2007 Awardee: Jenna Reid

YEAR OF AWARD: 2007
AGE AT AWARD: 26
ARTFORMS: ,
WEBSITE:https://www.jennareid.co.uk
 
 

Biography

Shetland-born Jenna Reid began playing the fiddle when she was nine. Together with her brother, sister and pianist mother she formed the family band Filska. The band has recorded three albums and toured the world.

In 1995 Jenna, then 14 years old, won the ‘Shetlands Young Fiddler of the Year’ competition and 9 years’ later was a finalist in the ‘Young Scottish Traditional Musician of the Year’. In between she gained a good degree in Scottish traditional music at the RSAMD, Glasgow and became a professional musician.

In 2005 Jenna released her first solo album and won the award for ‘Best Up and Coming Artist’ at the Scots Traditional Music Awards. Jenna also performed with bands, including the Gaelic band Dochas and Scottish band Deaf Shepherd. As a member of Dochas she recorded two albums and won the award for ‘Best Up and Coming Band’ at the 2003 Scots Traditional Music Awards. All of this was achieved playing a fiddle found in her grandmother’s attic when she was 9 years old.

Not surprisingly, Jenna is regarded as one of the most talented and musical young fiddlers to have emerged in Scotland in the last few years. For more information about Jenna, please see www.jennareid.co.uk.

How the Award Helped

The Dewar Arts Award will enable Jenna to purchase a professional standard fiddle, in time to use when recording her second solo album.

Since the Award

After recording her second CD ‘Laughing Girl’ was finished, Jenna writes that her new fiddle “was a joy to record with” and that now she has “more confidence in my instrument and what it can do and how it will sound at a concert or in a recording studio.” In her new violin, a Southern-German Klotz violin, Jenna has the sound that she wants as a professional fiddle player.

Back

Back

2007 Awardee: Jenni Fagan

I cannot wait to begin my BA in Norwich and I am really excited about the work I plan to do there.

YEAR OF AWARD: 2007
AGE AT AWARD: 29
ARTFORMS: , , ,
 
 
 

Biography

Jenni has been writing creatively since she was in primary school where she won competitions for short stories and poems. Since then, her writing achievements are impressive and to date include winning a national competition in 2004 to represent Scotland at the European Young Playwrights Forum in Athens and in 2006 reaching the final six in a national competition organised by the Playwrights Studio Scotland which entitles her to be mentored by the Studio.

Jenni not only shows incredible talent and promise as a writer, she has a unique voice and poetic originality.

Jenni has built up a substantial body of work already; one book of poetry, an autobiographical novel, three plays, two film scripts, many short stories and countless outlines for future work.

She has been published in Brand Literary Magazine, Flux, Dope USA, Underground Poetix Instanbul, Tate Modern, Graffiti Kalkota India, Dwang Anthology, Beat Anthology and Unthology amongst others.

How the Award Helped

The Dewar Arts Award will support Jenni through a degree in creative writing at Norwich School of Art & Design, and later at Greenwich University.

Since the Award

In 2010 Jenni graduated with a first-class degree. In the same year her novel The Panopticon was completed and her art installation The Scold’s Bridle, a collaboration wth the words of women in prison, was exhibited at Greenwich Gallery.

Her first collection of poetry Urchin Belle, published by Blackheath Books, was a sell-out and her second collection The Dead Queen of Bohemia is published in 2010.

While an undergraduate, Jenni facilitated a writers’ group at Norfolk Blind Association. She begins her first Writer’s Residency at Lewisham Hospital in late 2010. Jenni has accepted a place on the MA course at Royal Holloway, taught by Andrew Motion, starting in the autumn of 2010.

In 2013, Jenni’s novel The Panopticon was nominated for a for the James Tait Black Prize for Fiction. Click here for further details.

Jenni took part in our Tenth Anniversary Celebrations, where she led a Meet the Artist session with fellow Awardee Jonathan Boyd.

Back

I cannot wait to begin my BA in Norwich and I am really excited about the work I plan to do there.

Back

2007 Awardee: Jenny Randall

You cannot imagine how grateful I am or how happy I was on opening your letter! Thank you a million times over.

YEAR OF AWARD: 2007
AGE AT AWARD: 23
ARTFORMS: ,
 
 
 

Biography

Jenny was born in Vancouver and moved to Scotland with her family when she was seven. She has wanted to make films since she was twelve years old. It was a double thrill to be accepted to study film production in the city where she spent her early years.

Jenny started her formal training in film making at Dundee University on the Time Based Art Programme, where she specialised in film. She was considered to be one of the most talented students on the programme where she achieved top grades in all her assessments.

