2008 Awardee: James Wood

I am delighted to accept this award … it will prove to be of great assistance to my studies.

YEAR OF AWARD: 2008
AGE AT AWARD: 24
ARTFORMS: ,
 
 
 

Biography

From Stonehaven, James graduated from Gray’s School of Art in 2007 where he studied painting and drawing.   He has a wonderful natural gift as a visual artist, excelling in painting, drawing and sculpture.

On graduation, James’s ambition was to train and work in 3D computer animation. His gift in traditional drawing techniques will be an enormous advantage in this field of work. James was accepted onto the highly-regarded Masters course at Bournemouth University, which, he writes, is the ‘perfect platform’ from which to launch himself into the competitive arena of film and video game production.

How the Award Helped

The Dewar Arts Award will help pay towards the costs of attending this course.

Since the Award

Jamie graduated with distinction in 2009. A film of his final Masters project can be viewed on his website at www.jamiewoodart.com.

He writes, “I still feel the same passionate drive that I had one year ago to pursue a career in this area and I am extremely grateful to the Dewar Awards for the fact that I am now equipped with the skills and experience needed to break into this competitive industry. With the UK in its current position as one of the world leaders in the development of film and computer game digital content, I am now in the position of being able to represent Scotland by initially seeking a 3D artist job here in the UK.”

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I am delighted to accept this award … it will prove to be of great assistance to my studies.

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2008 Awardee: Jemma McMonagle

Jemma and I were absolutely delighted to receive your letter informing us that [she] has been successful in her application to purchase a harp. We would like to express our sincere thanks to the trustees for making Jemma a very happy girl! (Eileen McMonagle, mother)

YEAR OF AWARD: 2008
AGE AT AWARD: 14
ARTFORMS: ,
 
 
 

Biography

Fourteen-year-old Jemma from Glasgow got involved in playing traditional music at the age of six.  She demonstrated a fine musicianship from the start  and has the ability to play a number of instruments with stunning sensitivity and maturity for her age.

Jemma is a talented fiddle player, having gained notable competitive success including several All-Britain titles in both solo and group competitions and a coveted All-Ireland gold medal in the Under 12 section. For the past two years, as part of ‘The Southside Fiddlers’ and at the invitation of well-known Irish fiddler, Liz Doherty, Jemma has performed at the Buncrana Festival in Co. Donegal.

It is on the small harp, however, that Jemma shines, her playing has been described as ‘magical’. Within a year of starting to learn the harp, she came second in the Scottish championships which qualified her to represent Scotland in the 2008 Great Britain championships. Since then, Jemma has played at many Celtic and Scottish traditional festivals and concerts, wowing the audiences with her talent.

How the Award Helped

The only barrier to her development is the lack of her own harp. The Dewar Arts Award will enable her to purchase a good-quality instrument.

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Jemma and I were absolutely delighted to receive your letter informing us that [she] has been successful in her application to purchase a harp. We would like to express our sincere thanks to the trustees for making Jemma a very happy girl! (Eileen McMonagle, mother)

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2008 Awardee: Jon Savage

Without this award it would have been impossible for me to continue training with the Royal Ballet.

YEAR OF AWARD: 2008
AGE AT AWARD: 17
ARTFORMS:
 
 
 

Biography

Rutherglen-born Jon started his training in dance at the Dance School of Scotland, where he showed himself to be extremely talented from the start. He decided early on that he wanted to become a professional dancer. During his six years at the Dance School he worked hard to achieve a very high technical standard.

In 2008 Jon achieved the RAD Advanced II vocational graded examination, which is a standard of training attained by only a few male students worldwide. In the same year he auditioned for vocational dance schools in London and was offered places at the English National Ballet School, Central School of Ballet and the Royal Ballet School. Jon accepted the Royal Ballet School which had offered him a place onto the second year.

Jon is a versatile dancer who has the facility to become principal in a classical company. He has an excellent natural physical facility and ideal physique for classical ballet, but is also able to dance a whole range of styles.

