table below.
Income
| Source | Amount (£) | Is this cash or in kind? |
|---|---|---|
| VACMA Bursary (this should be £500 or £1000) | cash | |
| Own contribution | ||
| Other sources of income (please detail) | ||
| Total Estimated Income for Project |
Personal Access Costs
16. Do you require support with Personal Access Costs?
Please select.
- Yes
- No
If yes, please provide a brief description of these Personal Access Costs and how they relate to your proposed activity. Please also include a breakdown of the amount requested.
Examples of Work
Please list your examples of work in the table below:
| Description of artwork e.g. title, medium, dimensions, location | Year it was made/presented | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | ||
| 2 | ||
| 3 | ||
| 4 | ||
| 5 | ||
| 6 |
Please note that we cannot accept hard copy material. All supporting material should be sent as electronic files. If sending images or videos, please be mindful of the size of files. You may wish to compile these in a single document such as a PDF or include weblinks.
Supporting Information - Checklist
Please make sure you include the following documents when you submit your application form.
| Document | Y/N |
|---|---|
| A copy of your current artist CV This helps us to understand what your experience to date. | Y/N |
| Letter of confirmation/support (optional) If you have been invited to participate in an exhibition or residency, please include a letter from the host organisation outlining the support they are providing. | Y/N |
| Examples of work 6 high quality images or up to 3 minutes of film/sound files. | Y/N |
| Equalities Monitoring form This form is anonymous, will be processed separately and has no bearing on your application. | Y/N |
Use of Your Information
We are committed to protecting the rights and privacy of individuals in accordance with the Data Protection Act 2018. We need to process certain information about our staff, customers, and other individuals that we have dealings with for administrative purposes. We will also share the information provided with Creative Scotland as the funding partners to support evaluation, assessment and development. To comply with the Act, information collected about individuals must be used fairly, stored safely and securely and not disclosed to any third party unlawfully. Data Protection Act - The DPA 2018 sets out the framework for data protection law in the UK. It updates and replaces the Data Protection Act 1998, and came into effect on 25 May 2018. It sits alongside the GDPR, and tailors how the GDPR applies in the UK.
We need the information on this form in order to assess your application to the Visual Artists and Craft Makers Awards Scheme. The information may be shared within the local authority, and with panel members who make the recommendations.
The information relating to successful applicants will be retained by Orkney Islands Council a period of 7 years. Information relating to unsuccessful applicants will be retained for a period of 2 years. For more information about how we process information, please contact us or visit http://www.orkney.gov.uk/Online-Services/privacy.htm or the information can be accessed via the QR Code.
IMAGE: A QR code providing access to information about how Orkney Islands Council processes information and privacy.
Creative Scotland is a National Lottery Distributor and a National Public Body of the Scottish Government. By completing this application, you are agreeing for your information to be shared with Creative Scotland for the purposes of monitoring and audit.
How To Submit Your Application
Please send your completed form and other information to Emma Gee by email: Emma.Gee@orkney.gov.uk
Declaration
I (print full name) _____________ hereby apply for financial assistance towards the cost of undertaking the project described in this application. To the best of my knowledge and belief, the information given is correct.
Signature:
Date: