HI~Arts announces a new critical assessment scheme for writers in the Highlands and Islands.

HI~Arts, the arts development agency for the Highlands and Islands region, is today launching ‘Work in Progress’, a writers’ critical assessment scheme, providing writers in the region with free, impartial critical feed-back on their work in progress. The scheme is the first of its kind in Scotland.

‘Work in Progress’ will provide writers with an assessment report of their work completed by one of a specially selected panel of four of Scotland’s major writers including, where appropriate, feed-back on potential markets and publishing opportunities. The project is a pilot scheme operating until June and is aimed at eventual roll-out as a Scotland-wide service. Hence, between now and June HI~Arts is able to offer 30 free assessments to local writers. 
 
HI~Arts Writing Development Coordinator, Peter Urpeth, said:

“This is perhaps the most important development opportunity of all our recent projects for writers in the region. Writers identified this as a specific area of need and we have responded to that with a scheme that will provide very serious insight into the writers’ work from a panel of assessors made up of major Scottish writers. This is a first for the region and for Scotland as a whole and we are delighted to be at the forefront of innovation for support for the arts in Scotland. ”

Work in Progress is open to writers of both fiction and non-fiction writing in English or Gaelic, living in the Highlands and Islands region of Scotland.

Guidance notes can be downloaded from the HI~Arts website at http://www.hi-arts.co.uk/writing or are available from Peter Urpeth on 01851 770287.