2 XPONORTH

So that’s XpoNorth over for another year – but what a year!Over two jam-packed days and nights, more

than 1900 delegates from all over the world flocked to Inverness to take part in what has become one of the UK’s premier creative industries festivals.

For the first time in its history, XpoNorth’s day-time conference was held in Eden Court Theatre by the banks of the River Ness. What a setting it was too.

The sun shone on day two and delegates spilled on to the grass area outside the theatre and cinema complex. The conversations carried on in the sunshine, with creative connections being made in all directions.

By night, music from some of the most exciting acts at home and abroad brought delegates across the creative spectrum together yet again in ten different venues in the centre of Inverness – highlighting the fact that no creative exists in a vacuum.

XpoNorth 2016 highlights included:

• 37 conference sessions, which included three keynote addresses from leading figures in the creative industries and an In-Conversation with Scots film director, Michael Caton-Jones (This Boy’s Life, Memphis Belle and Rob Roy)

• 13 hands-on training workshops and

masterclasses • 106 films featuring new talent from across the

globe, including the UK premiere of BAFTA Scotland New Talent winning Hula, directed by Robin Haig in her home village of Dornie

• 66 showcasing bands in ten different venues

across the centre of Inverness, as well as special one-off performances from Highland singing sensations, Astrid, Pictish Trail and Rachel Sermanni

Looking back on XpoNorth 2016 • 22 trade stands offering support and mentoring in a wide range of creative industries

• 21 gaming and technology companies and exhibitions

• 26 writers pitching to panels made up of major publishers and agents

• A brand new TV station called XpoNorth Live! staffed by trainees which provided a sample of the festival by interviewing around 30 festival participants and gave a platform to more than 50 bands

• Two networking parties; one hosted by the Glasgow School of Art and this year’s Scotland-wide Festival of Architecture, the second by the Scottish Music Industry Association, Screen Facilities Scotland, Publishing Scotland, and Screen Academy Scotland.

• The world premiere of The HoloQuad, a tiny gadget which turns any smartphone into a magical holographic experience.

XpoNorth director, Amanda Millen, said: “XpoNorth is all about taking the temperature of the creative industries and allowing delegates the opportunity to meet and greet the real movers and shakers who work behind the scenes in screen, broadcast, games development, music, design, fashion, craft, textiles, writing and publishing.

“The buzz around Eden Court and at the evening events was palpable this year. There is a can-do attitude among the creative community in the Highlands and Islands which makes Inverness the perfect place to host this annual hands-on festival which is all about boosting creative careers.”

Produced by The Skinny magazine in association with XpoNorth:

Editor-in-Chief Rosamund West

Subeditor Will Fitzpatrick

Designer Kyle McPartlin

Picture Editor Sarah Donley

Digital Editor Peter Simpson

Sales Caroline Harleaux

Cover Design Vsandyo.com

Inspired by short film Hula, delegates wing it outside Eden Court

Pictish Trail live at The Ironworks for the SMIA networking receptionGlasgow School of Art networking party

The Technology and Gaming playground (Day 1) attracted a large crowd

Over 30 trade stands at XpoNorth did a roaring trade for the duration

Phot

o: P

aul C

ampb

ell

Phot

o: P

aul C

ampb

ell

Phot

o: P

aul C

ampb

ell

Phot

o: P

aul C

ampb

ell

Phot

o: T

im W

inte

rbur

n

Music

XPONORTH

J o Whitby, the artist behind the XpoNorth News day-by-day illustrations, is also a

multi-instrumental musician who performed at XpoNorth as Laurence Made Me Cry. Whitby is based between Glasgow and the Highlands and has been working on a range of projects this year. This includes releasing a debut album, The Diary of Me, after a successful crowdfunding campaign backed by BBC Radio Four and BBC Radio Two. Her daily diary illustrations are being published in a journal book entitled This Is Why We Can’t Have Anything Nice.

Jo WhitbyQ&A XPoNorth’s resident illustrator tells us about her Inverness experience

How was your experience doing the illustra-tions at XpoNorth, what inspired you most?It was a lot of fun but super-hectic. I had to start my day really early to make sure all my sketches were finished in time for the printing deadline. This meant I needed to be extra organised especially working out what to see across the event. People and their interactions always inspire me the most and there certainly was a lot of interacting going on!

Have you been to XpoNorth before? Yes, I went last year and had a great time. I think it’s difficult to compare as this time around I was drawing in an official capacity and also perform-ing so there was a lot more to do. I was able to see more of the talks last time. A fantastic atmosphere both years.

Did this year’s XpoNorth introduce you to any new art or music?Yes, quite a lot of music this year! Breakfast Muff,

Miracle Glass Company and The Ramisco Maki Maki Rocking Horse being a few of my favourites.

As a musician, does your passion for music inspire your art?Absolutely. A lot of my art does tend to be musically-themed, it’s a huge part of me so being able to express that in other art forms is great.

What was your XpoNorth highlight?It was getting to catch up with people I hadn’t seen for a long time, which was brilliant. Also being able to make some new friends too. There’s always such a positive energy at XpoNorth, everyone is so passionate about what they do and also very kind. It really does rub off on you.

What was your favourite panel?I will admit I only managed to make it to one panel about radio and music during the chaos of trying to be in several places at once. I feel it wouldn’t be fair to the other panels if I said that

3

was my favourite one. There were just so many interesting talks and panels over the festival. I wish I could have gone to more.

What’s coming up next for your art and music?On the art front I’m working on another sketch journal style book which will document my journey across Canada trying to discover why people think I’m Canadian! Musically, lots of gigs and festivals coming up, a remix album release as well as finishing off a new EP.

Describe XpoNorth in one word?Passionate.

Twitter or Instagram?I like them both in equal measure. @lmmcmusic @iknowjojo & instagram: jowhitbymusic

4 XPONORTH

With 70 gigs over two nights in eight venues, all within easy strolling distance of one

another, bars were packed with music fans looking to hear everyone from local favourites like Spring Break in Hootananny to unknown quantities such as the towering Swedish singer-songwriter Chris Kläfford in Scotch and Rye. Add in Spanish, Belgian, English, and Northern Irish artists and the ever-increasing ambition of the showcase is clear.

Not all bands from out of town were unknown to audiences. There were particularly noticeable buzzes for Catholic Action at Mad Hatters, WeCameFromWolves at The Phoenix, Miss Irenie Rose at the Pentahotel on the first night, with Bella and the Bear at Scotch & Rye, Ded Rabbit at Deeno's, and Breakfast MUFF at Blackfriars causing the storm on Thursday. When Vic Galloway was spotted watching Breakfast MUFF there was no surprise that they were appearing in session on his BBC Radio Scotland show just over a week later.

The finale, held at Ironworks, presented the return of Astrid after a hiatus of 12 years. It was a fitting location for a band with its roots on the Isle of Lewis.

The solo artists and bands also had the chance to be seen by people across the creative industries at mini-showcases that ran throughout the day at the festival hub of Eden Court Theatre.

Outside the theatre was the Buzz Bus, a mobile recording studio, that offered free half-hour sessions to the performers. The Buzz Bus project normally operates around Lochaber to offer opportunities to talented young musicians who can't access those facilities in larger centres of population.

