Tag: creative industries

ARTS & CULTURE CASH CRISIS

Update on Creative Scotland Budget 2023/24

Creative Scotland recently made a submission to the Scottish Parliament Culture Committee’s ongoing inquiry into culture budgets in Scotland – read the submission on the Scottish Parliament website

In that submission, we stated the following regarding our Grant in Aid budget from the Scottish Government for 2023/24:

“While we welcomed the Scottish Government’s decision in February 2023 to reverse the 10% cut to our Grant in Aid Budget which was originally announced in December 2022, it should be noted that the £6.6m this cut related to has not yet been confirmed in Creative Scotland’s budget.”

We are extremely disappointed to report that the £6.6m budget has not been included in the Autumn Budget Revisions.

This has been confirmed in writing by the Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Angus Robertson, in a letter to our Chief Executive, Iain Munro on 20 September.

This relates to Grant-in Aid funding that we receive from the Scottish Government and that we use to support 119 cultural organisations across Scotland through Regular Funding.

Given the extensive messaging and advocacy regarding the pressures on culture budgets and risks to the culture sector that we, and many others have been making, this is a concerning development.

To address this reduction, the Creative Scotland Board agreed on 27 September, to use £6.6m of our National Lottery reserves to prevent us having to pass it on to the Regularly Funded Organisations, especially given the next payments are due in 2 weeks’ time.

Whilst the unprecedented pressures on public finances are understood, we are disappointed that the Scottish Government has taken this decision. However, Creative Scotland is acting swiftly and pragmatically to help stabilise the situation in the short term.

This step of using our National Lottery reserves in this way will only happen once.  The budget for 2024/25 will not be decided by the Scottish Government for some months yet but should the Scottish Government choose to sustain this reduction, we will require to pass it on to the sector.

Creative Scotland appeared before the Culture Committee at the Scottish Parliament on yesterday (Thursday 28 September) to give evidence as part of the Committee’s ongoing inquiry into culture budgets in Scotland.

David Watt, chief executive of Culture & Business Scotland, said: “At a time when Scottish Government ministers repeatedly speak about the importance and value of culture to our society and economy, the reinstatement of the £6.6M cut to Creative Scotland’s annual budget for the current year is unfathomable.

““Just yesterday (Thursday September 28), I, alongside other cultural representatives, gave budget evidence to the Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee to hopefully ensure that this shortsighted budget decision does not extend into the 2024-25 budget for culture settlement.

“Investment in culture is essential for society, local communities, tourism, the economy and Scotland’s international reputation. The ongoing challenges of the legacy impact of Covid, Brexit and the cost-of-living crisis, are very real, with many arts and culture organisations operating on a knifes edge.

“These issues are exacerbated as the majority have a lack of unrestricted reserves and continue to struggle to build these up due to slow growth in ticket sales and increased overheads due to high energy prices.

“A reduction in public funding will rapidly increase the firefighting our culture organisations and venues are facing against challenge after challenge. If this budget pattern continues, with little opportunity to ensure future sustainability, there will be an inevitable shrinkage of the culture sector, and the economic and social impact of this will be significant for us all.”

As part of the Autumn budget review, the Scottish Government has re-instated a 10% cut to Creative Scotland’s 2023-24 annual budget (totaling approximately £6.6m), which following mass campaigning from the cultural sector, was overturned earlier this year (writes SMIA Interim CEO and Creative Director ROBIN KILPATRICK).

As the organisation which exists to strengthen, empower and unite Scotland’s music industry – representing a diverse membership of over 4,000 people working across all music genres and industry subsectors – we’re compelled to highlight the devastating impact of this decision; not just to music and culture, but to Scottish society at large.

The cut directly relates to the funding allocated to support Creative Scotland’s Regular Funding Network, comprising 119 cross-artform organisations (RFOs) that are structurally integral to both supporting and delivering Scotland’s cultural output. The SMIA is one of them.

In the short-term (for the rest of this financial year), Creative Scotland has had to divert to utilising National Lottery reserves to plug the gap and prevent the cuts from being passed on to members of the RFO network.

If this hadn’t been the case, in two weeks’ time when the next RFO funding payments are due, each of the 119 organisations would, in effect, have received a ~40% cut to projected funding.