While a student she entered a climbing film Brick and Mortar Disorder, on rock climbing on buildings, into the Dundee Mountain Film Festival and won second place in the People’s Choice competition. She demonstrated her talent and potential for film-making by bringing a fresh approach and a sense of humour to the genre.

Jenny’s short film ‘Stupidity Pays’ can be viewed on the Channel4 4Talent website, and her film ‘Rat’ has been nominated for a Royal Television Society Student Award. She is the second awardee to be supported to study at the prestigious Vancouver Film School.

How the Award Helped

The Dewar Arts Award will help fund Jenny at Vancouver Film School to study film production.

Since the Award

Jen successfully graduated from VFS and moved back to Glasgow in 2009 to look for work.  She writes, “with a script in my back pocket and an eagerness to get in touch with the contacts I have [in Glasgow].. I am very excited to be returning to Scotland, and I will always be extremely grateful to Dewar Arts Awards for supporting me.”

Back

You cannot imagine how grateful I am or how happy I was on opening your letter! Thank you a million times over.

Back

2007 Awardee: Joanne Timmins

I am delighted to accept the trustees offer of one of the Dewar Arts Awards.

YEAR OF AWARD: 2007
AGE AT AWARD: 27
ARTFORMS: ,
 
 
 

Biography

Joanne Timmins is considered to be a most original, committed, disciplined and intelligent young theatre director, and a name to watch. She is committed to producing the highest quality theatre for children and young people.

In 2003, Jo graduated from Queen Margaret University College with a first class honours degree in Drama and Theatre Arts. Her specific interest is in children’s theatre, and according to one of the leading drama tutors in Scotland “we have not seen her like in this sector of theatre for many years”.

Jo, now based in Edinburgh, has lived in Scotland for the past 18 years. In 2004 she set up her own theatre company Cat in a Cup to develop and direct original theatre productions for children. One of the productions, Such is Nature, was a hugh success, most recently at Baboro, the largest theatre festival for children in Ireland. The piece was described by the Scottish Playwrights Studio as one of the most acclaimed plays produced in Scotland over the last two years. She is considered by many in the sector to be the outstanding new talent in the area of performing arts for children and young people.

How the Award Helped

Jo is currently Director in Residence with Imaginate. In this role, she will develop a process and aesthetic to inspire future children’s theatre. It is for this work that the Dewar Arts Award is supporting Jo.

Since the Award

After successfully completing her project “Theatre of Possibility”, Jo set up her own company Lyra which will produce ‘Rebecca’s Midnight’ in 2011.  The foundations of the company are rooted in the Theatre of Possibility concept. Jo writes that “the effects of the award have been long-lasting and continue to influence my development.”

Back

I am delighted to accept the trustees offer of one of the Dewar Arts Awards.

Back

2007 Awardee: Jodie Oliver

I am eternally grateful for this award as it will help me complete my course and fulfil a dream.

YEAR OF AWARD: 2007
AGE AT AWARD: 24
ARTFORMS: ,
 
 
 

Biography

Edinburgh-born Jodie Oliver has been passionate about music since the age of five when she first began piano lessons. Her love of musical theatre started when she became involved with the National Youth Musical Theatre as a teenager. Jodie started off at Edinburgh University studying for a law degree, but soon realised she had made a mistake in not following her first love. She switched to music and recently graduated with an honours degree.

Jodie’s interest has always been in directing musical theatre, although this is not an easy path for a female to follow. She directed many productions in Edinburgh before moving to London to try to establish a career for herself and build a name for herself. Shortly after the move, Mountview Academy announced the start of a new postgraduate course in Musical Directing. The course was open to only one student, with the aim of developing them to be able to direct a West End musical on completion. Jodie was selected for that place.

As this achievement testifies, Jodie is considered to be a new and exciting talent in musical theatre, with energy and creative passion to match.

How the Award Helped

The Dewar Arts Award will help towards the costs of Jodie’s course.

Since the Award

After successfully completing the course, Jodie was signed up by a London agent. Interesting projects which she began working on immediately include the London run of the musical Mathilde and a European tour of The 12 Tenors.

Back

I am eternally grateful for this award as it will help me complete my course and fulfil a dream.

Back

2007 Awardee: John Burlington

Thank you for this amazing award. I am very grateful.

YEAR OF AWARD: 2007
AGE AT AWARD:
ARTFORMS: ,
 
 
 

Biography

From the age of 2, John has loved to dance and showed from the start that he had unusual talent. Despite the success of films like ‘Billy Elliot’, it is still tough for a boy to pursue a career in dancing.