Running parallel with the gigs, the business of music is a pivotal part of the XpoNorth experience. It's not enough to write great songs and perform them brilliantly, musicians need to earn a living. The old model of signing with a label, making records, perhaps a promotional video, and only touring to promote a new release is gone.

Musicians today need to look at a wider picture and be more savvy about their publishing and performance rights and look at every possible outlet for their music.

That's not always a bad thing. The history of music is littered with stories of solo artists or bands living with very little for years while they pay back the advance that paid for the recording, promotion, and hidden costs that would never occur when signing on the dotted line.

The challenge comes in negotiating the paths towards getting music out there. The many com- plex strands were covered, from the tricks of how to make the best possible recordings from a panel of record producers and engineers who have worked with artists as diverse as The Stone Roses to George Ezra to Frightened Rabbit to Genesis and Suede… among many more.

The minefield of publishing and how to make sure writers and performers get the money they are owed was covered in a session by the Music Publishers Association.

It might not have been as rich in anecdotes as the producers, but when the royalty cheques land, musicians will remember that session more fondly.

The strangely named Music Supervisors were also present, this time to give a steer on what agencies need from musicians hoping to see their compositions in films, TV, or ads – a lucrative area of writing that can supplement record sales.

Sales can also come through decent radio airplay. Getting a track on the radio without the backing of a big-hitting record plugger might seem impossible but there was advice from the public broadcasting view of BBC Radio Scotland, and also input from commercial radio about what kind of homegrown talent they can help to break.

XpoNorth 2016 was the year when the music programme dovetailed to give musicians the chance to be seen, but also to see how their future can be.

Music Showcase HighlightsNordic beauty, German pop precision, Scottish eclecticism, and even a slice of Trinidadian cool played almost cheek to cheek across the XpoNorth music showcase

Words: Lorraine Wilson

This year’s XpoNorth saw a host of creative types descend on Inverness for the two-day

festival. Among the crowd were the likes of Hollywood director Michael Caton-Jones and author and co-founder of charity platform Lightful, Charles Kriel, to name just a couple. The creative industries networking event is seem-ingly growing stronger every year with an array of bands, stalls, conferences and even a TV station on site this year.

One of the big stories to come out of the hustle and bustle at Eden Court was the Music Producers Guild (MPG) conference and trade stand complete with the star-studded panel. The representatives from the MPG were there to raise awareness of both what producers in the industry are talking about and to attract new members to the non-profit organisation. As well as this, they delved in to the art of making records and answered questions from budding producers/engineers in the audience.

Sitting on the panel was none other than famed producer of the Stone Roses’ self-titled debut, John Leckie. Down the years Leckie has worked with John Lennon, Wings, Pink Floyd, Radiohead, The Fall and The Verve, to give you just a few examples. At the conference, held in the One Touch Theatre, the esteemed producer was particularly cavalier about what the job actually entails: “I sit in a dark room with four people with huge egos.”

For Leckie and the rest of the panel, the conference and in fact the whole concept of the MPG is a chance to bring ideas together and be part of a support network within the industry. As producer Cam Blackwood (George Ezra, London Grammar) says, it can be a quiet existence. “When you’re a producer, you’re quite alone. You don’t ever have an opportunity to go and work with other producers.”

Although first impressions would have you

thinking the MPG was only a place for celebrated producers such as John Leckie to reside, it actually reaches out to all levels in the music industry. As conference chairperson, Executive Director of the MPG and producer Andrew Hunt tells me, the organisation includes everyone “from the likes of John Leckie all the way down to people who are just making their first records.”

When pushed on what the role of the producer is in the modern day, Hunt was quick to defend his craft. With modern technology enabling almost everyone to record him or herself from a click of a button, the layperson might disregard producing in the 21st century. “That’s like saying you can go to a hardware shop and buy tools, so you can build your own house. We [producers] can help the artists get to the idea quicker.”

Also on the panel was Dave Bascombe who has worked with notable artists such as Tears For Fears, Echo and the Bunnymen and Peter Gabriel. Bascombe, who is more of a mixing engineer than an out and out producer, talked about focussing on the vocals first. The classic technique is to obsess about the all important drum sound, something that was joked about at the conference a lot, but the esteemed dance producer says it’s not always the first place he goes looking.

The audience were also treated to the wisdom of Brett Cox, winner of the MPG’s Breakthrough Engineer of the Year Award for 2016. Cox’s most notable work to date is the debut album Phase from Jack Garratt.

The MPG panel lived up to their name and status in what was another compelling afternoon at XpoNorth 2016. The legendary producers could even be spotted enjoying the live music in the pubs and clubs of Inverness later that evening. It’s refreshing to know there’s still time to play hard at that level.

The Art of Production

Words: Jamie McDonald

This year’s Music Producers Guild session brought together a panel of experts more used to sitting in dark rooms to share their invaluable experience

Chris Klafford playing live at Scotch and Rye

John Leckie in conversation with The Music Producers Guild

Phot

o: T

im W

inte

rbur

n

Phot

o: P

aul C

ampb

ell

5

Music

May 2016 XPONORTH

There's been a lot of buzz around Catholic Action over the past year; and deservedly so.

With a full album yet to be released, the Glasgow band have gathered a good number of quality songs to their name, along with some big support slots and a headline appearance at the BBC Introducing Stage at Radio 1’s Big Weekend in May.

Of course, it always helps when you've got people like Alex Kapranos singing your praises, but these guys know how to knock up a mighty fine tune. With glam-esque riffs, driving basslines and a confident vocal delivery, the four-piece are all about upbeat, catchy pop melodies that will get you dancing.

With a couple of festival appearances still ahead of them this summer, we caught up with frontman Chris McCrory following their perfor-mance at Mad Hatters in Inverness as part of XpoNorth. With a room packed full of punters and industry-folk alike, they performed an impressive set that showed both depth and progression to their material, with the audience shouting for more after their half-hour set.

How's XpoNorth been for you?XpoNorth has been great! The gig last night was a very, very, very pleasant surprise, I didn't expect that. We played roughly the same time last year, really late and at the same venue but it was kind of night and day between this year and last year. We did have good crowds both years but this year people were really going for it. It's so easy for us to go for it as well when you see people getting into it.

We've always had a good reception when we've played up here [in the north]. We've done it quite a lot… from the very start with the first tour we ever did.

Festival season has begun… what's on you horizon?We're doing Belladrum and the West End Festival in Glasgow. I saw the advert on the Subway the other day which was cool!

I've never been to a festival as a punter. I've always played at them or worked at them so I kinda want to keep that record going.

How does it compare playing festivals to your own crowd?At festivals it's really good if you get an area to just chill out and get away from it. What happens otherwise is you just go out all day and you go at it and then you have to play… Before we went on at the Big Weekend I was half asleep in a deck chair downing Red Bull, trying to wake myself up. Normally I like to do what I did last night which is get here, have a couple of drinks, see a band, sleep for two hours, have a coffee and then get up and play... which is why I was particularly energetic last night.

So how was Big Weekend?Amazing! Our drummer got to meet Annie Mac and he fancies her so that's nice. It was mad, we were headlining the BBC Introducing Stage so we were on at the same time as Coldplay and Biffy Clyro which is a total fucking killer. It was OK though cos if you go to a Radio 1 festival you're not really there to see new bands... and the crowd we did play to was great. It was worth it!