In the SMIA’s case, this would have been two weeks ahead of the Scottish Album of the Year (SAY) Award Ceremony, and would have put the delivery of Scotland’s national music prize at significant risk.

The cut would have again been replicated in January at the next (and final) RFO payment for this financial year, which in the case of many organisations, would have meant the end. Whilst immediate disaster has been avoided, the use of Creative Scotland reserves at this stage means that they are now significantly depleted for what was their intended purpose.

Last month, Creative Scotland highlighted that over 500 cultural organisations stated their intention to apply for Multi-year funding; a new funding scheme that will replace the current Regular Funding one. From the intentions to apply, the indicative annual request was in excess of £113m – far exceeding what Creative Scotland expects to have available.

Inevitably, this means that Creative Scotland will not be able to support as many organisations on a multi-year basis as they currently do, and the application process will be highly competitive. Causalities are expected and imminent. Cultural organisations across all art forms are worried about their future, and the reserves that Creative Scotland has had to use now means that there’s far less available transitional funding for unsuccessful applicants.

Whilst the future for Scottish culture was looking bleak, there was at least some hope that organisations that are unsuccessful in securing Multi-year Funding would have some time to remain operational, pivot their business model and potentially find an alternative way forward. With Creative Scotland’s reserves now depleted, many unsuccessful organisations will soon vanish from the fabric of our cultural landscape, and with them, many creative opportunities and a significant part of our cultural identity as we know it today.

RFOs have been on stand-still funding since 2018. In the face of high inflation, rising interest rates, cost of living challenges, issues around staff retention and recruitment, the impact of Brexit, the legacy of Covid and a whole myriad of broader problems currently facing our sector, for Creative Scotland’s budget cut to have been re-instated, the future of music and culture in Scotland is now at significant and immediate risk. The foundations upon which it supported are being eroded at an increasingly alarming rate, and unless intervention is made by the Scottish Government, it will have impacts for decades to come.

Outwith the significant economic contribution that music makes to Scotland’s economy (£581m through music tourism alone in 2022, as noted in UK Music’s ‘Here, There And Everywhere’ report – and this is only based on events with 1500+ capacity), it’s important to remember that the value generated by the sector far extends an economic one.

With the Scottish Government has stated that they’re committed to building a well-being economy – which serves and prioritises the collective well-being of current and future generations – it’s fundamental to highlight just how intrinsic music and culture are to achieving that vision.

Culture is our identity; it’s how we see ourselves, how we see our place in the world and how we relate to others. It’s the stories of life in Scotland, and it underpins mental well-being – both collectively and individually – in many different ways. The silences that echoed across 2020 as live music vanished from our lives serve as a firm reminder of this. Unless intervention is made now, we’ll be lucky if there are whispers in the years to come.

We urge the Scottish Government to recognise the desperate situation of a vitally important sector; economically, socially and culturally. It’s essential that Creative Scotland has the resources to both support and preserve it.

You can help directly by signing the Campaign For The Artist Petition against this move.”

Robert Kilpatrick – Interim CEO and Creative Director, Scottish Music Industry Association (SMIA)

CAMPAIGN FOR THE ARTS

The Scottish Government is breaking its promise on arts funding.

In February, thousands joined our campaign against plans for a £6.6 million cut to Creative Scotland, the public body responsible for investing in Scottish arts and culture. Ministers responded by abandoning the cut and instead heralded a “£6.6 million uplift … supporting the arts and cultural sector at this challenging time”.

But seven months on, the £6.6 million pledged to Creative Scotland hasn’t been delivered. And now the Culture Secretary Angus Robertson has told them that it won’t be.

This extraordinary short-changing of Scottish culture midway through the year has forced Creative Scotland to raid its limited reserves as a one-off, emergency measure. Otherwise, regularly funded arts organisations in Scotland would have seen their funding cut by as much as 40% as soon as next month.

This is absolutely no way to treat Scotland’s arts and culture, let alone in a perfect storm of economic pressures and post-pandemic challenges. This ‘U-turn on a U-turn’ puts treasured venues and companies, thousands of jobs and access to Scottish culture at risk.

We urge the Culture Secretary Angus Robertson to:

  1. Honour the Scottish Government’s commitment in February to provide “an uplift of £6.6 million for Creative Scotland for 2023-24″.
  2. Scrap any proposal to cut Creative Scotland funding from the 2023-24 Autumn Budget Revision.
  3. Commit to maintaining and increasing investment in arts and culture from 2024-5, for the benefit of everybody in Scotland.

