Tag: new strategy

Screen Scotland sets strategy to 2030

Six-year plan commits to backing emerging talent, production skills, film education, and the development of new audiences

Screen Scotland has today published a new strategy, setting out ambitious plans for the continued economic and creative growth of Scotland’s film and TV sectors across the next six years. 

Screen Scotland’s strategy seeks to further develop Scotland as a centre of global production, and a nation with its own vibrant, confident film and screen culture.

An economic growth target of £1billion GVA within the Scottish economy is matched with an ambition to see that growth driven by new work from Scotland, devised, developed and produced by Scottish talent, sustaining rewarding and creative jobs across the country, at all career levels.

Building on the momentum in the industry since the creation of Screen Scotland in 2018, there will be a renewed focus on skills, talent and infrastructure development, supporting Scotland’s success as a centre of and destination for film and TV production.

Isabel Davis, Executive Director of Screen Scotland said: “We’re starting this new strategic period from a position of strength. Many of our films are now enjoying international recognition through A-list festival debuts and commercial distribution.

“The number and scale of films and TV series shooting year-round in Scotland has rapidly increased, employing Scottish crews, locations and facilities. These tremendous results have come about through a focussed work programme, close collaboration with industry and dedicated funding. We fully intend to build on this in order to continue to effect positive change in the Scottish film and TV sector.”

David Smith, Director of Screen Scotland said: “It’s a time of significant change in the film and TV sector globally.

“Screen Scotland’s work will always be responsive to the changing landscape, seeking fresh opportunities for Scotland’s people to make their mark globally in film and TV.

“The one thing that is certain is that audiences respond to compelling, well-told stories and under this strategy we are doubling down on creative origination, supporting Scotland’s creative talent to develop the skills, relationships, and opportunities they need to make their best work, alongside an understanding of how to bring those projects successfully to market.

“An area where Scotland is genuinely breaking new ground is our work developing “film and screen” as an arts subject in Scottish schools. That is a long-term investment that will have benefits well beyond the screen sector and kindle creative expression in the next generation.”

Key areas of focus include:  

Increasing the scale and ambition of film and TV content from Scotland

Prioritising ambitious, locally originated projects through targeted development funding, editorial support and production funding, and in training and development of Scotland-based talent. Screen Scotland already invests 90% of its annual budget in film and TV projects where there is a Scottish writer, director, producer or production company attached or on skills programmes for Scotland-based talent including crew.

Recent productions supporting Scottish talent include: The Outrun, co-written by Orkney-based writer Amy Liptrot, which premiered at Sundance in January; Scottish writer/director John Maclean’s Tornado which is currently in production in Scotland starring Jack Lowden; and the critically acclaimed BAFTA winning Aftersun from Scottish director Charlotte Wells and Edinburgh-based producer Amy Jackson.

Recent examples of talent development programmes include entertainment formats initiative, FormatLab, scripted producer development programme Film FastTrack and the BBC Scotland/Screen Scotland Emerging Directors Initiative.

Creating a sustainable centre of gravity for production from and in Scotland, with Scotland as a centre of global production

Building a full ecosystem that encourages a year-round pipeline of productions, both locally generated and inbound. Supporting crew and talent to live in Scotland in the confidence that they can have a sustainable career here.

Screen Scotland will provide leadership on Scotland’s training, brokering of relationships with industry, and enhancing investment in the skills base including through Screen Scotland’s role as a BFI Skills Cluster.

This work will involve supporting Scottish crews to be internationally competitive, bringing through new trainees, investing in ongoing professional development and looking at the wellbeing of the freelancer workforce in Scotland (e.g. Timewise and BECTU Vision were commissioned by Screen Scotland to undertake a research report on flexible working hours in the film and TV industry).

Work is also underway on this with trainee opportunities like Screen NETs and the rad TV trainee scheme, the Outlander: Blood of My Blood trainee programme supporting new trainees right across the Cumbernauld-based production, building on the hugely successful Outlander Trainee Scheme.

