Published: 02 Feb 2023
Top from left to right: Shetland artist Mari Johnson image courtesy of Gaada, and A Maze in Equinox image by Suzanne Milne (Performers – Jen Wren, Isaac McLean, Taylor Han). Bottom left to right: BearHammer games screenshot, courtesy of BearHammer Games, and Bartłomiej Urbański image via DOBA Studio.
A community music promoter, tactile children's books publisher and a VR games developer are among fourteen Scottish creative business owners to receive backing from The National Lottery through the latest round of Creative Scotland’s Go See Share programme.
Designed to help businesses grow and thrive, the initiative provides grants of between £3,000-£10,000 to enable recipients to research and identify export opportunities, forge international connections and profile Scotland’s creative business successes in the global marketplace.
Glasgow-based international community reggae & bass culture promoter JA Live will visit Kingston, Jamaica which, like Glasgow, is a UNESCO city of music. They’ll be meeting Dr Sonjah Stanley Niaah, Director of the Institute for Caribbean Studies at UWI and Aza Lineage, a star of the modern new wave Jamaican reggae scene to examine how promotion and touring of reggae music can be more sustainable.
Craig Griffon of Ja Live says: “We are delighted to be given the opportunity to visit the home of reggae music and to explore and strengthen the unique ties of Glasgow & Kingston's UNESCO City of Music status”.
Creating sensory stories and inclusive books for children with complex additional needs while campaigning for greater inclusivity in the children’s book world, My Kind of Book will meet with French publishing house Les Doigts Qui Rêvent to learn how to make the production of specialist books (in particular tactile books) cost-effective and financially viable, as well as the most effective and sustainable ways of promoting and distributing these books. They’ll also be visiting toy manufacturers ToyLikeMe to explore how they can use social media campaigns more effectively to make issues around inclusivity in children’s books visible.
Project Coordinator Ailie Finlay says: “This award will make a huge difference to My Kind of Book as we continue on our journey to create inclusive books for children with additional needs and to advocate for greater inclusivity in the children’s book world”.
Bearhammer Games will visit the Game Developers Conference in San Francisco to learn about best practices for launching new products and showcase their work. Brian Allen, Founder and Studio Director, BearHammer Games says: “We'll speak directly to the publishers, platforms, and brands who can help us bring Adventure Fitness VR to a worldwide audience and gain invaluable experience of the business side of the games industry.”
The Go See Share fund has received two previous rounds of funding, alongside a similar fund called Stay See Share which launched in response to the COVID-19 pandemic, with total funding allocated amounting to over £130,000 including this year’s awards, facilitating a diverse array of creative connections between Scotland and the rest of the world.
The fund has benefitted creative practitioners and businesses spanning the length and breadth of the country – from Shetland to the Borders to engage with organisations in range of European locations including Bologna, Paris and Rotterdam. 2023 will see the Go See Share cohort venturing as far afield as North America and the Caribbean.
Jessica Bonehill, Creative Industries Officer at Creative Scotland said:
“Learning from others and knowledge exchange is a key ingredient to shaping a stronger and more sustainable creative businesses in Scotland. The Go See Share Fund supports individuals and companies to travel, experience and learn from new and different approaches to growing successful enterprises from peers around the world. The insights gained are then shared back in Scotland, contributing to a stronger and more sustainable sector.”
| Organisation | Awarded amount | Local Authority |
|---|---|---|
| Bearhammer Games LTD | £6,000.00 | City of Edinburgh |
| The Bothy Society | £6,486.00 | Glasgow City |
| Laura Bowers | £6,670.00 | North Lanarkshire |
| Climavore CIC | £3,216.00 | Highland |
| Falkirk Council | £3,899.00 | Falkirk |
| Gaada Projects CIC | £5,195.00 | Shetland Islands |
| Gather: Creative Workspace LTD | £8,626.00 | Glasgow City |
| Ja Live CIC | £6,900.00 | Glasgow City |
| My Kind of Book CIC | £3,001.00 | City of Edinburgh |
| The Scottish Goldsmiths Trust | £6,326.00 | City of Edinburgh |
| Beth Shapeero | £4,981.00 | Glasgow City |
| Bartlomiej Urbanski | £3,000.00 | City of Edinburgh |
| Jenni Wren | £9,975.00 | Perth and Kinross |
| Claudia Zieske | £3,423.00 | Aberdeenshire |
The Go See Share fund opened for applications on Tuesday 18 October 2022 with a deadline of Tuesday 29 November 2022.
Creative Scotland is the public body that supports the arts, screen and creative industries across all parts of Scotland distributing funding provided by the Scottish Government and The National Lottery. Further information at creativescotland.com. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Learn more about the value of art and creativity in Scotland and join in at www.ourcreativevoice.scot
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