The SNP’s 2021 manifesto said “culture is central to who we are as a nation”, and that “the pandemic has demonstrated more than ever how vital it is to our wellbeing, mental health and sense of belonging”.5

But Scotland’s cultural sector has not fully recovered from the pandemic, during which it was one of the hardest-hit sectors. For many, incomes have fallen and reserves have dried up. Now, in the middle of a cost-of-living crisis, costs are rising and uncertainty is rife. This is not the time to cut vital, core funding on which artists and organisations depend.

Economic pressures have already led to the permanent closure of the Filmhouse cinemas in Edinburgh and Aberdeen, the Blue Arrow Jazz Club in Glasgow and the Nevis Ensemble, which worked across the country. We cannot afford to lose any more arts organisations – or the benefits they bring to our lives, communities and society

Creative Scotland’s 120 Regularly Funded Organisations (RFOs) directly employ 5,000 workers, support 25,500 individual artists and provide millions of opportunities for people across Scotland to engage with the arts and culture.

Of these, Edinburgh-based arts organisations include:

(Organisation – Art form – Average annual grant )

Arika – Multi – £200,000

Arts and Business Scotland – Creative Industries – £200,000

Centre for the Moving Image – Screen – £1,066,667

Collective – Visual Arts – £283,333

Craft Scotland – Craft – £333,333

Creative Carbon Scotland – Creative Industries – £150,000

Creative Edinburgh – Creative Industries – £94,667

Curious Seed – Dance – £132,318

Dance Base – Dance – £408,333

Drake Music Scotland – Music – £126,667

Dunedin Consort – Music – £100,000

Edinburgh Art Festival – Visual Arts – £100,000

Edinburgh International Book Festival – Literature – £306,500

Edinburgh International Festival Society – Multi – £2,317,333

Edinburgh Printmakers – Visual Arts – £160,000

Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop – Visual Arts – £233,333

Federation of Scottish Theatre – Theatre – £265,000

Fruitmarket Gallery – Visual Arts – £666,667

Grid Iron Theatre Company – Theatre – £224,400

Imaginate – Theatre – £365,000

Luminate – Multi – £100,000

Lung Ha Theatre Company – Theatre – £146,818

Lyra – Theatre – £100,000

Magnetic North Theatre Productions – Theatre – £100,000

Publishing Scotland – Literature – £307,833

Puppet Animation Scotland – Theatre – £183,667

Red Note Ensemble – Music – £215,000

Regional Screen Scotland – Screen – £206,783

Royal Lyceum Theatre Company – Theatre – £1,210,000

Scottish Book Trust – Literature – £859,931

Scottish National Jazz Orchestra – Music – £216,667

Scottish Poetry Library – Literature – £300,833

Starcatchers Production – Theatre – £100,000

Stellar Quines Theatre Company – Theatre – £176,000

Stills: Centre for Photography – Visual Arts – £147,000

Tinderbox Collective – Music – £100,000

Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland – Multi – £313,333

Travelling Gallery – Visual Arts – £126,667

Traverse Theatre – Theatre – £866,667

Voluntary Arts Scotland – Multi – £130,000

Youth Theatre Arts Scotland – Theatre – £133,333.

SIGN THE PETITION:

https://campaignforthearts.org/petitions/scotland-cuts-reimposed/

Choudhury: Let’s turbo charge our creative industries

On Thursday 14th September, The Advertising Association held LEAD Scotland 2023 at The National Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh. 

The conference brought together key figures in the marketing and advertising industries as well as political leaders to discuss the future of the creative industries in Scotland.

The conference was opened with a keynote speech by former Prime Minister Gordon Brown followed by a cross-party panel discussion hosted by STV which included Foysol Choudhury, Labour MSP for Lothian, Murdo Fraser, Conservative MSP for Mid Scotland and Fife and Ben Macpherson, SNP MSP for Edinburgh Northern and Leith.

Speaking following his participation on the panel discussion, MSP Choudhury said: “The creative industries have a pivotal role to play in the future of the Scottish economy. 

“Sadly, the full potential of Scotland’s creative industries has not been realised by two Governments-the SNP at Holyrood and the Tories at Westminster- who are sleeping at the wheel and have given up on trying to build a positive future for the country’s creative industries. 

