With only two weeks to go until the deadline for applications for this year’s Scottish Arts Council Creative Scotland Awards (28 October 2005) the Scottish Arts Council has updated the Creative Scotland website.

www.creativescotland.org.uk hosts a showcase of completed projects by previous Creative Scotland Award recipients as well as details of ongoing projects. The site allows users to search for past awards by artist, artform and year of award, providing easy access to biographies and project details. Guidelines and application forms for the 2006 Creative Scotland Awards are also available online.

The prestigious lottery-funded awards were initiated in 2000 to reward, honour and celebrate Scotland’s leading artists and to help raise the profile of the arts. Each year up to 10 of Scotland’s most talented artists are awarded £30,000 each to realise their creative ideas in a major project, providing them with the opportunity to develop new collaborations, experiment with different artforms and expand their skills. They are also presented with a glass award by Scottish glass artist Anita Pate.

A panel of specialist assessors, consisting of independent advisors supported by expert staff from the Scottish Arts Council, will produce a shortlist for this year’s awards in December. The awards will be announced at a ceremony in March next year.

Seventy of Scotland’s leading artists have already received Scottish Arts Council Creative Scotland Awards including composer Sally Beamish, dancer and choreographer Colette Sadler, writer Bernard MacLaverty and poet Kathleen Jamie.

Graham Berry, Chief Executive of the Scottish Arts Council, said: “The Creative Scotland Awards, now in their seventh year, enable artists from all artforms to realise their creative visions in a major project and provides them with the opportunity to experiment and discover new talents.

“The range and diversity of the projects in previous years demonstrates the depth and breadth of talent in Scotland and I am certain that this year’s applications will be of an extremely high standard, helping to raise the profile of the arts and their contribution to Scotland.”