Organizer Information
The Visual Artist and Craft Maker Awards (VACMA) is a Creative Scotland-supported small-grants programme delivered in partnership with local authorities and arts organisations across Scotland. Individual VACMA schemes are managed locally by participating partners. The programme is designed to provide accessible funding for practising visual artists and craft makers to develop their creative and professional practices.
Title & Description
Visual Artist and Craft Maker Awards (VACMA) 2026/27
The Visual Artist and Craft Maker Awards (VACMA) 2026/27 provide fixed bursaries of £500 or £1,000 to support creative and professional development. Funding can be used for activities such as training, mentoring, research and development, experimenting with new techniques or materials, residencies, essential equipment, sustainable creative practices, or developing new work for an exhibition or public presentation.
Applicants should demonstrate an active creative practice, explain how the proposed activity will develop their work, and provide a realistic project plan. The programme does not require a public outcome for every project.
Categories
- Visual Art
- Craft
- Traditional and Heritage Craft
- Moving Image, where it forms part of a visual arts practice
Eligibility
The opportunity is Scotland-based rather than international. Applicants must be practising visual artists or craft makers who live in Scotland or maintain a studio in the relevant local authority area where they apply.
Part-time students may apply if they provide evidence of their status and demonstrate that the proposed activity is not part of their academic studies. Full-time students are not eligible.
Applicants should have experience presenting their work publicly, such as through exhibitions, craft fairs, performances, talks or other public arts activities. Recent graduates may use their degree show as evidence of having developed a body of work.
Graphic designers are not eligible. Illustrators may apply if they can demonstrate an independent creative practice beyond client-based work.
Program Benefits & Awards
- £500 or £1,000 fixed bursary
- Support for training, mentoring and skills development
- Research and development
- Experimentation with new materials, techniques or creative approaches
- Residency participation
- Essential equipment and materials
- Development or production of new work
- Support for sustainable creative practices
- Separate Personal Access Costs may be requested by eligible applicants where directly related to the proposed activity
- Unsuccessful applicants can request feedback
Application Fee
None
How to Apply?
Online Application
Key Dates
- Autumn deadline: 20 October 2026
- Winter deadline: 2 February 2027
- Applicants should check their local scheme because some participating partners operate only one deadline.
- Decisions are normally communicated within 8 weeks of the relevant deadline.
- Proposed activities must begin at least 8 weeks after the application deadline and cannot take place before the funding decision.
Location
Additional Details
VACMA prioritises applications demonstrating a clear commitment to creative practice, meaningful creative development and a realistic project plan. Where demand is high, consideration may favour artists who are newer to public funding or have had fewer opportunities to develop their practice. Environmental sustainability and Equality, Diversity and Inclusion are also priorities.
Funding cannot be used primarily for accredited academic courses, business start-up or development, websites or marketing, community/educational projects undertaken on behalf of organisations, studio construction or renovation, or projects solely involving framing and presentation costs. Filmmaking is excluded unless it forms part of a visual arts practice.
Previous VACMA recipients must submit their End of Project Monitoring Report before applying again.