2016 Awardee: Katie Schwab

"The Dewar Arts Award has contributed enormously to my time undertaking the MFA Graduate Fellowship at Glasgow Sculpture Studios."

YEAR OF AWARD: 2016
AGE AT AWARD: 29
ARTFORMS: , ,
WEBSITE:https://www.katieschwab.com/
 
 

Biography

Katie Schwab moved from London to Glasgow in 2013, to study an MFA at the Glasgow School of Art.  There she developed her impressive style of practice – making sophisticated use of materials and sculptural processes in a critically engaging way.

Katie was awarded the MFA Graduate Fellowship at Glasgow Sculpture Studios, based on her work presented at the MFA Degree Show. This prestigious annual award is presented to an artist who demonstrates artistic excellence and a commitment to maintaining a studio-based contemporary sculptural practice.

Exhibitions and projects include: Together in a Room, Collective, Edinburgh; Bloomberg New Contemporaries, Backlit, Nottingham and ICA, London; My love is like a red red rose. Art in Scotland from 18th to 21st Century, Musée du Château des ducs de Wurtemberg, Montbéliard; Fresh, British Ceramics Biennial, The Original Spode Factory Site, Stoke-on-Trent; The Grind, Voidoidarchive, Glasgow and Project Visible, Tate Modern. 2015 graduate residency at Hospitalfield, Arbroath.

How the Award Helped

Katie’s Award supported her work on the MFA Graduate Fellowship.  This enabled her to experiment across the GSS workshops, to work with new materials and to explore new forms of production and collaboration in the run-up to an exhibition.

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"The Dewar Arts Award has contributed enormously to my time undertaking the MFA Graduate Fellowship at Glasgow Sculpture Studios."

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2016 Awardee: Magnus Green

"I am profoundly grateful to The Dewar Arts Awards [for] this extraordinary opportunity to continue to realise my ambitions and keep progressing along this hugely exciting journey."

YEAR OF AWARD: 2016
AGE AT AWARD: 18
ARTFORMS: , ,
 
 
 

Biography

Brought up on a deer farm near Elgin, Magnus is a keen composer and a highly proficient multi-instrumentalist, playing piano, violin, and accordion. In 2016, he won a highly coveted place at the Royal Academy of Music to study Composition with Christopher Austin.

Magnus began learning the piano accordion and violin at the age of 6 and began teaching himself the piano around the same time, developing the skill of improvisation which ultimately lead to his interest in composition. Whilst at school he played violin with the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland, as well gigging regularly as a pianist. In tandem with his classical pursuits, he is also a keen Jazz musician, and performs regularly both as a solo pianist and as part of his jazz trio.

Magnus is very involved in traditional Scottish music, and appears regularly as an accordionist with his ceilidh band. Composition is his foremost passion, and it is his ambition to become a composer for film and television as well as for the concert stage.

Magnus says:

“For the last four years of my Grandpa’s life he struggled with severe dementia, and during this time, I discovered that through music I could communicate emotionally with him, even though he was otherwise unable to respond coherently. It is this potential for emotional communication which gives me an unbeatable thrill and is the primary factor driving me to compose. I love presenting my work to an audience and observing how they respond and interpret the music individually.

It is my ambition to become a composer for film and television, as well as the concert stage. For a young composer, I cannot possibly overstate what an extraordinary opportunity being able to study at the Academy is. The truly outstanding feature of my studies here is the vast array of performance opportunities offered to composers, providing second-to-none practical experience of writing for world-class musicians.“

How the Award Helped

Magnus’s Award supported his musical studies on the four year BMus (Hons) at the Royal Academy of Music in London, where he gained one of only 4 places.

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"I am profoundly grateful to The Dewar Arts Awards [for] this extraordinary opportunity to continue to realise my ambitions and keep progressing along this hugely exciting journey."

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2016 Awardee: David Wood

"This scholarship opened the door to tuition that has fundamentally changed my practice as a director for the better."

YEAR OF AWARD: 2016
AGE AT AWARD: 22
ARTFORMS: ,
 
EMAIL:david.wood4@outlook.com
TWITTER: https://www.twitter.com/david_wood4

Biography

Hailing from a small community in Kilmarnock, David’s love for theatre and directing originated at a young age thanks to his tremendously supportive teachers.

