Gray’s School of Art secures funding to support North East creative sector

A new grassroots arts’ network called Aberdeen Independents will be set up with the support of a £63K funding grant from the UK Shared Government Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), approved by Aberdeen City Council’s Finance and Resources Committee. 

The project will run over the next year, and will include a series of events to support Scotland’s North East freelance community.

The network will be led by freelancers for freelancers with the support and mentorship of Look Again at Gray’s School of Art in partnership with Culture Aberdeen.

Aberdeen Independents builds on the success of workshops held in November 2023 at the Citymoves Studio which gathered insights from the region’s creative sector and identified the need to establish a self-led networking body in the city. 

It’s hoped the new network will boost accessibility to Aberdeen's cultural scene and foster a greater sense of community within the freelancers’ network, amplify freelancers' voices and ensure their inclusion in the region's development.

Sally Reaper Director of Look Again at Gray’s School of Art said: “RGU is leading the way in community engagement to support the region’s creative community, ecology, and economy. This project will amplify the voices of creative industry freelancers here in the northeast and boost accessibility to Aberdeen's cultural scene, both online and in person.

“The region’s cultural sector, like other parts of the economy, is experiencing significant transformative shifts that are impacting the city’s cultural landscape – including energy transition, Brexit, the pandemic and cost-of-living pressures. This project, will empower Aberdeen’s grassroot creative community and support a sustainable future for the region’s cultural sector.”

Hayley Durward, Co-Chair Culture Aberdeen said: “Culture Aberdeen are delighted to work in partnership with Look Again at Gray’s School of Art to establish Aberdeen Independents. This new grass roots network will provide support for freelance artists across multiple artforms in the region. It will amplify their voices, bolster the retention of talent and allow communities to access the high quality work that is created in Aberdeen. We look forward to seeing the network developing over the year and are keen to support this work in relation to our membership organisations.”

It’s hoped Aberdeen Independents will enhance the region’s cultural economy and actively engage audiences, whilst also uplifting the entire community.  It will also offer advice to freelancers to help them build sustainable careers in the North East of Scotland and encourage them to pursue lasting creative careers in the region.

Aberdeen Independents will also support job creation, talent retention to keep recent graduates in Aberdeen. In the long term, it’s hoped the network will boost tourism, enhance the arts, and culture scene, and contribute to Aberdeen's identity, attracting residents, tourists, and investors.

Image includes: Rachel Bride Ashton, Phoebe Banks, Adam Pushkin, Bigit Itse, Claire Abbott, Laura Booth.