EDINBURGH Sculpture Workshop has been announced as the recipient of The Edward Marshall Trust Award 2012.
The prestigious biennial award provides significant funding towards projects which enhance and promote contemporary design and which also have clear public benefit.
For the award Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop (ESW) proposed to work with artists and designers to create furniture and ceramics for its new purpose-built sculpture centre, which has been designed by the Edinburgh architectural practice, Sutherland Hussey.
The money will be used to furnish the new centre
The new building is the first of its kind in the U.K. and the award of £50,000 from The Edward Marshall Trust will appreciably enhance the creative environment of this contemporary arts venue and add a new dimension to visitors’ experience.
ESW’s specialist workshop facilities support a broad range of artistic practice and the Trustees were interested in the possibilities of exploring within a design context the different materials and processes used in sculpture.
The furniture will illustrate in subtle ways how people work at ESW by using a mix of materials and will offer exciting potential for sculptors and designers to collaborate on making beautiful but functional pieces which will be used in the communal working and social spaces in the building.
Both the furniture and ceramics will be made in ESW’s own workshops and there will be opportunities for the public to learn about some of the processes involved through demonstrations and taster sessions.
In addition to the funding, the Trust offers advice and mentoring throughout the project which will offer invaluable insights into the design process for all involved.
The Trust usually makes only one award in the year but this year the Trustees were so impressed with the shortlist that they made a second award to ‘The Stove’, an artists’ collective, in Dumfries.
The Trustees were encouraged by this project, its realisable ambitions and by its enthusiastic and excellent team and awarded them £10,000.
