Dear , 

This is the first time we send a newsletter during August without mentioning how busy Edinburgh is during the Festivals... However, read on to find out about opportunities, training and advocacy updates listed here for the FST Members: 

Job: Chief Executive Officer at FST - app deadline: 31 August    
An opportunity for an individual with strong strategic, influencing and facilitation skills to lead the organisation in advocacy, support and strategic development for the sector. Flexible working and job share application are welcome. More info here. 

FST Board Members - app deadline: 26 August 
Join the FST Board to help shape the strategic direction of the organisation - more info here.

FST Website Updates - NEW: Health & Safety Updates 
Health & Safety advisory group has been putting together resources and links to useful websites, including Scottish and UK governments', HSE and professional bodies' updates. Visit the page here. 

FST's Sector-led Strategy - call out for 'Key Issues' Working Group members - apply by 28 August
The latest strategy update can be found on our website here. 

As part of the development process we want to establish ‘Key Issues’ Working Groups to assist sector learning, development and depth of thinking on the issues we face and to help inform strategic goals and actions. The Key Issues have been identified through our strategy and advocacy work–prior to and since Covid -as well as our ongoing communications with members.

The Working Groups will focus on:

   - Equalities, diversity and inclusion
   - Workforce stability, fair-work and wellbeing
   - Economics and Infrastructure
   - Audience and community connection
   - International activity
   - Environment
If you’d like to join one of the working groups follow this link for criteria and more info and apply by 28 August (please note: Freelancers/independent / non-funded participants will be reimbursed for meetings at a rate of £200 per full day) 

Guidance on reopening
Scotland is still in Phase 3 of the route-map.  The indicative date for theatres to re-open to audiences is 14 September 2020 at this stage, as the focus for Scottish Government remains on schools re-opening which starts this week.   We expect guidance for theatres and other venues, which has been created with input from industry professionals and unions, to be published imminently. FST’s Health & Safety Advisory Group has pulled together useful guidance which is updated regularly and available here.  SOLT/UK Theatre’s excellent Theatre Means Business site offers a wide range of seminars and training to support returning and many are generously being offered free to non-members.  

Re-opening of unregulated indoor children’s activity - Scottish Government’s message on guidance
Schools and regulated ELC are beginning again from 11 August and CS are receiving queries about whether other indoor activity may resume at the same time.

The answer is that indoor activities for children and young people which are not overseen by a regulator should not start again until agreed guidance is in place.  Unfortunately, back to school does not mean back to normality and for now, ensuring that the transition back to school is successful is our top priority.

For now, activities for children and young people under the age of 18  should continue online or outdoors in line with existing guidance.

They know that these indoor activities are of huge value to children, young people and families across Scotland and our ambition is to get them open soon as soon as this is deemed appropriate.  SG will provide further information about timing with additional guidance where this is necessary. 

If you have any questions, please  contact: Jonathan.McLean@creativescotland.com at Creative Scotland's Creative Learning. 

Scottish Government
We do not yet know Scottish Government’s plans for the additional £97m of funding which flowed from the UK Government’s support for arts and culture although we do know that the funds must be committed by Scottish Government by end March 2021 in order to comply with Treasury rules. Notwithstanding this we are working with the other sector development bodies for arts and culture to advocate for a response which recognises the need for medium term as well as immediate funding and reflects the different needs of different regions of Scotland.  We are also highlighting the particular issues facing our sector around continuing uncertainty on reopening timescales, the nature and extent of future adaptation requirements, the risks associated with production and touring models and the need to work collectively on developing audience confidence as and when that becomes possible.  We will be issuing a survey shortly to seek your detailed views and meantime you can always get in touch to let us know what is happening for you.  

The Scottish Government published its response to the Report of the Advisory Group on Economic Recovery on 5 August.  The Group’s recommendation in relation to culture was: ‘Given the contribution of the arts, culture and creative sector to Scotland’s economy and its social capital, and the nature of its workforce, the Scottish Government should protect and adapt strategically important cultural infrastructure, should work with the sector to increase public and private investment; and should consider the creation of a National Arts Force.’  The Scottish Government accepted this recommendation and the report sets out its plans for response (at p57), including the creation of  “a Culture Collective” to harness and maximise the contribution of Scotland’s creative workforce (particularly freelancers) to the building of a wellbeing economy. We will incorporate advice and recommendations from the National Partnership for Culture on the most strategic and sustainable ways to achieve this, following the principles of the Culture Strategy.” We will continue to work with Culture Counts and others including the National Partnership for Culture as this develops.

