Creative Dundee

Amps Community Ideas Fund

When becoming an Amp, approximately 50% of your subscription goes toward an innovative Community Ideas Fund which is awarded each year to enable a new, experimental collaboration between Amps to benefit Dundee.

The 2024 Community Ideas Fund is now open for applications!

How does it work?

The Community Ideas Fund exists to spark and resource new collaborations that have creativity and experimentation at their heart, and that will have a positive impact in the city. Whatever form the collaborations take – whether that’s art, storytelling, video games, workshops, design, celebrating, playing, bringing people together and much more – this is your chance to try out your ideas.

Any two or more Amps can pitch an idea together each year to the Amps community. It’s then over to them to decide on the night which idea to award the funding to. Funding and voting are open to all Amps, wherever you are.

Help us grow the fund and make it more accessible by paying it forward! Your contribution will be used to support those who are not able to afford their subscriptions and give them access to the fund. Approximately 50% of all subscriptions go towards the fund, so the more Amps there are the bigger the fund is!

Previous Community Ideas Fund Collaborations

2022: The Dundee Guerrilla Film Festival

Monthly ‘happenings’ designed to support artists and bring people together to question artistic ownership, exchange work, and amplify urgent narratives. A project by artist and director, Rhiannon Mudaliar, and local historian, storyteller and library worker, Erin Farley.

2021: City Soundscapes

A Dundee-wide sound trail and series of workshops opening doors to new ways of listening to and engaging with the city’s vibrant sonic environment. A collaboration by artist, maker and musician, Rebecca Jones, and community musician and composer, Claire Gorman.

2020: Hilltown Community Plaza

A co-design process empowering people to prototype change in their communities, inviting people in the Hilltown area to reimagine and lead change in their neighbourhood. Developed by designer, Eilish Victoria, garden mentor, Manuela De Los Rios, and activist, Russell Pepper.

2019: Put Your Stamp on Dundee

A participatory project to capture what people love about the city through drawing and photography. A collaboration between illustrators Pamela Scott, Louise Kirby, Suzanne Scott and Laura Darling-Brackenridge.

2018: The Typography Treasure Hunt

A playful and informative event encouraging people to dig into the details of typography by looking at and exploring their city in a whole new way. A collaboration between designers Ryan McLeod and Connor Finlayson.

2017: Paper Prototyping

An inclusive and playful experience for young people recovering from domestic abuse, creating a game using paper prototyping, word games and movement. Developed by dancer and choreographer, Gemma Connell, and video games producer, Malath Abbas.

How to submit your idea, step-by-step:

  • To be eligible, your idea needs to be a collaborative project between two or more collaborators in the Amps community. This can be with Amps you already know or someone new to you – find out about some supporters via Amps profiles!
  • You can share, discuss and develop ideas with other Amps, and find new collaborators at regular Amps events. More ways to meet Amps include coming along to one of our online Breakfasts, using peer-support project Ampersand+ to connect, or getting in touch with us so we can help you get started.
  • Once the application process is launched, Amps have two months to plan an idea, connect with other Amps about collaborating, and submit an application.
  • You’ll be able to submit your idea in a short online application form – telling us briefly about your team, your project and how it will benefit the city.
  • This year’s fund is £2,500!
  • Your team will then pitch their ideas to Amps at an event, either via a presentation or pre-recorded video. Amps get to vote and decide which project to award the funding to!

Join the Amps Network

Individual/Student

If you’re a freelancer, sole trader or student

£40/£20 per year or
£4/£2 per month

Organisation

Business or organisation

£100 per year or
£10 per month

Pay It Forward

Pay what you like to
support Amps and the
creative community
in Dundee.

When you join, your subscription is set to renew automatically each year but may be cancelled within PayPal at any point, or you can contact us to adjust it for you. If you would prefer to be invoiced or would like to discuss a different form of support, just let us know!

We acknowledge that the cost could be a barrier to joining the Amps network, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us as we might be able to support your subscription, thanks to people choosing to pay it forward.

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