CREATIVE TRAVEL AWARD
Application Guidelines for young people
18 – 25 years of age.
This document provides guidelines for individuals applying for the Creative Travel Award from
Aberdeen City Council. These are structured into three sections:
1. Key information to consider before you decide to apply
Page 2
2. Advice for completing your application
Page 5
3. What happens after you submit your application
Page 9
Contact
For further information or to speak with a member of staff, please contact us on:
Website: www.aberdeencity.gov.uk/creativefunding
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 01224 522 341
Available Support
In addition to these guidelines, we also provide application workshops and one to one advice
sessions. Please visit the website or contact us to find out more.
The one to one sessions are available on:Tuesday 12, 19, 26, April and 3 & 10 May 2016. 1 – 4 pm. These can be booked through Eventbrite.
The sessions are at Seventeen, 15 – 17 Belmont Street, Aberdeen AB10 I JR.
How to apply
Step 1: Read these guidelines to ensure you meet the requirements and can develop an application
which meets the criteria.
Step 2: Visit the website or contact us to find out about upcoming application deadlines and to
download or request an application form. Attend one of the one to one sessions and/or contact
[email protected].
Step 3: Consider if you require any additional support before submitting your application. If you
require further information then contact [email protected]/.
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Step 4: Submit the application via email to [email protected] or by post to
Creative Travel Award Funding, Education and Children’s Services, Aberdeen City Council,
Business Hub 13, Marischal College, Broad Street, Aberdeen, AB10 1AB.
1. Key Information to consider before you apply
1.1
Who can apply?

Aberdeen city residents who are 18 – 25 years of age at the time of the application
City residents who are 18 – 25 years of age at the time of application are eligible to apply. Where
proposed activity takes place outside of the city, such as professional development, the benefits to
the city must be clearly presented.

Non Aberdeen residents
. Non Aberdeen residents cannot apply for the Creative Travel Award.

Students
Students are eligible to apply for the Creative Travel Award.
1.2
What areas does Creative Travel Award cover?
This Creative Travel Award is open to young creative individuals across all creative activity.
This covers a range of areas within arts, culture, heritage and the creative industries. This includes,
but is not limited to, the following:
Archives
Computer Games
Crafts
Cultural Education
Dance
Design
Fashion and Textiles
Film and Video Heritage
Language and the Written Word
Music
Photography
Software/Electronic Publishing
Theatre
TV and Radio
Visual Arts
Writing and Publishing
If you are unsure if your proposed area aligns to this funding programme, please contact us
to discuss this further.
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1.3
What type of activity can I apply for?
This Creative Travel Award offers a unique opportunity for young people to undertake a
residency/training or shadowing opportunity with an arts organisation in Calgary, Canada.
This can be self-initiated. Young people are encouraged to make links with an organisation in
Calgary and develop a programme that suits their individual needs and interests.
This opportunity is open to young creative individuals across all creative activity to:

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Develop creatively and/or present new work.
Facilitate new collaborations to support artistic development and experimentation.
Develop personally through mentorship to support creative programming, producing and
curation.
1.4 Why Calgary in Canada?
Calgary has been supporting the Aberdeen City Council Culture Network develop a culture
plan for the city, and linking the Creative Travel Award with Calgary helps support and build
necessary transferable knowledge and skills to help young people in Aberdeen progress.
If you are unsure if your proposed activity fits this funding programme, please contact us to
discuss this further.
1.5
What we cannot fund?
The Creative Travel Award is open to a wide range of proposals however there are some
applicants and activities which cannot be supported, including:
 Applications from individuals who are not between the ages of 18 – 25 at time of
application.
 Individuals based outside of Aberdeen city.
 Previous recipients of the Diamond Jubilee Travel Bursary 2014 – March 2015, or the
Creative Travel Award 2015 – March 2016.
 Backdated costs associated with your activity.
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
1.6
Projects which support or promote religious or political activity.
How much support is available?
Individuals may apply for up to a maximum of £6,600. You may only submit one application
by the deadline.
There are no match-funding requirements for individuals, however all applicants are
encouraged, where possible, to explore different funding opportunities.
1.7
What is the criteria?
The Creative Travel Award is relatively open in that we will consider a diverse range of
creative activities with different aims and objectives. We do however look for quality, ambition
and deliverability within each application.
The Panel which will review your application will consider:




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Has the applicant undertaken suitable research into the support organisation in
Calgary?
Does the application clearly demonstrate a desire to develop creatively and
artistically?
Has the applicant clearly outlined how they will make sue of the Award to support their
development?
Is the quality and/or potential of the individual and their work clear?
Is the applicant aiming to try new things or take risks to support their development?
Does the proposed use of the Award appear well planned and deliverable?
Is it evident what level of financial support is required?
Has the applicant evidence a desire to develop, and an ability to reflect upon their
practice and personal development?
The Creative Travel Award is likely to be highly competitive and all applicants are
encouraged to consider how their application meets the majority, if not all, of these
considerations.
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2.
2.1
General advice

Seek support
Advice for completing your application
In addition to these guidelines, there are different support options available to you. This
includes group workshops and one to one advice sessions. If you have any questions or
require additional support, we advise all applicants to contact us as early as possible to
arrange this.
The one to one sessions are available on:Tuesday 19, 26, April and 3 & 10 May 2016. 1 – 4 pm. These can be booked through
Eventbrite. The sessions are at Seventeen, 15 – 17 Belmont Street, Aberdeen AB10 I JR.

