Aberdeen artists can apply for grants of up to £1500 and a mentoring scheme to help them develop their work.

The Visual Artist and Craft Maker Award (VACMA) programme is open to artists at all stages of their career, living and practising in Aberdeen.

The award scheme offers successful applicants individual development grants of £500 up to £1500.

Artists can also apply for the mentoring programme where two individual grants of £1500 are available with additional support from an experienced mentor.

In partnership with Creative Scotland, Aberdeen City Council opened applications for the scheme on Monday with the first information session planned for Thursday at Rosemount Community Centre.

Councillor Marie Boulton said: "As a council we are committed to nurturing talent on our own doorstep and the awards will help successful applicants to develop their ideas and skills through practical support and mentoring."

Julie Ann Simpson, one of the award winners from last year, reflected on the scheme and what it was like to work with a mentor.

She said: "The VACMA have allowed me to develop new skills and broaden my artistic output.

"It has been revealing to see the potential within certain aspects of my work which I may have disregarded - taking these opportunities and breaking them down into actionable goals."