Events

This free half-day SURF Awards workshop event in Civic House, Glasgow on 23^rd May provides an opportunity to explore successful approaches towards linking creative arts and culture into regeneration initiatives. The winning and highly commended projects from the ‘Creative Regeneration’ category highlighted in the 2023 SURF Awards process will provide comment on their experiences and transferable learning.

(l-r): Wild Skies Shetland, Deaf Action: Inclusion & Accessibility to the Arts and the Beacon Arts Centre, Creative Minds

Workshop guests will firstly hear from a project representative from the ‘Creative Regeneration’ category winner Wild Skies Shetland. Based on Unst, Wild Skies Shetland encourages locals and visitors to appreciate Shetland’s ever changing, beautiful, dramatic skies, whilst helping to improve the economic outlook for one of Shetland’s poorer island communities.

Guests will then hear from highly commended Deaf Action: Inclusion & Accessibility to the Arts. The project improves inclusion and accessibility to the arts, culture and heritage for the deaf community, particularly through the delivery of the Edinburgh Deaf Festival.

Finally, guests will then hear from the second of the highly commended projects the Beacon Arts Centre, Creative Minds. The two day Creative Minds Community Arts Festival provided a space for community groups to showcase their creativity.

The event will close with presentations from Creative Scotland providing detail on their current priorities towards supporting artists and creative arts organisations, and an overview of the work by Creative Lives. It will then open up to a discussion on National Policy.

The SURF Awards ‘Creative Regeneration’ judging panel team – comprising representatives of Creative Scotland, The National Lottery Community Fund and Alchemy Film & Arts – were particularly enthused by the projects ability to leave a lasting impact in their community within all three shortlisted projects in this category.

This workshop is being delivered with support from Creative Scotland.

Programme

10:00am   Registration and networking

10:30am   Welcome and Introduction: Euan Leitch, Chief Executive, SURF

10:35am   Presentation, Wild Skies Shetland: Jane Macaulay, WSS

10:50am   Presentation, Deaf Action: Inclusion & Accessibility to the Arts: Philip Gerrard, Deaf Action

11:00am   Presentation, Beacon Arts Centre, Creative Minds: Karen Townsend, Beacon Arts Centre

11:10am   Questions and Comments with project representatives

11:25am   Presentation, Creative Scotland: Karen Dick, Creative Scotland

11:35am   Presentation, Creative Lives: Phoenix Archer, Creative Lives

11:45am   Open Discussion on National Policy

12:05pm   Summary, Thanks and What’s Next: Euan Leitch and Emma Scott, Events, Information & Communications Manager, SURF

12:15pm   Close and Networking Lunch

You can read more about the 2023 SURF Award projects in the SURF Awards Publication.

For event enquires please email emma@surf.scot