How the Award Helped

The Dewar Arts Award will help Jon through his two years of study at the Royal Ballet School.

Since the Award

Jon graduated with credit from the Royal Ballet School in 2010 and was offered a place with the Cape Town City Ballet.  Jon writes that the best time of his two years at RBS was when he toured Japan for 11 days with his year group visiting four different cities and dancing both classical and contemporary pieces.  Jon writes that “without your continual support, none of the past two years would have been possible.”

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Without this award it would have been impossible for me to continue training with the Royal Ballet.

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2008 Awardee: Jonathan Cheyne

I am delighted to accept your offer. Being given this money to buy a set of reel-pipes is a fantastic opportunity for me.

YEAR OF AWARD: 2008
AGE AT AWARD: 17
ARTFORMS: ,
 
 
 

Biography

Jonathan, from Bishopbriggs, is the first member of his family to be musical. He learnt to play the Highland bagpipes at the age of 12 and quickly developed a passion to play and perform to the highest standard. He is now studying music at Scotland’s own conservatoire, the RSAMD.

Jonathan has a particular love for, and interest in, traditional music. Last year he won his first solo competition in Skye, and has played at many of the major traditional music concerts, including Celtic Connections and Piping Live. He is a member of the elite National Youth Pipe Band and was the Pipe Sergeant at the Soroptimist Convention in Glasgow.

Last year Jonathan performed with the 98th Highlanders, with Cantara, at an International Celtic Music festival.

How the Award Helped

The Dewar Arts Award will enable Jonathan to buy a set of Fred Morrison reel-pipes which is an essential part of his equipment as a professional piper.

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I am delighted to accept your offer. Being given this money to buy a set of reel-pipes is a fantastic opportunity for me.

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2008 Awardee: June Naylor

This is such a great contribution to my new harp and I am extremely grateful.

YEAR OF AWARD: 2008
AGE AT AWARD: 20
ARTFORMS: ,
 
 
 

Biography

Born in Inverness and brought up on Skye, June learned the harp when she was 12 years old. June spent a year studying at the National Centre of Excellence in Traditional Music in Plockton before going on to study at Strathclyde University, where she is studying with renowned Celtic harpist Savourna Stevenson.

June is a member of award-winning band ‘Bodega’, winners of the BBC2 Young Folk Award. With the band’s increasing success, they travel extensively internationally to perform, and consequently June’s student-model harp is beginning to look careworn. June is considered to be a real talent and rising star in Traditional Music.

How the Award Helped

The Dewar Arts Award will help June purchase a professional model harp with flight case.

Since the Award

After buying a new harp, June went on to study music at the University of Strathclyde where, on graduation, she won the prestigious Alexander Stone Award for excellence. She is a member of the successful five-piece band Bodega, winners of the 2006 BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award Winners and the 2009 Folk Band of the Year at the Trad Awards. The band tour worldwide and are currently working on their third album.

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This is such a great contribution to my new harp and I am extremely grateful.

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2008 Awardee: Kate McDermott

I am very grateful for this award which I know will be invaluable towards my future career as an orchestral musician.

YEAR OF AWARD: 2008
AGE AT AWARD: 23
ARTFORMS: ,
 
 
 

Biography

Hailing from Lanark, Kate received her first degree studying clarinet at the Royal College of Music in London. In her final year, she received the Edward and Helen Hague Senior Woodwind First Prize and then returned to Glasgow to pursue a Master of Music at the RSAMD as a student of Yann Ghiro.

While at RCM, Kate added the E flat clarinet to her repertoire. After her move to RSAMD, she began to learn the bass clarinet, knowing that this would increase her chances of employment with the top orchestras, but could not afford the cost of a new instrument.

Kate has freelanced with many British orchestras, such as the BBC Symphony Orchestra, and was chosen to play in Scottish Opera with the RSAMD apprenticeship scheme. Subsequently, she was on trial as principal clarinet with the Varmlandsoperan in Karlstad, Sweden. Kate is a bass clarinettist of extremely high calibre who produces performances which exude class.

