A new commissioning partnership in Scotland has been launched with the aim of developing new creative talent in the country.
The BBC Introducing: Now & Next initiative is produced in association with LUX Scotland, which supports and promotes artists’ moving image practices in Scotland, with support from Creative Scotland. It will showcase the work of emerging artists while also offering established practitioners opportunities to work on collaborative commissions.
The intention is to commission 20 new works from artists currently based in Scotland with three commissioning calls issued by LUX Scotland over the next 12 months.
The scheme will have an emphasis on collaboration, with the initiative encouraging artists to work with practitioners across different art forms, including dance, theatre, animation, and spoken work.
The films will be shown on a variety of BBC platforms on air and online, including television, BBC iPlayer and BBC Scotland’s social media channels.
Nicole Yip, director of LUX Scotland, said: “It is an initiative that promises to bridge a gap between artists’ practice and the breadth of British broadcasting. In the process, BBC Introducing: Now & Next will encourage collaboration between artists and the many sectors of Scotland’s creative community. This is a fantastic opportunity for artists, LUX Scotland and the BBC alike.”
Pauline Law, head of multiplatform production at BBC Scotland, explained that the initiative hopes to “tap into the energy and inventiveness that we know exists within Scotland’s creative sector and will give a voice and platform to filmmakers and artists working in all genres.”
She added: “We’re particularly keen to encourage creative collaborations across different disciplines so for example combining animation and music or dance and spoken word. The opportunities are really exciting and together with our partners we’re looking forward to seeing how Scotland’s creative community engage with us.”
The first call is focused on BBC’s digital arts platform, Loop, with short films under five minutes in length being commissioned.
The deadline for submissions for the first brief is 16 December 2018. For more information visit www.luxscotland.org.uk
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