How did Catholic Action come about? You used to be the drummer for Casual Sex, so what made you want to take on the role of frontman? My enormous ego... I was originally a guitar player and singer before I started playing drums. When I was at school, no one played drums and I wanted to form a band so I thought I'd just play them. So I ended up doing that and falling into various bands... then ended up in Casual Sex. I was always writing my own songs anyway... I played in a band called Male Pattern Band before Casual Sex and Catholic Action is like an extension of that. It's roughly the same line-up and some of the songs are the same. It was just a kind of vehicle for my songs at the time. There was never a conscious decision where I said I wanted to play guitar and sing, I just had all these songs I'd written and I wan- ted to do something with them. It happened to coincide with the time that Casual Sex were being a bit quiet so I thought ‘Fuck it, I'll go for it now.’

“ I've never been to a festival as a punter. I've always played at them or worked at them so I kinda want to keep that record going”Chris McCrory

Everyone in Glasgow knows each other and everyone has played in each other's band. But the cool thing about that is that everyone does quite different things... everyone kind of mingles and it means that there's always something new

“ This year people were really going for it”

Interview: Suzanne Oswald

Vic Galloway Q&A

Broadcaster Vic Galloway shares an old hand's view of XpoNorth

What do you do and where do you come from?I’m Vic Galloway – I present programmes for BBC Radio Scotland & 6Music. I’m also a TV presenter, journalist, event host, musician and author of Songs in the Key of Fife. I live in Edinburgh and work in Glasgow (and also across the UK, Europe and the USA).

Have you been to XpoNorth before?I’ve been to every single XpoNorth and its previous incarnation as GoNorth in Aberdeen, Dundee and Inverness... around 14 or 15 years I believe.

How did this year compare with previous years?I thought this year was probably the best yet. The panels were of an extremely high stand-ard, the evening gigs showcased some great talent and the event’s networking opportuni-ties were excellent.

What was your XpoNorth highlight?Taking part in The Future of Radio & Music panel – it was a packed house and the con-versation was passionate and informative. Feedback from those people in the room was hugely positive afterwards.

Favourite band?Miracle Glass Company.

Favourite film?Bubbles Don’t Lie.

Favourite panel?(Other than The Future of Radio & Music)... The Music Producers Guild – The Art of Making Records

If you could sum up XpoNorth in one word, what would it be?Vibrant.

Will you be coming back to XpoNorth next time?Yes.

that's exciting. There's always more than one exciting thing and they're always drastically different. It's not like there's lots of bands that sound roughly the same, which is good.

Are you working on anything cool at the moment?I just mixed a really cool record by a band called Chump. I'm working on an album with a band called Glassbooks which is like a math-rock band... I did some stuff with Pinact recently, another band I played drums in for a while! That's my day job which means I can be really flexible with Catholic Action and I can tour when I want to and stuff.

It must be great to have the support of some big bands like Franz Ferdinand moving forward?Yeah, it's great. Casual Sex toured with Franz Ferdinand which was amazing. We did dates in America and Canada with them and it was so good. I knew some of them and recorded some of Paul [Thompson]’s solo stuff and our manager kind of knew them, so they passed on some of our stuff and Alex [Kapranos] really liked us and got us on for that gig [the band supported FFS at Barrowlands last August]. I'm a huge Sparks fan as well so it was amazing. I invited my Mum to that one. She was asking when I was going to invite her to a gig and I jokingly had said whenever we played the Barrowlands, so it was nice to be able to do that.

We did a tour with Swim Deep too. They're really nice guys – and we did that gig with The Libertines which was mental! That was a great gig to do.

Have Catholic Action got any new material coming out or anything?Yeah, we've nearly finished the first album so pretty much done with recording. We're gonna go down and record a few more to have as B sides and extras and then we're gonna release a double A-side in September with a UK tour which will be announced soon. We're also doing some shows with Teenage Fanclub which is cool and we'll be doing stuff with Flying Vinyl.

catholicaction.bandcamp.com

Glasgow's Catholic Action played to a packed Mad Hatters at this year's XpoNorth. Frontman Chris McCrory talks touring with Franz Ferdinand, the Glasgow music scene and what's next on the horizon

Catholic Action

6 XPONORTH

Bella and the Bear are not your average singing-songwriting duo; these guys are

something truly unique. Impossible to place in one specific genre, the pair bring together spoken word with beautiful folk melodies and fairytale narratives to great effect, breaking the boundaries of what it means to be an ac- oustic folk act and dispelling any preconceptions of it as being a tired, safe performance style.

With a good set of material now under their belt, Lauren Gilmour and Stuart Ramage have been making waves in the Scottish music scene over the past year, achieving a lot in their short time together having won ‘Best Newcomer’ at the Scottish Alternative Music Awards late last year and receiving consistently great reviews for their releases; facts that are testament to their ambition and breathtaking talent. There is an undeniable musical chemistry between the two individuals; Gilmour’s powerhouse vocals communicate raw emotion through the smallest inflections, soaring over Ramage’s intricate, melancholic guitar-playing. Their harmonies are unconventional yet exquisite, while their lyricism is another beautiful element of their musician-ship. Their latest release Still Cold is one of their most powerful songs to date, coming at you with its immediate melodies and captivating vocal

delivery, as the pair appear to be settling into their own lane and harnessing their abilities to even greater effect.

Having been invited along to showcase at this year’s XpoNorth, we caught up with Lauren about the band, their influences and what’s in store…

How’s XpoNorth been for you?It’s brilliant, it’s really cool! We came up last year. We didn’t perform but we got used to what the festival is. It’s just a pleasure to be invited to play music amongst everything else that is going on in Scotland. It feels really relevant to be here.

We’ve done little bits and pieces up in the Highlands. The furthest north we’ve been is probably when we went up to Stornoway to play a festival so we’ve got a little soft spot for playing up north in Scotland! We find that in places like Elgin and Aberdeen, audiences can be really loyal if you go and make the right impression which is nice! Hopefully we’ve made an impression in Inverness as well.

Festival season is upon us. Have you got many appearances coming up?We do; Solas, Kelburn, Belladrum, Electric Fields…

With a series of big support slots in the past, Declan Welsh has taken the time to

hone his abilities as a songwriter and performer and is now working on new material which, judging from his live performances, will undoubt-edly take him to the next level.

Previously often seen as a solo artist, Welsh has beefed up his acoustic sound with the addition of his backing band who have effectively given his material more muscle and depth, allowing him to flex his skills as a wordsmith and unleash all that punk-fuelled energy into being a brilliantly captivating frontman. What makes this guy special, though, is his ability for musical storytelling. Also known to partake in spoken word performances, he transfers this poetic skill into his music effortlessly, often aiming his sardonic wit towards the political elite, tales of romance or simply a night on the town gone wrong. Behind their witty observations though, these songs mean something and each word he utters is utterly believeable. Armed with plenty of catchy guitar riffs, singalong choruses and that cutting sense of humour, it’s impossible not to get drawn in by his live performances.

