The Glasgow School of Art is delighted to co-launch the Creative Founders Fund on Tuesday 21 of November at the Adam Smith Business School, University of Glasgow. This new fund is a collaboration between GSA, University of Glasgow and the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
The Fund provides up to £10k for academic research-based projects looking to deliver sustainable impact at scale through potential commercial opportunities. Successful applicants will benefit from training in innovation, as well as support and guidance on project development.
This event is open to all academic staff at the Glasgow School of Art, The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and the University of Glasgow.
About this event
Are you an arts and humanities researcher, who is looking for new ways to extend the reach and impact of your research? Does your research show possibilities to access different funding opportunities and think about new models to deliver impact at scale and to support your research in the future?
The Founders Fund for Creatives is a joint pilot innovation fund for early-stage projects in the arts and humanities, funded by Scottish Funding Council, the University of Glasgow’s Innovation Fund, and, the Entrepreneurial Campus. It has been established to support innovation and entrepreneurship in the Arts & Humanities, and is offered in partnership by the University of Glasgow, the Glasgow School of Art, and The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland. The first round of funding applications will be open from November 2023-January 2024, with further guidance available at the launch.
The launch event on the 21st of November will be showcasing this exciting new fund intended to provide more opportunities for Arts and Humanities researchers to develop impact at scale. Attendees will be able to engage in a fantastic networking opportunity and meet likeminded researchers, learn more about what entrepreneurship looks like in the Arts and Humanities, and hear from the great lineup of speakers.
Launch attendees will also receive a brief introduction to innovation within Arts & Humanities, including a spotlight on the own examples of innovation within Glasgow, followed by drinks and nibbles and a chance to network across the three partner institutions.
Professor Frank Coton, Senior Vice Principal and Deputy Vice Chancellor (Academic) and is a member of the Senior Management Group of the University of Glasgow. He has University level responsibility for leading the development and implementation of the University Strategy, planning, budgeting and the processes and policies associated with academic career development.
Professor Penny Macbeth is the Director of the Glasgow School of Art. The GSA is internationally recognised as one of Europe’s leading higher education institutions for education and research in the visual creative disciplines. Penny is a strong creative and cultural advocate and innovation leader and is regularly invited to join international and UK wide conversations and initiatives in support of creative industries.
Pianist and composer, Professor Jeffrey Sharkey, became Principal of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in September 2014, leading Scotland’s national conservatoire of dance, drama, music, production and screen. During his tenure, the RCS raised its profile domestically and internationally and has been ranked in the top 10 world leading institutions for 6 out of the last 7 years. He is passionate about all of the RCS’s performing and production arts and the collaboration between them. He was made Fellow of the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 2022.
Following the opening addresses, Dr Lisa Kelly will discuss her research and commercialisation project – Set, Ready, Safety.
Lisa’s research is concerned with the production and circulation of television, its broader economic and industrial frameworks, and the ways in which individual practices and institutional policies help shape the range and types of programming produced. Key areas of interest include television sitcom, global entertainment formats, and creative talent across the screen industries. She was also part of a research team examining film policy through a case study of the UK Film Council.
Lisa’s current research involves television, talent and gender, with a particular focus on diversity of talent onscreen and behind the scenes and developing talent in small nations. Lisa will discuss her journey with Set, Ready, Safety, as well as how this is helping to extend the impact and reach of her research.
You don’t need to have a detailed idea or to have started an innovation project; just the willingness to explore new avenues for impact at scale.
The Founders Fund for Creatives provides up to £10k per project for 6 months. Successful applicants will benefit from training in innovation relevant to arts and humanities projects, as well as support and guidance on project development.
This event is open to all academic staff at the Glasgow School of Art, The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, and the University of Glasgow; please do promote to other academic colleagues who might be interested.
For more information, please contact Morven Fraser-Walther.