Welcome to the Charles Rennie Mackintosh Society.

Design for Three Chelsea Studios, pencil & watercolour, 1920, by Charles Rennie Mackintosh ©The Trustees of the British Museum

Overview

The Charles Rennie Mackintosh Society (CRMS), and DSB are delighted to announce their collaboration with the Glasgow School of Art (GSA) to offer Architecture students studying at the Mackintosh School of Architecture the opportunity to apply for a £2000 scholarship to contribute towards travel costs to undertake academic research related to the architecture of Charles Rennie Mackintosh.

The Charles Rennie Mackintosh Society is an independent, non-profit making charity, established in 1973 to promote and encourage awareness of the Scottish architect and designer, Charles Rennie Mackintosh. The Society has around 1000 members across the world with active affiliate groups arranging local events in, London and the SE, and Japan, and an associate group in Port Vendres.

In 1999, the Society became owner and long-term custodian of Queen’s Cross Church (now known as ‘Mackintosh Queen’s Cross’). This is the only church built to CRM’s design, A listed and a national treasure for Scotland – a key element in showcasing and promoting the legacy of Mackintosh. 

For nearly 50 years the Society has promoted the works of CRM around the world, protecting, enhancing, and interpreting the works – becoming a respected voice in the preservation and promotion of Mackintosh internationally. The CRM Society provides a watching brief on Mackintosh buildings, providing an independent campaigning role to address lack of maintenance or investment.

Charles Rennie Mackintosh gained the commission in 1896 to design the Glasgow School of Art, also known as Mackintosh’s masterpiece. Whilst studying at the GSA, Mackintosh won the prestigious Alexander Thomson Travelling Studentship in 1890 that financially supported him to undertake an architectural sketching tour of Italy.  This exciting new Mackintosh/DSB Travelling Scholarship is set against the background of Mackintosh’s travelling experience where he recorded his impressions in over 200 pencil drawings and watercolours and is open to eligible students for travel to undertake academic research based on their research proposal.  

Note: The Charles Rennie Mackintosh Society is grateful to DSB Award for their generous contribution to this scholarship.

Award details

Full-time and Part-time Architecture students enrolled at MSA at the date of application (see below) are eligible to apply for the scholarship to support travel to undertake Mackintosh-related research. Below are some examples of activities that funds could be used for:

  • Travel to areas of relevance to your research which could be, among many others, cities, institutes, cultures, landscapes or ecosystems;
  • Research undertaken in the UK and internationally to support your research

The travel may be undertaken either in the UK or abroad between June and August 2022. 

The costs of producing the research output in dissertation format, and if appropriate, visual supporting material, is included in the scholarship award.

Research Topic

The research should focus on Mackintosh’s architecture, exploring and documenting a Mackintosh-related topic that has not been previously published in written or visual format. Besides Mackintosh’s built work, the research could focus on the source of Mackintosh’s architectural influences or indeed on Mackintosh’s influence on other architects and their work.

Research Output

Recipients of the award will be required to produce a research output and present their research findings to a public audience.

The format for the research output can be as follows:

  • A textual Research Project consisting of a 10,000-word dissertation.

OR

  • A visual Research Project utilising selected media (physical/digital models, drawings, artefacts etc) accompanied by a 5,000-word text that contextualises, describes and references the visual work.

In both cases the word count includes footnotes and references but excludes bibliography. The research output is to be submitted in an A4 portrait format, black, hard-bound, with name and title on both the cover and the spine, illustrated, fully referenced and with a bibliography. The costs associated with the production of the research output is included in the scholarship award.

Eligibility

To be eligible, students must be Full-time or Part-time Architecture students enrolled at MSA at the date of application.

Application Process

Applications must be made on the online form, signed by the student and MSA’s Head of School. Completed applications, must be submitted to the Director of the CRM Society by no later than 12 noon on Friday 22 April 2022 at the following address: stuart@crmsociety.com  Applications submitted after this deadline may not be considered.

Applicants will be required to state their travel arrangements along with an itemised estimate of expenditure.

Successful applicants will be required to submit a research output in December 2022 and present their research findings to a public audience in January 2023. The submission deadline and presentation date will be outlined in the award letter. Students who do not submit a research output by the agreed date may be required to repay the Scholarship in full.

Judging Panel

Chair of Panel, Alan Hooper: Senior Lecturer | Programme Leader | Exchange Coordinator at GSA

Neil Gillespie: Director at Reiach and Hall Architects

Prof. Colin Porteous: Former Senior Researcher at GSA

Fiona Sinclair: Architect

Stuart Robertson: Director of CRM Society

Milestones and Deadlines

  • Friday 11 February 2022 Scholarship Launch at Mackintosh Queen’s Cross. (Please note the launch has been rescheduled from the 14 January due to the Scottish Government restrictions caused by the Omicron variant) (Eventbrite booking available here)
  • Friday 22 April 2022 Scholarship Application Submissions:
  • 20 May 2022 Panel judging complete
  • Tuesday 7 June 2022 (anniversary CRM birth) Scholarship Award Announcement
  • June/Aug 2022 Scholar Travel/Research
  • December 2022 Scholarship Research Output Submission
  • January 2023 Celebration Event: Research Output Presentation at Mackintosh Queen’s Cross

Mackintosh/DSB Travelling Scholarship 2022

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