Scots film sector review exposes crisis and defines goals
A new review of the film sector in Scotland has just been published, highlighting the size and importance of the industry and the challenges facing it.
Carried out for and on behalf of the film sector in Scotland, the study is intended to provide an overview of film in Scotland together with suggestions for future activity that could help the ongoing creative and economic growth of the sector. The Film Sector Review looks at all the elements that make up Scotland’s film sector, in both its cultural and industry context. These include learning, training, audience development, exhibition, distribution, employment, production, development and archive.
One fact, drawn from the review’s executive summary, is that many in the film industry feel that, despite current successes, the industry in Scotland is at something of a crisis point, with levels of production that are too low to sustain a viable domestic industry. Another is that film in the UK is a London-centric business, and Scotland’s film sector is perceived to be remote from that centre. The review proposes that a long-term strategy supporting film development, production and distribution is needed.
However the review recognises areas of strength as well as gaps in provision and aims to use this information to identify opportunities and to help inform future funding policy and operations. The published document, freely available to download, sets out a vision of where the film sector could be in ten years’ time, together with some actions required to reach these goals.
The independent study, commissioned by Creative Scotland, has been carried out by BOP Consulting, in partnership with Whetstone and Jonathan Olsberg (Olsberg SPI).
Janet Archer, Chief Executive of Creative Scotland, commented: “Film is very important to us as one of our key areas of responsibility, alongside the arts and the creative industries, we are working very hard to identify how we strengthen resources for Film through partnership working with Government and other partners.
“The Film sector review will help us develop an effective strategy for Film in Scotland and we are committed to producing this strategy by the end of June 2014. We will work with Independent Producers Scotland (IPS) and others to develop this. This strategy will identify our short, medium and long-term priorities for developing the film sector and set out how we plan to deliver these priorities.
“Defining strategy is an ongoing reflective process. I would like to say thank you to everyone who has contributed to date, and encourage those who haven’t to do so. I am keen that we use the sector reviews that have already been completed, including the Film review that is published today, to ensure that the support we provide is as effective as possible and that each sector can develop to unlock potential and realise ambition in the best possible way.”
In April this year, Creative Scotland will publish its Plan for 2014 – 24 which will set out five ambitions for all the companies work focussing on excellence, reach, place, skills and international aims. As part of this Plan, Creative Scotland will lay out its thinking on different art forms, film and screen, and the creative industries. This will provide an overview of current achievements and set out headline priorities for each art form or area of work in the context of the company’s overall ambitions.
A draft outline version of the Plan will be made available online from Monday 27 January for public feedback.
Read the review in full