Having completed a HNC and HND in Acting and Performance at West College Scotland, he became the first person to graduate with a first class honours in Drama, in partnership with the University of Sunderland. David was subsequently awarded the Ede & Ravenscroft “Ones to Watch” prize.

David completed a one month residency at Shakespeare’s Globe where he directed scenes from Shakespeare’s contemporaries on the main stage. He went on to direct productions at prestigious venues in Scotland.

David is passionate about making theatre widely accessible, entertaining and emotionally resonant. He intends to work in a multitude of styles with those values in mind.

How the Award Helped

The Dewar Arts Award allowed David to undertake his MA in Classical and Contemporary Text (directing) at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

Glory on Earth
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"This scholarship opened the door to tuition that has fundamentally changed my practice as a director for the better."

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2016 Awardee: Ben Hunter

"Without the assistance from the Dewar Arts Award, I would not have been able to accept my place on the course. Their belief in me has pushed me to be the best I can be."

YEAR OF AWARD: 2016
AGE AT AWARD: 22
ARTFORMS: , ,
 
 
 

Biography

Ben Hunter is a Scottish filmmaker, born and educated in Perth. He graduated from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland as a recipient of the Perth Festival of the Arts Award, and went on to study an MA in Directing Fiction at the National Film & Television School in Beaconsfield.  He was the only Scottish student with 7 other internationals.

The NFTS is one of the world’s most highly regarded film schools, and the MA is unique and specialist masters course, allowing students to develop their creative voices as directors in an intense and practical environment.

In 2017, Ben’s films Tibet (2015) and Greylag (2016) were screened at the Glasgow Short Film Festival and the Royal Television Society Awards.

Although Ben gathers his influences from around the world, he is very interested in assimilating these to tell stories of his own culture, background and experiences growing up in central Scotland.

How the Award Helped

Ben’s Dewar Arts Award enabled him to accept his place to study at the NFTS.

Glory on Earth
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"Without the assistance from the Dewar Arts Award, I would not have been able to accept my place on the course. Their belief in me has pushed me to be the best I can be."

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2015 Awardee: Ewan Zuckert

It is amazing to be supported by this award and I am incredibly grateful.

YEAR OF AWARD: 2015
AGE AT AWARD: 22
ARTFORMS: ,
 
 
 

Biography

Born in Edinburgh, clarinetist Ewan began his studies at the City of Edinburgh Music School.  There he excelled as a musician, gaining the ABRSM’s Gold Award for highest mark in the Grade 8 Clarinet Exam and becoming a Rotary Young Musician of the Year in 2010.

At the age of 17, Ewan secured a place at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Glasgow and was taught by many prominent players inlcuding John Cushing and Yann Ghiro. He played with the RCS Symphony and Chamber Orchestras as well as their most prestigious wind ensemble.  He regularly performed and competed, receiving numerous commendations, and has gained professional experience at home and abroad with the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, the Scottish Opera and the Dunedin Consort.

Ewan achieved a 1st Class Bachelor of Music with Honours in 2014. From there he enrolled on the Master of Music in Performance course at the Royal College of Music in London. This gave him the opportunity to further develop his skills and to work alongside many world-class musicians.

How the Award Helped

Ewan’s Dewar Award allowed him to complete his final year of masters studies at the RCM in London.

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It is amazing to be supported by this award and I am incredibly grateful.

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2015 Awardee: Blair McLaughlin

My commitment and focus to my work is 100%. [It] depicts my view of the world and is very personal to me.

YEAR OF AWARD: 2015
AGE AT AWARD: 21
ARTFORMS: ,
WEBSITE:https://www.dewarawards.org/blairmclaughlinartist.co.uk/
EMAIL:blairmclaughlin1511@gmail.com
 

Biography

Ayrshire-born painter Blair McLaughlin is a committed artist with a distinctive style.

Whilst in his third year of a BA (Hons) at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design, Blair gained an ERASMUS award to study abroad for a semester in Nantes, France. His grades at the host university were so outstanding, he was offered the opportunity to continue his studies there for the whole year. After his graduation in 2014, Blair received significant recognition for his work, gaining a place on the long-list for the Saatchi New Sensations Award.