With new material on the way and an

appearance at the highly regarded T Break stage at this year’s T in the Park, it’s an exciting time to be Declan Welsh. We caught up with him after his storming showcase at XpoNorth, Scotland’s biggest creative industries festival…

So how’s XpoNorth going for you?Class man! It’s a good couple of days to see lots of good bands and meet lots of cool people and play a wee set! Inverness is actually brilliant. You find yourself in the Glasgow bubble and you don’t realise there’s a world in Scotland that exists outside of Glasgow.

You can’t believe how sound everyone actually is. I’m just waiting on the first pure arsehole to appear… there’s got to be somebody!

I’ve been up in Inverness a few times now though and it’s pretty vibrant. There’s loads of really cool venues. There’s Hoots, Market Bar, Ironworks… so for a city that you can walk across in 15 minutes, it’s cool that there’s three proper venues like that. I also think people just appreci-ate you travelling somewhere... like in Glasgow, you’ll appreciate it if a band comes from Spain and the same is true in Inverness. You come up here and you give yourself away with the accent

Folky FairytalesScottish traditional-influenced duo Bella and the Bear share their experiences of performing in Inverness

Interview: Suzanne Oswald

“Inverness is actually brilliant”Having been a regular presence in the Glasgow music scene for a while now, things are starting to look very exciting for Declan Welsh

Interview: Suzanne Oswald

For those that aren’t familiar with you, how would you describe your music?I guess the way we describe our sound is folky, fairytaley, spoken-wordy! It’s a mesh of a lot of influences brought together!

Who would you say you biggest influences are then?They differ pretty wildly. Stuart has influences from people like Ben Howard… I love people like Kate Bush; musicians who are real storytellers are big influences on us. I guess we’re inspired by people and how they perform and not just the way they write songs.

We’re very lucky to be a band in Scotland at the moment . There just seems to be the right ethos of bands helping each other as opposed to rivalling one another which is the healthiest way for it to go I think!

Would you consider collaborations with other artists in the future?Yeah, of course! We’re very lucky. Because we study music, that’s what’s in our bones and playing with other people is what we do all the time. It’s how we met, which was by accident almost, so yeah, it’s right that musicians should collaborate!

Finally, what are the future plans for Bella and the Bear?We just put our last release out in late April and did a big launch event in Glasgow so we’ve got some plans to record a little live thing with our string section that we worked with. So maybe something a little bit different in the studio coming up which should be fun to experiment with!

bellaandthebear.net

though. The first time I came up here, I got off the bus and asked where Hoots was and the guy asked me if I was from Glasgow and walked me to the venue! How nice is that?!

What have you got coming up in festival season?We’ve got Solas festival and then T Break stage at T in the Park! I still can’t believe that’s happening! We found out about three weeks ago. It was really cool being accepted this year because we’d applied last year and not got it. We’ve not released anything because getting something released is a pain in the arse because of money… We’d got these demos back though of these new songs so it was a matter of toying between doing the really good recorded versions of the old stuff which we’ve moved on from or sending the new stuff which is quite rough. So we sent the new stuff and we got it. I was heartened by the fact we got it with demos without proper mastered stuff!

It’s a great line-up on T Break as well – there’s Vegan Leather, Mt. Doubt, Bloodlines... Ninth Wave are outstanding! The Lapelles are great as well! I reckon there will definitely be

room for me to catch smaller bands. It’s good we’re all very different acts.

So what else have you got planned in the future?We’re releasing a double A-side with Dead Beet Records run by the guys from Babystrange and we’ve got a tour coming up in August. We’re just going to try and get about and play as many places as we can. As much as it’s class playing in Scotland, we need to get out and play other places… We’ve not done England…

The sound has evolved and that’s hugely owed to Duncan, Calum and Ben and having people to throw stuff at. Even them being there has made me write differently… When you write a riff, you know there’s people there to make it a ‘thing’ as opposed to having to always write chords on an acoustic guitar. It’s also a lot more fun to be travelling with your pals as well. It’s the perfect situation right now! The sound’s getting to a place where we’re all really happy with it.

declanwelsh.com

Phot

o: A

lber

t Luc

as

Bella and the Bear

7

Music

May 2016XPONORTH

Hot on the heels of the announcement that the Glasgow School of Art’s (GSA) new Creative

Campus near Forres is to open this September, the GSA contribution to XpoNorth was aimed at exploring the breadth and impact of Design. It set out to prove that designers can change the world.

Hosting the festival opening party at Ironworks, GSA presented a Fashion Walkabout with outfits designed by the current cohort of the second year students on the GSA’s Fashion Design programme. We were then captivated by the GSA Digital Design Studio’s world leading 3D Heritage Visualisation work, including the Scottish Ten, created in partnership with Historic Environment Scotland.

Earlier that day in a keynote address, Don McIntyre, Programme Director at the GSA’s Institute of Design Innovation and Interim Design Director for the Digital Health Institute, demon-strated how GSA has pioneered new ways of working in creative partnerships across academic, business and civic sectors to address complex economic, social and health issues. The audience learned that by unpacking problems with design thinking we can create preferable futures.

At two design conference panels, internation-al designers introduced delegates to cutting edge design thinking, demonstrating how design can empower and identify opportunities for change.

Beyond the Logo: Designers for Towns, Cities focused on the transformational impact of design as it empowers, engages and brings people together. The second session, Designing Content and Storytelling for 21st-century Audiences, shared ideas on how businesses can create great content across multiple platforms using current digital technologies.

The Glasgow School of Art’s contribution to XpoNorth gave us a taste of how innovative, creative thinking is increasingly used across society to help businesses flourish and create better ways of living. Who knows, with a new international hub for design innovation based in the Highlands, we may all soon be living in our preferred futures?

Surrounded by a cast of Hollywood directors, publishing gurus and hot young bands, Craft

may not appear to be the sexiest strand of XpoNorth. But, three days of conference panels and keynotes focused on the business of making demonstrated convincingly that the Highlands and Islands’ contemporary craft scene is a thriving hotbed of new technology and seduc-tive storytelling.

Tuesday night’s Making Place: Place Making showcase featured nine of the many independ-ent makers working across the region – in sheds, back rooms and small studios – and using the latest digital tools to tell their story to the world. A highlight of this event, which aroused an acute sense of studio-lust through-out the audience, was a series of handmade short films shot on smartphones and offering a tantalising behind-the-scenes glimpse of each maker’s ‘making place’.

As conversations of craft continued across the festival, it became clear that for independent makers working in remote parts of Scotland, exploiting new technology to share their unique story to a global audience is vital to their success.

Sharing the story – the why – was the focus of

missdesignsays Q&A

Marie Louise Munter is the founder and editor of international media website missdesignsays. The website provides a daily source of news for editors, journalists and bloggers on Danish architecture, design and art

Marie Louise Munter is also a social media strategist, and spent 11 years as

Nordic PR at BBC Worldwide. She was a panellist on State of the Arts, which discussed arts coverage in the digital age.

How was your experience speaking at XpoNorth?Apart from being late (due to flight issues) I felt very comfortable with the venue, the panel, the moderator and the debate. I almost wish we had more time – the discussion was interesting and was still ‘folding out’ just when we had to stop.

Have you been to XpoNorth before?No, it was my first visit, but hopefully not the last. I wanted to listen to many of the other debates and take part in much more.

