Creative Scottish collaborations clinch £50k prize
- Winners of Scottish Enterprise Collaboration Prize announced -
- Five new creative consortia win £10K support and funding from Scottish Enterprise –
Five new Scottish consortia are celebrating after winning a share of the £50,000 Collaboration Prize, which encourages Scotland’s creative businesses to work together and grow.
Launched by Scottish Enterprise in November 2015, with support from Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Europe and External Affairs, Fiona Hyslop, the prize attracted a significant number of entries from across Scotland.
The top five entries came from (case studies provided below):
- Heritage technical experts ArchBlue Ltd
- Aerial archivists Ecosse from Above
- Literary destination Edinburgh’s Netherbow
- Digital storytellers Kettle of Fish
- Craft producers Orkney Tweed
Each prize-winning collaboration will receive £5,000 cash, up to £5,000 specialist support to set their idea in motion alongside support from Co-operative Development Scotland to form their consortium.
David Smith, Director of Creative Industries at Scottish Enterprise, said: “Across Scotland there is a growing appetite for increased collaboration, with the model shown to help businesses increase revenue and reach new markets. By encouraging companies to work together, we can help to grow the creative industries sector and in turn boost the wider economy.
“The Collaboration Prize is a fantastic initiative. I congratulate all five winners and we look forward to working with them as they look to make their collaborative ideas a reality.”
Launched by Scottish Enterprise (SE), in partnership with Creative Scotland, Cultural Enterprise Office, Interactive Scotland and Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE), the Collaboration Prize is delivered by Co-operative Development Scotland (CDS).
CDS is the arm of Scottish Enterprise working in partnership with Highlands and Islands Enterprise that supports company growth through collaborative and employee ownership business models.
For more information about the Collaboration Prize visit www.scottish-enterprise.com/collaborationprize.
For further information & images please contact:
Dyan Owen Tel: 0141 333 0557 / 07738 086818 / dowen@webershandwick.com
Nick Hanlon Tel: 0141 333 0557 / 07770 886908 / nhanlon@webershandwick.com
Winner case studies:
Orkney Tweed
Founded by Deerness-based small holder Nancy Fergus and craft producer Fiona Mitchell - Orkney Tweed’s aim is to create opportunities for local sheep owners and tweed manufacturers by promoting and selling locally crafted products to national and international markets.
The consortium will act as a wool broker, making it easier and more economical for Orkney’s small holders to sell their fleeces. It will also lead on product development, quality control and marketing, which will benefit its craft producing membership through combined sales and the creation of an internationally recognisable Orkney Tweed brand.
Speaking of their success in the Collaboration Prize, Nancy said: “Currently, the process for collecting and processing raw wool can be difficult and uneconomic, particularly for small holders with just a few sheep.
“By joining forces, small holders and craft producers can achieve mutual benefit by creating a simple process for gathering fleeces, building a stock of quality cloth and shop-ready materials and marketing them together under a united brand.
“Our ultimate goal is to use the profit generated by the collaboration to develop processing and manufacturing facilities on the island, which will reduce costs and carbon emissions while giving members greater control over quality. Currently, the wool needs to be shipped to Shetland for processing, however, we’d like to bring this to the island and create a central hub for Orkney Tweed.
“Winning the Collaboration Prize has given us a unique opportunity to access professional help to develop our brand and make our organisation stronger. It will also enable us to create the ideal hub to support the producers and give all members a better return for their efforts. For our local community, it will aid the sustainability of Island living.”
ArchBlue Ltd
Founded by five organisations involved in providing complementary services to the heritage sector, Haddington-based ArchBlue Ltd aims to provide an integrated service that will support site managers with the stewardship of historic buildings, structures, landscapes and archaeological sites.
Services the consortium can provide include 3D measuring and modelling, archaeological recording and visualisation, conservation planning, 3D printing and using a variety of media communicating a site’s story to the public. Combined, these services provide customers with a comprehensive approach to heritage site management. Winning the Collaboration Prize will help them establish a brand identity for ArchBlue Ltd and market its services to potential customers.
Speaking of the collaboration, ArchBlue Ltd founding member, John McCreadie, said: “The Collaboration Prize was the impetus to formalise what has been an informal, ad-hoc working relationship between a number of companies.
“We knew we had a good story to tell. We were convinced that working together we could better meet our clients’ needs and felt that a formal collaboration, with a clear identity and well defined service offering would be the best vehicle for moving forward.
“In our industry, changes in technology have altered and very much widened our clients’ expectations. None of us, as individual companies, could fulfil these changed expectations without expanding our skill sets. It seemed an obvious solution to collaborate with companies who already had the necessary expertise.
“We now look forward to formalising ArchBlue Ltd, building our profile and working with customers across the UK and beyond.”
Ecosse from Above
Founded by pilots from three established drone and aerial imaging businesses, Ecosse from Above plans to create a central resource for stock aerial photography of Scotland. A fourth member completes the collaboration – a web developer who will create the online infrastructure required to host the archive.
This will make members’ stock material more affordable and easier to access for a wide range of businesses including tourism providers and film makers, nationally and internationally.
It will also create a revenue stream for member photographers by creating a platform for marketing and selling archive material. The consortium hopes to open membership to other aerial photographers in the future.