Creative Scotland

Performing Arts Venues Relief Fund
Creative Scotland has now published the outcome of the Fund for Regularly Funded Organisations along with guidance for the open part of the fund.  The deadline for expressions of interest was 5 August and decisions on eligibility to proceed to stage 2 are expected today, 12 August 2020.  The deadline for full application is 27 August 2020.  The Scottish Government has increased the Fund amount from the £10m announced in early July to a total of £12m.

Open Fund: sustaining creative development
This fund has been revised in light of ‘several hundred’ pieces of feedback. Please let us know what you think.

Arts in Education recovery survey - closing 14 August
This survey aims to gain a snapshot of where arts providers are playing a role in supporting learning and closes on Friday 14 August.

UK Surveys
- There is still time for producers to complete the SOLT/UK Theatre survey on insurance as the deadline has been extended to 17:00 on Thursday 14 August.

- Theatres Trust has also extended the deadline for its research survey on the social and economic contributions of capital investment in theatres. The survey is very short and should only take 5-10 minutes to complete and the information collected is to be used to continue to make the case for investment in theatre buildings. The new deadline is Sunday 16 August.

Brexit
Thanks to those of you who completed our Brexit survey on visas, which we have fed back to the Creative Industries Federation.    

The UK Government has confirmed that it will not seek an extension to the Transition Period which ends on 31 December 2020 and has set up a website where you can check what this means for you as an individual and in relation to business.  The Scottish Government’s advice page is here.

Edinburgh Culture Conversations - every Monday at 6pm until 14 September 
It's a series of 10 online live events produced in conjunction with the Edinburgh Futures Institute.  All of the events have BSL interpreters from Just Sign in attendance.

Edinburgh Culture Conversations bring together artists, academics, cultural leaders and the public for weekly conversations to debate the value of creativity and discuss how the arts and creative sectors can help society recover from Covid-19.  Each event is recorded, so you can watch on their website as well as take part in the live events through the webinar Q&A. The series is free, you just need to book via EventBrite. It’s been produced by the Festivals, Cultural and City Events team at the University of Edinburgh.

‘Welcome to Our Space’ - 13 August, 2-4pm on Facebook Live
Welcome to Our Space is a webinar foregrounding the practices and approaches of disabled dance artists in the time of COVID-19 and beyond, hosted by The Work Room. It is the second event in The Time is Now; a new series of digital events that respond to sector development supported by One Dance UK and National Dance Network (NDN).

Featuring Laura Dajao, Raquel Meseguer, Priya Mistry and Amy Rosa - it is a brilliant, thoughtful and challenging conversation.

The webinar was prerecorded and will be captioned in English. Archived versions will also be available to watch on the NDN website from 4pm on 13 August alongside a transcript. 

STRE-TCH Co-Edition, 20 - 21 August
Keðja is a network of Nordic & Baltic dance organisations that The Work Room is part of. Replacing a gathering that was meant to be taking place in Gotenburg, partners are contributing to an online version. A number of Scottish dance artists who attended last year's Keðja gathering are contributing to the programme in conversation with artists from other countries. Chrissie Ardill, Sara Kemal, Emma Jayne Park, Kathryn Spence, Niamh O'Loughlin and Gail Sneddon (along with Dance North youth company) are all involved.

You need to sign up in advance for this and can do through this link.

A Family Friendly Fringe: Exploring opportunities in making Edinburgh Fringe more supportive of parents and carers - 25 August, 1-2pm 
Creating and presenting work as part of Edinburgh Fringe can be an important and beneficial opportunity for performing arts practitioners at all stages of their career. However, the planning and logistics of this opportunity can provide heightened challenges for parents and carers with scheduling, accommodation and care provision considerations. Hosted by PiPA, this event will begin by looking at case studies from performing arts workers who have successfully engaged in Edinburgh Fringe alongside their caring responsibilities. This will include speakers who have performed whilst pregnant, toured with children or other dependents, and produced work alongside caring responsibilities. The event will conclude with a collaborative discussion, with all attendees to explore how Edinburgh Fringe Festival can be even more accessible in the future for parents and carers.

Live captioning will be provided for this event.  Book your place here.

Green Arts Initiative Online Meet Up - 27 August, 2-3pm
An informal online gathering for members of the Green Arts Initiative. This month’s theme is “how can the culture sector contribute to a just and green recovery from coronavirus?” Book your place here.

Articulation: Scottish Outdoor Arts Session 1: Possibilities - 31 August: 11am to 1pm
This session is designed for arts venues, local authorities and third sector organisations interested in taking their artistic programme outdoors for the first time.