Time
Our experience in assessing applications is that it is often clear where they have been
rushed and as a result do not fully reflect the quality of activity seeking support. Where
possible, you should ensure you leave adequate time to draft and review your application
prior to submission.

Word-count
We have specified a maximum word count for each question in the application. However, as
each application is different there is no right or wrong word-count and you may choose not to
use the entire allocation. You should instead aim for focus and clarity, ensuring that all
information included is relevant to your application.

Language
Your application will be reviewed by an assessment panel which may include individuals who
will not be familiar with specific terminology. Where possible, you should use plain and
simple language within your application.

Proofreading
We advise all applicants to proofread their applications thoroughly prior to submission. This
will help ensure all relevant information is included and any potential errors are corrected.
Asking someone external to proofread your application may also be helpful in ensuring the
information is clear and easy to understand.
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2.2
Completing your Application
The following section provides guidance on completing each area of your application.
1.
Contact Details
Please list your contact details. These will be the details we will use to send all
correspondence, so please ensure we are updated of any changes.
2.
Application Summary
Level of Funding Requested
Please state the total level of funding you are requesting from Aberdeen City Council. This
must not exceed £6600 for the Creative Travel Award.
Creative Area
Please tick the creative areas which apply to your application. You may tick as many as
applicable. This information is used to record which areas are supported through our funding
programmes. When assessing applications, there is no preference applied to any area.
Type of Activity
Please indicate the estimated number of different activities that will take place. For example,
if you are attending or hosting workshops, putting on performances or publishing a book,
please list how many will be supported through this application. This information helps us
understand the type and level of activity taking place. When assessing applications, there is
no preference applied to a specific type or level of activity.
Time of Year
Please indicate the period in which your activity will take place and any other key dates.
3.
About You
Please tell us about yourself
Please provide a short biography which provides an outline of your skills, experience,
qualifications, achievements and aspirations for the future. This information helps us to
understand how your skills and experience are relevant to your application and how you want
to develop.
4.
Proposal
Tell us more about the activity and what do you want to achieve with this support?
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Your response should set out further detail on your proposed activity as well as telling us
what you hope to achieve. You should consider how this activity will support you as an
individual and your practice. For example, will it help you develop new skills and if so, how
could these be used to support you in the future. You may also wish to include what your
activity will bring to the cultural life of the city. Consider if your activity is new to you what you
will learn or the experience you will have in Calgary or how it would complement or enhance
other activity taking place in Aberdeen on your return.
5.
Activity
Please outline the timeline and the outputs of all the activity you want to undertake. Outputs
are defined as things that happen (attending x hours of training, creating x amount of art
pieces, rehearsing x amount for the production. Please include any processes you plan to
follow (self-study, shadowing artists, community involvement, formal training).
6. Budget
Your budget should clearly set out all estimated income and expenditure relating to your
activity. This refers to all financial income and costs and no in-kind aspects should be
included. This should include a breakdown of the main sources of income and areas of
expenditure using categories rather than detailed costs. Where the outcome of a funding
application is unconfirmed, you should note this in your budget along with an estimated
outcome date. Finally, in order to demonstrate the requirement for support and/or that the
activity is deliverable, it is important that your income and expenditure equal the same
amount.
An example budget is presented below.
Income
Amount
Expenditure
Amount
Aberdeen City Council Creative
Travel Award Funding
Other?
£6600
Travel
£2000
Accommodation
Living Allowance
£1500
£1500
Mentoring
£500
Travel Insurance
£100
Programme
£1000
Total Expenditure
£6,600
Total Income
7.
Support Material
Providing support material is an important way of presenting your work and demonstrating
your skills and experience. You should supply up to five items of support material which
relate to your application. This must include a CV and you may also include photographs,
videos, weblinks, publications, marketing material, reports, testimonials and feedback. If your
files are over 5mb, you may post a link to file transfer site and/or website where the material
can be downloaded.
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8.
Declaration
To confirm that all information included in this application is accurate and that you have read
and followed the application guidelines, please sign and date the box provided. If you are
submitting by email, an electronic signature or the typed name of the appropriate applicant
should be inserted.
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3. What happens after you submit your application?
Once submitted, your application will be acknowledged by email within five working days. If
you do not receive this acknowledgement within this time-frame, please contact us to ensure
your application has been received.
All applications will be reviewed by an independent panel consisting of at least two cultural
sector professional and/or individual artists. This panel will shortlist applications and
successful individuals will be invited to interview on Thursday 2 June 2016 at Seventeen,
15 – 17 Belmont Street, Aberdeen AB10 1JR.
If you are successful after interview you will receive details relating to accepting the award
including information on payment, the reporting requirements and the general terms and
conditions associated with receiving public funds.
If you are unsuccessful you will receive written feedback on your application and the
opportunity for an individual meeting with a Council Officer.
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