30 March 2026

New Writers Award success for David Ross Linklater

A rising voice in Scottish poetry, the Dewar Awardee is one of nine recipients of Scottish Book Trust’s 2026 New Writers Award.

We are thrilled to congratulate David Ross Linklater on being named a recipient of the prestigious Scottish Book Trust 2026 New Writers Award.

Originally from Easter Ross, David received a Dewar Award in 2015 to support his masters studies in Creative Writing at the University of Glasgow. Since graduating, he has earned significant acclaim for a poetic voice that draws inspiration from rural life, exploring the intricate relationships between people, place and tradition.

David’s work has appeared in Poetry Ireland Review and The Dark Horse, and he is the author of five pamphlets. His most recent collection, Affection is the Broadcast, was published by Pinhole Poetry Press in 2025. His list of accolades include winning the 10th Ó Bhéal International Writing Competition and being shortlisted for the Edwin Morgan Award.

This latest recognition from the Scottish Book Trust provides David with a £2,500 grant, professional mentorship, and a retreat to further develop his craft. Reflecting on the news, David shared:

“Getting the call about this was such a surreal experience. Coming into the new year with a feeling of momentum, I’m excited to really focus and dig into my writing. ”

We have watched David’s career go from strength to strength since his initial award, and look forward to seeing the impact of this new chapter on his work.

 

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16 March 2026

Ruth Wishart Award 2025: Laura Penman

The Dewar Arts Awards is proud to announce Laura Penman as the recipient of the 2025 Ruth Wishart Award.

Laura Penman pictured performing at BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year 2025. Image credit: Alan Peebles.

The Ruth Wishart Award was established to recognise the dedication and expertise of the Dewar Arts Awards founding Chair, Dr Ruth Wishart. A respected broadcaster and journalist, Ruth was instrumental in shaping the Awards’ mission to ensure that no young person in Scotland is prevented from realising their creative and artistic talent because of financial barriers.

The Ruth Wishart Award is distinctive in being awarded retrospectively, rather than through application and is a cash award of £1,000. Each year, the Dewar Trustees review the final reports of Dewar Arts Awardees who have completed their funded projects and, having done so, select a winner. For the 2025 Prize, a shortlist of four was drawn up for Ruth’s final consideration. Ruth then selected the overall recipient. We are delighted that the 2025 Award goes to Laura Penman.

About Laura Penman

Laura Penman is a clarsach player, pianist, and composer whose musical roots began in Gaelic Medium Education in Edinburgh and continued through the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland (RCS) Juniors.  She went on to study on the BMus Traditional Music course at the Royal Conservatoire, graduating in 2024. 

That same year, Laura received a Dewar Award, which enabled her to purchase an electro-harp: 

“Receiving a Dewar Award has kickstarted my musical career after graduating,” Laura said. “It has given me the opportunity to purchase my electro harp, which has in turn allowed me to perform at events across Scotland. I have worked hard to develop my skills, and I’m now reaching a point where I feel confident to create and perform new music using it.”

Since receiving her Dewar Award, Laura’s career has developed rapidly. She has performed at high-profile festivals, including Belladrum and the Edinburgh International Harp Festival, and was named a finalist for the BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year Award in 2025. While at the RCS, Laura also formed, with fellow students, an all-female band called Dàna. The group has performed at a range of events and festivals, including Piping Live! and Under Canvas, and is currently recording its debut album. 

As Laura continues to build her career in the Scottish traditional music scene, the Dewar Awards Trustees are delighted to recognise her progress with The Ruth Wishart Award and look forward to applauding her successes in the future.

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25 February 2026

Fashion News: Strike a Pose

Dewar Awardees Hayley Scanlon and Sarah McCormack named “Ones to Watch” by The Herald Magazine.

We were thrilled to see two former Dewar Awardees recognised as “ones to watch” in Strike a Pose, a recent feature in The Herald Magazine (14 February 2026). The article shines a spotlight on five Scottish fashion designers shaping the future of the industry, including Hayley Scanlan and Sarah McCormack.

Hayley Scanlan

While studying textile design at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design in Dundee, Hayley Scanlan was offered a remarkable opportunity: a nine-month unpaid internship in Los Angeles with renowned designer Jeremy Scott.

During her time in his Hollywood studio, Hayley collaborated on print designs for inclusion in his Spring/Summer 2008 collection. A Dewar Arts Award enabled her to take up the internship and her bold print designs were featured in a ready-to-wear collection showcased at Paris Fashion Week. The experience gave her what she described as an “intense insight into the reality of the hard work and dedication involved in the fashion industry”.

