The rules of the Dewar Arts Awards are simple - the candidates have to be living in Scotland, aged under 30, have outstanding ability or potential but not the means of financing their further development. Anybody can be nominated, either by colleagues or tutors with a knowledge of their work as long as they can demonstrate exceptional talent.
The Dewar Arts Awards disburse the income from a trust fund set up by the Scottish Executive in memory of Donald Dewar, and accept nominations all year round in recognition of the fact that opportunities do not always fall neatly into the financial calendar.
The nominations are assessed by some of the most respected names in the arts. Among the trustees, chaired by journalist and broadcaster Ruth Wishart, are Sir Brian McMaster, former director of the Edinburgh International Festival (1989 – 2006), Richard Chester (former Director of NYOS), Lesley Thomson (former chair of The Arches), Jill Miller (Director of Cultural Services for Culture and Sport, Glasgow) and Andy Arnold (Artistic Director of the Tron Theatre, Glasgow).
Patrons of the awards include Sir Cameron MacIntosh, Giles Havergal, Tommy Smith, Catherine Lockerbie and Callum Innes. And they have recruited a host of top-flight talent spotters across all the art forms.
As the awards are allocated on a rolling basis, there are no deadlines to be met.
Further information on the awards can be found at www.dewarawards.org or by emailing admin@dewarawards.org.