Arts & Business Scotland Placemaking Award Winner

28 October 2014

Inksters Solicitors & Scottish Ensemble have won the Arts & Business Scotland Placemaking Award 2014. Inksters enabled Scottish Ensemble to take a genre-defying programme of music to Shetland in 2013. The programme featured Seavaigers – a double concerto for Shetland fiddle and Scottish harp, which was written by Sally Beamish for fiddler Chris Stout, harpist Catriona McKay and Scottish Ensemble.

The 2014 Arts & Business Scotland Awards were presented at an Awards ceremony at the Theatre Royal Glasgow on the evening of Friday 24 October.

The Placemaking category, sponsored by VisitScotland was this year’s most closely contested award splitting the judges who finally agreed to make the collaborations between Inksters & Scottish Ensemble, and Shell UK Limited & Theatre Modo joint winners. The award recognised two partnerships that have strategically shaped the cultural activities in a specific geographical area or have contributed to an increase in cultural tourism in that defined area.

Arts & Business Scotland Placemaking Award 2014
Left to Right: Brian Inkster (Inksters), Fraser Anderson (Scottish Ensemble), Jenni Steele (VisitScotland), John Raine (Shell UK), Liz Scott (Shell UK) Martin Danziger (Theatre Modo). Photo by Eoin Carey.

Lucy Bird, Board Member of Arts & Businesss Scotland says in the above video:-

"The project was a really great example of a small business that's willing to invest in something that is big and brave and bold and something that gets under the skin of an existing culture and pushes boundaries. It is also a great example of a business and an arts organisation working hand in hand together with the potential to go on and work together on future projects."

Fraser Anderson, Interim General Manager of Scottish Ensemble, said:

“We are thrilled that Scottish Ensemble’s partnership with Inksters Solicitors has won a prestigious Arts & Business Scotland award. Winning in the category of Placemaking is particularly significant as this partnership has allowed us to forge a meaningful new relationship with a community, one that we hope to continue in the long-term.

The award recognised our work during an ambitious 4-day Residency in Shetland. Throughout the Residency we engaged in a wide range of on- and off-platform activities created in response to, and in collaboration with, the community. Mareel is an important new venue in Scotland and we are proud to have contributed to its programme and development.

We would like to thank Inksters Solicitors for their support and Arts & Business Scotland for their matching investment through the New Arts Sponsorship Grants programme. We must also thank Sally Beamish who composed the extraordinary new work – Seavaigers – which formed the centrepiece of our final performance at Mareel, and also the work’s soloists, fiddler Chris Stout and harpist Catriona McKay.”

Brian Inkster, Founder of Inksters, said:

“I am delighted that our partnership with Scottish Ensemble has been recognised in this way by Arts & Business Scotland. It was truly a privilege to have been involved in such a special project that enabled Scottish Ensemble to take their music to the Shetland community.”

Arts & Business Scotland Chief Executive, David Watt said:

“The winners of this year’s Arts & Business Scotland Awards are testament to the vibrant and thriving arts sector we have in Scotland and while we celebrate this we must not forget the huge contribution that is made by business sponsorship which genuinely is the lifeblood of these wonderful collaborations.

The standard this year was overwhelming and our judges had the enormous responsibility and unenviable task of selecting each of the category winners. The winners showcase the very best of what can be achieved through partnership working across the length and breadth of the country and Arts & Business Scotland is proud to recognise such tremendous achievements.”

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