“An incoming Labour Government is listening and it has the vision and ambition to turbo charge these industries and ensure the next generation have the skills to thrive in the industry, providing a vital boost to our economy. 

“Scottish Labour would ensure that the creative industries have their voice heard and that the industry does not become an investment vacuum, especially for local organisations who are losing out from a lack of stable funding.”

Mr Choudhury is calling on the Scottish and UK Government to work together with industry leaders to put the creative industries front and centre of the effort to grow the economy. 

New report finds economic impact of the Screen Industry in Edinburgh grows to £97million

1,820 FTE Roles Across the Region

  • Studio growth enabled inward film and HETV production spend to increase by 110%, driving increases in employment and economic value in Scotland’s screen sector  
  • Overall production spend in Scotland grew by 55%, including content made by Scotland-based producers  

Screen Scotland has published latest figures evidencing continued growth in the value of Scotland’s film and TV industries to the country’s economy including in Edinburgh.  

Commissioned by Screen Scotland and produced by Saffery Champness and Nordicity, the independent report which looks at The Economic Value of the Screen Sector in Scotland in 2021 finds that significant growth was found in all areas of production, particularly inward investment film and High-End TV (HETV) production:  

  • Inward investment film and HETV production spend increased by 110%, from £165.3 million in 2019 to £347.4 million in 2021. 
  • In total, an estimated £617.4 million was spent on the production of film, TV and other audiovisual content in Scotland in 2021, compared to £398.6 million in 2019, up 55% compared to 2019*. 
  • This included content made by Scotland-based producers, producers based outside of Scotland filming in Scotland and Public Service Broadcasters (PSBs) commissioned content. 

The employment impact in Scotland’s production sub-sector rose from 5,120 full time equivalent jobs (FTEs) in 2019 to 7,150 FTEs in 2021, a 39% increase. The employment impact across Scotland’s entire sector increased at a lower rate, by 5.6%, from 10,280 FTEs in 2019 to 10,940 FTEs in 2021 – with the covid impacts in that year on employment in the cinema exhibition and screen tourism accounting for the difference. 

According to the research, undertaken by Saffery Champness and Nordicity as a follow-up to their recent study of 2019, growth is in large part due to sector development work undertaken since Screen Scotland’s formation in 2018, including significant skills development work and the opening of new or expanded studio facilities, particularly FirstStage Studios in Edinburgh, where Prime Video’s The Rig (which has returned to Scotland to film series 2) and Anansi Boys were filmed, and the expansion of The Pyramids in West Lothian, home to another Prime Video HETV series, Good Omens 2.

These studio facilities have made Scotland an even more attractive place to film, opening in time to catch the global post pandemic boom in production**.    

Alongside film and TV development and production, the wide-ranging study analyses the economic contribution of the full screen sector value chain – film and TV development and production, animation, VFX and post-production, film and TV distribution, TV broadcast, film exhibition – and extends into the supply chains that provide services at each stage of the content process, including facilities, equipment, transport, catering and accommodation. 

Beyond that direct supply chain, the study looks at where the screen sector stimulates economic activity elsewhere in the Scottish economy: screen tourism, the education and training sectors and infrastructure.    

In total, the screen sector in Scotland contributed Gross Value Added (GVA) of £627 million to Scotland’s economy in 2021, providing 10,930 full time equivalent (FTE) jobs, up from £568 million and 10,940 FTEs in 2019. GVA is the standard measure used by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) and other national statistical agencies for measuring the monetary value of economic activity and the economic performance of industries.    

Isabel Davis, Screen Scotland’s Executive Director said: “The growth in all forms of production in Scotland between 2019 and 2021 is a phenomenal result.  It shows us that public investment via Screen Scotland in infrastructure, development, production and skills development, combined with attractive levels of production incentive are the catalyst for a successful industry.  

“Now is the time to build on these newly created jobs and growth with a sustained funding commitment towards skills development, attraction of large-scale productions and a focus on the development of locally originated film and television.  Screen Scotland is committed to delivering further growth, working hand in hand with the commercial production and studio sectors. 

“This will rely upon sustained funding and support in order for Scotland to seize the opportunities ahead of it and see that growth trajectory continue.” 

