Visual Artist and Craft Makers Awards

Run in partnership with Creative Scotland, the Visual Artist and Craft Makers Awards (VACMA) are available for individual artists and makers, based or resident in Glasgow.

The purpose of these bursaries is to support visual artists and craft makers in their creative and professional development. The VACMA scheme offers two levels of bursaries:

Bursaries of £1,000 (For applicants that have been practicing for over 5 years, regardless of whether they have gone through formal education or not).

Early-career bursaries of £500 (For applicants that have less than 5 years’ experience outside of education/training, graduated in 2019 or later, or that have not studied art formally but have been practising as an artist for up to 5 years).

In addition, requests for support towards Personal Access Costs will be considered. Personal Access Costs are treated separately to your bursary request, this is to ensure that applicants with access needs are able to use the full bursary for their planned activity.

There is one remaining funding round in 2024/2025, the closing date is Tuesday 4 February 2025 at 5pm

On this page, download the application form, and several other documents that will help you make your application.
Applications should be emailed to gl.learningteam@glasgowlife.org.uk by the deadline given.

Download the application form and supporting documents

VACMA application form (Word Document) 

VACMA Guidance (PDF)
VACMA Guidance (plain text version in Word)
Please read this document before you start your application form. It will help you to submit the strongest application you can.

Equalities Monitoring Form (Word Document)
Please complete and submit this form along with your application - it is used to provide Creative Scotland and the VACMA partners with essential statistical information about who our applicants are, and who we’re funding

VACMA Artist checklist (PDF) 
This tick list will help ensure you submit everything you need to support your application. You can also see the same checklist as text at the bottom of this page

 

Artist Checklist

Applying to VACMA? Make sure you:

Ensure it is a professional artist/maker CV and take out anything that isn’t relevant

Have good photographs of your work – particularly recent work – and carefully select images to back up your application.

Label your supporting material and include an image list with dates, the medium and dimensions.

Make sure that your proposed activity is realistic and can be delivered within the level of bursary that you are applying for.

Is it easy to understand what you do, and is it
clear what support you’re looking for? Ask someone who doesn’t know your practice to check over what you’ve written.

Check the deadline of your local scheme – not all schemes run both deadlines so make sure
you check ahead of applying.