Visual Art & Craft Maker Awards Now Open

#VACMAScotland: Grants for Artists & Makers Across Scotland

 Bursaries of £500 and £1000 now available

• Autumn deadline: 5pm, 21 October 2025
• Winter deadline: 5pm, 3 February 2026

Visual artists and craft makers from across Scotland are invited to apply for grants of up to £1,000 to support their creative and professional development.

This funding is made possible by The National Lottery through Creative Scotland, working in partnership with 16 different Visual Artist and Craft Maker Awards (VACMA) schemes covering 24 local authority areas. The schemes are delivered by a network of local authorities and arts organisations across the country.

VACMA can support a wide range of activities, including mentoring and skills development, exploring new ideas, experimenting with sustainable and renewable materials, purchasing essential equipment, and undertaking residencies that contribute to an artist’s creative development.

The programme currently offers a £1,000 bursary for artists and makers with over three years’ experience of the public presentation of their work, alongside a £500 early-career bursary for those who have been practising for fewer than three years.

Funding criteria and information about how to apply is available at https://www.creativescotland.com/vacma.

Sarah MacIntyre, Visual Arts Officer at Creative Scotland said: “We are delighted to launch the Visual Artist and Craft Maker Awards and look forward to working with our local partners, whose expertise and dedication are central to the programme’s success. The grants offer essential support to artists and craft makers, helping them to explore ideas, develop their creative skills and experiment with new approaches. The bursaries make a significant contribution to the development of creative practice across Scotland, offering an accessible and inclusive route to public funding while fostering the growth of creative practice nationwide.”

 Information sessions, delivered by partner representatives and members of Creative Scotland’s Visual Arts Team, will take place on Microsoft Teams on Tuesday 30 September 2025 at 10:30am-12:00pm and Tuesday 13 January 2026 from 2:00pm–3.30pm. Full information and sign-up details are available on Creative Scotland’s website.

 FOR MORE INFO ON THE SOUTH OF SCOTLAND AWARDS AND HOW TO APPLY PLEASE CLICK HERE.