Alasdair McGill is Managing Director at Ashton McGill, a design-led accounting business who use 'a unique blend of accounting, business experience and design thinking to help clients build better businesses'.
Today Alasdair shares his thoughts on the Creative Sector in Perth as we roll out Elevator's first Perth Accelerator for Creative Businesses.
For many years now, Perth has looked up the River to it’s neighbouring City and marvelled at the way Dundee has reinvented itself.
The Creative Sector has been at the heart of that transformation, which has seen Dundee become the UK’s only UNESCO City of Design, the impending opening of the V&A Museum of Design, Dundee, and the City become, according to GQ Magazine, the ‘UK’s coolest little City’. There’s a lot for Perth to get jealous about.
V & A Dundee
I grew up in Perth in the 70s & 80s and one of the things I remember most about the Perth of my childhood was its culture - from the Festival of the Arts to the Rep Theatre, and the City’s thriving music scene, Perth was, without doubt, a creative City. But at some point, Perth lost its way and the creative pendulum swung back towards Dundee.
The Art School or DJCAD as it’s more commonly known had a big part to play, indeed it was the instigator that brought the V&A to Dundee.
Then, of course, there was the influence of D.C. Thomson the iconic publisher, which spawned many creative businesses, and finally Creative Dundee - the forward-thinking organisation, led by the dynamic Gillian Easson, which does such a great job of promoting the creative industries in Dundee and far beyond.
It’s against this backdrop that the new FGIC (Famous Grouse Ideas Centre) Accelerator - powered by Elevator for creative industries is launching in Perth in February 2018. The programme has been designed to help Creative Businesses in Perthshir
e who are ambitious about growth. This joins Elevator's successful Accelerators in both Aberdeen and Dundee (which are open to all sectors).
Situated in Perth's thriving city centre at the AK Bell Library, those engaged in the Accelerator Programme will have access to cutting-edge technology and a vibrant environment. A variety of entrepreneurial themes will be covered each week (over 12 weeks) including but not limited to; establishing a business model, goal setting, identifying new markets and opportunities, vision, mission, and values, customer relationships, cash-flow and finance, intellectual property, pitching, scale and growth and exit strategy.
The creativity never really left Perth. Each year Perth College UHI produces dozens of creative graduates, and rural Perthshire is a hotbed of craft & design. Some of the most creative businesses in the UK can boast a PH postcode, whilst the fledgeling Perthshire Creates continues to gather pace. A new maker space also recently opened at the A.K. Bell Library.
Maybe this is Perth’s Creative renaissance? If you’re a Creative Business and want to be a part of it, then perhaps this Programme is for you.
To find out more about the programme and how it can help you, CLICK HERE or contact Caryn Gibson at Caryn@elevatoruk.com
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