Scottish Sculpture Workshop: creating an international artists' residency centre

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Things are changing in a quiet corner of the North East of Scotland. With investment from the Scottish Arts Council and Aberdeenshire Council a small organisation based in the village of Lumsden is set to become an international centre for the very best contemporary artists.

For over 20 years the Scottish Sculpture Workshop (SSW) has been facilitating projects for artists. Sculptors have come from all around the world - from Japan and the USA, from Latvia and Chile, Zimbabwe and India - to benefit from the technical facilities and help on offer and to respond to the unique surroundings of the rural North East of Scotland.

In recent years, however, the art world has changed with artists moving in and out of traditional areas such as "sculpture" or "painting" as projects demand. New ways of working such as digital imaging and interdisciplinary practice are playing an increasingly important role. SSW is changing to respond to these new ways of working.

To develop as a centre of excellence, SSW will focus on developing new creative debate, research, experimentation and practice with artists in the context of an inspiring rural environment. These new developments are supported by a substantial grant from the Scottish Arts Council National Lottery Advancement Programme. The Advancement Programme "exists to enable arts organisations in Scotland to achieve lasting positive change by responding to new opportunities and challenges in a way which is sustainable." Participation in the Advancement Programme is enabling SSW to restructure to become an international residency centre with the emphasis unequivocally on excellence - excellence both of the experience of resident artists, and of the art they create.

SSW's Chairperson, Mary Bourne, said, "This is a fantastic opportunity to create a first class facility for emerging and established artists in Scotland. The interchange and debate which can happen here between Scotland's best artists, other artists from around the world, and a network of local contacts, will bring an atmosphere of challenging vitality which should produce very interesting artistic results."

The three-year development plan will involve a reconsideration of premises, facilities and an increase in staff and turnover to support a more carefully curated and realised programme. The new post of Director for the restructured organisation is being advertised this month (March) in the Guardian and Art Monthly.

Amanda Catto, Head of Visual Arts at the Scottish Arts Council, said: "The Scottish Arts Council is excited by the prospect of a new centre for international exchange, research and production which will build upon the excellent work already carried out by artists and the network of galleries and workshops we currently fund. Our aim is to ensure that Scotland continues to be recognised as a centre of excellence in and for the visual arts, nationally and internationally and we therefore welcome SSW's plans to establish this new resource."

Councillor Alan Findlay, Chair of the Education and Recreation Committee of Aberdeenshire Council, said: “In supporting the work of Scottish Sculpture Workshop, Aberdeenshire Council recognises the valuable contribution which visiting artists make to our local culture and economy. SSW’s evolving role as an international residency centre will extend this relevant work, promoting the value of connecting artists with communities, encouraging research and investigating issues that relate to the landscape of the north east. We look forward to welcoming artists from across the globe, and learning with them, and from them.”