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 friends, colleagues, or tutors with a knowledge of their work as long as they can demonstrate exceptional talent.
The Dewar 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.
Their nomination will be 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, recent former director of the Edinburgh International Festival (1989 – 2006), Catherine Lockerbie, director of the Edinburgh International Book Festival, and John Wallace, principal of the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama.
Patrons of the awards include Sir Cameron MacIntosh, Giles Havergal, Tommy Smith 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.