Courtesy of Glasgow Jazz Festival

Funding for bursaries to attend jazzahead! 2024

Bursaries are available for Scotland-based artists or their Scotland-based representatives to attend jazzahead! 2024 in Bremen, Germany (Thursday 11 – Saturday 13 April 2024). The bursaries are funded by The National Lottery through Creative Scotland and administered by Glasgow Jazz Festival.

The deadline for applications is 6pm, Monday 15 January 2024.

What is jazzahead!?
jazzahead! is the largest gathering of world-class professional delegates working in jazz. The event features a trade fair, showcases and conference sessions. It is a professional and career development opportunity to expand awareness of the international jazz sector, and to network with industry professionals from all over the world: programmers, promoters, record labels, publishers, distributors, artist managers, broadcasters and journalists.

How to apply for a bursary
If you are interested in applying for a bursary to attend jazzahead! 2024, please download and read the guidance.

You can submit your application via the online form until 6pm, Monday 15 January 2024.

You can also apply with a six-minute audio or video recording.

To download the list of information you need to provide in your recording, please see the original post on the Glasgow Jazz Festival’s website.

Please send a link to the completed recording to glasgow@jazzfest.co.uk by 6pm, Monday 15 January 2024.

Public voting is now open for the 21st MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards! This year’s awards sees 110 artists and organisations nominated across 22 categories, a strong reminder of the vibrance and variety at play across Scotland’s folk and traditional music scene.

Voting is open now and closes on Sunday 19th November. To vote, please head to:
https://projects.handsupfortrad.scot/scotstradmusicawards/voting/

The nominees are:

Album of the Year, sponsored by Birnam CD
– Dialogues by Su-a Lee
– Awakening by Ìmar
– Haar by Lauren MacColl
– DIAD by Tim Edey & Ross Ainslie
– Tempus by Skerryvore
– Decemberwell Decade by Mike Vass
– Fàs by Breabach
– Dusk Moon by Rura
– I See A World by Peatbog Faeries
– Black Cuillin by Duncan Chisholm

Citty Finlayson Scots Singer of the Year, sponsored by Traditional Music and Song Association of Scotland
– Iona Fyfe
– Arthur Nicolson
– Claire Hastings
– Chloe Matharu

Club of the Year
– Edinburgh Folk Club
– Glassel Gigs, Aberdeenshire
– Letham Nights
– The Gaitherin South Sessions, Glasgow

Community Project of the Year, sponsored by Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland
– Fèis Rois Ceilidh Trail
– The TAM Sessions – Claire Gullan and Kirstie McLanaghan
– A Tune For The Foodbank, Inverness
– School of Dàimh at the Arisaig Hotel
– Angus Mackenzie / Eilean a’ Cheòl
– Mull Music Makers
– Lismore Dance Band

Composer of the Year, sponsored by PRS for Music
– Kenneth I MacKenzie
– Rebecca Hill and Charlie Stewart
– Graham Mackenzie
– Catriona Price
– Heidi Talbot

Event of the Year, sponsored by VisitScotland
– Orkney Folk Festival
– Hoolie in the Hydro
– Eilean Dorcha Festival (EDF)
– Tartan Day, New York
– Glasgow Fèis
– The Reeling, Glasgow

Gaelic Singer of the Year, sponsored by Highland Society of London
– Donald Francis MacNeil
– Muriel Urquhart
– Gillebrìde MacMillan
– Eilidh Cormack
– Joy Dunlop
– Lana Phaeton

Live Act of the Year, sponsored by Gordon Duncan Memorial Trust
– Elephant Sessions
– Trail West
– Talisk
– Niteworks
– An Dannsa Dub
– Valtos
– Ryan Young

Music Tutor of the Year, sponsored by Creative Scotland Youth Music Initiative
– Amy Lord
– Domhnall Bàn MacDonald
– Louise Hunter
– Rachel Hair
– Jenna Reid

Musician of the Year, sponsored by University of the Highlands and Islands
– Esther Swift
– James Lindsay
– Julie Fowlis
– Graham Rorie
– Euan McLaughlin
– Rory Matheson

Original Work of the Year, sponsored Musicians’ Union
– The Hearth by Tom Oakes
– Quarterdays by Gavin Marwick
– Rose Window by Grace Stewart-Skinner (Commission for Spirit:360)
– The Swim by Jeneric (Jenn Austin and Eric Linklater)
– The Clearances Again by Donald Francis MacNeil and Skipinnish

