This year marks Scottish Sculpture Workshop’s 45th anniversary, on this landmark year we’re sharing our future direction and programme updates as well as a new multi-voiced leadership model set up to underpin this.
Expanding the possibilities of what sculpture can be
At SSW we want to expand the possibilities of what sculpture can be, continuously working towards positive social and environmental change. We’re doing this by rethinking material and skills-based learning, prioritising process and opening up our workshop space as a site where community, creativity and nourishment become a driving force in all our work.
Working towards a triptych leadership model
To embody these changes we are shifting how we work too. We are moving to a dual leadership model from April formed of 2 directors who will work through shared-decision making, heading up respective teams and jointly reporting to the Board of Trustees. This move sees our current CEO and Director Sam Trotman becoming Programme and Partnerships Director. Their role is focusing on developing our programme with artists and local communities, centralising their needs and ambitions. The programme will be underpinned by maintaining current and nurturing future local, national and international partnerships. Sara Gallie, our current Office and Finance Manager is becoming Finance and Governance Director with a focus on rigorous resource management and organisational compliance.
We are now also recruiting a new Technical Manager role who will focus on broadening technical pedagogy and growing workshop support and access alongside developing material/ working processes that supports an environmentally responsible future at SSW. This role is set up with a range of support for progression towards Technical Director to complete our triptych leadership model. This shift will enable SSW to expand the knowledge and lived experience of our leadership team whilst also providing a nurturing space to grow technical representation at directorship level.
Join the Programme
Our programme this year includes subsidised Groups Residencies taking place in February, August and September with our next open call in Autumn 2024. Our fully funded Partnership Residencies continue throughout the year with the return of Residencies In Clay artists and SSW X Counterflows Caregivers residents this Spring. Joining us throughout the Summer, alongside open access residents, will be our RSA resident and Ecologies In the Making artist.
Our new ceramics courses have just launched offering new courses including Introduction to Plaster in addition to favourites including Introduction to Throwing. We are also excited to have Jenny Mackenzie Ross lead a week-long course in Sculptural Kiln Building this Autumn.
The Community Making Space programme continues this year kicking off with workshops and talks led by Manourve, the Portland Inn Project and Myvillages. Later in the year we welcome the return of Sunday Making Sessions, Kids Holiday Clubs and some exciting community celebrations throughout the year. We will also be launching a new, monthly ceramic social – offering a regular free evening of community clay making.
Leading on from our Building The Clay Commons intensive last November we look forward to furthering our collaboration with artist and researcher Eva Masterman through a series of online reading and peer learning groups. This includes a new Clay Commons Reading List, with all books now available in the SSW library.
Finding joy in the process of making together
Together with our wider team and Board we look forward to embarking on this exciting new year ready to push open-ended material enquiry, learn through doing and find joy in the process of making and working together.
