From today, Wednesday 4th July, 2012, Scotland’s arts, culture and heritage organisations are invited to apply for investment to capitalise on opportunities presented by digital technologies.

Over £400,000 is available through AmbITion Scotland’s new Make:IT:Happen fund which goes live today Wednesday 4th July, 2012 via the project’s http://www.getambition.com website.

The Make:IT:Happen fund is part of the national digital development programme, AmbITion Scotland and has been created to help organisations to grasp the opportunities presented by digital technologies in order to grow business capability, capacity, creativity and confidence in these areas.

Make:IT:Happen funding offers support through four digital investment strands:

AmbITion Approach (up to £5,000) supports organisations during the early stages of their digital development by providing an external specialist to help them assess and develop a wide-reaching strategy for organisational change.

Digital Content Development (£500-£10,000) gives organisations the opportunity to enhance their digital development activity through the creation, or better use of digital content.

Organisational Development (£500-£10,000) supports organisations to take advantage of digital technologies to grow their businesses, develop ideas and improve operational capacity.

Sustainable AmbITion (£500 – £5,000) supports organisations to be carbon-aware and improve their green credentials through funding new digital technologies or approaches.

Make:IT:Happen funding can be used to support a project in its entirety or to augment a bigger digital ambition. Funds are available to not for profit arts, culture and heritage groups and organisations with relatively little or no digital knowledge/experience as well as well as to those that have some competence with digital projects, but limited resources.

Hannah Rudman, Lead Consultant, AmbITion Scotland said: “The Make:IT:Happen funding strands have been specifically designed to support organisations adapt to the social, cultural, economic and environmental changes that the digital technology revolution is driving.

She continued: “Given the successes that have already been achieved through AmbITion Scotland’s work in this area with some of Scotland’s creative community, we’re looking forward to continuing an inspiring and rewarding digital journey.”

The Make:IT:Happen fund has evolved out of the work that AmbITion Scotland has undertaken since its inception on 2009. During that time, the project has enabled many organisations, large and small, digitally sophisticated as well as digital newcomers, to develop their businesses through opportunities offered by digital technologies.

Julie Tait, Director, Culture Sparks said: “Our experience has been that it’s easily accessible and focussed support that allow fresh ideas in the digital world to take shape rapidly. The Make:IT:Happen fund is responsive and offers a unique opportunity for arts, culture and heritage organisations to test out their aspirations for creativity and growth and to meet the insatiable demand from the public to interact with them in this way.”

To follow is a cross section of responses from organisations who have worked with AmbITion Scotland:

Lesley Anne Rose, Creative Producer, Stellar Quines said: “It’s fair to say that a couple of years ago Stellar Quines was in the digital Dark Ages. Like many arts organisations we stumbled into our first AmbITion workshop wondering what all the digital fuss was about and what it had to do with live theatre. The workshop turned out to be a Eureka moment in the company’s history as we emerged with our heads spinning with a new found realisation of the potentials of a brave new digital world.

“We are now moving towards becoming a virtual hub for all those interested in women and theatre; delivering a series of creative digital labs where the interface between live theatre and the possibilities emerging through the virtual and digital worlds can be tested and to train ourselves and those who work with us in new skills, new outlooks and new understandings.”

The latest example of this is the company’s development of an experimental prototype – a 3D digitised version of their stage production, ANA – a first for Scottish theatre. With it they are researching whether 3D film can offer an artistic and commercially viable experience of live theatre.

Collaborating with Glasgow’s Digital Design Studio, Edinburgh Napier University’s Institute for Creative Industries and Freakworks film production company, Stellar Quines has now created a prototype and following an initial test screening of extracts to an invited audience, Dundee Contemporary Arts is now working with Stellar Quines to create a Digital Cinema Package out of this prototype which will be screened at DCA and in Scotland’s mobile cinema (the Screen Machine).

Presented at AmbITion’s national conference Digital 2012, Stellar Quines talk about their latest digital development – the filming of Ana, a live theatre show, in 3D: http://www.getambition.com/2012/04/stellarquinesdigi201/

Working with AmbITion to develop digital content, Glasgow based and digital technology savvy Cryptic have been able to enhance the audience experience of Cryptic events by offering personalised digital ‘Cryptic Treats’ using digital QR codes. Cryptic’s Sarah Harrison said: “AmbITion Scotland has given Cryptic the support, expert advice and time to formulate and investigate a digital project which perfectly encapsulates the company’s mission to use digital technologies innovatively. The project is enabling Cryptic to engage more with international audiences and support the work of emerging artists, whilst ensuring that the company remains at the forefront of the use of digital technologies in the arts.” http://www.cryptic.org.uk/

AmbITion Scotland speak to Crypric about their ‘Cryptic Treats’: http://www.getambition.com/2010/09/interim-mini-case-study-cryptic-ambition-scotland-2010/

Ed Robson, Artistic Director, Cumbernauld Theatre commented: “AmbITion directly enabled Cumbernauld Theatre to enter the 21st Century – for the first time we were able to sell tickets online, to fully understand the potential and make use of web 2.0 technologies/social media developments, and to be able to manage and respond to our audience quickly and with more knowledge and skill.

