The Resilience Programme is a mentoring initiative led by Applied Arts Scotland and Craft Scotland designed to help makers based in Scotland navigate the particularly challenging circumstances resulting from the Coronavirus (COVID-19) pandemic.
The Programme will help makers to tap into the collective knowledge, experience and wisdom of the Scottish craft community to gain new perspectives, innovate, reinvent their ways of working and rapidly learn new skills. In a supportive environment, participants will be able to take time to reflect and develop the resilience required to re-energise, revitalise and sustain their practice.
The programme is suitable for makers at any stage of their career and specifically aimed at those keen to embrace mentoring and expand its benefits across the craft community.
Programme Overview
The Resilience Programme has two strands:
- Peer-to-Peer Co-Mentoring commenced April 2021
This strand is aimed at makers who are particularly drawn to working with other like-minded makers at the same career stage, have limited experience of mentoring and are less sure about how the mentoring process would help them.
It will support participating makers to determine the way they want to develop their practice through a broader, more collaborative approach and to develop confidence and resilience through identifying their needs and opportunities for skills and information exchange.
Selected participants will be brought together to exchange ideas at a workshop (10:00-16:00, Thursday 29 April 2021) that will introduce the key principles of co-mentoring to support one another and understand its role in developing confidence and resilience. Basketmaker Sarah Paramor and accredited life coach and maker Jenny Pope, will share their experiences of mentoring and collaboration and the effect it has had on their creative and business development.
Up to 15 pairs of makers will be matched to form mentoring relationships based on the priorities highlighted in their applications. Introductions will be facilitated through the first workshop, with 4 to 6 further meetings as a pair.
Applications closed on Monday 12 April 2021 - Mentor/Mentee, commenced May 2021
This strand is suitable for makers with at least 2-3 years’ experience in their craft career and who have a clear idea about the direction in which they want to take their practice and are keen to work with an experienced mentor to support them in their development.
Applications are invited from makers who are interested in being mentored by a craft and/or creative industry professional.
In addition, this strand will feature two Mentee Workshops (see below) in May to support makers to identify development opportunities in their creative and business practice and how mentoring can support them to achieve their goals; and if they wish, develop an application to the strand.
Applications closed on Monday 7 June 2021
Makers can choose which mentoring model best supports their needs and make one application to the strand that fits their needs.
This activity is free, voluntary and unpaid.
Applied Arts Scotland and Craft Scotland will:
- support participants by offering them one to one check in sessions throughout the Programme to provide a steer, answer questions about the process or to resolve any practical issues
- develop free resources available beyond the programme to support makers in their understanding of the principles of mentoring and how to get the most out of it
- share information about other mentoring programmes across Scotland and the UK
Mentee Workshops
The two workshops will support makers to identify development opportunities in their creative and business practice and how mentoring can support them to achieve their goals; and if they wish, develop an application to the strand.
Make It Happen
10:00-13:00, Thursday 6 May 2021
Will assist makers to prioritise and refine their ideas, and consider mentoring for their professional development. With Creative Edinburgh.
Evolving Ideas
10:00-13:00, Thursday 20 May 2021
Will encourage makers to foster new ideas, skills and ways of working to develop their practice. With the Heritage Crafts Association.
Workshops will be hosted online via Zoom with captions provided and are free to attend.
Apply
Applications to the Peer to Peer Co-Mentoring strand of the Resilience Programme, closed on Monday 12 April 2021.
Mentee applications to the Mentor/Mentee strand closed on Monday 7 June 2021.
Information on the application and selection process is available in the Mentee Application Pack & Workshop Information.
There is no application fee.
Resources
Here are mentoring guidelines and peer to peer and mentee/mentor agreement templates for you to download.
Further Information
Further details of the Resilience Programme are available on Craft Scotland’s website, with further details about the two mentoring strands, including timescales, eligibility and criteria, in the:
Funded by Creative Scotland, the overall aim of the Resilience Programme is to support and encourage a mentoring culture in the Scottish craft community.
