Margaret Tait Award 2021 | Call for Nominations

We are pleased to announce that the call for nominations for the 2021 Margaret Tait Award are now open.

The Margaret Tait Award is Scotland’s most prestigious moving image prize for artists. Inspired by the pioneering Orcadian filmmaker and poet Margaret Tait (1918 – 99), the award recognises experimental and innovative artists working with the moving image, offering a unique avenue of commissioning and production support and providing a high-profile platform to exhibit newly commissioned work.

The deadline for nominations is Monday 7 December, 5pm

This year’s selection panel is comprised of Alberta Whittle (2018 Margaret Tait Award recipient); Kim McAleese (Programme Director, Grand Union, Birmingham); Tina Fiske (Director, CAMPLE LINE, Dumfriesshire); Thomas Abercromby (artist and curator); Sean Greenhorn (Screen Scotland); and Kitty Anderson (Director, LUX Scotland, panel chair).

About

Established in 2010, the Margaret Tait Award is a LUX Scotland commission delivered in partnership with Glasgow Film, with support from Screen Scotland. The only award of its kind in Scotland, it allows LUX Scotland, Glasgow Film and Screen Scotland to make a lasting and meaningful impact on the careers of new filmmaking talent, support new commissions and forge new partnerships across the sector.

Each year, the Award is presented to an artist based in Scotland who has established a significant body of work over the past 5 – 10 years; is recognised by peers for their contribution to the artists’ moving image sector; and can demonstrate the significant impact that the award will have on the development of their practice. The recipient of the award will receive a £15,000 prize to produce ambitious new work, which is exhibited at Glasgow Film Festival the following year and will subsequently tour with LUX Scotland, including a solo exhibition at LUX’s exhibition space in London.

Eligible artists are nominated through an open call process, which allows anyone (the general public, as well as arts professionals and artists) both within and outwith Scotland to put forward an artist. Nominations are assessed by a panel of artists and professionals from across the fields of the visual arts and cinema. Shortlisted artists are then asked to present proposals for the commission.

Kitty Anderson, Director, LUX Scotland, said, ​“We are pleased to announce that the Margaret Tait Award 2021 is now open for nominations. Now more than ever we need to support artists to make work, and for opportunities to be available for them to develop their practice. LUX Scotland and the selection panel look forward to viewing a wide range of submissions from artists across the country and providing this exhibition, development and legacy opportunity for the chosen artist.”

The 2021 award will be announced at Glasgow Film Festival. Emilia Beatriz, recipient of the Margaret Tait Award 2020, will present their new film in 2021 followed by a solo exhibition at LUX in London.

Meanwhile, Jamie Crewe, recipient of the Margaret Tait Award 2019, is currently exhibiting their award commission, Ashley (2020), at LUX’s exhibition space in London. Jamie is also exhibiting as part of the touring British Art Show 9 in 2021 and was recipient of one of this year’s Turner Bursaries.

Previous recipients have included Emilia Beatriz, Jamie Crewe, Alberta Whittle, Sarah Forrest, Kate Davis, Duncan Marquiss, Charlotte Prodger, Rachel Maclean, Stephen Sutcliffe, Anne-Marie Copestake and Torsten Lauschmann.

Who can be nominated?

Artists who are based in Scotland.Artists who have developed a significant body of work over the past 5 – 10 years and are at the cusp of a major impact on the artists’ moving image sector.Artists who are contributing to the critical context of artists’ moving image production in Scotland at the time of nomination.There is no age restriction.Collectives, groups and collaborations are eligible as long as there is demonstration of working collectively over a sustained amount of time.We regret that we cannot accept nominations of artists who are students.We regret that we cannot accept nominations of artists who have already been shortlisted for the Margaret Tait Award three times.

How to nominate:

Please send 200 words on the artist’s career to date, their impact on the sector and your reasons for nominating. Please include a link to the artist’s website or an online example of their work, as well as the artist’s email address and phone number.

Nominations should be sent by email only to email hidden; JavaScript is required

Deadline for nominations is Monday 7 December, 5pm. The shortlist will be announced in January 2021. The recipient of the Margaret Tait Award will be announced at Glasgow Film Festival in 2021.