How did you feel the range of panels reflected the current changes in the media and art landscape?The panel I was on was well organised. There maybe could have been some facts and figures in the beginning, just to set the scene further.

What differences do you think there are between Scottish and Danish design?I think Danish design is gifted with a DNA and design tradition, that gives design from Denmark a ‘brand’ from first sight. That is an advantage to Danish design(ers) and design from Scandinavia. I also think that the craftsmanship is equal, no matter where you are from. The good craftsmen, the art, the design, the collaborations and the challenges are the same, no matter where you are from.

Did the festival introduce you to any new art or music?Yes – lots of music! I enjoyed a lot of music showcases Wednesday night and loved it. I’ve got some new Scottish favourite acts, such as James Mackenzie. I also did an interview with the Danish band Shy Shy Shy, who were in Inverness as part of the Excite Tour.

What was your XpoNorth highlight?A fascinating hour spent with Marc Settle from the BBC Academy at which I learned how to use my phone as a video recorder for news.

How would you describe XpoNorth in one word?One only? Well, it’s hard. Maybe ‘memorable.’

Twitter or Instagram?Both, I’m on Twitter and Instagram as @missdesignsays and @missmunter

Impactful Design

Creative Craftthe conference panel Making Your Location Your USP: Selling To A Worldwide Audience Online.

The discussion, chaired by Patricia van den Akker, director of The Design Trust, proved that the place – the land, the sea, the people of the Highlands and Islands can inspire creativity and provide a USP for business. This idea was also explored at Natalie Melton’s keynote as she divulged that the secret to the success of her luxury craft retail company, The New Craftsmen,

is telling the stories of the makers who work with a deep connection to culture and place.

Across XpoNorth, the stories that captivat-ed most were stories of makers, such as Fair Isle based Mati Ventrillon, who overcame barriers faced by rural enterprises to create flourishing businesses which assertively promote the Highlands and Islands and seduce customers from across the world.

Words: Lynne Mackenzie

Words: Lynne Mackenzie

Phot

o: P

aul C

ampb

ell

GSA Digital Design Fashion Show

8 XPONORTH

This year’s XpoNorth festival explored and created a conversation around how digital is

being adapted and executed by the creative sector in Scotland. Technology and digital platforms evolve at such a fast pace and con-stantly change the way we communicate.

As Charles Kriel put it at his talk From Punking Putin to Islamic State – Launching Lightful, “Converting to digital is like an individual deciding whether or not to join Tinder – chances are if you don’t join you will miss out.” Kriel, an activist, publisher, former games designer and all-round digital media guru works with NGOs and is the UN’s UK expert on new media. He used the platform of XpoNorth to launch his latest project Lightful, a digital publishing platform for not-for-profit organisations, independent journalists and the arts. The project aims to stop the practice of ‘chuggers’ (charity muggers) online and advise media on how to be successful building third sector communities digitally.

“ Converting to digital is like an individual deciding whether or not to join Tinder – chances are if you don’t join you will miss out.”

“The question is not what’s changing the newsroom, but what product we are going to make. What’s needed are instant articles that go live where the users live,” said Kriel.

A training session which highlighted

changing media consumption was BBC The Social held by its executive producer Anthony Browne. BBC The Social is aimed at 18-34 year olds with content across eight digital platforms created by 50 young Scottish creatives who received BBC training. The team’s research identified a disinterest from younger generations with traditional BBC media, now more drawn towards social media platforms.

Brown explained: “They weren’t consuming any Scottish content online but were watching international YouTubers. This meant they weren’t hearing from young Scottish role models.”

The project, launched earlier this year, has already won an RTE award and accumulated a high number of followers.

Mobile technology was not forgotten at XpoNorth. Marc Settle from BBC News was on hand at his talk Supercharge Your Smartphone to Broadcast Standard. Settle demonstrated the range of things possible with the abundance of apps and mobile add-ons now available; from audio to video editing.

“I find using third party apps can really de- velop your sound when recording,” Settle added.

This was all displayed from his own mobile, which no doubt had a lot of storage.

Furthermore, Settle spoke on the apps he had used for coverage for the BBC. He mentioned that often editors hadn’t been able to tell the

A World of Digital

This year’s XpoNorth has left me with an inner glow that could rival Ready Brek’s. The

ego-epidemic which has afflicted so much of modern-day media was happily absent from this hugely popular event.

Instead of puffing and preening, people were here to collaborate, to share ideas, offer friendly advice and expand their own knowledge. It was a creative industries love-in and one it was a joy to be part of.

When it came to new ideas and innovations, the screen and broadcast events had a front row seat this year. The festival’s very own TV station, XpoNorth Live! broadcast for the duration. It created a buzzy hub for people to gather, hear live music and interviews with panellists, speakers, filmmakers, games developers, writers and more. We all learned to stop mid-conversation whenever, “Quiet, please!” was called.

Film showcasing turned an overflow of submissions into another brilliant new brainwave. In addition to their own extensive programme of screenings, a short film was also shown before

Diversity was the star turn at XpoNorth’s writing and publishing events this year. No,

not the gravity-defying dance crew, just the clear message that publishers need to adapt and be cross creative to compete in the new media marketplace. Events were packed with practical and positive advice and there were some impressive success stories to help spread the word.

The Writer ’s Pitch to Publishers was an innovative pilot scheme. It gave a group of pre-selected authors precisely five minutes to pitch their as yet unpublished works to a panel of leading UK publishers and agents. They were then rewarded with five minutes each of critique and feedback. The message was clear. Every book needs a hook. A unique selling point. As agent Jenny Brown explained, “The key is marketability. In the current climate, you’ve got to make your book stand out from the crowd. Get it noticed. Get it blogged about.”

Is the power of being an online influencer now more important than newspaper reviews? In

difference between footage taken from his mobile and their own higher tech cameras. App highlights included Gravie which attaches a watermark to footage and Vont, a quirky app which edits your videos to look like old VHS tapes.

A panel exploring the more practical side of digital and a topic often harder to decipher (dare I utter the word ‘metadata’), was Data Management From The Camera Onwards. This panel was aimed at filmmakers, demonstrating how to develop efficient data management helping their creative process and workflow. It soon became clear metadata was ‘data about data’ such as camera aperture and resolution.

“What we really mean by data is our camera and media,” said Davide Cimmarrusto.

The panel was made up of Cimmarusto

and colleague Hamish Allison, both with years of experience in film.

They now work at Freakworks, a film and television post production facilities house based in Edinburgh. They were joined by Eileen Byrne who manages Glasgow-based Visual Impact. This innovative company allows film and programme makers in Scotland to rent high spec camera and equipment. (They supplied all the equipment used by festival television station, XpoNorth Live!).

Byrne spoke about the importance of filmmakers in Scotland being on a par with the rest of the UK and our EU neighbours when it comes to developments in equipment. A mention has to also go to XpoNorth’s first 3D printer being on site; technology which everyone should get to try at least once.

State Of The Arts an experienced panel of journalists examined the future of arts coverage in 21st century media. Danish social media strategist, Marie-Louise Munter no longer saw the real need for in-print reviews. BBC’S Pauline McLean argued that bloggers are generally preaching to the converted – their own fan base. Print reviews on the other hand are read by a more diverse group of people. The conclusion was that co-operation between all forms of media was the effective and indeed only way forward.

