The utmost gratitude is extended to all involved in the award-making process.
Glasgow-born Edward McGurn started his acting training at Coatbridge College where he was awarded the Ian Bannen Memorial prize for outstanding performance in his final showcase.
The Dewar Arts Award will helps towards the fees and living expenses for the year.
The utmost gratitude is extended to all involved in the award-making process.
I am delighted to accept this Dewar Award…. My MLitt in Creative Writing, and the short story collection I am working on during it, would absolutely not be possible without this Dewar Award.
Born in Sutton Coldfield, Elisabeth studied English Literature at Harris Manchester College, Oxford’s smallest and most progressive college for mature students, where she won an English Literature scholarship. In 2004, Elisabeth won the McDonough Prize and graduated in 2005. After leaving University Elisabeth focused on writing short stories, with the aim of pursuing a postgraduate creative writing course.
Elisabeth moved to Glasgow and in 2008 joined the competitive MLitt in Creative Writing at Glasgow University. She co-edits the Glasgow University online creative writing journal www.fromglasgowtosaturn.com. In 2009, she founded the Glasgow Student Short Story Prize, with the aim of supporting and promoting other new writers across the city. The prize is guest judged by A. L. Kennedy, and an anthology of the winners, edited by Elisabeth, will be published in mid August. To find out more: http://glasgowstoryprize.blogspot.com/.
Elisabeth has a blog at iluvwords.blogspot.com about her year of reading dangerously, “an impossible challenge I set myself, to read a book a day, for a year …”. Ultimately she plans to expand this blog into an online journal for more experimental writing.
While a postgraduate, Elisabeth has had a short story published in the annual showcase of the best in Scottish contemporary writing, New Writing Scotland. ‘Green Line’ appeared in the 2009 anthology In the Event of Fire. She will also be published in the upcoming MLitt anthology Hunger, with another short story, ‘Moment of Silence’. Elisabeth is considered to be a talented writer with great potential. As well as writing, Elisabeth designs jewellery and keeps a photographic and design blog of her work, for more information see elisabethingram.blogspot.com.
The Dewar Arts Award helped towards the costs of the MLitt.
During a successful year in which she graduated with an MLitt with Distinction, Elisabeth founded the first ‘Glasgow Student Short Story Prize’ which was judged by A L Kennedy. An anthology of the winning entries was published in paperback and online. She continued to co-edit the online Glasgow University creative writing journal ‘From Glasgow to Saturn’. In 2010 Elisabeth was runner-up in the prestigious Curtis Brown Prize. She continues to write and be published.
I am delighted to accept this Dewar Award…. My MLitt in Creative Writing, and the short story collection I am working on during it, would absolutely not be possible without this Dewar Award.
This award is very important to me and I would like to say thank you.
Edinburgh-born Fergal started his working life as a painter and decorator with a dream to perform on stage, but no support, guidance, or teaching. By chance, he did some decorating work for a choreographer, through whom he was invited to dance workshops. He was spotted very quickly as being an exceptionally gifted dancer and within a year had won a place at Bird College with a full DADA scholarship.
Fergal has both a natural talent and the look for musical theatre and has shown that he has the determination to succeed. He demonstrated to his early mentors that he is prepared to work hard to achieve his dream and he has the necessary drive and energy to succeed in musical theatre.
The Dewar Arts Awards have offered Fergal support for the first year of his studies at Bird College. His funding was continued for a second year. After a successful second year, Fergal’s support was extended for a third and final year.
This award is very important to me and I would like to say thank you.
Receiving this award allows me to participate in the Wiels Residency Program in Brussels, an opportunity that I would be unable to realise without the substantial financial support of the Dewar Arts Awards.
Aberdeen-born Fiona studied initially at the Glasgow School Art, from which she graduated with a degree in fine art painting. Since then, Fiona has worked as an artist, exhibiting in Scotland, England, Germany and Belgium.
Since graduating, Fiona was included in the well-regarded national competition, New Contemporaries, and has exhibited in the prestigious Timothy Taylor Gallery in London, both of which are testaments to the considerable promise her future work holds.
Fiona has played an integral part in the Glasgow art scene, both in contributing to exhibitions and in the establishment and programming of the gallery space Flat 0/1. Flat 0/1 provided a much-needed opportunity for a younger generation of Scottish artists to exhibit their work in a supportive, discursive atmosphere.