Exciting and inspiring Scottish audiences of the future

Ensuring that every corner of Scotland has access to cinema and a diverse range of screen content by supporting commercial operators, community owned-cinemas, touring operators (e.g. Regional Screen Scotland’s Screen Machine) and film clubs, in a way that not only enriches Scotland’s culture but also sustains its screen industry for generations to come.

Screen Scotland will also continue to support Scotland’s film festivals (e.g. Glasgow and Edinburgh Film Festivals and Sea Change Film Festival in Tiree) which showcase the rich tapestry of Scottish and international cinema, fostering cultural exchange and nurturing emerging talent.

Distribution will also be a priority in audience development, enabling filmmakers to reach audiences across Scotland and on an international stage, providing opportunities for Scottish talent to thrive in an increasingly competitive landscape.

Recent productions to be supported through Screen Scotland’s Distribution Fund include Hopscotch Films’ Janey, Adura Onashile’s stunning debut GIRL and BAFTA-nominated Is There Anybody Out There? co-produced by Glasgow-based Tigerlily Two.

Every child in Scotland having the opportunity to learn about film and tv making

Transforming film and screen education to ensure every child and young person in Scotland has the opportunity to make a film or programme during their school years.

Enabling children and young people across Scotland to feel that filmmaking is within their reach and is something they could be involved in either as creative practice or a career. This will help children and young people to begin to realise their potential as filmmakers.

To achieve this, Screen Scotland has been working with the Scottish Government, Education Scotland, the SQA and screen education specialists across Scotland to develop a draft Film and Screen Curriculum to work towards Screen Education being embedded into the national curriculum as an expressive artform.

The draft curriculum is currently being tested in primary and secondary schools across Scotland through Screen Scotland’s pilot project, Screen Educator in Residence Programme.

Culture Secretary Angus Robertson said: “Screen Scotland has driven the remarkable transformation of Scotland’s screen sector and has played a pivotal role in developing every facet of our film and television industry, fostering growth and innovation at every turn.

“The impact of our thriving film and television industries cannot be overstated – they contribute millions to our economy and serve as a catalyst for job creation and talent development across the sector.

“As we look ahead, Screen Scotland’s forward-thinking strategy charts a course for inclusive and sustainable growth, prioritising talent development and industry expansion. We remain steadfast in our commitment to sustaining that phenomenal growth and our aim is clear: to position Scotland as a premier production base and a thriving hub for creative talent, making it an ideal place for world-class creatives to call home.”

Supporting women out of prostitution

National hub will offer joined-up services 

A national hub is to be created to support women out of prostitution. 

A pilot of the hub will begin in summer followed by a phased national roll out. The hub will bring together specialist services which support women affected by commercial sexual exploitation (CSE) – linking them more closely with local mainstream services, such as housing, health and social security.

The national hub is part of a new strategy to support women to safely exit from prostitution and challenge men’s demand for prostitution. The strategy also includes actions to tackle stigma for those with experience of prostitution and challenge the normalisation of men purchasing sex.

Victims and Community Safety Minister Siobhian Brown said: “Prostitution is recognised as a form of violence against women and girls, and is exploitation. By linking mainstream and specialist services, we will make it easier for women to access the support they need so they can sustainably exit from prostitution.

“A key part of our new strategy is the need to tackle the drivers of commercial sexual exploitation, including social and economic inequalities and the need for collective leadership from government, the third sector and beyond to tackle these. A new multi-agency group on commercial sexual exploitation will be established in March to help progress this work.”

Linda Thompson, national co-ordinator of the Women’s Support Project (WSP), said: “The WSP is pleased to see the Scottish Government reiterate that commercial sexual exploitation in all forms is violence against women and that those exploited must have robust comprehensive support and exiting services across the country.

“We hope that national and local leadership, with commitment, partnerships and specific resources, will disrupt this industry and hold to account all those who benefit and profit from the exploitation of inequality and vulnerability.” 

The hub will be rolled out in a phased approach across the following areas:

  • Edinburgh and Borders 
  • Highland, Perth & Kinross, Aberdeen and Dundee 
  • Glasgow and Ayrshire 

Following this roll out, the Hub will provide a network of support where organisations across Scotland can seek advice.