Scottish Magazine Publishing: A Global Industry was packed with success stories. Fraser Allen of Hot Rum Cow and Nick Creed of The Drum both demonstrated how diversi-fication and innovation have helped them to create truly global brands. The wealth of positivity and new ideas left the audience feeling invigorated and inspired.

every conference panel event. These became real talking points and encapsulated the ethos of the festival’s 360 degree thinking.

The beautiful backdrop of the Eden Court Theatre also played its part this year. With all daytime events now under one roof it helped nurture cross-creativity and forge new friendships.

In Conversation With Michael Caton-Jones and the world premiere of Robin Haig’s BAFTA award-winning film, Hula, were highlights and cranked up the feel-good factor even further.

The Broxburn-born Hollywood director shared his passion for the industry along with some juicy tales of Tinseltown’s A-listers.

Robin Haig’s beautifully written and directed short gave a new twist on the legend of The Five Sisters of Kintail as well as the joy of seeing Blythe Duff (known to millions as dour police officer Jackie Reid in the ITV drama Taggart) hula hooping.

Watching Michael and Robin deep in conversa-tion after the screening summed things up. Creative collaboration at its best. See you next year!

Writing & PublishingWords: Gayle Anderson

Screen and BroadcastWords: Gayle Anderson

Words: Sorcha Meredith

Phot

o: T

im W

inte

rbur

n

Phot

o: T

im W

inte

rbur

nPh

oto:

Tim

Win

terb

urn

Phot

o: T

im W

inte

rbur

n

9

Music

XPONORTH

Our first day working on XpoNorth Live! (that’s a necessary exclamation mark) began with

us trainees gathered in a little room, in a church hall, down a side street in Inverness.

Our team comprised of five researchers and two production co-ordinators, and we would later be joined by the camera crew in the second week. After a brief meeting with XpoNorth di- rector Amanda Millen (the person who brought all of this together), and producer, Judith Mackay, who would be guiding us through the craziness of the next couple weeks, we jumped right in!

Our task was to look up the musicians and

XpoNorth Live!Our XpoNorth Live! trainee offers a glimpse behind the scenes of this year’s live broadcast project Words: Isla Turner

creative people already attending the festival and get them to come to our space in the middle of Eden Court for either a short interview (if they were an interesting person) or a performance of one of their songs (if they were a ‘band’).

The first week progressed as we meandered our way through the 18 hours we had to fill for the three days of the festival. We were aiming for roughly seven items per hour. The steady workload was broken sporadically by visits from various people, including Siobhan Synnot, our interviewer, who entertained us with celebrity stories and advice on writing scripts and briefs,

By late afternoon on Day Three working with XpoNorth Live!, the TV station that accompa-

nied the incredible creative arts festival that is XpoNorth, the ‘f ’ word was in nearly every sentence I used. We managed to cram 87 items into a three day shoot. It was hectic, frantic, tiring and stressful. And I loved every moment of it.

The ‘f ’ word. Yes, fluid was how we described our schedule to our guests. Festival illustrator, Jo Whitby, (you can see her work throughout this publication) got it down perfectly when on the second day’s newsletter she had XpoNorth Live! speech-bubbled with, “We’re running late.”

Although our running order may have gone awry that day it was not for a lack of effort, preparation or professionalism. Even though the main body of the production team and crew were volunteers trying to gain experience in the industry. We were, of course, led by an amazing group of professionals who quickly and efficiently got us up to speed on everything you need to know to make TV happen.

From the outset, head producer, Judith Mackay – with over twenty years’ experience with

Camera ReadyThe XpoNorth Live! trainees worked hard to build a TV channel broadcasting live throughout the festival programme Words: Gary Hughes

both the BBC and BBC News in her portfolio – was concise and candid about what she wanted and expected from us. We also had a huge amount of contact with our host Siobhan Synnot, whose extensive work as a presenter, writer and producer meant we received professional feedback regarding the pieces we were to produce.

As trainee researchers, we were each tasked with producing an hour of television each day – three hours each – which was a shock to learn first thing on a Monday morning in Inverness.

When I applied a few weeks earlier, I had been offered a role as a researcher. Within half an hour of arriving at the church hall in Inverness which we called our base for the preparation week before the actual festival, we discovered we would also work as producers; only just slightly less nerve-wracking than on Tuesday being told that I was also going to have to host an hour of interviews as well.

Siobhan was hosting a Q&A with film director Michael Caton-Jones as part of the conference and so several of us would have to step up, or sit down as it were, and interview guests.

Our crack team of five researchers: Kym, Holly,

and director, Alan de Pellette, who spoke to us about the practicalities of working with a crew and the information we needed to gather.

The magnitude of our task was only just beginning to sink in by the Saturday, as we felt more and more unprepared and daunted.

Sure, the church hall was small and stuffy and we were cut off from the world outside, but it dimmed the reality we had to face of doing a live broadcast. In the hall we could have regular tea breaks, nip across the road for a vegetarian lunch, and take part in mind-expanding discus-sions with Judith and our visitors, soaking up the experience. I think we could sense that this was the relaxed part of the course.

By Monday afternoon on the second week we had already left the safety of our cave to venture into Eden Court and meet the second half of our trainee team – the seven members of the film crew. Filming started on Tuesday 7 June.

By the end of our first day of filming we were exhausted! We were supposed to have finished by 5pm but had overrun by almost two hours. Mistakes were made and we swerved around too many learning curves to mention. There was a lot

of pulling ourselves together. There was team-work and support, and a gratefully received emergency lunch. But we had done it! And relief and accomplishment fuelled us up ready for the next day.

By the end of the Day Two, we finally realised we had prepared too much content for only six hours. Again, we had overrun by a couple of hours.

By the third and final day we had become ruthless! We stormed into Eden Court deter-mined to shoot one perfect day! We made cuts, we moved things around, if a guest didn’t show up in time then tough luck, we moved onto the next one. We finally finished at the impressive time of 17:07 – we had hit our mark (just about)!

This was by far the most stressful and thrilling thing I have done in my life, but the sense of accomplishment more than makes up for it. In total, we managed to create 87 clips reflecting the whole of the XpoNorth festival, from music and film to design and digital innovation. We learned an extraordinary amount about working as a production team, and made lifelong friends, and we’re all hoping to somehow get to do the whole thing again next year!

Isla, Myles and I, plus our two co-ordinators Grazyna and Ythan, had to fill 18 hours of television filmed in front of a live audience of delegates.

One of the things I learned that week is that making programmes comes down to patience, persistence and calm. It is sending hundreds of emails, making dozens of phone calls and trying to play a game of three-dimensional chess.

People want to help, and are interested in being involved, but a million things can affect an item being on or getting dropped. From traffic, to meetings, to tour dates. We relied heavily on each other in those weeks, swapping interviews and bands, cooking meals and doing chores.

We bonded quickly and lifelong friendships were made. It was hard work but if I was unsure before I embarked on the XpoNorth Live! experi-ence, people like Judith and Alan de Pellette, our director, have inspired me to work hard to make a career in the media.

