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Glasgow Creative Scotland

Creative Scotland art storm: Grant generator suggests alternative ways to spend 15k in Glasgow

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By John McCarthy, Opinion Editor

January 5, 2016 | 3 min read

Creative Scotland has faced a social media bombardment after granting a Glasgow artist £15,000 to not leave the city for a year.

And as the organisation deals with the backlash, a new website is suggesting amusing alternatives as to how "£15,000 could have been better spent in Glasgow".

The controversial funding afforded to Ellie Harrison's research project 'The Glasgow Effect' ignited a reaction from Robbie Seath, a graphic designer and social media manager at Glasgow nightclub The Garage.

Feeling that the grant was a waste of money, Seath rallied to build 15kbetterspentinglasgow.com, providing a whole host of alternative uses for the cash including "8,824 2l Irn-Bru bottles from Tesco" and "an actual art project".

Seath told The Drum: “It’s just a bit of fun really. My girlfriend and I were laughing at what else you could buy in Glasgow for £15,000."

He added that there are many people and artists who “haven’t left the Greater Glasgow area due to bad economic conditions, family commitments and work” who could have arguably benefited from the arts grant.

He condemned Harrison’s grant as “not worth the quoted 15k in the slightest" and encouraged the public to send him suggestions for his generator.

‘The Glasgow Effect’, detailed on Facebook, has caused a significant social media stir.

Explaining the project, Harrison said she aims to “test the limits of a ‘sustainable practice’ and to challenge the demand-to-travel placed upon the ‘successful’ artist / academic”.

Scottish comedian Limmy also mocked the grant.

Time will tell whether Harrison's output is worth the initial investment... or whether the outrage was deliberately provoked by an artist with a completely different brief in mind.

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