25.09.24
Creative Dundee is delighted to share the recipients of Create:Networks 2024/25 – a fund enabling groups, organisations and creative practitioners to build new or develop existing local creative networks as enablers for sustainable creative communities in Scotland.
Launched in June 2024, the fund invited proposals for a 12-month programme of localised activity designed to build and grow a network that will support creative practitioners and businesses in developing sustainable practices. With new networks eligible to apply for up to £10,000 and established networks able to request up to £20,000, the fund total of £120,000 was distributed to nine awardees, supported by The National Lottery through Creative Scotland.
The nine recipients represent a breadth of geography, communities and creative artforms, stretching from the south-west to the northernmost point of Scotland. Narture will launch Creative Futures, designed to link organisations, artists, and social enterprises in South Ayrshire, while the newly-formed Shetland Textiles Network will nurture new talent and assist practitioners in looking to the future while safeguarding local knowledge and processes.
Several networks will use the fund to build on existing foundations: Neuk Edinburgh allows the neurodivergent-led Neuk Collective to explore a localised programme of in-person networking, skill development and peer support. Circus Artspace will further opportunities for visual artists in the Highlands with CaraVAN through co-created activity for emergent practitioners and regional invitations to connect and collaborate. The Forth Valley Creative Network spans Stirling, Falkirk and Clackmannanshire, solidifying preliminary research into a new programme of peer-led and community-focused activities.
In the north east, Angus Creatives will build on local provision for rural practitioners, responding to demand for further professional development and collaborative opportunities; in neighbouring Dundee, Biome Collective continue to forefront collaboration and innovation in digital creativity, with a focus on strengthening the longevity of their network as well as the practices of its participants.
In Glasgow’s southside, Network Q centre mutual-support for marginalised freelancers, with activity designed and delivered by and for their community. The city is also the base of the Universal Recognition Movement – Alba Hub, which includes members in Lanarkshire and Edinburgh, who seek to support the development of Disabled creative practitioners with a passion for accessibility and service design.
Jen Collins, Programmes Producer at Creative Dundee, looks ahead to connecting with the awardees:
“Having grown our own Amps network since 2016, it’s wonderful to be able to support nine networks – five being new and four of which are established – through Create:Networks. Developing the fund has been a chance to reflect on how creative communities are vital enablers of mutual-support, connection and exchange. They’re collective spaces that centre collaboration over going it alone – and we’re so looking forward to doing exactly that with this brilliant cohort. Alongside each network’s programme of activity, the fund provides the opportunity for them to share learning, values and processes with peers. The ripple effects of this fund will strengthen not just the networks themselves but their places and the wider creative ecosystem, too.”
Saskia Singer of Narture CIC expressed her delight at receiving funding for their new network, Creative Futures:
“We’re incredibly excited to receive Create:Networks funding, which will enable us to expand our local network and strengthen connections between artists, social enterprises, and communities in Ayr. This support will allow us to host a range of creative workshops, events, and collaborative projects, offering new opportunities for skill-sharing, creativity, and social impact. By bringing together diverse voices and talents, we aim to inspire positive change and create a vibrant, inclusive space for learning and artistic expression in our community.”
Rebecca Lee, founder of the Universal Recognition Movement, shared how Create:Networks will enable their work:
“It costs Disabled households an extra £1,010 per month to live compared to non-disabled households (Scope, 2023). This affects our practitioners as well as the folks whose experiences we are trying to improve. Running our local network voluntarily in a world not designed with us in mind would be impossible. This funding bridges the much needed gap between purely creative project funds and austere business funds to enable our network to establish itself sustainably and cover most of our foundational costs. It will help us develop in such a way we can flourish long into the future and continue our important work. Work that we know will benefit everyone, it is an exciting time!”
Tzipporah Johnston, Director of Door in the Wall Arts Access CIC who facilitate Neuk Collective, shared:
“Thanks to Create:Networks funding, we can finally bring Neuk Collective out of the online space and into the real world with an in-person network for neurodivergent creatives in Edinburgh. This is a huge step for us in building a stronger, more connected community where neurodivergent creatives can meet face-to-face, share experiences, and collaborate in meaningful ways.”
