XpoNorth heads south
One-day event is aimed at helping businesses in the creative industries
Creative industries is one of the fastest-growing sectors in Argyll and Bute. All year round, the XpoNorth network supports people across the Highlands and Islands to achieve their goals in the fields of screen, broadcast, gaming, writing, publishing, design, craft, fashion, textiles and music. XpoNorth, Scotland’s leading Creative Industries festival and network, is bringing a packed day of panels, presentations and chat looking at how to make a success of your creative career to Dunoon, on November 9, as part of Argyll Enterprise Week. This one-day version of XpoNorth offers the chance to meet a range of industry specialists, look at a range of challenges and opportunities and to put your own questions forward. All free, the sessions are open to any level of experience. While the different sessions available are aimed at specific parts of the creative industries, the content of the sessions is still very relevant to anyone regardless of what your creative passion is – crowdfunding, looking at the challenges and opportunities of a rural base, licensing content amongst others. All sessions can be booked individually, or enthusiasts can book for the day. In the first session, Meet the Creative Organisations, hear from representatives from a broad cross-reach of regional and national organisations on how delegates can access the support to bring creative ideas to life, secure funding to develop the business and gain a valuable insight into current programmes which offer support to develop projects
and innovate the business model. This will be followed by Spotlight on Remote Participation in the Creative Industries. Learn how live streaming and increasingly immersive technologies can help you connect with audiences and collaborators wherever they are. Dougal Perman, from Inner Ear, will lead an interactive seminar for individuals and organisations who want to learn about the impact these technologies can have on their businesses and projects. The afternoon sessions will kick off with an interactive look at artists and business development in today’s music industry and will bring together a range of perspectives from across the music industry to discuss the current industry landscape and offer practical advice on how to develop your music business. This session will be of particular interest to both artists and music businesses at all stages of their development. This will be followed by a look at TV talent development to find out more about schemes that could fast forward a career in TV. Crowdfunding is an increasingly popular source of funding for many individuals and organisations and it is a process which can deliver much more than money. But, this approach is neither simple nor easy to master. More people recognise ‘crowd assets’ as rich sources of innovation and value and so we need to look at new ways of working and learn new skills in order to thrive in the crowd economy. Drawing on practical examples and the theories of the crowd economy, Tim Wright offers an accessible and easy to understand unpacking of the value available and the skills needed to succeed. The day will be wrapped up with a look at the work of XpoNorth in general and why it is relevant to those working in the creative industries. More information, and booking details, can be found at https://aew2017-xponorthontheroad.eventbrite.co.uk