The Scottish Community Foundation today (Tuesday 26 October 2010) named Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop (ESW) as the winner of the £3M Arts Funding Prize for Edinburgh.

The anonymous donor funding the prize has given the Scottish Community Foundation – a charity that specialises in supporting philanthropic giving – the green light to award £3M to the Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop to create a world class research and production facility at its Newhaven site.

ESW’s Creative Laboratories beat off stiff competition for the prize from the Scottish Book Trust and Edinburgh College of Art.

Designed by Sutherland Hussey Architects, the Creative Laboratories will be a unique new building situated alongside Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop's new sculpture centre. It is expected to open in 2013.

The Creative Laboratories will provide a mix of indoor and open-air workspaces around a central courtyard. Together with the sculpture centre, the Laboratories will create a vibrant cultural hub of benefit to the whole city. The addition of viewing areas and a café will open up the space to visitors.

Irene Kernan, director of Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop, said: "This is an amazing opportunity for Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop which will enable us to fulfil our ambitions to create a world class sculpture centre in the city. We are very fortunate to have an internationally renowned architectural practice on our doorstop in Sutherland Hussey Architects. The Arts Funding Prize represents a major investment in future generations of artists and will be a major resource for our local community in Newhaven as well as the city as a whole."

The unanimous decision to award the prize to Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop was reached by the judging panel of Professor Charles McKean, professor of Scottish Architectural History at Dundee University; Rt. Hon Lord William Prosser, former Chairman of Royal Fine Art Commission for Scotland; Isi Metzstein, renowned architect and former professor at Edinburgh School of Architecture and Scottish Community Foundation trustee, Colin Liddell, an expert in charity law and Bob Benson, chair of the judging panel.

The primary purpose of the competition was to fund a building of exceptional architectural and cultural merit within the City of Edinburgh, which will enable residents and visitors to the city to experience or participate in the arts.

Bob Benson, chair of the judging panel, said: “The panel felt ESW’s proposal offered the most inspiring combination of exciting architecture and cultural impact. Its Newhaven location will expand the artistic geography of the city, and create a unique cultural venue in this part of Edinburgh.

“Along with offering our wholehearted congratulations to the Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop, the panel would also like to commend the Scottish Community Foundation for the smooth running of this award. It ensured the best projects were put forward for this prize and enabled the donor to make a high profile contribution to Edinburgh’s cultural landscape while preserving their anonymity.”

Jenny Dawe, Leader of the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “I was delighted to be asked to launch the £3M Arts Funding Prize for Edinburgh back in 2008. Over the last two years we’ve seen the field narrow from thirteen hopeful art organisations to three finalists to Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop being named the winner today.

“I believe that the creation of the Creative Laboratories, combined with ESW’s sculpture centre, will put Edinburgh on the international stage as a destination for contemporary sculpture and its production.”

Giles Ruck, chief executive of the Scottish Community Foundation, said: “It’s been a tremendous journey over the last two years for the Foundation and applicants alike. I would like to thank all of the arts organisations that gave their time to submit proposals and to the three finalists for developing their applications to such a high standard.”

Ends

Media Contact
Nadine Urquhart, Scottish Community Foundation, 0131 524 0304

Notes to editors

1. There will be a photocall at Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop at 11am on Tuesday 26 October 2010. Representatives from winning organisation, the judging panel and the Scottish Community Foundation will be available for comment. Councillor Jenny Dawe will also be available to give her thoughts on the prize.
   
   Artist impressions of the winning entry will be available from the Scottish Community Foundation from 11am on 26 October 2010. Please email nadine@scottishcf.org to request images.
    
2. To find out more about the applications from the Scottish Book Trust and Edinburgh College of Art, please visit www.scottishcf.org/artsprize 
    
3. About Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop
   Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop (ESW) is one of Scotland’s most exceptional, artist-focused and uniquely positioned visual arts organizations. For 23 years ESW has been at the forefront of a revolution in Scottish and international visual art and has developed a programme rooted in education, community and contribution, benefitting more than 2,800 artists and 48,000 public visitors and participants.
   
   ESW supports artists at all stages in their careers through provision of studios, workspace, training and professional opportunities. ESW also promotes public access to the arts through a programme of courses, workshops, open days, talks and exhibitions, and works with schools and local education, community and arts organisations to deliver bespoke activities for their users.
   
   Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop began a major expansion of the organization and of the artistic and public programmes back in 2003. As a result, ESW is attracting exciting emerging artists and demand for services, from both artist and public users, is increasing year on year. Last year alone ESW directly supported 497 artists and more than 4,300 people of all ages and abilities took part in the public programme.  
    
4. About the Scottish Community Foundation
   The Scottish Community Foundation is a registered charity that provides services to make charitable giving easy and cost effective. Its in-depth knowledge of the charitable sector means it can help clients make intelligent awards that have a real and lasting impact.

* Artist impressions courtesy of Sutherland Hussey Architects.