The new strategy has been informed by a range of partners, including those with experience of prostitution.  

Information on support for those affected by commercial sexual exploitation

New strategy to drive down violent crime

Victims and Community Safety Minister, Siobhian Brown has welcomed a new strategy to help prevent violent crime and reduce the harm it causes.

The Violence Prevention Framework is the first co-ordinated strategy for Scotland to tackle the issue.

Ms Brown said: “We have made significant strides in reducing violence, and this new framework can take us further, ensuring that everyone plays their part in preventing violence wherever it persists.”

Find out more at bit.ly/ViolencePreventionFramework

violence-prevention-framework-scotlandDownload

National Trust for Scotland announces ambitious ten-year strategy

The conservation charity launches ambitious 10-year strategy, aims include:

  • Commitment to become carbon negative by 2031, as Scotland’s largest independent conservation charity
  • Expanding the number of people welcomed to Trust sites across Scotland to more than 6 million people per year by 2032
  • Investment of £38 million in the care of the Trust’s places within the next three years, and £100 million across the lifetime of the strategy
  • Commitment to increasing the Trust’s learning work, through developing skills and new learning and research programmes

Today conservation charity, the National Trust for Scotland, has unveiled a new strategy – Nature, Beauty & Heritage for Everyone, as it refocuses its vision of caring for, sharing, and speaking up for Scotland’s magnificent heritage.

The bold strategy will be delivered over the next ten years as the Trust works towards its centenary in 2031, by which point it intends to be carbon negative.

Chief Executive Philip Long OBE says the strategy is a ‘firm renewing’ of the charity’s commitment to its founding principles of caring for Scotland’s special places and working to make these places as accessible as possible and inspirational for all.

The charity also revealed for the first-time figures which show the scale of its social and economic impact on Scotland. Economically, the direct and indirect impacts of the National Trust for Scotland in 2019-20 are estimated at 7,430 jobs, which can also be expressed as £148 million Gross Value Added.

However, the study went further, using feedback from member and visitor surveys to identify the proportion of visitors who gain strong positive wellbeing benefits that they are unable to obtain elsewhere. When these proportions were applied, it equates to an additional £73 million of annual social value. 

And these figures are set to grow further, as the charity is currently recruiting for around 300 seasonal and permanent roles to deliver its new ten-year vision, which has been created to ensure the Trust’s places are cared for and bring benefit to Scotland’s people and communities for years to come.

Recognising the integral role that members play in the future of the charity, from championing Scotland’s heritage through to speaking up for the invaluable work the Trust does, the new strategy also outlines the Trust’s commitment to grow its diverse membership base to over half a million people across Scotland over the next ten years.

At the heart of the strategy is a programme of projects and investment, with a spend of £38 million planned for 2021 – 2024, and with the intention to invest £100 million across the lifetime of the strategy, supported by the Trust’s fundraising work.

Hundreds of individual projects are planned and on top of that there will be many new initiatives to create opportunities to get more people involved in, and learn from, Scotland’s heritage.

Projects include:

  • On the Isle of Canna, the Trust is continuing to work in partnership with the community, restoring Canna House to better care for its collections as well as developing new visitor and community facilities.
  • On Staffa, one of Scotland’s most important islands for seabirds, geology and cultural heritage, the Trust is improving the island infrastructure and further conserving and protecting this special place of natural beauty that has influenced artists, musicians and writers from around the world since its ‘discovery’ in the 18th century.
  • The Corrieshalloch Visitor Gateway in Ross-shire will be a new addition to the National Nature Reserve with one of the deepest and most spectacular gorges of its type in the British Isles. It currently has no visitor facilities, so the Trust is improving access with a much needed, sensitively designed visitor gateway building, to help visitors enjoy and find out more about Corrieshalloch’s wonderful nature. This project is supported by the Natural and Cultural Heritage Fund which is led by NatureScot and funded through the European Regional Development Fund.
  • In Dumfries and Galloway, the Threave Landscape Restoration Project is transforming 81 hectares of land at Kelton Mains into rich habitats for flora and fauna, restoring the site’s wetlands and native woodlands.

