The Bragi Awards: New Festival Awards Announced by Summerhall Arts and Artist Call Out
Summerhall Arts is announcing an open call to all artists and makers across Scotland.
This initiative invites proposals for the design and creation of a physical object to be awarded to recipients of the inaugural Bragi Award – The Shepherd & Wedderburn and Summerhall Arts Festival Awards for excellence and creativity.
These new awards will be presented weekly during the Fringe to productions and artists within the Fringe Festival that embody creativity, experimentation and excellence within new writing and contemporary performance.
The awards aim to celebrate work that truly reflects the ethos established by the first festival in 1947, which sought to ‘heal the wounds of conflict through the language of the arts.’
Sam Gough, Chief Executive of Summerhall Arts said:
“I am delighted to be working with Shepherd and Wedderburn again via their support of artists and the arts. This funding will not only provide a new commission and press to a local maker, but also allow their work to travel with the winners and give it a truly global opportunity. While we appreciate the timing is very short and the turnaround is quick for the inaugural year of these awards, it was vital that this was an open call giving the chance for all artists working in all media to be able to apply. The process is simple.”
Sam Chapman, Head of Visual Arts at Summerhall Arts said:
“The purpose of Summerhall Arts is to create and facilitate paid opportunities for creatives, it is wonderful that Shepherd and Wedderburnsupport us to do this and we are excited to see the result of this commission which so beautifully celebrates both the visual and performative arts.”
Gillian Carty, Partner and Chair of Shepherd and Wedderburn said:
“Having helped Summerhall Arts earlier this year in the deal to acquire their premises which secured the future of this bustling arts and community hub, it’s fantastic to partner with them to launch the Shepherd and Wedderburn Summerhall Arts Festival Awards. As a firm we are committed to supporting initiatives which make a difference to the communities we live and work in. Given its rich history and reincarnation as a community-focused centre for artists and creatives, Summerhall Arts does exactly that. Good luck to all those taking part.”
About Bragi
The awards are named after Bragi, the Norse god of creativity.
In Norse mythology, Bragi is the god of poetry, eloquence, and wisdom. He is known for his beautiful singing, reciting stories and his ability to charm all creatures, and the runes carved on his tongue, which he uses to preserve the stories of the gods through his poetry, embody creativity and artistic expression. He is also associated with wisdom and writing. His role extends to inspiring poets and artists, making him a central figure in the realm of creative endeavours.
How to Submit
Interested artists and makers should submit a brief proposal by 12pm on Wednesday 16th July to .
Proposals should include a brief paragraph about the intended work, a sketch if possible, and links to previous work. The Awards may be crafted from any medium but must be able to pass through international borders due to the programme’s global nature.
The commission is for £2000 and must include all materials to produce 12 awards. These must be ready to pick up or be delivered by 1st August 2025.
Proposals can be in any format but should be brief and outline previous work of the maker as well as the physical award concept.
The winners of the twelve Bragi awards will be selected by a diverse panel of industry experts and four awards will be given out each three full weeks of the Fringe.
The winner of the maker commission will be announced on Friday 18th July.