Scottish Dance Band of the Year, sponsored by National Association of Accordion and Fiddle Clubs
– Iain MacPhail
– Cullivoe Band
– Crynoch Ceilidh Band
– Sandy Nixon

Scottish Folk Band of the Year, sponsored by Threads of Sound
– Blazin’ Fiddles
– Assynt
– Rachel Walker and Aaron Jones
– Gnoss
– Dallahan
– Beinn Lee
– Trip

Scottish Pipe Band of the Year, sponsored by National Piping Centre
– The Peoples Ford Boghall and Bathgate Caledonia Pipe Band
– Renfrewshire Schools Pipe Band
– Glasgow Skye Association Pipe Band

Trad Music in the Media, sponsored by Glasgow Caledonian University
– Craig Irving’s Guitar Instrumentals
– Gary West’s Enjoy Your Piping Podcast
– Deirdre Graham’s Gaelic Song Stories Podcast
– Fiona McNeill’s Celtic and Folk Fusions
– Travelling Folk, BBC Radio Scotland

Up and Coming Artist of the Year, sponsored by Royal Conservatoire of Scotland
– The Shands
– Donald and Peigi Barker
– Cala
– Lucie Hendry
– Elie McLaren and Ciar Milne
– The Madeleine Stewart Trio

Venue of the Year
– The Tolbooth, Stirling
– The Caird Hall, Dundee
– Lyth Arts Centre
– Breasclete Hall, Lewis

A raft of industry awards will also recognise individuals and organisations which support the creative pipeline of the sector. Those finalists are:

Graphics Designer
– Somhairle MacDonald
– VanGill Media
– Loom Graphics
– Elly Lucas

Traditional Music Enabler
– Lisa Whytock
– Craig Corse, CCM Live
– Dave Francis, Traditional Music Forum
– Mhari McLeman, Shetland Folk Festival

Photographer
– Marc Marnie
– Euan Robertson Photography
– Paul Jennings
– Eion Carey

Venue Technician
– Moray Munro, Queen’s Hall, Edinburgh
– Stirling Tolbooth Technical Team
– Gary at the Ceilidh Place
– Mike Adkins, An Lanntair

Sue Wilson New Writer Award, sponsored by Songlines Magazine
– Alana MacInnes – Uist Beò
– Angus MacPhail – Oban Times
– Alan Murray

A number of special prizes will also be awarded on the night, selected by a panel of esteemed industry judges, for services to traditional music and culture. John Urquhart will receive the Services to Gaelic Award, sponsored by Bòrd na Gàidhlig; Donald Smith will be presented with The Hamish Henderson Services to Traditional Music Award, while Frieda Morrison will receive The Janet Paisley Services to Scots Language Award, sponsored by Creative Scotland.

Text provided by the Traditional Music Forum.

The Traditional Music Forum (TMF) is seeking new trustees to join the organisation’s Board of Directors.

The main responsibilities of the Board include governance, advocacy, strategic direction, as well as ensuring the legal and ethical commitments and standards of the organisation are met.

Meetings are held quarterly and are either online or in person. In person meetings are usually held in Perth, as it is suitable for all our current trustees’ domestic locations.

The role of trustee is voluntary and the TMF will refund any reasonable travel costs to attend Board meetings.

We are a welcoming and friendly organisation and information about the current trustees, staff and the work of the TMF can be found on our website.

Who we are looking for
The TMF is looking for applicants who are passionate about traditional music in Scotland. Applications from those willing to learn about the sector are also welcome.

To ensure we have a diverse range of knowledge represented on the board, we are particularly keen to hear from people with skills in any of the following areas:

• Finance / accounting
• Human resources
• Policy planning
• Economic development
• Scottish charity law
• Local Government policy knowledge
• Social care

We would also welcome applications from those aged between 18-30 years old.

How to apply
Please send an email stating your interest in being a TMF trustee and the skills and/or knowledge you feel you will bring to the Board to:

TMF Board Secretary, Laura Harrington
Email address: lauralockyer@hotmail.com

The TMF is an equal opportunities organisation. If you wish to have an informal discussion, prior to submitting an email of interest, please contact:

TMF Board Chair, Lori Watson
Email address: lori@loriwatson.net

For more information about the Traditional Music Forum, please check out our website and social media channels:

• www.traditionalmusicforum.org
• @TradMusicForum