During this information session attendees will be given an over-view of the breadth of outdoor arts contexts in Scotland as well as the audience development benefits and place making potential inherent within the artform. We’ll also hear dynamic case studies from artists, organisations and venues who have successfully harnessed the outdoor arts to re-imagine public spaces as places of artistic discovery. Book your place here. 

Apply now for the UK/Australia Season 2021-22 - app deadline: 17 August 
The UK/Australia Season will explore and celebrate the relationship between Australia and the UK across the arts, creative industries, and higher education.

The Season will reflect on both nations shared history and culture, explore our current relationship and imagine our future by bringing together artists, universities, and civil society leaders from both countries to consider the question: “Who are we now?”

Find out more and apply here. 

Collective Wellbeing Group - apply by 17 August 
Open to anyone working in the Creative Sector. To ensure the wellbeing of our sector, NEAT are offering weekly online sessions for anyone within the creative sector who may be struggling with mental health difficulties at this time. We want to create a space where everyone is valued. Find out more here. 

Fringe Exchange 2020 - 07-31 August
Make sure you don’t miss the Fringe Society’s new online industry events programme, Fringe Exchange 2020, a series of industry related panel events, provocations and international showcases, 07 – 31 August 2020. Browse the full programme and register for events here. If you are a programmer, you might also like to accredit with the Fringe arts industry office to access Fringe Marketplace – an exciting new showcase platform.

The Scenes for Survival Hardship Fund - will open later in August
It is a fundraising campaign launched by the National Theatre of Scotland in association with the Federation of Scottish Theatre, the McGlashan Charitable Trust and leading Scottish Theatre organisations, to raise money for those in the sector who have been hardest hit financially and are experiencing drastic economic and emotional hardship.   Running alongside digital project Scenes for Survival all donations to this fund will go directly to provide support for Scottish and /or Scotland-based actors, writers, creatives, musicians, technicians or any others within our industry.

The Fund will open to applications later in August and we will notify the FST Members in a separate email. 

ISPA Scotland Fellowship Now Accepting Applications - deadline: 4 September 
ISPA's Fellowship Program was created to provide emerging and mid-career performing arts professionals with the opportunity to expand their international networks through membership, attendance at an ISPA Congress, and participation in our online and regional initiatives. 

For 2021, they are revisiting our approach to the application process. As a result of the global pandemic, and ISPA’s decision to host the 2021 congress virtually, they have given deep consideration of how best they can support mid-career arts leaders from around the globe. As such, this coming year’s Global Fellowship will be made available to program alumni only in lieu of our annual open call for applications. They anticipate launching the call for applications in August. Find out more here. 

Just Enterprise - 1-to-1 Coaching Sessions 
During this time of continued uncertainty and change, taking time to reflect on your learning, your challenges, and to clarify your aspirations for your team and organisation can be hugely beneficial.

These sessions offer you the opportunity to work on a 1-2-1 basis in a confidential space with an experienced coach and leader to consider the support you or your organisation needs and to explore ideas, options and solutions to help you move forward. They are suitable for any third sector manager or leader. Find out more here. 

Free coaching service from Theatres Trust - ongoing  
David Jubb, former artistic director and chief executive of Battersea Arts Centre has joined the Theatres Trust's advice service to offer support to theatres through these challenging times.

Alongside the Trust's regular Advisory Team, David will offer more in-depth support to those who are trying to navigate the crisis and plan for a different environment as we emerge from lockdown. This could range from practical challenges around business, buildings and people management, through to strategic change management.  This service is available to leading staff and/or boards of all theatres who are in need of support or advice or who are looking to embrace change and reimagine their organisation.

If you would like some specific advice or would like to arrange an initial conversation then please get in touch by email to advice@theatrestrust.org.uk

Social Enterprise Academy - various programmes 
Some of our members might be interested in a variety of programmes offered by the Social Enterprise Academy, including Managing Change, Rebuilding Income Streams and Leading Remotely. See the full programme here. 

Unlimited launches new commissioning round - applications portal will open on 1 October and close on 27 October 
Unlimited’s main aim is to commission disabled artists and companies to make exceptional work. For this next round, Unlimited has over half a million pounds available for Main Commissions, Research and Development awards and Emerging Artists awards. Find out more on their website.

As always, thank you for reading! If there are any events / opportunties / call-outs / resources you would like to share with the FST Members in the next e-bulletin, please contact Agnieszka by 10 September. 

Best wishes, 

Agnieszka & the FST Team