Hailing from Motherwell, John has had his share of bullying and teasing. However, according to one of his early dance teachers ‘his understanding of his potential helped him through those difficult teenage years’.

John’s early dance training was at some of the leading dance schools for young people in Scotland. In 1994 he performed in a production of ‘Oliver!’ at the London Palladium. He has also worked regularly in pantomime and in 1999 won the Young Dancer of the Year Competition in North Lanarkshire.

In 2006 John won a funded place at the renowned Bird College, Kent to study dance and theatre performance. His dream is to dance on the West End stage.

How the Award Helped

The Dewar Arts Awards is helping to fund John through the first year of his studies at Bird College.

After demonstrating excellent progress in his studies, John’s funding was continued for a further two years. He writes, “I feel I have progressed well …[and] consider myself now to be technically stronger which has given me a good base on which to further my technique and strength.”

Since the Award

While still at college, John was invited to audition for Matthew Bourne’s Swan Lake and offered a reserve position in the production. After gaining a good degree, John was signed immediately by an agency and offered a position as singer/dancer on a six-star world cruise ship.

Back

Thank you for this amazing award. I am very grateful.

Back

2007 Awardee: Jonathan Boyd

I would like to thank …. everyone at Dewar Arts Awards for this truly amazing opportunity.

YEAR OF AWARD: 2007
AGE AT AWARD: 23
ARTFORMS: , ,
 
 
 

Biography

Aberdeen-born Jonathan Boyd has been designing jewellery to wear since he was sixteen years old. He gained entry to Glasgow School of Art to pursue his passion for jewellery design, where he graduated with a first-class honours degree. He won the Richard Hubbard Memorial Prize while at the GSA.

Jonathan’s work is mostly narrative based and his most recent collection focussed on remembrance and personal memory. His degree show stood out from work by his contemporaries and compared convincingly with mature work by respected British and European makers.

Since graduation, Jonathan has produced both private commissions and exhibited at the major jewellery exhibitions and galleries, including Galerie Marzee (Holland), Dazzle’s Winter Exhibition in London and New Designers Section, which is an exhibition of the 50 best designers who exhibited at New Designers 2006. Jonathan was also runner-up for the 2006 Designer of the Year Award.

Pursuing an MA at the Royal College of Art is the next step for Jonathan to extend his technical skills and to develop conceptually.

How the Award Helped

The Dewar Arts Award will help finance Jonathan to pursue an MA in metalsmithing, goldsmithing, silversmithing and jewellery at the Royal College of Art, London.

Since the Award

During his two years at RCA, Jonathan won a number of prizes including the Wadesddon Manor Commended Award and Marzee International Graduate Award and, principally, the Theo Fennel Award for Overall Excellence at the RCA Graduate Show. He was also shortlisted for the Conran Award 2009. Since finishing his MA, Jonathan has exhibited in several high-profile galleries.

Alongside his creative work he returns to the Glasgow School of Art as a lecturer/tutor. Of his work, Jonathan writes that it “addresses themes of written language, text and the object and their complex and intricate relationships.”

April 2014: Jonathan designed the medals for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games (read more here)

January 2013: Jonathan’s work was exhibited as part of our Tenth Anniversary Exhibition, Roots to Shoots.

Back

I would like to thank …. everyone at Dewar Arts Awards for this truly amazing opportunity.

Back

2007 Awardee: Katie McIvor

I'm hoping that my new lever harp will enable me to go further in areas of folk music and classical. The Dewar Award has made all of this possible and was a huge help in so many ways.

YEAR OF AWARD: 2007
AGE AT AWARD: 16
ARTFORMS: ,
 
 
 

Biography

In her sixth year at Peebles High when she won the award, Katie started playing the harp in 2002. She performs regularly with the Peebles Youth Orchestra, where she played solo harp in Vaughan Williams’ Greensleeves at their 2005 Spring Concert.

Katie is currently a pupil of renowned harpist, Savourna Stevenson, who recognised her innate musical talent from the outset. In 2006 Katie won second place in the Advanced clàrsach section of the Edinburgh Competition Festival. She also plays the flute, piano and violin, as well as singing in the school choir.

Katie is an accomplished performer with an impressive and varied repertoire. She is regularly invited to play at local festivals, including the “Strings & Stories” event in East Lothian in 2005 where she performed alongside Donald Smith from the Scottish Storytelling Centre. It was such a success that it will be repeated in 2006.

