Showcase of film industry opportunities

WICKLOW County Campus will host a showcase of emerging opportunities within the film, animation and wider audio visual industry.

On Thursday, November 3, many of the key players in the creative Industries will take part in a symposium organised by the South Eastern Creative Corridor initiative at Wicklow County Campus in Rathnew.

This event, the first in a year-long programme to build capacity in the sector, will explore emerging opportunities in the Industry to build on the legacy of success of this sector within the South Eastern region. Siún Ní Raghallaigh, CEO of Ardmore Studios will make the key note address.

Expert industry panellists on the day include Paul Young of Cartoon Saloon, Jim Duggan of Screen Scene, Naomi Moore of Windmill lane Recording and Sarah Dillon of The Irish Film Board.

Attendance at the event is open to all industry stakeholders, whether they are an existing business in the sector or would like to start a new business or sell existing products and services into this vibrant industry.

Oscar-winning director Anders Walter and producer Kim Magnusson recently participated in the official launch event for the SECC initiative along with Hollywood superstar Zoe Saldana in October. The vision for the SECC programme encompasses a broad range of activities categorised as ‘Creative Industry’ that are related to audio visual production.

Companies who sign up for the programme will take part in training workshops, networking events and mentoring meetings in each of the five counties. One of the most exciting elements of the programme is that there is an investment fund of €100,000 available to pitch for by successful applicants.

Delivery of the programme will take place in each of the five partner counties with close collaboration between the Entrepreneurs Academy who are delivering the programme and local LEO offices. To register an interest in participating in the initiative or attending the symposium see www.creativecorridor.ie. THE launch of the Wicklow Calendar, and the project’s first birthday party, took place last Thursday night at the Hot Spot music club in Greystones.

Six local photographers joined forces to put together the beautiful calendar and raise money for the five cancer support centres across the county, as well as Wicklow Hospice Foundation.

The evening included a special cake, and so much good will for the calendar, which includes a series of breathtaking photos of County Wicklow.

The calendar is being sold as part of the East Coast FM Wicklow Wide Coffee Morning fund 2017.

The calendar is available in the five cancer support centres across Wicklow, as well as Killruddery at the weekends, Stephen Donnelly’s Greystones office, The Lighthouse Seafood Restaurant, Wicklow Tourist office and Dockyard 8 in Bray. Other locaations include the Blessington Book Shop, The North Pole in Bray; Photocraft in Bray; Kavanagh’s pub Roundwood; Clark’s Shoes in the Bridgewater, Arklow, Burke’s Hardware in Rathnew and Anne Gregory Design in Newtown.

More points of sale are expected to come on board shortly.