Gaelic horror game set in Scottish fish and chip shop among 46 projects to win £1m funding

Grease Trap ‘99, which has been awarded £10,000, follows a chip shop worker who uncovers a bizarre new menu item that soon consumes the whole town with an insatiable hunger.

Development will focus on completing a polished demo to submit and showcase at Scottish and UK games festivals, followed by a full commercial release this summer.

The Open Fund, supported by the National Lottery, is one of Creative Scotland’s key funding routes, supporting activity initiated by artists, producers and other creative practitioners in Scotland.

James Muirhead, developer of Grease Trap ‘99, said: “Funding from Creative Scotland has allowed me to turn what was a part-time passion project into a full-time production.

“It means I can dedicate proper time to learning Gaelic, including attending in-person classes, and fairly compensate the talented translators and voice actors I’m collaborating with.”

One of the other projects to win funding is Female Funk Fruition’s monthly dance workshops, which offer opportunities for people to explore the roots of funk and hip-hop. It is to receive £17,137.

Led by Scottish hip-hop veterans Nadia “Funk Forever” Sewnauth and Shelltoe Mel, the sessions are targeted primarily at female and non-binary participants and the latest round of workshops will introduce budding dancers to the core funk styles of popping, locking and freestyle rocking.

The initiative will also feature a pop-up exhibition charting the history of hip-hop dance from a female perspective.

Ms Sewnauth, producer and dance artist at Female Funk Fruition said: “We have built a close-knit community of women and we look forward to building on the foundations of Female Funk Fruition to create more art which we can share with our audiences this year through classes, performances and exhibition”.

Meanwhile, Sanctuary Queer Arts CIC is turning to inventive audio storytelling to spotlight the often overlooked legacy of queer activist George Cecil Ives using a grant of £96,260.

Their upcoming project, The Order of Chaeronea: A Secret Queer Audio Musical, revisits the clandestine late-Victorian society led by Ives, that was dedicated to decriminalising homosexuality.

Sanctuary Queer Arts is developing an eight-episode audio-drama series with an accompanying 16-song original soundtrack, a ticketed launch event and a dedicated education and heritage resource.

Jonathan O’Neill, lead artist at Sanctuary Queer Arts, said: “Ives' collection, held in the US, is a massive untapped document into queer British life in the late-Victorian era and I feel lucky to be supported by the Sanctuary team and our other project partners in researching and realising this multi-faceted project.”

Paul Burns, interim director of arts at Creative Scotland, said: “These projects highlight the breadth of imagination and ambition driving Scotland’s arts sector.

“Supported by The National Lottery and the Scottish Government, creators across the country are pushing into new territory - from celebrating Scots Gaelic through gaming, to expanding opportunities in funk and hip-hop dance, to shining a light on the remarkable story of George Cecil Ives. This funding helps ensure that diverse voices and bold ideas continue to thrive.”