Alasdair Gray launches new Saltire Society grant for young creatives

21/03/2017
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Legendary Scottish novelist launches new annual fund to help young talent

THE LEGENDARY Scottish artist and novelist Alisdair Gray has launched a new fund to aid young Scottish creatives.

The Alasdair Gray Inspiring Scotland Bursary will be available to applications from post-secondary students in the fields of music, fine arts, theatre, dance or cultural studies.

Reported by Kiltr, Sarah Mason, Programme Director said: “We are delighted to be able to honour one of Scotland’s most highly regarded creatives through an Inspiring Scotland Bursary, while offering a fantastic opportunity for a young artist to research and explore their own creative ideas.”

Alasdair Gray’s depiction of The Tower of Babel for the new Saltire Society grant

The new fund was launched by Gray himself at the the Saltire Society on Edinburgh High. The occasion was marked by the unveiling of two new paintings by Gray in his own unmistakeable style – one taking inspiration from the story of the Tower of Babel from the old testament, and the other from the poem Ozymandias by Percy Bysshe Shelly.

Speaking ahead of the launch, Gray said: “I’m very pleased that the Saltire Society will be choosing the recipients of this award.”

Gray is widely respected for his impact on modern Scottish culture through his many writings and artworks, some of which reflect the ideological complexities and contradictions of Scottish historical and cultural life.

Alasdair Gray’s reflection on Ozymandias, unveiled at the Saltire Society

The Saltire Society is a charity which promotes networks of the arts across Scotland.

Pictures courtesy of Alasdair Gray/Kiltr

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