Clive Gillman appointed as Director of Creative Industries

Published: 18 Mar 2015

Creative Scotland is delighted to announce the appointment of Clive Gillman as Director of Creative Industries. He will take up his post, which is jointly funded by the Scottish Funding Council, in June.

For the past 10 years Clive has been the Director of Dundee Contemporary Arts (DCA), one of Scotland’s largest contemporary arts and media centre, delivering a critically acclaimed programme of visual art, cinema, research & production and education activity.

Prior to moving to Dundee in 2005 he worked on the development of the FACT Centre building in Liverpool, a major new arts and media centre for the city.

Trained as an artist, his own art works have included those exploring the possibilities of new media technologies in the public realm as well as published game projects.

He is a Senior Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Dundee and an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland.

Clive said of his new role:

“It’s very exciting to be given this role at this time. We have all been working with the concept of the Creative Industries for a number of years but there is still much to be done to establish a really well grounded approach to innovation and sustainability for the creative and cultural businesses of Scotland. I am confident that, at Creative Scotland, I can help make this happen and I very much look forward to working with the strong team there to achieve this.”

Janet Archer, Chief Executive of Creative Scotland said:

“The Creative Industries are very important to us as one of our three key areas of responsibility alongside the arts and screen. As such, I am thrilled to announce Clive’s appointment as Director of Creative Industries.

“Clive is a well known and hugely respected figure on the UK cultural scene and his work at DCA has been transformative for Dundee and Scotland. He brings with him a high level of experience and skill. I am delighted he is joining us at this pivotal time for the Creative Industries and look forward to working closely with him to help creative businesses across Scotland flourish and grow.

“Clive will lead on completing and implementing our Creative Industries strategy, also working collaboratively with Leonie Bell, Director of Arts & Engagement; Natalie Usher, Director of Screen & Media; and Phil Deverell, Director of Strategy to unlock potential across the arts, screen and creative industries in Scotland. He will make a valuable addition to the leadership team at Creative Scotland and I look forward to working with him.”

Laurence Howells, Chief Executive of the Scottish Funding Council, said:

“The creative industries in Scotland turn over around £5.5 billion a year. They make our lives richer in lots of ways, from community arts to fashion and the computer games industry.

“Clive’s appointment will help creative businesses work with colleges and universities to design new products, develop better skills, nurture talent and make more jobs.”

ENDS

Notes to Editors:

Clive Gillman Biography

For the past 10 years Clive Gillman has been the Director of Dundee Contemporary Arts, Scotland’s largest contemporary arts and media centre, leading a large staff team and a critically acclaimed programme of contemporary art, cinema, research and production & education activity. He has been a member of the team who have authored Dundee’s far-sighted cultural strategies and plays an active role in generating innovative programme ideas that reflect the city’s emerging status as a centre for culture-led regeneration.

He has been active in many aspects of contemporary culture including the development of artists’ access to digital technology, having set up MITES (the UK national new media arts technology resource) in Liverpool in 1992, subsequently working with them as a consultant, as well as working on a range of innovative research and development projects with partners such as NESTA, BT and the Tate Gallery.

Prior to moving to Dundee in 2005 he worked on the development of the FACT Centre building in Liverpool, a major new arts and media centre for the city. His role involved leading on client-side design as well as developing a range of artists’ projects to be incorporated into the building.

Trained as an artist, his own art works have included those which attempt to explore the possibilities of new media technologies in the public realm (Metroscopes and the Drake Street Observatory) as well as published game projects (Advent). He speaks widely on topics concerning contemporary culture and the creative industries, media literacy and the role of arts and culture as well as working with partners in HE on research exploring ideas of value in culture. He continues to contribute to strategic development and research initiatives in Scotland and elsewhere in the UK being a Director of Scottish Film Ltd and the Scottish Contemporary Art Network.

He is a Senior Honorary Research Fellow at the University of Dundee and an Honorary Fellow of the Royal Incorporation of Architects in Scotland.

Partnership with the Scottish Funding Council

As part of a ground-breaking partnership between Creative Scotland and the Scottish Funding Council; the post will be joint funded by both organisations. The Director of Creative Industries will work for Creative Scotland, in close partnership with the Scottish Funding Council to create a bridge between education and industry. This will help to deliver a step change in the impact of the creative industries on Scotland’s economy and society.

For further information, please contact:

Kenneth Fowler
Director of Communications
kenneth.fowler@creativescotland.com
07970 557 960