Kirsten Body of Circus Artspace spoke to how the fund will open up opportunities for artists in the Highlands:
“We are thrilled to be able to continue our programme of Circus Associates for emergent visual artists and also open up new exciting opportunities for artists to come together in different locations across the Highlands. One of the key elements in sketching out our initial values and aims, as a voluntary artists’ collective six years ago, was to be part of a sustainable and vibrant network of practice. We recognised the need to retain emergent artists in the north of Scotland, and seek to provide a space to engage, learn and share with each other.”
Jessica Bonehill, Creative Industries Officer at Creative Scotland said:
“Create:Networks is enabling vital connections for the creative businesses and freelancers that produce the creative activity our nation enjoys, strengthening and enriching their work. It’s fantastic to see the range of networks included in this year’s cohort and the range of support they offer to creative businesses across Scotland including neurodiverse and disabled creative communities, work from the Highlands and Islands to the Forth Valley, as well as across a range of art forms including textiles, writing and gaming.”
Activity from the networks is now underway, with development and programming running from mid-September until August 2025, accompanied by opportunities for those taking part to share knowledge and experiences through development sessions in October and concluding with a sharing event in summer 2025.
Angus Creatives SCIO is a community of creative people who live and work in the Angus area. We bring together individuals and small businesses from all types of creative practice to work together to develop opportunities for presenting our work, raising the profile of creativity in the area, and exchanging skills and knowledge to support one another’s professional development. We invite applications for membership from like minded individuals who are keen to work together towards: building a mutually supportive network of creative practitioners living and working in Angus; collaborative working to developing activities, projects and events; raising the profile of creativity and creative people in the Angus area; and coordinating events – including the Angus Festival of Makers – to celebrate creativity, increase participation and encourage greater understanding of creative practice.
Biome Collective is a dynamic community hub in Dundee that empowers emergent game makers, digital artists and creative producers. We unite a diverse array of talents – including game designers, technologists, artists, and storytellers – to collaborate and innovate at the forefront of digital creativity. Through workshops, jams and showcase events, we provide artists with the skills, resources, and networks they need to thrive in the creative economy. Committed to inclusivity, we ensure voices from all backgrounds are heard and celebrated, fostering a culture of collaboration and diversity. By offering access to industry expertise and strategic business support, Biome Collective helps in developing sustainable creative practices and businesses. We believe in the transformative power of games and digital art to inspire, engage, and drive positive change, contributing to the cultural and economic vibrancy of Dundee and beyond.
Circus Artspace aims to stimulate a vibrant Highland-wide contemporary visual artists network by delivering a programme for emergent artists. This network will be shaped and co-created with a group of eight new Circus Associates with a focus on peer sharing and knowledge exchange. Over the year we will organise and co-host CaraVAN – three regional network meetings across the Highlands, aiming to reach a wide group of artists to provide bespoke lectures and performances within a convivial setting. CaraVAN aims to help build a resilient and ambitious generation of Highland-based artists who are nationally successful, whilst contributing to their local and wider communities. Linking with more established creative practitioners and the previous cohort of Circus Associates, this project aims to provide a fertile ground for future collaborations and strengthening the potential for sustainable creative practices
Creative Futures is a new network built by Narture CIC, established by artist duo Robert and Saskia Singer. Born during the pandemic in June 2020, Narture repurposed vacant town-centre spaces in South Ayrshire for creative and cultural use, and today operates as a thriving social enterprise that merges food and art to bring communities together, promoting positive social change. Narture’s vision is to build a vibrant community where food, art, and inclusivity fuel creativity and social transformation. We fund arts projects through our bakery and bread shop/café, creating spaces where people can connect, learn new skills, and contribute to the regeneration of our town centre. We aim to bring communities together through creativity. Our sourdough bakery and café generate income to support local creative projects, while Narture Studios and Make at Newmarket Street provide artist studios, a darkroom, a Riso printer, and host exhibitions, workshops, and events centred on food, creativity, and wellbeing.
The Forth Valley Creative Network will bring together creatives from across Stirling, Falkirk and Clackmannanshire through a programme of peer led and community focused activities. The aim of this new peer to peer network will bring creative people of all ages, stages, artform and ambition together, to share and exchange expertise, learn new ways of working, gain confidence, experiment, meet new collaborators and help to sustain their practice long term. Forth Valley Creative Network will collaborate with existing creative groups, collectives and hubs in the Forth Valley region to support creative enterprise and emerging local talent and have a meaningful role in large strategic regional projects that will require significant input from the local creative community through commissions, participation and new collaborations. Forth Valley Creative Network is led by Creative Stirling with collaborators across the Forth Valley region.