Since then, Hayley’s career has gone from strength to strength. She founded H.S by Hayley Scanlan, an independent contemporary womenswear brand, and became the first designer to win the Scottish Young Designer of the Year award twice at the Scottish Fashion Awards (2012 and 2014). She has also appeared on Netflix reality show Next in Fashion and recently launched a new sewing school in Dundee, offering eight-week programmes for adults and children.

Sarah McCormack

Originally from Dumfries, Sarah McCormack is an experimental designer whose work bridges traditional craftsmanship and contemporary innovation. Sarah began her studies with an HND in Fashion Design at Clyde College, Glasgow, before progressing to a BA at the University of Westminster in London. During her degree, she undertook a year-long industry placement, securing an internship at Maison Margiela Artisanal in Paris under the creative direction of John Galliano.

In 2018, she was accepted onto the prestigious MA Fashion programme at Central Saint Martins, London, and received a Dewar Arts Award to support her postgraduate studies. While at Saint Martins, she was joint winner of the L’Oréal Professionnel Creative Award.

Sarah’s practice centres on handcrafted, artisanal clothing that pairs old and new. Hand dyeing and printing techniques are central to her work, and she frequently combines vintage textiles with experimental fabrications. In 2023, musician and producer FKA Twigs wore one of Sarah’s creations at a Paris Fashion Week gala.

 

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Supporting Scotland’s Creative Future

The Dewar Arts Awards continue to champion young Scottish creatives working in textiles and fashion. Our funding has enabled Awardees to pursue study and postgraduate education, produce collections, and access vital professional development opportunities. Our recent Awardees include Olivia Shearon (2023), Benaissa Majeri (2024) and Arouge Salim (2024).

If you’re a young Scottish creative looking to take the next step in your journey, applications for the Dewar Arts Awards are open all year round. To learn more about our application process and how to apply for our support, visit dewarawards.org/apply.

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16 September 2025

Alyth Ross cast in new BBC legal drama

The 2019 Dewar Awardee will star in Counsels, a new BBC legal drama set in Glasgow.

Dewar Awardee Alyth Ross has been announced as a cast member for the new BBC legal drama Counsels, with filming underway in Glasgow.

Counsels tells the story of young lawyers who are trying to navigate their complex and messy lives at a time when their careers turn serious. Having trained together at an elite law school, the characters are now scattered across the profession and find themselves facing each other in court. The eight-part series has been created by Scottish writers Bryan Elsely and Gillian McCormack. It is being made by Balloon Entertainment for BBC iPlayer, BBC One and BBC Scotland.

Alyth received a Dewar Award in 2019 to support her studies at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Speaking of the award, she said:

“The Dewar Arts award has provided me and so many other young people with a life-changing opportunity; to achieve things I never dreamt I would. As a Scottish student from a rural background, I had never anticipated that I’d have to pay for my higher education, and so when I was first offered my place at Guildhall I almost had to turn it down due to funding. However, thanks to the incredibly generous support from Dewar Arts, I’ve been able to continue my training at this exceptional institution, which is without a doubt everything I’d anticipated and more. I am extremely grateful. From the bottom of my heart, thank you.”

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19 May 2025

Critics’ Awards for Theatre in Scotland

The CATS Awards celebrate extraordinary achievements in Scottish Theatre and we’re delighted to see Dewar Awardees among the 2025 nominees.

The Critics Awards for Theatre in Scotland (CATS) honour the best achievements in Scottish theatre each year, selected by a panel of expert theatre critics. First awarded in 2003, the CATS have become an annual celebration of the best in Scottish theatre. To be eligible for a CATS Award, shows must be substantially produced in Scotland, or developed, rehearsed and premiered in Scotland. We were delighted to see Dewar Awardees Dani Heron (2009) and Martin Quinn (2014) featured in the shortlist for the 2025 Awards.

Dani Heron was nominated for the Outstanding Performance award for Alright Sunshine. A razor-sharp monologue dissecting gender, power, and who owns public space, the play was written by Isla Cowan and directed at the Tron Theatre by 2010 Dewar Awardee Debbie Hannan.

Dani received a Dewar Award in 2009 to support her degree studies at the London Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts. Speaking of the award at the time, she said:

“Without your support, my dram of training at LAMDA may not have been possible, and for that reason I cannot thank you enough.”

Dani was also in the cast of Radiant Vermin at the Tron Theatre, which was shortlisted for Best Ensemble. Philip Ridley’s wickedly comic satire tells the story of a young couple offered a ‘too-good-to-be-true’ way onto the property ladder. In this role, she starred alongside fellow Dewar Awardee Martin Quinn.

