Diversity & Inclusion (Collaboration, Research & Development) Fund 2020/21: Award Recipients
19 Apr 2021
In line with the commitment to promoting ethnically diverse artists’ and creatives’ greater opportunities, visibility and representation across the arts and culture sector, the City of Edinburgh Council’s Culture Service had allocated the remaining Diversity & Inclusion Fund resources to support freelance practitioners in collaboration, research and development as well as production projects.
This funding had been allocated as a result of the city’s Culture Plan to deliver wider access to Council cultural funding opportunities and continues the Council’s core role in ensuring Edinburgh is a city of creative opportunities. Our cultural activity and offer continues to be a crucial contribution to the city’s success as an exceptional place to live and work. The City of Edinburgh Council’s Culture Service is committed to promoting stronger collaboration, developing new partnerships and creating new funding streams for the culture sector in Edinburgh.
The Diversity & Inclusion (Collaboration, Research & Development) Fund was aimed at supporting independent artists and creatives who wished to further their creative activity in partnership with other freelancers and continue collaborations, develop new projects or promote individual practice via digital media.
Following the panel assessment meeting on 22 March 2021, the City of Edinburgh Council’s Culture Service had released a further £10,000 towards 6 freelance-led collaborative projects submitted to the Diversity and Inclusion Fund (Collaboration, Research & Development) by ethnically diverse artists and creatives. Six creative projects across various art forms will support the artistic practice of theatre makers, dancers, poets and filmmakers based and/or working in Edinburgh.
Successful Projects:
- Jinling Wu together with Sean Wai Keung will continue their collaboration in exploring lived experiences of people of mixed heritage developing a screenplay based on Sean’s poem ‘The Proof’ recently adapted for screen in the BBC Scotland’s The Social series. [Grant award: £2,400]
- Flavia D’Avila, Catherine Bisset and Jaïrus Obayomi will partner with the Colonial-Era Caribbean Theatre and Opera Network to research stories and explore approaches to developing a solo theatre piece reflecting on the experiences of the Caribbean diaspora living in Scotland. [Grant award: £825]
- Lubna Kerr will examine stories of narcissism and childhood trauma for her new theatre play ‘Bella and Max’ developed in collaboration with director Kolbrún Björt Sigfúsdóttir and dramaturge Jen McGregor. [Grant award: £2,000]
- Priya Shrikumar, of Dance Ihayami, supported by director Niloo-Far Khan and dancer Anu Joseph will develop an interactive Indian dance performance inspired by a 1985 musical drama film ‘A Chorus Line’. [Grant award: £2,500]
- Jian Yi will embark on a further development stage of their queerbodylove project 'Weathervanes' and receive support from a PoC-led producers’ collective ID.Y led by Claricia Parinussa to create promotional material and undergo media training. [Grant award: £1,200]
- Lisa Williams in collaboration with Jeda Pearl Lewis, of Scottish BAME Writers Network will examine approaches to creating a digital platform for Caribbean-Scottish artists in Edinburgh showcasing the work of artists across the city. [Grant award: £1,075]
Project grants were awarded by an independent Panel consisting of Briana Pegado of Fringe of Colour, Harriet Mould of The Royal Lyceum Theatre, Sanjay Lago (Independent Practitioner) and Veronique AA Lapeyre of Craft Scotland/Zanana Project, as part of The City of Edinburgh Council Flexible Fund assessment and awards process.