A new programme of creative opportunities has launched across Falkirk town centre with commissions, grants and competitions now open to artists, creatives and young people.
Aiming to bring fresh creative energy into the town centre while supporting local talent and encouraging wider cultural investment in Falkirk, the programme is being delivered by Falkirk Delivers and Artlink Central.
A number of opportunities have been launched, funded through Creative Scotland’s Open Fund programme, and now people are being encouraged to come forward and get involved.
The initiative is designed to support creative participation, artistic development and high quality public engagement.
Opportunities include open creative commissions worth between £1500 and £3000; a major town centre art commission of up to £20,000; and practice development micro-grants ranging from £300 to £500.
There is also a schools mural competition, which is open to secondary school pupils across the Falkirk Council area.
The creative opportunities are part of the Falkirk: From Place to Creative Space project, which aims to support creative activity within the town centre including the development of one or more permanent public art installations
It aims to to strengthen Falkirk’s cultural identity, enhance the town centre environment and contribute positively to wider regeneration efforts.
The programme of commissions and grants has been designed to support both emerging and established creatives while creating visible, engaging work within the town centre.
Elaine Grant, manager of Falkirk Delivers, said: “We’re incredibly excited to launch these opportunities and see the creativity that comes forward from across Falkirk and beyond.
“This is about creating meaningful opportunities for artists, young people and communities, while also helping to build confidence and momentum around Falkirk as a place for culture, creativity and investment.
“We hope this programme will help ignite further creative investment in Falkirk and demonstrate the important role creativity can play in shaping vibrant town centres and supporting local communities.”
Kevin Harrison, director and CEO of Artlink Central, added: “Our team has worked hard to shape these briefs through engagement sessions, surveys and conversations with local communities and businesses, helping us build opportunities that reflect the ideas, ambitions and feedback people shared with us.
“We wanted to create a programme that feels ambitious, accessible and genuinely supportive for creatives at different stages of their careers while making creativity more visible within Falkirk town centre.
“We’re looking forward to seeing the range of ideas and applications that come in over the next few weeks.”
Alongside the funding and commission opportunities, the programme also includes a series of free artists development and networking workshops for those artists and creatives who live or work in Falkirk.
The workshops have been developed to support them at all stages of their journey, helping build confidence, develop professional skills and encourage local collaboration.
Sessions include topics such as turning ideas into strong project proposals, application writing and budgeting, social media and branding, and business and artist matchmaking to help people connect.
