The objectives of Aurora are to promote, maintain, improve and advance education about the arts within the community at large. We do this by the promotion, production, exhibition, performance and encouragement of the arts including but not exclusively - visual, performing and media arts. Thanks for visiting the Blog, we hope to keep you all up to date with what’s going on and what’s coming up! Please let us know of any events or news items that you have that may be of interest to other members.

Launch of the 2009 Country Living Magazine’s The Balvenie Artisan Awards

The Balvenie and Country Living Magazine have joined forces to launch the 2009 Country Living Magazine’s The Balvenie Artisan Awards.

The awards are open to anyone in the UK who uses a traditional skill to earn their living from crafts such as weaving and textile design, glass blowing and ceramics to working with wood, leather, metal, coopering, thatching, stone masonry and a host of others.

This year there are four categories to enter:

  • Best Start-up Business Based on Traditional Craft or Skill - for those who have been in business for less than two years.  £1,500 plus a selection of whiskies from The Balvenie and a specially commissioned trophy is awarded.
  • Artisan Mentor of the Year - for those passing on skills to a new generation. £1,500 plus a selection of whiskies from The Balvenie and a specially commissioned trophy is awarded.
  • Artisan Apprentice of the Year - this category is for the apprentice themselves.  £2,000 (to be put towards training/development) plus a selection of whiskies from The Balvenie and a specially commissioned trophy is awarded.
  • Artisan of the Year - open to anyone who uses a traditional craft or skill.  £4,000 plus a bottle of The Balvenie Thirty - an exquisite, rare single malt worth over £300, and a specially commissioned trophy is awarded.

The runner-up in each category also receives a certificate and a bottle of The Balvenie Single Malt Scotch Whisky.

This year, for the first time, as well as artisans being encouraged to enter themselves, anyone can nominate a craftsperson for The Balvenie Artisan Awards.  The nominee will be sent a letter and entry form, and the person nominating will be entered into a prize draw to win a bottle of The Balvenie DoubleWood 12 Year Old, The Balvenie Signature 12 Year Old and The Balvenie Single Barrel 15 Year Old.

The closing date for entries is the 30 May 2009.