Authors of the Report, Stephen Bristow, Partner, Saffery Champness LLP and Dustin Chodorowicz, Partner, Nordicity noted further significant Report findings: “The doubling of Scotland’s annual level of inward investment film and high-end TV production between 2019 and 2021, was nearly three times the 39% growth rate experienced by the UK as a whole, according to published BFI statistics.

“In addition, Scotland’s screen sector GVA rose by 9.7% in those two years – well ahead of the 1.2% increase in nominal GVA (i.e. not adjusted for the effects of price inflation) posted by Scotland’s overall economy during that period.” 

Wellbeing Economy Secretary, Neil Gray said: “This report highlights another banner year for Scotland’s screen sector, which is all the more significant for the jobs, investment and economic growth it has delivered. The scale of the return to the Scottish economy from the investment in screen production is remarkable. 

“Beyond film and TV, this report also highlights how our tourism, hospitality and construction sectors have benefitted from this investment through screen tourism, catering contracts, and infrastructure expansion, and the supply chains that support these activities. 

“The efforts of Screen Scotland have been key to this result and we are committed to working with them and the sector to ensure this growth and the wider benefits being delivered can continue.” 

Bob Last, who’s FirstStage Studios in Leith has housed Prime Video’s Anansi Boys and The Rig, and where the second series of The Rig is currently filming, said: “We at FirstStage Studios are excited to have created a facility that helps our customers and their creatives realise ambitious visions for audiences both local and global. 

“We are pleased to have rapidly built relationships with, in particular Amazon Prime Video, enabling us to play a part in anchoring more of this global industry and its varied employment opportunities in Scotland and Leith.

“We thank all those who have chosen to make our facility their creative home and especially the crews whose hard work we witness daily, every one of them is a part of the good news today’s Screen Scotland report outlines.” 

As a highly experienced Scotland-based film and HETV producer, and currently producer on The Rig, Suzanne Reid commented: “As I progressed in my career the higher-level productions I wanted to work on just didn’t exist in Scotland, in part due to a lack of studio facilities – so I had to head to England and Wales for this type of work.

“It has been wonderful to be working back at home and to be able to work alongside our brilliantly talented Scottish crew on such a highly ambitious series. While it may have been a very successful couple of years for the Scottish Film and TV industry, we need to keep pushing for more high-end productions to be based in Scotland so we can continue to grow our talent base and keep them working at home.” 

A summary of the key findings including case studies, can be found here: Case studies | Screen Scotland 

The report can be read in full here : https://www.screen.scot/funding-and-support/research/economic-value-of-the-screen-sector-in-scotland-in-2021/economic-value-of-the-screen-sector-in-scotland-in-2021

New free virtual ad course for young talent

‘The AD-Cademy’ launches nationwide

The AD-Cademy, a free, 8-week virtual course has officially launched nationwide, kickstarting improved access to the advertising, marketing and digital industries for younger talent, no matter their background.

The course is targeted at 18-25 year-olds across the UK, to prioritise the next generation of creative stars entering the advertising industries in the wake of diminishing opportunities caused by the pandemic. 

Developed by the award-winning employment inclusion project, Brixton Finishing School, the AD-Cademy’s aim is to ensure the progression of multicultural and working class talent into the creative and technology industries.

The programme has been designed with national reach and accessibility in mind, to ensure that fresh talent from the 20 most challenged places in the UK and Scotland, including Manchester, Liverpool and Glasgow, stop being overlooked by agencies which can have a London-leaning bias when it comes to recruitment. 

The programme is packed with industry masterclasses and professional skills workshops. It has been created to upskill participants in key aspects of marketing, creativity, and digital, help build their networks and increase the chance of them securing a role through employability workshops including personal branding, accountability, interview tips, and CV writing.

The course modules have been designed to allow participants to learn from home and fit it in around their schedule, and graduates will have an opportunity to be placed in the industry at an agency. 200 young people are actively learning in the course so far.

The AD-Cademy is supported by big name sponsors including KFC, and will feature presentations and workshops from some of the biggest advertising and media agencies and technology partners, including Adam & Eve DDB, Saatchi & Saatchi, R/GA, GSK, Mail Metro Media, Clear Channel, Kinetic, Wolff Olins, Blis, RAPP, AD YOU LIKE, Anomaly, Amplify, Brand Advance, Oglivy, 21st Century Brand, Oliver, Westmill, M&C Saatchi and 1000 Heads. 