The new strategy is the most collaborative in the National Trust for Scotland’s 90-year history and has been shaped by its employees, volunteers, members, supporters, partners and communities, through consultation which has aimed to find out what the Trust’s places need and what people want from the National Trust for Scotland in the coming years.

This feedback informed three ‘pillars’ of activity:  conservation, engagement and sustainability, which combine to deliver the Trust’s charitable purpose.

These pillars are served by eleven strategic objectives which will support the Trust in its work to protect and share Scotland’s special places and minimise the charity’s environmental impact. 

Philip Long OBE, Chief Executive of the National Trust for Scotland, said: “We’ve begun an exciting new chapter for the National Trust for Scotland, building on the experience, knowledge and skills we’ve gathered over the last 90 years, throughout which time our charity has received phenomenal support from its members and many others.

“Everyone can benefit from Scotland’s heritage and from the work of the Trust, and in the years ahead we want to involve as many people as possible in this. Our new strategy is a response to all that our charity has achieved over its long history, and to the current health, economic and environmental challenges which affect everyone.

“In creating our new strategy we’ve set out a framework that charts our ambitions for the Trust’s tenth decade, describing our intended achievements: from becoming carbon negative by 2031, through to championing Scotland’s heritage for everyone, restoring and protecting habitats, historic buildings and landscapes and uncovering and sharing more of our nation’s stories to a larger and more diverse audience of 6 million annual visitors.

“We’re also recruiting colleagues to bring even more experience to our dedicated and passionate team throughout the country, to allow us to realise these ambitions.”.

For more information on Nature, Beauty & Heritage for Everyone, and to learn more about the strategy and its objectives, visit: www.nts.org.uk/our-work/our-strategy.

Nature-Beauty-Heritage-for-Everyone.-A-National-Trust-for-Scotland-ten-year-strategy.Download

Learning how to live well together: Carnegie UK announces new strategy

I am delighted to share Carnegie UK’s new strategy: ‘Learning how to live well together: our strategy for change’.

Improving wellbeing has been Carnegie UK’s mission for over 100 years. With our new strategy and accompanying rebrand, we are signalling a refocus on that core purpose, putting it at the heart of all of our work.

We believe that if there was ever a moment for a wellbeing organisation to lean into its mission, then that moment is now. Our new strategy is centred on our model of collective wellbeing: what is required for all citizens to live well together.

Achieving collective wellbeing requires social, economic, environmental, and democratic wellbeing outcomes to be seen as equally important and given equal weight. We will be advocates for public policy approaches that embrace and reflect this balance.

Whatever we are working on, our values of being motivated by change; collaborative; challenging, and kind will shape our approach. These are new values for the organisation and reflect what are recognised as our existing strengths, as well as our aspirations for the future.   

As Carnegie UK embarks on this new strategy we do so very much in the spirit of partnership. 

The social change eco-system is extensive and complex. Different players bring different approaches, perspectives, and skills. It is important to us to understand our place in this system and to make a distinctive and useful contribution, complementing that of others and being a good collaborator and partner. 

We are also committed to keeping learning. The field of wellbeing has developed a great deal over the past decade, but there is much more to discover, and we are keen to add to the collective evidence base.

We also want to know more about how change comes about, and how to use the resources at our disposal to make an effective and persuasive case for the actions and practice which will lead to improvements in wellbeing.

I am hugely grateful to all of those who have supported us in the development of our new strategy. This includes the whole Carnegie UK team, our Board of Trustees and the many partners and stakeholders who have engaged with us at different stages of the journey and generously shared their views and experience.  

I hope that you enjoy reading about our new strategic direction. Please do visit our website where you can find more information about our approach and our initial programmes of work.

Sarah Davidson

Chief Executive, Carnegie UK

Twitter: @CarnegieUKTrust

www.carnegieuk.org