None of it could have happened if it wasn’t for the festival director Amanda Millen’s vision and we all hoped to have done her proud with the content we created.

“ I was unsure before I embarked on the XpoNorth Live! experience, people like Judith and Alan de Pel-lette, our direc-tor, have inspired me to work hard to make a career in the media”

Phot

o: P

aul C

ampb

ell

10 THE SKINNYXPONORTH

From Broxburn to Hollywood

Interview: Jamie Dunn

Michael Caton-Jones is back later this year with Urban Hymn, which the Rob Roy director describes as ‘a sort of Ken Loach musical.’ Ahead of his In Conversation event at XpoNorth, we spoke to the Broxburn-raised filmmaker about his fascinating career

Some filmmakers know they want to make movies from when they’re in short trousers.

Michael Caton-Jones took a bit longer, but he remembers the day clearly. He was in his early 20s, had moved from Broxburn to London with the hopes of beginning a writing career but found himself instead working his way up the ladder in West End theatres as a stage hand. Through his theatre connections he got a well paid gig doing similar grunt work on low-rent slasher The Last Horror Movie. The film was nothing to write home about, but being on that set changed Caton-Jones' life.

“It was a quantum leap,” says the 58-year-old filmmaker down the phone from his home in Hammersmith. He enjoyed the graft of the theatre work but saw film as a way of combining all his passions. “I realised a film was something that was a blend of physically using your body, using your intellect and every shot was telling a story, which fitted in with the writing that I was doing. So everything kind of crystalised by working on that film set.”

Over the next few years he took night classes at the National Film School, cajoled friends into making shorts with him using borrowed equip-ment and was a runner on early Channel 4 shows. “I would do anything,” Caton-Jones recalls. “I just wanted to learn and make things.” The hard work paid off. His first student film won best film at the European Student Awards. His second brought him to the attention of the BBC. And within a decade of that epiphany on that horror film set he had made Scandal, a gripping drama based on the notorious John Profumo-Christine Keeler affair that rocked Harold Macmillan’s Conservative government in the 60s.

“ If a Scotsman swears they sound more aggressive than everybody else for some reason” Michael Caton-Jones

Scandal was most notable for its knockout performances from the likes of John Hurt and Joanne Whalley. Caton-Jones had realised early on that he’d a knack for getting the best out of actors. “Because of my theatre work I had been hanging out with actors for about four years, so I could talk to them,” he recalls. “Everybody else is terrified of actors but for me I just thought they were good fun. I would treat them like normal people and get a performance out of them.”

He followed up Scandal with old-school war pic Memphis Belle, which he describes as “a step towards America within the safety of the UK system.” And then Hollywood came calling proper with Capra-esque comedy Doc Hollywood, starring Michael J Fox and Bridget Fonda. Add to this swashbuckling historical adventure Rob Roy, tough coming-of-age movie This Boy’s Life and the upcoming Urban Hymn, a story following two girls involved in looting during the London riots that manages to be both gritty and inspirational. Caton-Jones clearly doesn’t like to tie himself

down to one genre, but that’s perhaps why some of his films haven’t received the credit they deserve. “People have never known how to pigeonhole me,” he says. “You can’t be an auteur if you don’t make the same film five times.”

Is that frustrating?“It’s just the reality of it,” he says. “Critics

like to think that the director is this God-given genius about every aspect of filmmaking, but it’s not true.” Caton-Jones prefers Alexander Mackendrick’s analogy that a director is like the hub of a wheel, facilitating all the other spokes. This isn’t to say he thinks the auteur theory is bunk. “You should be able to look at a film and see a director’s soul, because the amount of choices that you make as a director are so many that it can’t help but reflect you in some way.” His message to critics is clear: “If someone’s films don’t open themselves up easily to thematic interpretation, then do more work,” he laughs.

This egalitarian approach doesn’t exactly chime with Caton-Jones’ reputation as one of the most exacting directors in the business, although “exacting” might be too kind a word. Liam Neeson preferred “belligerent” when they were making Rob Roy together. Caton-Jones, however, reckons any misunderstandings he’s had on set are cultural. “If a Scotsman swears they sound more aggressive than everybody else for some reason. It doesn’t mean that I feel aggressive. I’m a boy from a mining town; that’s how everybody talked. So if I see someone being stupid I’ll say ‘Fur fuck sake stop it,’ and that scares the bejesus out of genteel people.”

His mantra onset is “Pain is temporary, film is forever.” One actor who certainly took this to heart was Leonardo DiCaprio, who got his first lead role with Caton-Jones in This Boy’s Life. “I was more mean to him than I was to anybody,”

the director says of the then 16-year-old actor, “but that was mainly because the age he was at he was full of it, and that was the way to deal with him. It was like messing about with your younger brother. He was like, I’m going to do this and do that, and I would physically grab him and rub his hair and say ‘You’re getting nothing.’”

This daily ribbing may sound sadistic, but it was Caton-Jones’ way of keeping DiCaprio loose in front of the camera. He didn’t want the young actor to freeze up while working opposite his legendary co-stars, Robert DeNiro and Ellen Barkin. “I couldn’t tell Leo that the film was totally dependent on his performance,” he explains, “so I had to say to him, ‘Nah, it doesn’t matter. Nobody’s going to be looking at you fur fuck sake, they’ll be looking at DeNiro.’ The lucky thing I had with Leo was I got him right at the point where he was a sponge, and he was willing to learn.”

DiCaprio seems to have appreciated this tutelage. When he picked up his Oscar for The Revenant (a film where Caton-Jones’ “pain is temporary, film is forever” quote must have come to mind daily), the actor mentioned three directors: Iñárritu, Scorsese and “from the very onset of my career, Mr Caton-Jones.” The name- check wasn’t too big of a surprise. “I saw Leo before Christmas when he was out doing the rounds for the Oscars and we talked about it for a bit. He’s very generous. He said he couldn’t have done what he did without me giving him those lessons very early on. Well for me that’s far more rewarding. I mean, fuck the Oscars! Who cares about that? The fact that this kid grew to a man realising that was far more impressive to me.”

Urban Hymn is released in October

My XpoNorth: Robin HaigHula filmmaker Robin Haig on the experience of premiering a movie at XpoNorth

For me personally, it was extremely exciting to premiere my film Hula at XpoNorth.

In the lead-up to the festival, we received a lot of media attention, which is great for a short film. Not only were we featured on BBC Scotland’s flagship news programme, Reporting Scotland, but Hula’s lead actress, Blythe Duff, and I were guests on BBC Radio Scotland’s The Janice Forsyth Show.

It was an honour to premiere Hula in the Highlands. I’m from Dornie, a small village in the West Highlands. The film was shot in my village and the characters and story repre-sent, in some way, that world. A more fitting place than XpoNorth there could not have been. I hope it inspires other filmmakers to keep working in the Highlands.

“ This sort of stuff is gold dust to a director starting out on their career”

Hula premiered at Eden Court Theatre in Inverness on day two of XpoNorth to a full house. The producer, Lindsay McGee, and myself gave up our seats and stood at the back.

Immediately following the screening, there was a Q&A hosted by producer Richard Warden of Scottish Mental Health Arts and Film Festival. One of the audience members was none other than the Scots film director Michael Caton-Jones, who had taken part in an in-conversation event the previous day.