Since this time Blair has continued to develop his practice, and his work has proved popular with galleries and exhibitors. His paintings focus on the cultural differences in our consumption of violence and the aestheticization of violence in popular culture and media.

Blair has been accepted to study a Masters at Glasgow School of Art, and is expected to have a promising future ahead of him.

How the Award Helped

Blair received a Dewar Arts Award to fund his place on the Turps Banana Correspondence Course.  This provides a critical framework to support individual studio practice through an online mentoring scheme. This period will be one of the most important and influential in Blair’s career, offering not only support but access to a wider peer group that will put his excellent work into the national network that it deserves.

Since the Award

2014 – Long-listed for New Sensations Saatchi Award

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My commitment and focus to my work is 100%. [It] depicts my view of the world and is very personal to me.

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2015 Awardee: Klaudia Korzeniewska

This award has made my plans and dreams possible to achieve. I would not be able to continue my studies and certainly could not give my full potential and focus to singing if not for this generous award...Thank you for giving me your support and belief.

YEAR OF AWARD: 2015
AGE AT AWARD: 26
ARTFORMS: , ,
 
 
 

Biography

Klaudia begun her musical education at the National Music School in Poland studying flute. After moving to the Scotland she entered the Royal Conservatoire, studying voice with Helen Lawson. During her undergraduate studies she had the opportunity to collaborate with the Scottish Opera on projects that captured her imagination, including Janacek’s Cunning Little Vixen and Monteverdi’s L’Incoronazione di Poppea.

Klaudia’s childhood dream was to sing and act, and since discovering a love of opera she found this to be the perfect combination of her two passions. She set out to gain as much experience as possible in the operatic environment, and to study the profession at the highest level.

In 2014, Klaudia went on to gain a place on the Masters in Opera, under tutelage of Clare Shearer. Klaudia has played key roles in numerous high profile performances, and has finely developed her soprano voice. She was highly commended in the Frank Spedding Lieder competition; gained the Hugh S Roberton Prize for Scottish Singing, and won the Tony and Tania Webster Russian Song Competition 2015.

How the Award Helped

Klaudia received a Dewar Award to support her masters studies at the RCS, allowing her to pursue her love of opera and achieve her full potential as a soprano.

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This award has made my plans and dreams possible to achieve. I would not be able to continue my studies and certainly could not give my full potential and focus to singing if not for this generous award...Thank you for giving me your support and belief.

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2015 Awardee: Jamie King

Jamie has found his perfect instrument. He's very glad that he is able to play, meet likeminded people and aspire to be one of the best. (Jamie's mother)

YEAR OF AWARD: 2015
AGE AT AWARD: 11
ARTFORMS: ,
 
 
 

Biography

Jamie took up bassoon whilst at primary school in the southside of Glasgow, and very quickly showed a real aptitude for this complex wind instrument. Within a few short months he sat his grade 2 exam, passed with a high distinction and gained a place to study at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland’s Junior School of Music.

Jamie has an impressive and ever-growing list of achievements. He secured seats with the National Children’s Orchestra of Great Britain (Under 12) as well as the National Youth Orchestra of Scotland (Junior Orchestra). At Glasgow Music Festival, he won the Hopkinson Award for most promising performer of primary school age, and won the regional trophy at the Robert Burns World Federation Schools Competition.

Jamie is a conscientious and focused learner, whose love of music and the bassoon will ensure his continued success.  He is developing his own sense of style on both the bassoon and the piano, and has ambitions to play in world class orchestras.

How the Award Helped

Jamie’s Dewar Award has enabled him to invest in an instrument and his studies.  This has allowed him to access a number of experiences that his family would not otherwise have been able to afford. He has participated in residential weeks, concert performances and additional studies, building up a repertoire that will stand him in good stead for the future.

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Jamie has found his perfect instrument. He's very glad that he is able to play, meet likeminded people and aspire to be one of the best. (Jamie's mother)

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2015 Awardee: Lily Caunt

"I am absolutely thrilled to have received a Dewar Arts Award, it will enable me to focus on what I love – playing the flute!"