Fiona has been accepted onto the six-month Wiels Residency Program at the new contemporary arts centre in Brussels, which receives six young artists from throughout Europe for a programme of professional development and artistic dialogue. This residency will be of significant benefit to both Fiona’s standing internationally and as an emerging artist in Scotland.
The Dewar Arts Award will help Fiona take up this exciting opportunity.
Fiona writes that “while at Wiels, with the ability to gain a distance to my studio practice in Glasgow combined with a broad range of different influences and experiences from my peers, I found the ability to focus on elements of my work with a new sense of clarity and confidence.” Following the residency at Wiels, Fiona was invited to work as an artist in the studios of Komplot in Brussels and following on from that to participate in a month’s residency with Lokaal01 in Antwerp.
Receiving this award allows me to participate in the Wiels Residency Program in Brussels, an opportunity that I would be unable to realise without the substantial financial support of the Dewar Arts Awards.
I would like to thank the trustees for deciding to offer me an award to help with my studies leading to a master’s degree in performance.
Dundee-born Iain has been a member of the National Youth Brass Band of Scotland since the age of 11, the same year he won the British Open Junior Solo title. Since then, he has been principal cornet (leader) for several brass bands, including the prestigious Yorkshire Building Society Band, based in Huddersfield.
Iain has had many notable successes in competitions, including winning best brass player four times at the Perth Festival from 2000-2004 and the Premier Class winner of Best Overall Soloist in 2003. In 2006 he beat several well-known cornet players when he won Best Principal Cornet for his performance with Sellers International Band at the “Brass in Concert Championships” in Gateshead. He led the National Youth Brass Band of Scotland on their tour of Japan with great distinction.
Iain is considered by many to be one of the finest young cornet players in Scotland of his generation and to be one of the three best cornetists to have studied at the University of Salford. Iain graduated from Salford with a first class honours, specialising in brass performance. He continues his studies at postgraduate level to develop his trumpet playing, in order to become a first-class trumpet player alongside the cornet.
The Dewar Arts Award will help Iain to study for a Master of Performance at Salford University.
I would like to thank the trustees for deciding to offer me an award to help with my studies leading to a master’s degree in performance.
"Thank you ever so much, I cannot begin to describe how much this means to me. I am overwhelmed and am so reassured to know that I will now be able to follow my dreams."
James Kenny, from Edinburgh, initially learnt to play piano from his mother, a piano teacher. At age 14, James was a pupil at Edinburgh City Music School where he studied double bass, piano, composition and choral singing. While at the Music School James was an active member of various ensembles, including NYJoS, The Edinburgh Schools Symphony Orchestra, The Edinburgh Youth Orchestra and the School String Ensemble. He also played in both jazz and classical ensembles.
James was offered places by a number of leading conservatoires and chose to accept the place offered by the Royal College of Music in London, where he is now an undergraduate.
James approaches his musical studies with the winning combination of musicality and intelligence. He goes into his studies at a high standard of musicianship and showing great potential for the future.
The Dewar Arts Award will help towards the substantial costs to study music at the RCM in London. James’s support has been continued for a second, and subsequently, a third year.
December 2017 – Appointed Associate Principal Double Bass of the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic.
"Thank you ever so much, I cannot begin to describe how much this means to me. I am overwhelmed and am so reassured to know that I will now be able to follow my dreams."
I am delighted to be able to accept this award and am very grateful for the trust’s assistance.
Dunfermline-born Jemma got her start as a singer as a chorister at Dunfermline Abbey. She was subsequently awarded a music scholarship to St Leonard’s School in St Andrews where she continued her singing and piano playing and took up the bassoon.
Through her early life Jemma’s greatest inspiration and biggest source of encouragement was her paternal grandmother who was a musician of potential but who had to forgo her place at the Royal Academy of Music because of family circumstances. She spotted the musical talent in Jemma and encouraged her to sing and make music.
Jemma moved to Glasgow to study music at Glasgow University with Pat MacMahon, where she held a Lanfine Choral Scholarship and a Currie organ studentship. She won the Hague Prize for performance on graduating. Jemma then moved to the RSAMD for postgraduate study in singing and completed a Master of Music performance the following year studying with Kathleen McKellar Ferguson.
Jemma has now gained a coveted place on the Master of Music Opera course at RSAMD continuing her studies with McKellar Ferguson.
Jemma possesses a warm mezzo soprano voice, well suited to the larger roles in opera. Her tutors believe that there are exciting times ahead of her.
The Dewar Arts Award will help towards the costs of studying towards an MMus Opera.
