XPONORTH GETS MORE CREATIVE 2020 has been an unimaginable year for us all, but for those working in the creative industries, a sector comprised largely of sole traders, freelancers and micro-businesses, it has left many in unchartered territory. With live music, dance and theatre shows postponed, filming schedules thrown into disarray, workshops, fairs and exhibitions cancelled, and cultural venues closed or operating at reduced capacity, few creative professionals have been unaffected.
The XpoNorth team is now working towards a hybrid model for next year’s conference – and the app has been future-proofed to allow the most interactive experience possible, and to be grown as a knowledge-networking tool.
Yet, amongst the unfamiliar and challenging new ways of working, new possibilities and alternative perspectives have emerged. Creative cross learning is something that XpoNorth has always sought to support, but this year the need for creative professionals to be seen, supported, inspired, and connected was more important than ever.
XPONORTH HERITAGE LAUNCHES AT CRITICAL TIME FOR SECTOR
XpoNorth is Scotland’s leading creative industries conference held annually in Inverness, attracting around 2,000 people across the two-day event in June. It also provides specialist year-round support to the creative industries across the Highlands and Islands. Iain Hamilton, head of creative industries at HIE, explains: “COVID forced a radical change of plan. In a very short space of time, the entire conference was moved online, delivered via the XpoNorth website, social media channels, and Socio app. This included 35 webinars and interviews, 89 individual speakers, two film screenings, plus networking events. “It was quite a task to pull off, and we were one of the first in the UK to deliver such an ambitious programme of events in this new digital format. I’m delighted to say that it was a fantastic success. Our audience increased, with 5,600 people engaging with the content. “All the webinars and talks are now available to watch on either the app or XpoNorth YouTube channel, so people can still make the most of it, and enjoy some of the fantastic sessions we had, which covered music, writing and publishing, screen and broadcast, craft, fashion and textiles, heritage, and digital technology.”
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XpoNorth Heritage was a new offering for 2020, initially launched in February as a one-year pilot programme to help heritage organisations find new ways to connect with audiences, while creating new revenue opportunities. Museums and heritage centres play an essential role in preserving and supporting the region’s sense of self and culture – and also its economic success. Highlands and Islands history has long captured the imaginations of people from around the world; the challenge is to find ways to bring historical objects and archival information from the physical world and make them more accessible in the digital. As coronavirus forced museums to close in March, resulting in an immediate loss of earnings and audience engagement, the XpoNorth Heritage initiative couldn’t have come at a more opportune time. FOCUS spoke to Vanessa Martin of West Highland Museum in Fort William about the impact COVID has had on the organisation.