YEAR OF AWARD: 2015
AGE AT AWARD: 23
ARTFORMS: ,
 
 
 

Biography

Born and brought up in the Scottish Borders, Lily began her musical life there before moving to St. Mary’s Music School in Edinburgh. She went on to study for a BA in Music at the University of Bristol, graduating with first class honours in July 2013.  Lily has been described as a powerful, dignified and sensitive performer who is destined for a truly wonderful career.

While at university, Lily embraced the wide range of musical activities on offer, studying the flute with Sarah Newbold, acting as Principal Flute of the University Symphony and Wind Orchestras, taking part in the New Music Ensemble and running the Music Society’s chamber music programme. During her final year, Lily spent a term at the Irish World Academy of Music and Dance on an Erasmus programme.  She explored voice, dance and collaborations between the two.

Alongside her classical studies, Lily also has an interest in folk music, and received a scholarship to take part in the Boxwood Festival in Nova Scotia, Canada.

Lily has also had the opportunity to take part in masterclasses with Ian Clarke, Wissam Boustany, Ruth Morley, Alison Mitchell, Michael Cox, Kate Hill and Samuel Coles.

As a Resident Graduate Assistant and Practice Supervisor at the Purcell School for Young Musicians, Lily was able to nurture her love for teaching, which she hopes to continue alongside performance in her future career.

How the Award Helped

In 2015, Lily was delighted to gain a place on the Master of Music in Flute Performance course at the Royal Northern College of Music.  The Dewar Arts Awards supported her in accepting her place, offering her the opportunity to further develop her skills and pursue her ambition of becoming a professional flute performer and teacher.

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"I am absolutely thrilled to have received a Dewar Arts Award, it will enable me to focus on what I love – playing the flute!"

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2015 Awardee: Louis Alderson-Bythell

I couldn’t have done any of this without the amazing support of the [Dewar Arts Award] which allowed me to pursue my studies and take my work, craft and thinking to the next level.

YEAR OF AWARD: 2015
AGE AT AWARD: 23
ARTFORMS: , ,
WEBSITE:http://www.lvboratory.com
EMAIL:louis@lvboratory.com
 

Biography

Now based in London, Louis is an artist who is curious about the ways we relate to nature through scientific, social and spiritual lenses. Primarily working in Sculpture; biological intelligences, deep time and environmental elasticity are important references in their work. Louis works with materials drawn from the local environments the works are intended for, using living organisms and reclaimed materials and often involving local communities in the development of these works.

A graduate of the Edinburgh College of Art and the Royal College of Art, Louis is dedicated and meticulous, with a passion and energy for developing his skills, collaborating with researchers from many fields such as Insect Behavioural Ecology, Lichenology and Artificial Intelligence develop the concepts within their work.

In 2015, Louis was offered a place to study on a masters course at the prestigious Royal College of Art.

www.lvboratory.com
www.instagram.com/__l.a.b__

How the Award Helped

Louis received a Dewar Arts Award to support his masters studies at the RCA. The creative context of the postgraduate course will help Louis to further develop his craft and grow as a designer.

Since the Award

September 2023
Since receiving his Award, Louis’ career has gone from strength to strength. He writes:

‘I graduated from the RCA in 2017, since then I have been involved in many exciting projects that have culminated in how I develop my own creative work now, drawing inspiration from ecology, the sciences and community groups. I was a founder of Copenhagen based creative Studio ‘Material Think Space’ as well as a starting founder of the pollina­tion technology company ‘Olombria’. These experiences have shaped my own independent practice between arts and ecology.’

A former resident of the Sarabande Foundation, established by Lee Alexander McQueen. His work has been exhibited nationally and internationally at ArtNight London, Kunsthal Charlottenborg, Vigeland Museum, Thorvaldens Museum, and Rotterdam Art Week. Their most recent work is a ‘Biochronological Clock’ in collaboration with Gothamie Weerakoon – curator of lichen at the Natural History Museum.

Louis is an Associate Lecturer at the RCA in the School of Design.

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I couldn’t have done any of this without the amazing support of the [Dewar Arts Award] which allowed me to pursue my studies and take my work, craft and thinking to the next level.

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