How the Award Helped

The Dewar Arts Award has helped Kate buy a professional bass clarinet to help her with her future career.

Since the Award

Subsequently, Kate writes that having a bass clarinet has played a large part in helping her gain trials with a number of leading orchestras and she doubts whether she would have applied for some orchestral jobs if she didn’t have her own bass clarinet.  Currently, Kate is on trial with one European and four UK orchestras and is a member of the clarinet quartet Acentejo Quartet.

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I am very grateful for this award which I know will be invaluable towards my future career as an orchestral musician.

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2008 Awardee: Katherine Brown

This is a really exciting time for me, and I look forward to letting the Dewar Award trustees know and see how this internship shall shape my career.

YEAR OF AWARD: 2008
AGE AT AWARD: 21
ARTFORMS: , ,
 
 
 

Biography

Edinburgh-born Katherine studied textile design at Duncan of Jordanstone Art College, in Dundee. She specialised in knitwear design and says of her knitting that “as well as wearable, [it] is also conceptual. Involving storage and folding concepts it is very structural and matches very well with Bless’s aim at ‘designing the perfect product’”.

In her final year at art college, Katherine was seen to find her own voice and technique to express her perception of design through textiles. She approached her studies with maturity, intelligence and wit as her confidence grew in her chosen field.

Katherine set her heart on working for BLESS, considered to be a cutting-edge European design company and secured a 3-month unpaid internship with them through her own efforts. Spending time in their studios will enable her to broaden her professional design understanding.

Katherine also exhibited her work at the 2008 BraveArt (now entitled, ROAR).

How the Award Helped

The Dewar Arts Award is helping towards the short internship with the Berlin-based international design company, BLESS.

Since the Award

As an intern, Katherine did a lot of running around for her BLESS colleagues to source materials for the collection being worked on for Paris Fashion Week. Because they knew of her passion for knitting, they asked Katherine to handknit some of their designs. Some months after she returned to Glasgow, Katherine was thrilled to see one of her handknitted pieces in a fashion magazine. She is now back in Glasgow working on a new collection. Katherine writes, “BLESS was an invaluable experience that has already started to shape my career.”

Katherine’s work was showcased in our 10th Anniversary Exhibition, Roots to Shoots. Find out more here.

A short film from Katherine, which formed part of our 10th Anniversary Exhibition: Roots to Shoots.

Knit One, Kill One is “a humorous exploration of an inner torment and love-hate relationship with knitting. Katherine Brown showcases her Masters’ Collection inspired by cult TV series Twin Peaks in a short film, which plays with the idea that knitters and serial killers share behavioural patterns.”

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This is a really exciting time for me, and I look forward to letting the Dewar Award trustees know and see how this internship shall shape my career.

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2008 Awardee: Laura Kelly

I feel I have been on a long journey from the beginning of my studies through to the present day and am so proud to receive the opportunity to study at the Royal Academy of Music…. without the support from the Dewar Arts Awards the continuation of my studies wouldn’t be possible.

YEAR OF AWARD: 2008
AGE AT AWARD: 22
ARTFORMS: ,
 
 
 

Biography

When she was seven Laura Kelly, from Moodiesburn, joined the Scottish Children’s National Chorus and the National Youth Choir of Scotland. Her passion for singing continued, and she went on to study singing at the RSAMD, graduating with a first class honours and achieving the top grade in her BMus final examination.

Laura possesses an attractive mezzo soprano voice with a distinctive timbre. Past awards include both the Agnes Duncan trophy and the Young Opera Society trophy at the Glasgow Music Festival. While at RSAMD, Laura won the Hugh S Robertson prize and the George McVicar Memorial prize for Scots Song. She took part in a number of the opera school’s productions, performing as mezzo soprano soloist in Vivaldi’s Gloria, Haydn’s Mass in Time of War, Haydn’s Nelson Mass and Mozart’s Coronation Mass. Laura was selected by the RSAMD to represent them in Japan at the Barakura Flower Show in Tateshina Heights.

