Accelerator aiming to boost North-east creative firepower

● Venture by Robert Gordon University aims to retain ‘ambitious’ talent in area

A dozen creative start-ups in Scotland are set for a boost with the news that Aberdeen’s Robert Gordon University (RGU) has launched an accelerator programme.

The new initiative, which will run for 12 weeks from June, will help participants from a range of creative industries get their business off the ground or take their existing concept to the next level – with a view to encouraging ambitious creative talent to stay in the region.

The scheme is being run by Look Again, part of Gray’s School of Art at the university, in collaboration with RGU’S Entrepreneurship and Innovation Group.

Applications are now being sought from those working in the creative industries, with those selected receiving funding of up to £1,500 of each.

Those accepted on the creative accelerator will also benefit from training, mentorship and development opportunities, as well as a work space at the new Look Again project space in Aberdeen.

Classes covering creative entrepreneurship, customers, commercialisation,brandand marketing will be delivered in the RGU Innovation Space at the new ONE Digital and Entrepreneurship Hub, which opens in the summer.

The £1.5 million, 20,000 square foot hub will provide the base for the recently formed One Codebase partnership as well as the accelerator programme.

Hilary Nicoll, co-director of Look Again, said: “Look Again Aberdeen is delighted to join forces with RGU’S Entrepreneurship and Innovation Group to provide this new business support programme specially designed for the creative industries.

“Our aim is that this will inspire ambitious creative talent to stay in the Northeast, enhancing the growing scene in the city and making it a more vibrant and exciting place to be.”

Libby Curtis, head of Gray’s School of Art at RGU, hailed Look Again supporting creative talent in the North-east.

“We know there is an issue with retaining creative talent in the region and this is an important and ambitious initiative which will be of tremendous benefit, not only to our graduates but to other creative start-ups in the North-east.”

Andrew Leitch, creative industries specialist at Creative Scotland, said keeping creative talent has been recognised as being essential to the development of a healthy creative industries ecology.

“Look Again has developed the Creative Accelerator with RGU as a new initiative which will benefit not only graduates, but also emerging creative enterprises, to help encourage ambitious creative talent to stay in the North-east, enhancing the growing creative industries sector in the city, and making Aberdeen a more vibrant and exciting place to be.”

ONE – which stands for Opportunity North East – is chaired by Sir Ian Wood, whose Wood Foundation is providing £25 million over five years