A Screen Sector Leadership Group (SSLG) was established in 2016 to facilitate engagement with the screen industry and to enable public bodies to understand and respond to its needs better. Creative Scotland administers the group.
Background
The Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee of the Scottish Parliament published a report into the economic impact of the film, TV and video games industries on 31 March 2015.
One of the key recommendations of the report was the establishment of a leadership group to facilitate engagement with the industry and to enable public bodies to understand better and respond to the industry’s needs.
Creative Scotland, as the lead body for the screen sector in Scotland, administers the group, with John McCormick, formerly Controller of BBC Scotland, Chair of the Edinburgh International Film Festival and Vice-Chair of Scottish Screen, as its Chair.
An initial meeting of over 50 screen sector representatives was held in December 2015 to discuss priorities for the sector and the SSLG was established in early 2016 with a core group of 14 sector representatives.
Key Priorities
Taking the key themes that emerged from this initial meeting, the SSLG agreed a set of priorities for the sector:
- Increased funding for film and television production
- Increased studio facilities and infrastructure for Scotland
- Increased investment in talent development, skills and training
- Increased and appropriate business development support for screen businesses
- Robust research and statistics on the value of the sector and the impact of funding and support mechanisms.
Report to the Scottish Parliament
A report was prepared in January 2017 to provide an overview of the Screen Sector Leadership Group’s (SSLG) analysis of the issues affecting the sector, its conclusions and recommendations.
Screen Sector Leadership Group Report - January 2017 (PDF, opens in a new window)
(An overview of the Screen Sector Leadership Group’s (SSLG) analysis of the issues affecting the sector, its conclusions and recommendations.)
A follow up report was published in 2018 which can be downloaded below.
The Bigger Picture: A screen agency for Scotland - May 2018 (PDF, opens in a new window)
The report is being delivered to the Culture, Tourism, Europe and External Relations Committee of the Scottish Parliament for their consideration. Further information will be made available on the Committee website.