After a successful first year on the RSAMD opera course, during which she won the John Ireland Prize for voice and piano and made her debut at the BBC Proms with the BBC SSO, Jemma’s funding has been continued into the second and final year of her studies.
I am delighted to be able to accept this award and am very grateful for the trust’s assistance.
This award will help so much in my final year of study at GSA, I will be forever grateful.
From Alloa, Joseph Young is a student on the degree course in acting at the Guildford School of Acting. He describes himself as a ‘driven and hungry individual’.
At the end of his second year, he won the Director’s Award and represented GSA in Stratford-upon-Avon in an all-schools workshop with the Royal Shakespeare Company. Joseph’s ultimate ambition is to work with the RSC and in film. Joseph appeared in a new play staged at the 2008 Edinburgh Festival. He has been put forward to take part in the prestigious BBC Carlton Hobbes competition.
At the start of his third year at GSA, Joseph put on his own production of “Someone Who’ll Watch Over Me” by Frank McGuinness and was part of the GSA of “The Shakespeare Review” which went on tour at the end of 2008.
The Dewar Arts Award helps toward the costs of Joseph’s final year at GSA.
Joseph graduated successfully in 2009 from Guildford School of Acting. Whilst still at GSA and with a group of fellow students, Joseph put on a production of Jonathon Lewis’s Our Boys in the Tabard Theatre, Chiswick. The play was extremely well received and led to Joseph being signed to an agent. He now works under the name Joseph Creeth.
This award will help so much in my final year of study at GSA, I will be forever grateful.
I am determined to continue achieving at a high standard, and I have no doubt that …[the tutors] at the Guildhall can support and aid me in both setting and accomplishing my goals .. I am extremely grateful to the Dewar Arts Awards for making another year at this inspiring institution possible.
Mezzo-soprano Katherine Grosset from Edinburgh first studied composition and performance at the University of Glasgow graduating with an honours degree in music. She later went on to study for a Master of Music in Vocal Training at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama, with Susan McCulloch. In between graduation and going to the Guildhall, she was a peripatetic Kodaly vocal instructor for the National Youth Choir of Scotland.
As well as possessing a well-trained, rich voice full of potential Katherine has a deep musicality and artistic imagination. She has had master classes with (former Dewar awardee) Karen Cargill, Rosalind Sutherland, Amy Jarman and Malcolm Martineau. Katherine is considered to have both the talent and the character to achieve great success in her chosen career.
Katherine looks forward to the challenges of a second year at Guildhall. She and her tutor are building up a bank of repertoire that she can take to competitions and auditions and perform at an exemplary level.
The Dewar Arts Award will go towards the costs of studying at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama.
In the summer of 2010, Katie graduated with an MPerf degree with distinction. A highlight of the year was singing the role of ‘Ma’ in Iain Burnside’s highly-acclaimed production of ‘Lads in their Hundreds’, which incorporates a variety of English songs by different composers about the tragedy of war. At the end of a very eventful year, Katie was awarded a fellowship by the GSMD enabling her to continue her opera studies for a further year.
I am determined to continue achieving at a high standard, and I have no doubt that …[the tutors] at the Guildhall can support and aid me in both setting and accomplishing my goals .. I am extremely grateful to the Dewar Arts Awards for making another year at this inspiring institution possible.
This award means so much to me. I am so excited that I have been given this opportunity and can’t thank you enough for your support.
Kierah Poppy’s first appearance on stage was at the age of three in the Merry Go Round Show at Eden Court in Inverness, in the same year that she started learning to dance.
She continued her dance training with Ballet West on their Aspiring Professionals programme and with the Scottish Ballet on their Junior Associates programme. At the age of eleven Kierah successfully auditioned for the Dance School of Scotland, Glasgow.
During her six years at the Dance School, Kierah regularly performed with the School at Glasgow’s Kings Theatre and Theatre Royal. In her final year she won the Randak Achievement Award for ‘Overall Excellence in Dance’. Kierah went on to successfully audition for Bird College to study musical theatre and also won a DADA scholarship.
Kierah excels in all the dance styles that she has studied, classical ballet, contemporary, jazz and tap, and communicates expressively to her audience, and shows huge potential in both singing and drama.
The Dewar Arts Awards will support Kierah Poppy in her first year at Bird College, Kent. Her funding has been continued for a second year. Demonstrating excellent progress in her second year, Kierah’s funding was continued for a third and final year.
This award means so much to me. I am so excited that I have been given this opportunity and can’t thank you enough for your support.