Martin received a Dewar Award in 2014 to support his studies at the Guildhall School of Music and Drama. Speaking at the time, he said:

“It is no exaggeration to say that I would find it impossible to train at Guildhall without the support of the Dewar Arts Award. Needless to say, I am very grateful!”

To find out more about the CATS Awards, visit: criticsawards.theatrescotland.com
To find out more about applying to the Dewar Arts Awards, visit: dewarawards.org/apply

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28 January 2025

Visual Arts Round-Up

We’re incredibly proud of our Awardees, who each demonstrate outstanding talent in their field. In this article, we shine a spotlight on some of the stunning work produced by those working in the visual arts.

Erin McQuarrie (2023)

Erin McQuarrie is a textile artist and researcher from Glasgow based in the Scottish Highlands. She believes ancient methods of making provide an innovative means of interpreting and responding to contemporary life. Her work features in ‘Collective Threads’ at The Invisible Dog Art Centre in Brooklyn, New York. Curated by Ana Watterson, the exhibition is accompanied by two weeks of textile and fibre-filled workshops, demonstrations, and performances.

Collective Threads
Thursday 23 January – Sunday 2 February 2025
The Invisible Dog Art Center, Brooklyn

 

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Haneen Hadiy (2022)

Haneen Hadiy is a visual artist whose work explores her Scottish and Iraqi identity. Her works are known for their distinctive intimacy and integrity. She continuously experiments through a variety of mediums to explore her family history, cultural heritage, and identity as a diasporic artist. ‘Scotland Through Her Eyes’ explores the intersection of cultural identity, spirituality, and the natural beauty of Scottish landscapes through the lens of Islamic symbolism. The work features in Nationhood: Memory and Hope, an exhibition of powerful and poignant photography celebrating the diversity of the UK today. The exhibition runs at Impressions Gallery in Bradford from 11 January to 26 April 2024, before touring to Belfast, Cardiff and Glasgow.

Nationhood: Memory and Hope
Saturday 11 January 11 – Saturday 26 April 2025
Impressions Gallery, Bradford

 

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Jean Oberlander (2018)

Jean Oberlander is a Scottish textile artist, educator and writer. Her work focuses on journeys and memories of stitches. Her work featured in Piecing, a group show with Hannah Zbitnew and Ruby Smith at Garage Gallery in Walthomstow, London. The artists describe the show as “an ode to memories of stitches, using what you have and building connections between layers of material”.

Piecing
Friday 7 – Sunday 9 February 2025
Garage Gallery E17, London

 

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Thomas Cameron (2019)

Thomas Cameron closed 2024 with a solo exhibition ‘Twenty-six days a year’ at Canopy Collections in London. Focusing on subjects depicted in moments of waiting, the exhibition captured the understated moments in life, often spent alone and almost immediately forgotten. It was the first exhibition to examine the theme of waiting in Cameron’s practice, which is characterised by figurative paintings depicting everyday scenes of people in the city.

Thomas Cameron | Twenty-six days a year
Friday 8 November— Friday 20 December 2024
Canopy Collections HQ, London

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30 September 2024

Awardee Spotlight: Tessa Mackenzie

Glassworker and illustrator Tessa Mackenzie (Dewar Awardee 2023) has opened The Glaziers Arms in Glasgow’s East End.

Tessa Mackenzie is a glassworker and illustrator based in Glasgow. She is interested in research-led projects, material focus in the built environment, and storytelling.

Tessa moved from London to Glasgow in 2012 to study Communication Design at the Glasgow School of Art. Since graduating she has developed a material-led practice, with a focus around how Stained Glass can enhance the way we experience architecture and the role it has to play in telling the stories of people that occupy a space.

In 2023, Tessa received a Dewar Award to help her explore the technique of acid etching. As Tessa is a self-taught glassmaker, she didn’t have the opportunity to learn complex techniques in a traditional environment. Her Dewar Award allowed her to seek private tuition with stained glass artist Brian Waugh, access necessary facilities, cover material expenses and allocate dedicated time. This financial backing not only allowed her to learn the ancient technique but also paved the way for her to confidently explore innovative methods of production, enhancing and elevating her artistic practice.

Her final piece combines techniques of acid etching, engraving, silver stain, painted enamel, plating and fusing, and images of the work can be viewed in the gallery below.