“In the last 18 months Cumbernauld Theatre has transformed its use of Information Technology and as a result has a stronger and more active online communication relationship and sales presence that is directly engaging audiences on a daily basis. “Whilst the financial investment was crucial, the support and skills base that the Company also received will be fundamental going forwards in our ability to now deliver new and growing audiences.” www.cumbernauldtheatre.co.uk/

Julian Forrester, Director, Cove Park said: “AmbITion has given Cove Park the ability to communicate faster, better and in new ways. It led us to thinking carefully about what we in particular needed. It then gave us a consultant of great ability to work with who set up programmes suited to us and then trained us in their use with patience and humour.

“This is the sort of practical help of inestimable value to a small organisation which in normal circumstances could not easily access digital development at this level.” http://covepark.org/

Commenting on the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland’s experience of working with AmbITion Scotland, Chris Willshaw, Online Marketing Specialist said: “In partnership with the AmbITion Scotland we have been able to create Broadcast – our online hub where audiences can experience life at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.

“By training staff and students as digital content creators we have created a wealth of new digital content – (performances, behind the scenes interviews and masterclasses), which we distribute through our social media channels. Our improved digital culture has had a significant impact through three key areas of student recruitment, audience development and increased institutional reputation.” http://www.rcs.ac.uk/

Following their own successful experience of working with AmbITion Scotland, Nicola Henderson, Director Aberdeenshire based Woodend Barn arts group said:

“Woodend Barn worked with AmbITion Scotland to create a digital hub in the North East of Scotland. A hub that would increase access to arts activity for our rural audiences, as well as helping us to engage with new audiences and to help us improve our digital content generation and management.

She continued: “Woodend Barn has now built up strong relationships with Covent Garden, Kings Place and others to enable online streaming of arts events from around the country; we have improved our organisational efficiency through better use of online tools; and we now have the equipment and skills in house to integrate technology into many productions we host. Importantly, this allows for greater creative exploration by artists, curators and audiences.

In conclusion, Nicola commented: “Our audiences have grown significantly in the last couple of years and we believe that this is in part due to our improved online marketing and customer relations and also the enhanced programme that the digital hub is able to offer.”

To view an interview with Woodend barn about their AmbITion Scotland experience, click here: http://www.getambition.com/2011/01/mini-case-study-woodend-barn/

Ron Inglis, Director, Highlands based Regional Screen Scotland said:

“The AmbITion programme helped us understand and implement a social media strategy which is proving increasingly successful. Additionally the seminars provided a great opportunity to hear about innovative ideas and discuss them with the people working in these areas.” www.regionalscreenscotland.org/

To view an interview with Ron Inglis about working with AmbITion Scotland click here: http://www.getambition.com/2010/11/ron-inglis-getting-digital-with-regional-screen-scotland/

Iain Munro, Director of Creative Development, Creative Scotland said:

“Make:IT:Happen is another step in ensuring Scotland’s cultural sector has a sustainable digital infrastructure and is able to utilise the potential of new digital technologies. Creative Scotland has developed partnerships with NESTA, AmbITion Scotland and Sync through our Cultural Economy programme to ensure this is realised. We hope that organisations across Scotland make full use of what’s on offer through this innovative programme.”

There are five application periods between July 2012 and September 2013 as follows:

· July – September 2012 (decisions by 30 October 2012)

· October – December 2012 (decisions by 31 January 2013)

· January – March 2013 (decisions by 30 April 2013)

· April – June 2013 (decisions by 31 July 2013)

· July – September 2013 (decisions by 30 October 2013)

Applications for the first phase of funding opens today, Wednesday 4th July, 2012 and each of the four digital development funding strands has its own individual application deadline date:

· AmbITion Approach: 2 September 2012

· Digital Content Development: 19 August 2012

· Organisational Development: 16 September 2012

· Sustainable AmbITion: 30 September 2012

Whilst organisations are able to apply to one Make:IT:Happen funding strand during each application period, it is possible however to apply to the other Make:IT:Happen funding strands, or re-apply to the same fund if not initially successful, in subsequent application periods. In this way it is possible to apply to all of the funds at some point, which can help groups to achieve incremental digital growth.

The decision making process is a mix of closed assessment by a panel of individuals who have a wide range of expertise in digital developments within the arts, culture and heritage sector and will draw on the experience of individuals and advisors who have been instrumental to AmbITion Scotland’s work since 2009.

AmbITion Scotland will also be trialing a participatory Peer Review method of decision making for applications to the Digital Content Development funding strand.

Funded by The National Lottery via Creative Scotland (as part of Creative Scotland’s Cultural Economy programme), the AmbITion Scotland progranme and the Make:IT:Happen initiative are designed and delivered by Culture Sparks and Rudman Consulting.

Full Make:IT:Happen information, funding guidelines and application forms at: http://www.getambition.com

Source: Ambition Scotland