How Would You Invest 500k In The Scottish Music Industry?
28th March 2007
The country's enterprise agencies are inviting anyone involved in the Scottish music community to submit ideas about how they think the new Scottish Music Futures Fund should be invested.
Last month, the Scottish Executive allocated �500,000 to Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) to set up a business development fund to help cultivate the music industry in Scotland - supporting the 'music stars of tomorrow'.
The Scottish Music Futures Fund is being administered by HIE for the whole of Scotland, in partnership with Scottish Enterprise and the Scottish Arts Council.
Head of creative industries for HIE, Iain Hamilton, will act as fund manager. Iain says: "One of the challenges we face at the moment is that home-grown musical talent too often has to move away from Scotland to get a career started and make it big. If we're going to help more young musicians and others with technical skills to realise their full potential without leaving the country, we need to target the business infrastructure
and help it grow."
George Falconer, the Scottish Enterprise key contact for music business development, adds: "HIE has a strong track record of supporting the music industry in the Highlands and Islands and this new funding will enable Scottish Enterprise to work in close partnership to deliver a national service."
In the UK, the music industry is already the country's third largest export. Meanwhile, Scotland boasts recent success stories such as Franz Ferdinand and KT Tunstall, testament to an extremely vibrant and robust industry with considerable emerging talent. It is this talent that the Scottish Music Futures Fund seeks to nurture and develop.
Even in the last few weeks, talent from the Highlands and Islands area has emerged in the shape of Inverness band Jyrojets - one of 18 Scottish acts to perform at SXSW (South by South West) in Austin, Texas. Jyrojets has secured a three-month US tour as a result of this global showcase of bands to the international music industry.
A priority for Iain Hamilton will be to ensure that the Scottish industry can maximise the benefits of opportunities that arise from events like SXSW.
"This is an exciting time for the Scottish music industry and with funding in place, we now have the financial means to develop and grow the scene here," Hamilton says. "I'm keen to hear from anyone involved in the music business and listen to how they think the money should be invested - it's effectively an opportunity for the music community to have a say in the shape and evolution of the Scottish music industry."
The fund will consider a range of industry issues to determine how it can support and grow the businesses that will help drive the music industry in Scotland forward.
To help shape the future of the Scottish music industry, email your ideas to musicfutures[AT]hient.co.uk
Related Businesses
Related Articles
Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) will return to Norway to host the Scottish Pavilion at Aqua Nor 2025. The Scottish aquaculture supply chain is invited to register their interest to exhibit as part of the pavilion or join the wider Scottish delegation.
A young engineer working on Britain's deepest nuclear clean-up project has been recognised by the Institute of Chemical Engineers (IChemE). Liam Gordon (27) won the Young Chemical Engineer of the Year award at the annual showcase event of the Aberdeen branch of IChemE, the professional body for chemical engineers in the UK.
Food and Drink TechHUB will provide financial and advice support to help businesses, including social and community enterprises, with commercial growth and net zero transition activities. Small to medium sized enterprises in the Highland Council area that operate in the food and drink sector and its supply chain are expected to benefit from a new programme of support launched his week.
Businesses and social enterprises in the Highlands and Islands looking to reduce the environmental impacts of their operations can now apply to a new Green Grant Fund launched on Thursday 26 September 2024. The three-year £2.7m fund was developed by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE).
A boating club in Unst, a former kirk in Whalsay and a community hall in Fetlar are among projects supported by Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) to generate income, provide vital services and create jobs in Shetland's outer isles. Facilities at the Unst Boating Club are being upgraded to become more energy efficient and accessible to visitors and local people.
Up to 50% match funding grants of between £25,000 and £75,000 to help companies accelerate their growth plans. Life sciences businesses in the Highlands and Islands that are looking to invest in capital growth projects will be able to apply for support through a new fund announced today (18 September).
The transformation at John O'Groats has attracted millions of pounds in investment through private, public and community-led initiatives. Monday 9 September 2024 marked the 15th anniversary of a masterplan that has helped to transform John O'Groats from ‘Carbuncle of the Year' to a thriving visitor attraction.
The chief executive of Cairngorm Mountain (Scotland) Ltd (CMSL) has announced that she is retiring later this month. Susan Smith, who has held the top job at the popular mountain resort near Aviemore for the past five years, has told staff she will leave the company at the end of September.
Caithness-based engineering firm Envision Engineering & Design Ltd is investing in new technology that will help increase business turnover and productivity while cutting carbon emissions. The company has purchased a Leica Geosystems mobile 3D scanner after securing a £6,390 investment from Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) towards the total cost of £21,300.
A £5.9m project to create a new whisky distillery within the former derelict Mill at Castletown in Caithness has secured a £250,000 investment from Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE). Dunnet Bay Distillers Limited (DBDL) is leading the project, which will create 13 jobs.