LUX Scotland has announced the shortlist for the 2021 Margaret Tait Award.
Andrew Black, Christian Noelle Charles, Mathew Wayne Parkin, Tako Taal, and Winnie Herbstein have been shortlisted from a pool of eligible artists who were nominated through an open call process, of which there was a record number of nominations this year.
The shortlisted artists have been invited to submit a proposal for the £15,000 commission, which will premiere at Glasgow Film Festival in 2022, and will subsequently tour with LUX Scotland alongside a solo exhibition at LUX’s space in London. The 2021 Award will be announced on Wednesday 3 March 2021.
Learn more about the shortlisted artists at LUX Scotland.
About the Margaret Tait Award
The Margaret Tait Award is Scotland’s most prestigious annual 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.
Established in 2010, the Margaret Tait Award is a LUX Scotland commission delivered in partnership with Glasgow Film, with support from The National Lottery through 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 promising 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.
Nominations are assessed by a panel of artists and professionals from across the fields of the visual arts and cinema. This year’s selection panel 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).
Previous recipients of the Margaret Tait Award include Emilia Beatriz, Jamie Crewe, Alberta Whittle, Sarah Forrest, Kate Davis, Duncan Marquiss, Charlotte Prodger, Rachel Maclean, Stephen Sutcliffe, Anne-Marie Copestake and Torsten Lauschmann.
About the partners
LUX Scotland is a non-profit agency dedicated to supporting, developing and promoting artists’ moving image practices in Scotland. Working at the intersection of the contemporary visual arts and film sectors, its core activities include public exhibition and touring projects, learning and professional development for artists and arts professionals, distribution, commissioning and production support, research and sector advocacy. Established in 2014, LUX Scotland is a part of LUX and is supported by Creative Scotland.
Glasgow Film Festival (GFF) is firmly established as a key event in the UK's film calendar. Having grown greatly in significance and as a key launching pad for films in recent years, the festival has leapt into the top three film festivals in the UK. GFF continues to grow and develop its international reputation. The 2021 festival will take place online from 24 February to 7 March 2021.
Screen Scotland is the dedicated partnership for screen in Scotland. With funding from Scottish Government and the National Lottery, Screen Scotland is driving the cultural, social and economic development of all aspects of the sector in Scotland, through enhanced funding, services and support. Screen Scotland sits within Creative Scotland and is a partnership with Scottish Enterprise, Highlands and Islands Enterprise, Skills Development Scotland, Scottish Funding Council, working in close collaboration with the sector to ensure its success.