Launched in 2018, the Brixton Finishing School is the brainchild of Ally Owen, former exec at Unruly, MailOnline and Yahoo. Ally saw the urgent need to diversify talent in advertising and encourage untapped talent from traditionally underrepresented backgrounds – whether multicultural, neuro-diverse, or female – into the industry through training and work experience. 

Ally Owen, Founder of Brixton Finishing School said: “The AD-cademy is a game-changing moment for the rebalancing of the future talent pipeline at scale. Young people in Liverpool, Burnley, Manchester, Glasgow and all across the country will have access to amazing teachings from some of the stars of the creative and media industries.

“The AD-Cademy will be an awesome self-serve learning platform of lectures, as well as showcases and events that will enrich young people’s knowledge of the advertising industry. 

Ally Owen concluded: “Covid-19 is having a hugely negative impact on young people’s futures across the country. Internships and work experience opportunities have been put on ice as businesses look to stay afloat, and entry-level roles have all but disappeared.

“Brixton Finishing School’s mission has always been to break down the barriers that prevent young people from working class, multicultural and neurodiverse backgrounds having an equal chance to succeed in their careers. It’s also incredibly important to challenge companies to see the massive value you get from a diverse and inclusive workforce.”

To register interest, participants should visit: https://www.theadcademy.org/

Understanding the impact of Covid-19 on cultural participation

Creative Scotland has published the findings from independent research looking at public attitudes to cultural participation and attendance in the context of the Covid-19 pandemic. 

Surveying a representative sample of the population in Scotland, this is the second wave of research, following the first wave which was completed in August 2020. The survey provides valuable insight regarding how the Covid-19 pandemic has changed attitudes towards, and engagement with, cultural activity and also looks at public attitudes towards cultural participation in the future. 

Key findings include: 

  • More than half the population (56%) say they really miss attending cultural venues and events 
  • However, there is wariness amongst the culture-going public as regards returning to venues and events as restrictions ease, more so than with many other leisure activities 
  • The vast majority of the population (98%) are engaging with cultural activity from home during the Covid-19 pandemic but only a small proportion (17%) say they are willing to pay for cultural content that has moved online due to the pandemic 
  • Audiences are nevertheless looking forward to attending cultural activity when they can; are open to trying new experiences at different types of venue (70%); and audience levels look likely to return to pre-Covid levels, or increase, once a vaccine is widely available 

Iain Munro, Creative Scotland Chief Executive said: “The impact on Scotland’s art and culture sector by the Covid-19 pandemic has been severe. This important and ongoing research helps us understand that impact from a public perspective and is helping inform our ongoing discussions with partners, including Scottish Government, regarding current and future support.  

“The research also provides invaluable insight that will help shape our collaborative work with the sector in terms of recovery and renewal as we emerge from the impacts of the pandemic through 2021.” 

The report summarising the findings from the research can be found on the Creative Scotland website. A further wave of this research is planned for Spring 2021. 

Delivery Partners confirmed for £5 million Hardship Fund for Creative Freelancers

 Fund Guidance to be published: Thursday 22 October 

Applications invited from: 12 noon, Monday 26 October 

Crafts Council & Craft Scotland, Help Musicians, Society of Authors and Visual Arts Scotland have been confirmed as partners to assist Creative Scotland in the delivery of the Scottish Government’s £5million Hardship Fund for Creative Freelancers. 

Subject to confirmation, BECTU will also be partnering with Creative Scotland on the delivery of this funding. 

The specific sector expertise of these partners will help ensure the hardship funds reach as many freelancers across different creative sectors as possible, working with Creative Scotland who will deliver the funds to creative freelancers who work in the sectors not covered by the partner organisations 

Eligibility criteria for the fund will be published on Thursday 22 October followed by the fund opening for application at 12noon, Monday 26 October.  

Culture Secretary Fiona Hyslop said: “Culture is vitally important to all of our lives in Scotland. This is an extremely worrying time for many people involved in culture and creative industries, particularly creative freelancers and practitioners whose work is integral not only to the economy, but to the wellbeing of individuals and communities. 

“Many continue to face uncertain futures while much of their sectors remain unable to operate, and it is important that we can offer financial support while we continue to navigate our way through the pandemic. 

