The event, an official feeder event for Venturefest Scotland 2015, will give a group of young people the opportunity to work with some of the Scotland’s most talented gurus– from creative artists to software developers–to develop a digital response (such as an app, interactive art installation or creative product) that will challenge attitudes and behaviours towards climate change and sustainability.
Young people attending the jam will get the chance to pitch their final idea to investors – Dragon’s Den style – at Venturefest Scotland, a major new innovation summit hosted at Glasgow Science Centre on 9 September 2015.
The two day VentureJam event, will take place on 8 and 9 August at Rookie Oven to coincide with Glasgow’s first themed year which is dedicated to the city’s green ambitions. ‘Glasgow’s Green Year 2015’, which carries the strapline ‘from steam to green’, celebrates green innovation; from the 250th anniversary of James Watt’s major contributions to the industrial revolution to Glasgow today as a world-leading science hub at the forefront of the green revolution, which will support a more sustainable Scottish economy.
Louise Macdonald, Chief Executive of Young Scot, said: “We are delighted to announce our partnership with Glasgow City of Science. From our work across Scotland, we know that young Scots are passionate about finding sustainable solutions and making our country a more environmentally-friendly place. VentureJam aims to bring this passion and creativity from young people together with some of Scotland’s most innovative individuals to create a legacy for Glasgow and beyond.”
Glasgow City of Science joined the charge, alongside Scottish Enterprise and Glasgow City Council and other partners, to bring Venturefest to Scotland. Venturefest Scotland, part of the Innovate UK Venturefest network, looks to engage innovators, academics, entrepreneurs and investors, primarily from the SME community, and provides focus on accelerating business growth through innovation.
Dr Susie Mitchell, programme director of Glasgow City of Science, said: “In Glasgow’s Green Year, we’re proud to host Venturefest Scotland at the Glasgow Science Centre. By partnering with Young Scot to deliver VentureJam, a new youth strand for Venturefest, we hope to engage the talent and creative concepts of Scotland’s young people and work together to develop inspiring ideas which could improve Scotland’s green credentials and economy for years to come.”
VentureJam is being funded by Glasgow Chamber of Commerce, Shepherd and Wedderburn, Glasgow City Council, Glasgow’s Green Year 2015, Scottish Qualification Authority (SQA) as well as the Scottish Informatics & Computer Science Alliance (SICSA) with in kind support from CoderDojo Scotland, Biffa, Cryptic, Glasgow Science Centre and Rookie Oven.
Links
Venturefest Scotland