A revolutionary new digital toolset for film marketing, a service to build links between the public and Scotland’s industrial design community, a new directory to connect artists with consumers, and the first Social Media Week offering the public new opportunities to engage with online content are amongst five new initiatives that reinforce Scotland’s reputation for creating innovative digital content for global distribution.

Creative Scotland’s investment, with the support of the Scottish Government’s Innovation fund, supports distinctive and engaging work and promotes the development of the Creative Industries in Scotland.  The creative industries represent 5% of all registered businesses in Scotland and contribute £2.4 billion Gross Value Added (GVA) to the Scottish economy.

The Innovation fund invests in digital interactive media content and the development of the associated delivery platforms. It supports pilot projects at the interface between technology and its application in music, screen and other artforms and builds understanding of digital creative content amongst diverse audiences. Creative Scotland has prioritised projects that bring significant co-finance to the area of digital content creation, with a focus on job creation and economic growth in the creative industries.

The initiatives – supported by £½ million of investment for growth include:

• Distrify: a toolset built for the film industry to enhance film marketing and direct-to-audience distribution. Distrify embeds an online retailer into movie trailers that consumers can access whenever they view a clip online
• MAKLab: based at The Lighthouse, Scotland’s Centre for Design and Architecture, will develop a service that will enable designers and architects to use cutting-edge digital fabrication equipment to innovate, enable schools to encourage innovation and give open access so that everyone has the opportunity to demonstrate their untutored creative vision: Dreamit, Designit, MAKit. They will also develop a platform to recognise the achievement of Scotland’s designers.
• Central Station: the online community for Scotland’s artists will develop new services including an online talent directory to showcase artists’ work, build new services through Vimeo, Flickr, Behance, as well as further develop its crowd-sourced investment model for members
• Social Media Week (19-23 September), developed by twintangibles and New Media Corp will feature new digital initiatives for the public in poetry, literature, storytelling and Gaelic, to increase their use of social media, including:

◦                   Skype Gaelic classes, an online debate and Geocaching – a Glasgow Gaelic Meet Up.

◦                   VVS Stories: short stories 140 characters long and collated into a book format during Social Media Week and then perpetually available as an e-book

◦                   Design a virtual tartan – in partnership with the Tartans Authority, competitors will be invited to submit a design online with the winner chosen by an online vote

◦                   Scottish Verse audiobook – classic Scottish poetry and prose, narrated by an amateur auditioning online. At the close of Social Media Week the poems will be available as a free audiobook.

◦                   Social Media and Mobile Communication workshops led by the BBC, CNN, Peace One Day and Trip Advisor

• I Know Where I’m Going: Remote Access to World Heritage Sites from St Kilda to Uluru: This is a two-day international conference to take part 23-24^th November 2011 which will focus on the potential created by new technologies for creating high-quality, remote-access, visitor experiences for UNESCO World Heritage Sites and other sites of cultural, historical and natural significance where remote access is desirable or necessary.

Caroline Parkinson, Director of Creative Development, Creative Scotland announced the new investment and added:

‘Today’s announcement confirms Creative Scotland’s role in investing in creative companies for their economic, social and cultural success.  Each of these initiatives contributes something unique and genuinely pioneering to Scotland’s future development and our creative industries. It’s essential that we invest in innovation to strengthen this sector, retain market share and promote Scotland’s global reputation.’

Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs Fiona Hyslop said:

‘Scotland’s creative industries make a valuable contribution to our economy, supporting more than 60,000 jobs and generating £5.2 billion turnover each year.  This government recognises the importance of supporting this dynamic sector and that is exactly what the Innovation Fund is doing.  These new initiatives – creating innovative digital content which can be used across the globe – will reinforce Scotland’s reputation as a place of innovation and creativity, with a wealth of talent, ensuring our creative industries continue to flourish.’

Andy Green, founding partner of Distrify added:

‘Creative Scotland has been with us from the start and it’s true to say we wouldn’t be here without them. Their support has made the difference in surviving or not and much more than just financial, we’ve been pushed to make a viable business with growth potential. We’re very happy to say things are now taking off at Distrify and we’ll be taking on more staff this autumn.’

Bailie Liz Cameron, Executive Member for Development and Regeneration at Glasgow City Council, said:

‘This is a fantastic opportunity for the Lighthouse to support and promote the value of innovation and design to the economy, communities and individuals.  I look forward to seeing the results of MAKLab from the wide range of people who will use this state of the art service.’

Arvind Salwan, Director, New Media Corp said:

‘With over 130 free events across five days, Glasgow is set to host the world’s biggest social media week, the largest, single, simultaneous social media gathering ever. In line with the ambitions that twintangibles and New Media Corp have for Social Media Week, I think Creative Scotland has shown a real vision and just ‘got it’ straight away; the wider industry and public response shows that Scotland has a vibrant, confident and creative community and that our reputation for innovation can hold its own on the global stage.’

A further £500,000 is available for investment, with applications invited by the closing date of 23 September 2011.  Further details can be found here:

http://www.creativescotland.com/sites/default/files/editor/Innovation_Guidelines_v1-4.doc

Creative Scotland has supported a diverse range of innovative enterprise since this programme was established, including:

• Starter for 6: which has invested in 115 new businesses since 2010,
• Creative Arts Business Network: This 18 month project began in May 2010, and was designed as a first step towards providing an integrated framework of support for the creative sector across the region.  It has been aligned with other business support initiatives in the area, but focuses on practitioners (makers and producers) involved in the visual arts, crafts, film, performing arts, literature and publishing. Creative Business Advocates are recruited from within the sector to create residencies and commissions that will stimulate creative businesses to work together Collaborations between creative and commercial businesses will be encouraged. The partnership has secured match funding from Dumfries and Galloway LEADER programme and from the Scottish Borders LEADER programme.

Overall, Scotland’s creative industries are growing at a faster rate than the average of the Scottish economy over last 10 years.

Source: Creative Scotland