“This fund will provide emergency support to creative freelancers in Scotland who are experiencing hardship as a result of the pandemic. Working closely with partners in industry to deliver this fund will help Creative Scotland ensure support reaches people as quickly as possible.” 

Iain Munro, CEO at Creative Scotland said: “There is no end in sight to the COVID-19 pandemic and the significant impact it is having on Scotland’s creative sector. 

“With welcome financial support from the Scottish Government, this Hardship Fund offers much needed support for creative freelancers who have been particularly hard hit by the inability to work due to necessary restrictions. Creative Scotland is working hard with our partners to ensure this support reaches those in need as quickly as possible.” 

CraftsCouncil’s Executive Director, Rosy Greenlees OBE said: “We are delighted to partner with Craft Scotland to deliver much needed financial support to craft freelancers in Scotland.

“We know that craft professionals from curators, and educators to individual makers and businesses are struggling. Creative Scotland’s investment will offer a lifeline to ensure the Scottish craft sector remains a thriving and creative force.”

 Help Musicians’ Chief Executive, James Ainscough said: “With no end in sight to the restrictions that prevent musicians earning a living from live performance, we are delighted to see Creative Scotland providing this much needed funding for the community of Scottish musicians. 

“The team at Help Musicians are pleased to play a supporting role by administering this funding, ensuring that musicians experiencing financial hardship are given a real financial boost as quickly as possible.” 

Society of Authors Chief Executive, Nicola Solomon said: “This funding will be invaluable to the many Scottish writers, illustrators and translators who have fallen between the gaps in financial support during the health crisis. 

The grants we will now be able to distribute through the Authors’ Contingency Fund will enable some authors to keep working in spite of financial losses, others to stay afloat while dealing with their own ill health, others to fulfil caring responsibilities – and others simply to keep a roof over their heads. We are grateful for the opportunity to make a difference for Scottish authors.” 

Sarah Calmus, President of Visual Arts Scotland said: “Visual Arts Scotland are proud to be partnering with Creative Scotland to help deliver these new funds which follow on from our own Emergency Art Workers Support Fund.

“In this unprecedented period, Visual Arts Scotland are dedicated to helping the creative community and are committed to stand in solidarity through distributing funds to Visual Artists who are most in need of support at this time.” 

The Hardship Fund for Creative Freelancers is one of a series of Scottish Government emergency funds for creativity and culture being administered through Creative Scotland. 

These funds have been put in place to help mitigate the immediate impacts of COVID-19 on the creative and cultural sector. There are five new emergency funds which were announced by the First Minister on Friday 28 August and which are being delivered through Creative Scotland as follows: 

  • £15million Culture Organisation and Venues Recovery Fund which opened for applications on Thursday 17 September with a deadline of Thursday 24 September. 348 applications have been received totalling over £22million. Application assessments are now taking place and decisions will be communicated early November. 
  • £5million Hardship Fund for Creative Freelancers, for which an open call for partner organisations to help us distribute this fund was launched on Friday 11 September, with a deadline of Friday 25 September.  18 Expressions of Interest were received with five organisations now selected.  The £700,000 Screen element of these Hardship Funds opened for applications on Tuesday 22 September and closed on Friday 2 October.  Assessments are taking place and decisions being communicated to applicants. 
  • £3.5million Independent Cinemas Recovery and Resilience Fund, which opened for applications on Monday 14 September with a deadline of Monday 5 October.  27 applications have been received totalling £3.55million. Assessments are taking place and decisions will be announced w/c 26 October. 
  • £3.5million additional funds for Creative Scotland’s Open Fund which is open for applications to individuals and organisations now.  The application threshold has recently been increased from £50K to £100K. 
  • £3million Youth Arts funding package comprises of at least £1.2million through the Access to Youth Arts Fund which will be open to applications until Thursday 12 November; the £700,000 Small Grants Scheme which launched onThursday 24 September and will be open to applications until Monday 2 November; £50,000 assigned to the Time to Shine Nurturing Talent Fund, and anadditional £1,050,000 allocated to support a number of targeted national and local area youth music and wider youth arts organisations. These organisations will be invited to apply for the Youth Arts Targeted Fund by Tuesday 13 October. 
  • £1.5million for the Culture Collective programme (part of the £5million Sustaining Creative Practice Fund, referred to in the Scottish Government’s Programme for Government), supporting organisations employing freelance artists to work in and with communities across Scotland. More details to be announced in the coming weeks. 