Laura won a place at the Royal Academy of Music, London, to continue her studies with Jennifer Dakin and Audrey Hyland. She then progressed to the Master of Music (Opera) course.

How the Award Helped

The Dewar Arts Award will help towards the costs for Laura to complete an MMus (Opera) degree at the RAM.

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I feel I have been on a long journey from the beginning of my studies through to the present day and am so proud to receive the opportunity to study at the Royal Academy of Music…. without the support from the Dewar Arts Awards the continuation of my studies wouldn’t be possible.

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2008 Awardee: Laura Sergeant

The ‘cello [I am buying] is one of the nicest I have played …..I am incredibly grateful for this award.

YEAR OF AWARD: 2008
AGE AT AWARD: 18
ARTFORMS: ,
 
 
 

Biography

From Larbert, in Stirlingshire, Laura is currently studying ‘cello at the RSAMD, Glasgow. She is a member of the Nova String Quartet which was formed in 2006 by a group of students at the RSAMD. Laura previously attended the RSAMD Junior Academy where she showed outstanding potential as a ‘cellist and was awarded a scholarship.

Laura is a member of the NYOS, where she leads the ‘cello section, and has played with the prestigious Camerata Scotland. She won the Forth Valley arts festival in 2005 and last year won the Rotary International Young Musician award for Central Scotland.

In 2007 she toured Scotland in an apprenticeship scheme with the Scottish Ensemble and Raphael Wallfisch. In 2008 she attends the Singapore National Youth Orchestra Chamber Music Festival.

How the Award Helped

The Dewar Arts Award will contribute towards the purchase of a professional standard ‘cello which Laura needs to support her career as a musician.

Since the Award

Subsequently, Laura wrote to say that after a long time of searching for the right cello, she eventually bought one from one of her tutors.  She writes, “as I progress as a cellist, I am able to find new sounds which were not available on the lower quality instrument I previously owned.” Laura is currently continuing her studies in Bremen with renowned Scottish cellist, Alexander Baillie.

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The ‘cello [I am buying] is one of the nicest I have played …..I am incredibly grateful for this award.

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2008 Awardee: Liam Harley

I am delighted to accept the Dewar Arts Award. I would like to thank everyone involved for allowing me this fantastic opportunity.

YEAR OF AWARD: 2008
AGE AT AWARD: 15
ARTFORMS: , ,
 
 
 

Biography

From a very musical family, where all the members play musical instruments, Liam started to learn music on a penny whistle, quickly graduating to the concert flute. He is now extremely accomplished on both instruments and is the 2008 Scottish flute and whistle champion. He competed in the All Britain Championships playing solo flute and whistle.

When Liam was loaned an old practice set of Uillean Pipes at school, he made remarkable and quick progress on this challenging instrument. A pupil at Holyrood Secondary School in Glasgow, Liam is a member of the school’s traditional music group ‘Oran’, playing both flute and the pipes, which has performed at the school’s award ceremonies and other concerts. He says himself that, “playing the pipes is my favourite thing to do and gives me such pleasure.”

Liam is occasionally able to play his tutor’s full set of pipes and has been told that he has the ability to go far. His ambition is indeed to compete in the All Britain and the World Championships in Ireland playing the pipes, but without a good quality set his progress will be seriously hampered.

How the Award Helped

The Dewar Arts Award enables Liam to purchase a set of Uilleann pipes.

Since the Award

Subsequently, Liam writes that since receiving delivery of his new pipes, he has played at many ceilidhs, school functions and family gatherings.  Currently, he is focussing on final school exams but hopes to compete at the 2010 Glasgow Feis.

His long-term aim is to excel at playing the Uilleann pipes, which he has been told by the experts takes many years of practice.

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I am delighted to accept the Dewar Arts Award. I would like to thank everyone involved for allowing me this fantastic opportunity.

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