Katie’s own creative compositions for the clàrsach have caught the attention in particular as being of exceptional quality for someone of her age, pointing to great potential in the future.

How the Award Helped

The Dewar Arts Award will help Katie to buy a new harp.

Since the Award

Katie wanted a specific type of clarsach to complement her playing style.  She persuaded Scottish harp maker, Mark Norris, to create a prototype clarsach/lever harp to combine the compact, portable qualities of Mark Norris clarsachs with heavier strings and a larger, louder soundboard.  He also agreed to paint it lilac!  Katie won a place to study for a year at the Royal Conservatoire of Music in The Hague.

Back

I'm hoping that my new lever harp will enable me to go further in areas of folk music and classical. The Dewar Award has made all of this possible and was a huge help in so many ways.

Back

2007 Awardee: Kayleigh Sharp

I couldn't have done [this] without having my new instrument!

YEAR OF AWARD: 2007
AGE AT AWARD: 17
ARTFORMS: ,
 
 
 

Biography

Hailing from Inverclyde, Kayleigh Sharp has huge potential as a flautist. Her ambition is to study for a music degree; until recently she attended RSAMD’s Junior School, where she was considered to be a wonderfully gifted musician of drive and commitment.

During her time at Junior School, Kayleigh played in their orchestras and various chamber ensembles. She was commended for her playing in the School’s woodwind competition and performed in a master-class with international flautist, Wissam Boustany.   Kayleigh has won prizes in local music festivals and is current holder of the Inverclyde Music Festival’s Musician’s Union Shield and Trophy as well as being 2007 winner of the Greenock Rotary Club’s ‘Young Musician of the Year’.   Kayleigh is particularly interested in contemporary music and has played several of Ian Clark’s works in concert, with whom she has had private lessons.

How the Award Helped

The Dewar Arts Award enabled Kayleigh to buy a flute.

Since the Award

Kayleigh successfully gained a place at the London College of Music studying flute and writes that “I couldn’t have done [this] without having my new instrument!”  Since finding a flute, Kayleigh has played with the Edinburgh Youth Orchestra under the baton of En Shao with Julian Lloyd Webber as soloist and performed with RSAMD’s Scottish National Wind Orchestra.

Back

I couldn't have done [this] without having my new instrument!

Back

2007 Awardee: Keith Gray

This award will allow me to completely concentrate on my work without the financial stress and worry that I would have had without it … I am very grateful.

YEAR OF AWARD: 2007
AGE AT AWARD: 29
ARTFORMS: ,
 
 
 

Biography

Aberdeen-born Keith put himself through a first degree at Central St Martin’s London to study fashion print, as he could not pursue this at a college in Scotland. While studying at Central St Martin’s he worked on a number of design collections which were subsequently shown in London, Milan and Paris Fashion weeks.

In 2007, his graduate collection of menswear, using all his own prints, was chosen by Central St Martin’s to be shown at the York Hall Press Show. Only a handful of students are fortunate enough to be selected. His tutor says of his final show that it ‘displayed a mature, restrained subtlety and attention to detail that distinguished him from his peers .. and his work reveals a wit and intelligence that never becomes too obvious or overstated.” Keith was awarded a first-class for his practical work.

Keith went on to win a place on the prestigious MA course in Printed Textiles at the Royal College of Art to develop his textile design creativity.

How the Award Helped

The Dewar Arts Award contributed towards Keith’s tuition fees and living expenses.

Since the Award

After his first year at RCA, Keith writes, “This year … has been hugely beneficial for me as a designer and as a person. My work, ideas and technical skills have all developed and matured giving me the confidence and a clear vision of what I wish to do in the future as a designer. Without the generous help of the Dewar Arts Award this year would not have been so successful for me..” Keith’s support has been extended for a second and final year.

Keith successfully graduated with MA Textiles from the Royal College of Art. As well as submitting a full and comprehensive portfolio for his textiles examinations, he was invited to show a full collection at the RCA catwalk show, something which is extremely rare. The current economic climate (late 2009) is not a good time to start out in fashion. Keith has started up his own fashion label specialising in mens’ shirting whilst also seeking an internship with a major designer.

He writes, “Without [your] belief and financial support …., I would not have been able to take full advantage of the RCA’s teaching and resources and this in turn has given me the freedom to work late at night and during weekends always giving my full attention and commitment to my studies. The enormous commitment from the Dewar award has given me a unique opportunity to create a solid platform for my future.”

Back

This award will allow me to completely concentrate on my work without the financial stress and worry that I would have had without it … I am very grateful.

Back