Cross Party Group upcoming meetings - CPG Creative Economy and CPG Culture and Communities
The next meetings of the two Cross Party Groups facilitated by Culture Counts are now open for booking. (Booking link can be found at the end of this post).
CPG Creative Economy
This is the rescheduled meeting of the CPG Creative Economy, which was originally due to take place on 24 January 2023
The purpose of the Creative Economy Group is to exchange ideas and learning around the development and support of the future creative economy. The group will consider support for creative economy in Scotland, exploring barriers to success and highlighting any potential solutions.
This meeting of the group will focus on Scotland’s Publishing Sector, and will take place on 7 March 7-830pm, via zoom.
We will hear from three guest speakers, who will provide an insight in to the breadth and depth of the sector, including technical, education and cultural publishing. The presentations will give those present an overview of the scale of the sector – from local to international, and a sense of present and future opportunities and challenges
Speakers:
Gillian Macrosson is Managing Director at Witherby Publishing Group. Gillian has worked in publishing since obtaining a BA in Publishing from Edinburgh Napier University, initially working on Chambers English Dictionary and then for nearly 20 years in the journal production department for Wiley-Blackwell. Gillian oversees the day-to-day running of the Witherbys team from the inception of a new title through to publication, to marketing, selling and despatching our products. She works closely with shipping industry body clients, authors, typesetters and printers. Gillian is on the West Lothian Regional Board for Developing the Young Workforce (DYW), a Scottish Government initiative to help prepare young people for their future career pathways and transition into the world of work. She is also a member of Publishing Scotland's Training Committee (the network, trade and development body for the book publishing sector in Scotland).
John MacPherson is a Director of Bright Red Publishing, an independent educational publisher based in Fife. Twice winners of the UK Educational Publisher of the Year, Bright Red produces a broad range of resources for Scottish teachers and students. As well as managing the business generally, his main focus is the commissioning and development of print and digital publications.
A graduate of History and Law, John has been publishing educational content for twenty years through all manner of curricular change and challenges. He lives in rural Fife, spends too much time chopping wood and can’t wait to get a dog.
Katy Lockwood-Holmes has been Publisher & Chief Executive of Floris Books since 2011. Before that she worked in marketing for Edinburgh University Press, T&T Clark Edinburgh and Continuum in New York. In the last decade she has overseen three-fold growth at Floris, making it Scotland’s largest children’s publisher, and winning the Saltire Society publisher of the year in 2016.
There will be an opportunity for group members, guests and MSPs to ask our presenters questions and we will also have time for a general discussion.
CPG Culture and Communities
The Cross Party Group on Culture & Communities encourages the exchange of knowledge and understanding between the Scottish Parliament and arts, culture, heritage, and historic environment communities.
This meeting of the group will focus on the culture sector and the cost of living crisis, and will take place 28 Feb, 7-830pm via Zoom.
We will hear from three guest speakers, who will provide a snapshot of the work of their work with communities during the cost of living crisis.
Speakers:
Anne Gallacher is Director of Luminate, Scotland’s creative ageing organisation, who work to ensure all older people in Scotland can enjoy high quality arts and creative activities, whatever their background and circumstances and wherever they live. Luminate’s programme includes artist-led projects developed in collaboration with older people and those who support them; training and development opportunities for artists; R&D work with care providers and other community partners; and running the nationwide Dementia Inclusive Singing Network.
Jasmine Main is Creative Engagement Coordinator at the Ayr Gaiety theatre, and Coordinator for the Culture Collective Ayr Gaiety Partnership, which is working with many different communities in South Ayrshire, some of those include care experienced young people, adults facing addiction, and adults with learning disabilities and dementia. She is an actor and facilitator, and formerly Chairperson of Toonspeak Young People’s Theatre Company.
Lewis Hou is founder and director of Science Ceilidh, an organisation supporting a creative, curious and well Scotland. He hosts the Culture & Wellbeing Community Network Scotland conversations on social inequalities as part of an action research programme on cultural democracy with Scottish Libraries and Information Council and Fun Palaces. He also supports The Ideas Fund and Highlands & Islands Climate Change Community Grants funding over 30 community-driven research projects exploring mental wellbeing, creativity and/or climate change.
There will be an opportunity for group members, guests and MSPs to ask our presenters questions and we will also have time for a general discussion.
Booking:
You must sign up to be a member of the relevant Cross Party Group before you can book the event.
Please sign up to the CPGs here, and booking information will be sent out to you directly