We are seeking early-career artists based in Scotland who are ready to push the boundaries of moving image art. We want to see project proposals that are innovative, ambitious, and original. We encourage submissions that are inventive, thought-provoking, and that challenge the boundaries of traditional moving image art.

We are looking for an artist who has an existing video practice or can show evidence of an ability to adapt their practice to video.

The proposed work should be a brand new, single-screen film, approximately 10-15 minutes in length and conceived with a cinema screening in mind. The artist should be living in Scotland and be willing to base themselves in Glasgow for some of the commission. The artist should be open to participating in a moderated Q&A at the premiere of the film.

We recognise that there are significant barriers to working in the visual arts sector and that these challenges are experienced more acutely by those facing marginalisation and systemic injustice. This includes people with protected characteristics across age, disability, gender, pregnancy and maternity, race, religion or belief, sex and sexual orientation alongside those with chronic illness, neurodiversity, parental/caring responsibilities, experience of the immigration system and people from working-class backgrounds. We encourage applications from artists from all backgrounds.

We acknowledge that the term ‘early career’ can be vague, but we are looking for someone who:

• Is in the early stages of their creative development.
• Has a focused direction but are still developing their artistic voice.
• Has yet to receive substantial recognition within their field.
• Has yet to receive substantial funding.
• Is not currently enrolled in any higher or further education.

Age is not a determining factor.

If somebody meets the following criteria, they are likely to be ineligible:

• They have extensive international touring experience with their own work.
• They have long-term commercial representation, such as gallery representation or an agent.
• They have more than one major commission with national or international coverage and profile.

Funding

The selected artist will receive a fee of £8,150 (36 days at SAU rates) and a production budget of £12,000 will be allocated to fund the creation of a 10-15 minute single-screen moving image work. The production budget will be managed by our production partner, Forest of Black. If the artist is based outside of Glasgow, an accommodation and travel budget will be provided. There is a separate budget covering costs associated with the exhibition of the finished work, including access costs.

The commission is a partnership between Too Happy Studios, Forest of Black, and Glasgow Short Film Festival. Supported by Film and Video Umbrella and funded by Creative Scotland through the National Lottery Fund. We are delighted to add a work experience/placement opportunity this year through a collaboration with City of Glasgow College. 

The commission will run from May 2025 – April 2026 with mutually agreed milestones and set deliverables.

6th of May: Open call deadline (12 noon)

w/c 12th of May: Interviews

16th of May: Successful artist notified

July – August: Development period

August – September: Pre-production and Shoot

October – January: Post-production

December: Progress screening of rough cut for project partners

February: Deadline for completed film

March: Premiere at Glasgow Short Film Festival 2026

April: International festival campaign development

Please note, we have allocated an artist fee based on 36 days at Scottish Artist Union rates. These days will be allocated across the timeline above in accordance with the artist’s schedule and the needs of the project. 

In addition to funding, we are offering mentorship and technical support from Rachel Maclean and her extended studio team. The selected artist will also be working with an independent producer who will support the project from pre-production to completion. Glasgow Short Film Festival will offer help to develop a festival campaign and marketing plan beyond the premiere. 

The selected artist will have access to Too Happy Studios’ state-of-the-art facilities which include an acoustically isolated, pre-lit, two-cove film studio suitable for shooting with green-screen and set builds, as well as a light-controlled edit suite with a host of digital creative software, and production space.

The finished work will be exhibited at Glasgow Short Film Festival 2026 as part of a dedicated event. The artist’s new film will be preceded by a short documentary about the making of the new work, and followed by a moderated Q&A with the artist and an invited discussant. 

We recognise that application processes can be a barrier for some people. We will work with applicants to ensure access needs are met, to the best of our abilities and we will ensure that access requirements are not a factor in our decision-making. 

Applications can be in written form or recorded/filmed. If recorded or filmed, the audio/video should be uploaded to a platform such as YouTube or Vimeo and shared via a link.

We can offer guidance to applicants in the process of making an application. Please contact [email protected]. Information is available in alternative formats on request (including large print and an audio version). If you have any access requirements that you would like us to know about, please include these in your application. 

We are committed to increasing the diversity of artists working in moving image and especially welcome applications from those who identify as having characteristics currently under-represented in the sector. We recognise that application processes can be a barrier for some people, so we would like to make the process as clear and accessible as possible.

To apply, please submit the following materials to [email protected]

1. Project Proposal: A description of your moving image project (max. 1 page or 2 minutes of audio/video)
   Things to consider:
   – The film will be a 15 minutes in length and shown in a theatrical screening. 
   – Depending on the needs of the project, you will have the opportunity to work with collaborators from across the screen industries, for example, a cinematographer, editor, make-up artist, costume designer, set designer, VFX artist and so on. 
   – The facilities we are offering are ideal for films which involve studio shoots and VFX, but your film does not have to be limited to this. We welcome proposals which do not involve a studio shoot, these could be filmed on location, or the film could be entirely digitally created.
   – The production budget is £12,000
2. Timeline: A brief timeline based on the ‘Programme Timeline’ above, which outlines, roughly, how you will allocate the 36 days of your time across the 12 month period.
3. CV/Resume: A brief overview of your artistic background, including any relevant experience.
4. Portfolio: Provide a PDF portfolio or link to your website. If sharing films, please limit clips to a maximum of 5 minutes. This could mean sharing several shorter clips from a few films, or one longer clip from one film. The total should not exceed 5 minutes.
5. Personal Statement: A short statement about how this opportunity will enable you to develop your practice in new ways that wouldn’t otherwise be possible (max. 1 page or 2 minutes of audio/video)

   If applicable, please also let us know if you have faced any barriers that have prevented you from progressing your artistic practice, producing, or exhibiting your work. We are interested to hear the structural inequalities of society such as discrimination based on race, gender, age, sexual orientation, and disability have made it harder for you to advance your career.

6. Format: Please send all application materials via email as attachments. Please include links in the attachments rather than the body of the email itself. A cover letter is not necessary. Please use the subject line ‘Too Happy Artist Commission’. The deadline is Tuesday the 6th of May at 12 noon. 

As part of your application, please complete the Inclusion Form via this link. This enables us to monitor the diversity of applicants and support our aim to be an inclusive and diverse organisation. Please download the word doc, complete, and send along with your other application documents. 

If you have any questions or need further information, please contact Ciara Dunne at [email protected]

Artist proposals will be assessed against the following criteria:

• The quality of the artist’s previous work by review of their portfolio.
• Experience and track record of the artist.
• Conceptual clarity, uniqueness, and ambition of the proposed film. 
• Technical proficiency (depending on the specifics of the project).
• The extent to which the artist’s proposal aligns with the commission’s budget, brief, and schedule.
• Whether the artist can demonstrate their ability to meet deadlines and commit to the project’s timeline.
• The artist must be able to communicate effectively with the commissioner and all project partners and collaborators.

A varied panel of professionals from across the visual arts and film community will assess the applications.

If your application is shortlisted, we will contact you by email to arrange an interview w/c 12th of May. 

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