Previously announced funds from the Scottish Government are: 

Updates on all emergency funds are being published regularly on the Creative Scotland website and publicised through media and social media communications. 

Game Over! Future jobs don’t have parents’ approval

75% of Parents value traditional subjects over creativity

OUT OF TOUCH parents are trying to steer their children away from pursuing lucrative 21st century careers, because they don’t understand the opportunities, a study shows.

Three quarters of mums and dads believe that conventional academic subjects such as Maths and English taught at school and beyond, are more valuable than creative and new technology subjects.

New research has revealed that despite the creative industries being one of the fastest growing sectors, with an estimated 2 million jobs available, there is still a sentiment from parents that they wouldn’t be happy if their child chose to pursue a creative career.

Parents appear to have overlooked the opportunities available within expanding fields such as game development, visual effects, art, music and social media, according to a poll of 1,000 parents of under 18 year olds, commissioned by Escape Studios.

When asked which degrees would be most valuable from a lifelong career perspective – parents identified as their top three choices – Computing (13%), Medicine (12%) and Engineering (11%). The arts ranked last at 2%.  These findings showcase the importance of educating parents in the growth of the creative sector, as the future workforce will help to build our  growing creative industries, which as of 2018 contributes £101.5 billion to the economy[2].

Due to parents’ lack of understanding of the career options available within the creative industries, almost half said they would try to influence the degree their teenager chooses to study at university. Dads (49%) are more likely to influence this than mums (39%).

Parents stated that they would be happier if their children opted for career paths such as training to become an Engineer (29%), a Doctor (37%) or a Scientist (23%), while the most disliked future career paths were identified as Social Media Influencer (35%), Bloggers (31%) and Gamers (27%).

Only 8% of parents wanted their child to pursue being a Visual Effects Artist or Animator, even though the creative industries can offer many lucrative job opportunities. Forecasts predict the UK could create up to 1 million new jobs in the sector by 2030[3].

Parents believe that the most important subjects for their children to study in school are Maths (67%), English (62%) and Computing (54%). Crafts, Music, Art and Design each received less than 20%.

Parents need more support when it comes to understanding the opportunities available within the creative industries. The classical boundaries between industries are also rapidly becoming blurred, due to advancements in technology; as a result, there is a need for digital skills in more conventional roles too. Indeed, recruiters within the creative industries are sourcing talent from varied backgrounds, such as science, art and engineering.

The parents participating in the poll acknowledged that allowing their children to play video games offered some benefits, including the development of theirproblem-solving skills (53%), logic skills (51%) and communication skills (25%).

Commenting on these abilities, Director of Escape Studios Dr. Ian Palmer, said: “Skills such as problem-solving, decision making, risk-taking, and communication can all be used in jobs across the creative industries. Alongside storytelling and imagination. 

“Children that adopt to technology at an early age learn skills that offer them a better chance of getting a job in the digital sectors. We know there is a wealth of opportunity in terms of roles that are also future-proof. It’s predicted that 87% of creative jobs are resistant to automation, creating a very resilient creative workforce.”

Despite this, nearly half of parents (47%) think that smartphones shouldn’t be allowed in school, as a tool for learning. However, 71% admit that allowing their children to use technology from an early age, is beneficial for their development.

The top 5 jobs that parents would ideally like their children to pursue, are:

  1. Engineer (29%)

  2. Doctor (27%)

  3. Scientist (23%)

  4. Lawyer (18%)

  5. Architect (16%)

The top 5 jobs that parents ideally don’t want their children to pursue, are:

  1. Social media influencer (35%)

  • Blogger (31%)

  • Gamer (27%)

  • Stockbroker (15%)

  • Banker (13%)

    • Dr. Ian Palmer, Director of Escape Studios added: “The creative industries continue to grow at a substantial rate; despite this, not enough parents are aware of the opportunities available to their children within this sector. 

    “At Escape Studios, we offer courses in Game Art, Animation, Visual Effects, and Motion Graphics. We have a wealth of alumni who have gone on to have successful careers working on everything from Avengers: Infinity War, Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom,Guardians of The Galaxy: Vol 2, and the Oscar winning film, The Jungle Book. This is a rapidly growing industry that’s ready to welcome talent from all backgrounds and with a wealth of skill sets.”

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