Creative Scotland, the organisation for promoting and supporting the creative arts (yes, all of them) in Scotland (oddly enough) has joined TIGA, the indepdenent game developers association.
Creative Scotland emerged from the ashes of the Scottish Arts Council, which looked after the traditional ‘arts’, and Scottish Screen, which looked after film, television and latterly, games and digital media as well.
When Creative Scotland was being planned, games were always mentioned as being of importance to the new organisation. It looks as though that is the case, with the organisation joining the ranks of TIGA members.
As TIGA itself puts it:
Creative Scotland is the national development agency for the arts, screen and creative industries, and its ambition is to see Scotland recognised as one of the world’s most creative nations and with a cultural economy that exceeds the UK average and contributes to sustainable economic growth.
Creative Scotland seeks to invest in distinctive and engaging digital interactive media content. It has a £500,000 Innovation programme with an application deadline of 23 September 2011. It will seek projects that contribute to the development of the creative industries and foster innovation in Scotland. Guidelines and application form can be found here.
Creative Scotland has already made a range of investments in interactive content. Beauty Town, a Facebook game by Dynamo Games in Dundee is just about to complete a Beta phase and be actively promoted. Dynamo Games has taken its award winning skills in mobile gaming to a new level with this creative social networking game. Beauty Town offers a fun way to engage with fashion and style through communication and a frisson of entrepreneurship. Creative Scotland have also just completed terms on an investment into Digital Adaptations – The Thirty Nine Steps, an interactive adaptation of the John Buchan novel by the digital arm of Tern Television. [Both of which have been featured here on Scottishgames recently – Editor]
Morgan Petrie, Portfolio Manager – Technology, Digital Media and Market Development explains the company’s reasons for joining TIGA:
”Scotland has produced a succession of world-class interactive titles and Dundee currently ranks as the third best location for games development in the EU. Scotland’s games sector contributes over £30m to the economy annually, and Creative Scotland wants to make sure we celebrate and support the talent and creativity of the companies and people who work here. TIGA has been a relentless and vocal campaigner on behalf of the Scottish video games industry. Creative Scotland is joining TIGA to ensure we work effectively with the industry.”
So it’s true. They’re not just taking games seriously, they have money to spend. We think you should get in touch…