Speaking of the collaboration, Craig Jump of member business Sky View Video, said: “As independent photographers we have found ourselves visiting the same locations time and time again, which means we each have a huge collection of Scottish photography spanning the length and breadth of the country. Each member has specialised in covering different regions, so we all bring a different product to the collaboration too.
“Through our work we’ve found there is considerable demand for low cost and easy to access images of Scottish landscapes, landmarks and destinations. For some businesses the cost of commissioning new photography is beyond their budget, so our idea offers the perfect solution for a wide range of users, and extends our client base too. It also helps us grow our own individual businesses by using a shared brand to sell existing material.
“Winning the Collaboration Prize will help us in many ways. This will include accessing support on how to market our services internationally, in particular Europe, Asia and the USA. The prize funding will also support our launch campaign as we build the profile of Ecosse from Above.”
Edinburgh’s Netherbow
Founded by an alliance of six literature organisations led by the City of Literature Trust and Scottish Storytelling Centre, Edinburgh’s Netherbow aims to create a literature hub for Scotland on Edinburgh’s Royal Mile.
It will achieve this by developing the existing honeycomb of buildings, gardens, closes and streetscapes in and around the Scottish Storytelling Centre and John Knox House to create a physical presence for Edinburgh’s literature and Scotland’s culture.
Its role will be to increase the promotion of literature, support collaboration between literary and cultural organisations and improve Edinburgh’s international profile.
Speaking of the collaboration, Ali Bowden, director of consortium member Edinburgh UNESCO City of Literature Trust, said: “The literary sector has a strong track record regarding collaboration – it was how we secured the UNESCO City of Literature status for Edinburgh in 2004. As such, the various partners of Edinburgh’s Netherbow have worked together over the years on a number of projects, and the opportunity to develop the area is something that has recently evolved through those discussions and partnerships.
“Winning the Collaboration Prize will definitely enable us to take our partnership to the next stage. By providing the perfect combination of cash and business expertise it will provide the support we need at this critical point in the project’s development.
“We are working on various aspects of the project at present but the next key step will be creating a detailed business plan and that work will be supported by Scottish Enterprise.”
Kettle of Fish
Founded by Dunblane-based Ping, BAFTA award-winning KO LIK Film and accomplished animation director Selina Wagner, Kettle of Fish aims to create inspiring interactive storytelling apps for children, starting with its first idea - ‘Crocodile on the Roof’.
Together its members will pool skills and resources to take each new story idea from start to finish. It will also create a platform for collaboration with other writers and artists as it develops new stories.
Speaking of the collaboration, Ping founder and Kettle of Fish member, Jason Wagner, said: “By forming Kettle of Fish we aim to inspire storytelling, encourage creativity, teach problem solving skills and will help young people learn how to use technology. In a nut shell we’re creating “turn to page” adventures for a digital age!
“All members of Kettle of Fish have a proven track record creating high quality, award winning content for television, online, App Store, Google Play and film. We have a shared ambition to create outstanding creative content for children. By coming together as a consortium we have a very strong set of skills and experience that will allow us to develop stories for the next generation.
“Winning the Collaboration Prize is a fantastic step forward for Kettle of Fish. It’s a real compliment to have our proposal recognised for its true potential and we can’t wait to get started on the creative development.
“Furthermore, the support we’ll receive will be integral to our launch. The App Store is a highly competitive platform so a well thought out marketing campaign is essential for success. We also want to engage our audience on social media from the outset and get them excited about the first release from Kettle of Fish.”
Notes to editors:
About Creative Scotland
Creative Scotland is the public body that supports the arts, screen and creative industries across all parts of Scotland on behalf of everyone who lives, works or visits here. We do this through funding, development, advocacy and influence and we distribute funding from the Scottish Government and the National Lottery. We want Scotland to be a country where excellence and experimentation across the arts, screen and creative industries is recognised and valued; everyone can access and enjoy artistic and creative experiences; places and quality of life are transformed through imagination, ambition and an understanding of the potential of creativity; ideas are brought to life by a diverse, skilled and connected leadership and workforce; Scotland is a distinctive creative nation connected to the world. For further information on Creative Scotland please visit www.creativescotland.com. Follow us @creativescots and www.facebook.com/CreativeScotland
About Cultural Enterprise Office
Cultural Enterprise Office (CEO) helps creatives across Scotland build the skills and knowledge they need to succeed. CEO focuses on supporting and encouraging micro-businesses that are the bedrock of a successful creative industry sector.
Cultural Enterprise Office offers targeted, specialist support to raise entrepreneurial skills and support the development of sustainable businesses. 2,476 micro-businesses and individuals were supported in 2014/15.
www.culturalenterpriseoffice.co.uk
About Interactive Scotland
Interactive Scotland provides free expert help and support to small or medium sized enterprises based in Scotland and working in the digital industries.
Funded by Scottish Enterprise, Interactive Scotland’s core activities are delivered by PA Consulting Group.
http://www.interactivescotland.com/
About Highlands and Islands Enterprise
Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) is an economic and community development agency implementing Scotland's Economic Strategy across a region which covers more than half the country.
With around 300 staff, HIE supports hundreds of client businesses and social enterprises; strengthens communities, particularly in fragile areas; develops growth sectors, and invests in infrastructure to create a more competitive and low carbon region.
You can visit our website at http://www.hie.co.uk or follow us on social media: