Purpose of the bursary
Emporium ticket bursaries are intended to support freelancers who would otherwise be unable to attend due to financial barriers, ensuring the event is accessible to a diverse range of people working in Scotland’s performing arts sector.
Eligibility
Applicants must:
- Be a freelance performing arts professional working in Scotland (or with a significant connection to the Scottish performing arts sector).
- Be actively working in, or seeking work in, touring, producing, programming, creation or another relevant area.
- Not be receiving funding from an employer or organisation to attend.
- Be looking to attend the full Market Day event on 28th October 2026.
Application questions
- Tell us about your current practice. (100–150 words)
- Why would attending Emporium be valuable for you at this stage? (150 words)
- How do you hope to use what you gain from the event? (150 words)
Priority considerations
Bursaries may be prioritised for applicants who:
- Would not otherwise be able to attend due to financial circumstances.
- Are early-career freelancers building professional networks.
- Are freelance artists, producers or practitioners without organisational support.
- Work in underrepresented artforms, communities or geographic areas.
- Are based in rural or island communities.
- Face additional barriers to participation (for example disability-related costs, caring responsibilities or other access needs).
- Demonstrate how attending aligns with their current professional development.
Expectations of bursary recipients
Bursary recipients will be expected to:
- Attend the for the full Market Day event.
- Notify us as soon as possible if they can no longer attend, so the bursary can be reallocated.
- Complete a short post-event feedback survey (5–10 minutes).
- Allow anonymised quotes from their feedback to be used for future funding and evaluation (optional).
Selection process
- Applications reviewed by two assessors (FST team).
- Decisions based on published criteria.
- Balance sought across disciplines, career stages and geography where possible.
- Decisions are final due to limited funding.
As demand is expected to exceed the number of bursaries available, meeting the eligibility criteria does not guarantee a bursary.
Additional support
Beyond ticket bursaries FST also offer:
- Travel bursaries.
- Caring or replacement care bursaries.
Assessment matrix
| Criterion | Weight |
| Financial need / barriers to attendance | 40% |
| Benefit to applicant’s professional development | 30% |
| Likely engagement with Emporium (relevance of practice) | 20% |
| Contribution to diversity of the delegate cohort (career stage, geography, discipline, lived experience, etc.) | 10% |