Network Q is a new mutual support network for marginalised creative freelancers in Glasgow’s southside. The network will establish new links of community, collaboration, and care between creative individuals most at risk of isolation and precarity due to cultural climates of hostility and financial scarcity, as well as working to reinforce existing structures of community solidarity. The network will establish the Pluto Q Community Reading Room in Govanhill as a hub for creative freelancers who face marginalisation due to identity factors such as disability, neurodivergence, queerness, or race, by providing free accessible support work drop-ins, neurodivergent-led networking and social activity, ten funded hours of venue hire in our classroom and studio spaces set aside each week for network members, and a series of events in which freelancers from within the community are paid directly to share their expertise with their peers.
Neuk Edinburgh is a neurodivergent-led network dedicated to transforming the arts scene in Edinburgh into a more inclusive space. As part of the larger Neuk Collective, we focus on supporting neurodivergent creatives aged 18 and over, offering opportunities for in-person networking, skill development, and peer support. Our mission is to address the unique challenges faced by neurodivergent artists, such as financial insecurity, social and communication barriers, and limited access to opportunities. Through regular events, workshops, increasing access to resources, and personal support, Neuk Edinburgh empowers its members, fostering a vibrant community encouraging professional and creative growth.
The Shetland Textiles Network is made up of designers, technical experts, creative practitioners and educationalists working in Shetland and committed to safeguarding all the processes that support the making, production and appreciation of local textiles. This new network aims to disseminate our shared passion for contemporary textiles through creative practice that maintains intrinsic connections to Shetland, evoking its traditions and respecting its wool. Through a series of workshops and initiatives across the community that engage in dialogue about sustainable, creative and business practice, we envisage establishing the foundations for a larger network to nurture new talent and support local textile practitioners into the future. Our network, local in make-up and focus, is outward-looking in attitude. In keeping with Shetland’s global profile in knitwear we wish to forge links outwith Shetland, across Scotland and the Nordic countries initially, benefiting both the network and its individual members.
We are the founding Scottish hub for the Universal Recognition Movement (UR). UR is a growing global accessibility positive movement led by Disabled creatives. We unlock the power of accessibility to create services, environments and products that are fit for our future. Our local meet-ups run online and in Glasgow City also serving members in Lanarkshire and Edinburgh.
We help organisations shape top-class services that meet the needs of real people and avoid designing for an ‘average’ who doesn’t exist. Everyone experiences Disability over the course of their lifetime, either personally or through the care of a loved one. We raise the standards of Scottish service-design though access and sustainability so services no longer fail us but let us flourish. Creatives with experience of being d/Deaf, Neurodivergent or Disabled are encouraged to join. You don’t need prior experience of access-consultancy or service-design to do so. If your organisation would like to back a UR project or partner with us to improve services, please get in touch.
Create:Networks is managed and delivered by Scotland’s Creative Networks, led by Creative Dundee, with support from The National Lottery through Creative Scotland.
The Create:Networks open call and selection process was supported by Creative Dundee, Creative Edinburgh, DG Unlimited and freelance project manager and practitioner, Lynne Hocking.
Create:Networks 2024/25 received 94 applications, which represented a total ask of £1,242,928 – 90% beyond the total available funding of £120,000. 49 emerging and 45 established networks applied, with 26 out of 32 Local Authority areas represented across Scotland.
Enquiries about Create:Networks can be directed to Jen Collins, Programmes Producer: jen@creativedundee.com.
About Creative Dundee:
Creative Dundee centres creative practitioners and communities as powerful catalysts for collective good. Since 2008 we’ve provided local artists, designers and makers with opportunities, support, space and connections to enable the growth of sustainable practices and ideas that will lead us all to a more just world.
About Creative Scotland:
Creative Scotland is the public body that supports culture and creativity across all parts of Scotland, distributing funding provided by the Scottish Government and The National Lottery. Further information at creativescotland.com. Follow us on Facebook, LinkedIn, and Instagram. Learn more about the value of art and creativity in Scotland and join in at www.ourcreativevoice.scot
Create:Networks design by Kate Scarlet Harvey
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