In August 2024, Tessa opened The Glaziers Arms, a new studio in Glasgow’s East End. The space offers workshops, stained glass windows and glass homewares. To find out more, visit the Instagram or website. You can also find out more about Tessa’s work at tessamackenzie.com.

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8 April 2024

Awardee News: Jen Hadfield

Dewar Awardee Jen Hadfield is one of the recipients of the 2024 Windham-Campbell Prizes.

One of the most significant and prestigious international literary awards, the Windham-Campbell Prizes celebrate achievement across fiction, non-fiction, poetry and drama. The prizes are administered by Yale University’s Beinecke Rare Book & Manuscript Library and recognise how challenging it can be to work in the creative industries. The award allows recipients to focus on their creative practice, independent of financial concerns. Writers do not apply for the prizes, but are instead nominated by an anonymous prize-giving committee.

A quote from the prize committee said: ‘Jen Hadfield’s intricate poems slow down time, reveal overlooked details of the natural world, and forge complex relationships between language, history, and place.’

In 2007, a Dewar Award supported Hadfield to travel to Mexico and research Mexican devotional folk art. This research trip inspired the creation of ‘Nigh-No-Place’, a solo exhibition of Shetland ex-votos in the style of sacred Mexican folk art – ‘tiny, portable, insistently familiar landscapes packed in an array of weathered tobacco tins, incorporating rubrics of very short fiction’.

Speaking of her Dewar Award, Jen said:
“The Dewar Award represented a green light to put my creative work first for most of a year… I consider the Dewar Award to have marked a crucial stage in my developing confidence as an artist in multiple disciplines.”

Jen’s second poetry collection ‘Nigh-No-Place’ won the T.S. Eliot Prize in 2008, and her fourth poetry collection, The Stone Age, won the Highland Book Prize in 2021. Storm Pegs, her work of lyrical non-fiction about island life, will be published by Picador in July 2024.

Read more about Jen Hadfield on the Windham Campbell website

If you feel a Dewar Arts Award could support you in your progression as a young artist, or know someone else who might benefit, find out more about how to apply on our Eligibility and Application pages

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4 March 2024

Awardee News: Embedded Musicians

Dewar Awardees Calum Huggan and Rylan Gleave feature in new short film from Chamber Music Scotland.

Dewar Awardees Calum Huggan (2011) and Rylan Gleave (2021) are featured in a new short film ‘Embedded Musicians’ from Chamber Music Scotland.

Embedded Musicians was an artist-led project that set out to explore and transform chamber music performance. Taking chamber music out of the concert hall, Chamber Music Scotland supported five musicians to form long-term partnerships with performing arts venues across Scotland. The musicians collaborated with regional communities to develop inclusive events that responded to the needs of local groups with a diverse range of chamber music activity.

? Watch the film below or on YouTube:

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29 August 2023

Awardee News: Rylan Gleave

In Chemical Transit, the debut album from All Men Unto Me, explores Rylan Gleave’s vocal journey from Mezzo-Soprano to Bass-Baritone.

The debut album from All Men Unto Me, a project led by 2021 Dewar Awardee Rylan Gleave, has been released to critical acclaim.

In Chemical Transit explores Rylan’s vocal journey from Mezzo-Soprano to Bass-Baritone and serves as a window into three moments in his transition: pre-transition, 8 weeks on Testosterone, and 2.5 years on Testosterone. Using historic recordings of Rylan’s voice, In Chemical Transit is a time capsule of voices that will never sound again. The album is underpinned by Cherubino’s aria Voi che sapete from Mozart’s Le Nozze di Figaro. The aria’s themes permeate the entirety of the record, with a repeated appeal to know “s’io l’ho nel cor”—“if it is in my heart”—returning multiple times in both Italian and English.

Gleave’s exploration of the operatic material is influenced not only by his classical training, but also his avant-garde metal vocals for band Ashenspire. There are also additional themes drawn from minimalism, church music, post-punk, and drone. His broken voice alternates between strangled falsetto, guttural shrieks, and full-bodied classical baritone, and has been likened to ‘Tilt-era Scott Walker’ by C.M. Queen.

The critical response to the release has been positive, with Echoes and Dust calling the album “a provocative sound capsule for the more open minded music lover” and Noob Heavy calling In Chemical Transit “an utterly singular work, the sort of daring project that sits at the forefront of art in both the musical and sociological sense”.

Rylan’s 2021 Dewar Award supported him through an MMus Degree with Dr. Linda Buckley at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, where he won the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland Composition prize.

A digital edition of the album can be downloaded from Bandcamp. Congratulations Rylan – we can’t wait to see what you do next!

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