We chatted in the bar afterwards and he shared his thoughts on my film. He also disclosed some great directing tips. This sort of stuff is gold dust to a director starting out on their career. Normally you aren’t on set with other directors, so you are not learning by observing another doing your craft.

It was a total buzz being at XpoNorth. The bands who showcase in the evenings are always a highlight for me. I also went to some great panel discussions and was fascinated to learn about the making of the BBC nature series, Highlands: Scotland’s Wild Heart and hear some of the behind-the-scenes stories from the producer. I made some good connections at Xpo and came away with a wee pile of business cards to follow up on. All in all, an Xpo to remember.

Phot

o: P

aul C

ampb

ell

Music

Paul MacAlindin Q&A

One XpoNorth first-timer shares what he gained from the experience

What do you do and where do you come from?

Xpo North is a must-go event for three reasons – inspiration, networking and business.

InspirationFrom highly original and forward-thinking people working across the creative disciplines: music, film, design, virtual reality, craft and publishing. XpoNorth is a magnet, drawing people from the Highlands and Islands together with international professionals to share ideas, knowledge and ex- perience. Xpo attracts immense talent and the showcased work transports you onto new planes of possibility.

NetworkingThe intimate scale of the Inverness festival makes it one of the most effective places to meet people, get high calibre advice, catch up with col-leagues and meet new ones. From Uist to Paris, Tain to Umea, Oban to San Francisco, the conversations go deeper and working relation-ships evolve with substance and longevity.

BusinessYear on year, XpoNorth informs TrixPix’s business strategy as we create new working models and grow new markets for film, visual arts and writing.

Pitching to publishersAt XpoNorth 2016, I also presented my book The Joy & Grief Garden to a panel of agents and publishers at the new writers’ pitching event.

Each writer had five minutes to present their book. Chaired by well-known agent Jenny Brown, the publishers then gave five minutes of constructive feedback about how to develop the book.

The feedback gave me vital objectivity and encouragement about how to structure and hone the style of my book. Like the process of making a film, I’ve got the rushes and assembly and now need to sharpen the mental scalpel to do the rough and fine cuts. Writing is a solitary activity and how to bridge the journey to take your book out into the world is challenging. It was just so helpful to gain insight into the publishers’ con- siderations in marketing a new title in a competi-tive climate. It was also impressive to hear the range and quality of other writers’ pitches.

Inspiration,Networking and Business

Words: Beatrix WoodScreenwriter and filmmaker, Beatrix Wood, owner of South Uist-based TrixPix, attended XpoNorth as a speaker and also as a writer pitching her book idea to a panel of leading agents and publishers. She explains why attendance is essential

I’m a Scottish conductor, management trainer and author.

Have you been to XpoNorth before? No.

What did you make of it? Fun, young and diverse. I am the author of a book called UPBEAT: The Story of the National Orchestra of Iraq. It’s my first book and it will be published by Dingwall-based Sandstone Press in August.

I found the one-to-one meetings essential. As

a trainer, it’s clear to me that creativity and innovation exist in abundance. As an artist, I enjoyed accessing talks that had nothing to do with my disciplines, so I could stretch my awareness.

XpoNorth highlight? The one-to-ones.

If you could sum up XpoNorth in one word, what would it be? Evolving.

Will you be coming back? Yes.

Rural creativityWith panellists from the Scottish islands, the north of Sweden and Nova Scotia, the Remote Control panel I was on explored how living in rural areas affords creative people time and space to create fresh work. We discussed how much we have in common, the strength of cre- ative output from rural areas and the limita-tions of dominant urban models.

During the Creative Europe funding panel, we highlighted the opportunities and complexi-ties of co-production. While Britain has just voted to leave the EU, the importance of col- laboration with our cultural neighbours does not diminish.

The other panels explored a diversity of subjects at the cutting edge of the creative

industries. XpoNorth breaks the boundaries. The juxtaposition of different disciplines sparks ideas and interaction. As a filmmaker I learn from the music industry; I am collaborating with people working in design to explore approaches to digital narrative; I learn from other filmmakers working in different genres.

Since the festival, it’s been a treat to hear BBC Radio Scotland highlighting music from XpoNorth and to see the film, Hamish, (which screened to a capacity crowd at XpoNorth) in the Screen Machine.

It takes great courage to host a ground-breaking event like XpoNorth. Huge appreciation goes to HIE’s Creative Industries team who have pioneered this fantastic festival.

Beatrix Wood’s film company currently has three creative documentary films in production with MG ALBA

11XPONORTH

Phot

o: T

im W

inte

rbur

n

Phot

o: T

im W

inte

rbur

n

Phot

o: T

im W

inte

rbur

nPh

oto:

Pau

l Cam

pbel

l

Phot

o: T

im W

inte

rbur

n

12 XPONORTH

Were you able to take advantage of everything else that was going on?I was fortunate enough to film an acoustic session with the XpoNorth Live! team. They were great to work with and all so lovely. I was the last act to get filmed that day and they were meant to finish an hour or so earlier but they still made me feel so welcome so credit to them for all their hard work. I also got to chat with Emma from Rapal Radio on BBC Radio Nan Gaidheal, which was great – they have always been big supporters of Brownbear.

With a strong industry presence, did that give you more incentive when performing?For me, I always look at it like whether it is one person or 100 and whether or not those people are general public or industry you should be putting on the best possible performance. Industry support is important but it’s the everyday music listener who attends your shows and buys your music.

What other showcase artists caught your eye?It was a quick turnaround for me by the time I got up then had session and radio to do before the show so I didn’t see as many acts as I would have liked. Got to see Catholic Action, Silver Coasts and Bloodlines, who absolutely blew the roof off Mad Hatters! I got to see Chris Klafford record his XpoNorth Live! session and I was blown away. His show was on the Thursday night like my own showcase which meant I missed it.

brownbearofficial.com

Brownbearq&a

Glasgow’s Brownbear explain it all

How was the XpoNorth experience for you?XpoNorth was excellent. I got to do some sessions and radio, play to a packed room and see some great bands, can’t really ask for much more than that.

How have you found the music scene in Inverness?Inverness is a great place to play a show; the people are so passionate about music and always appreciate acts that make the journey. I have been up a few times whether it is for my own show, a support or a festival like Belladrum but each time has been such a warm reception. There are some amazing bands coming out of Inverness and the Highlands at the moment like Lional & JR Green. It is amazing to have something like XpoNorth to bring central bands to the Highlands. I wish there was something like that to help return the favour to our Highland counterparts.

What does it mean for an artist like you to be invited to showcase?It is great to be invited to play a show anywhere, but even more so when it is a respected industry showcase like XpoNorth, where there are several opportunities to make new contacts and pick up some new fans and supporters both public and from within the industry.

You have the opportunity to meet producers, people from labels, publishers and even radio and TV so if you put on a good show or meet the right folks, you never know what could come out of it.

Brownbear

Phot

o: M

atri

n Le

nart

13

Music

XPONORTH

Design of the Times

Interview: Jamie Mack

Award-winning architect Richard Murphy is so driven by his craft he even designed his own home. Ahead of his Festival of Architecture 2016 keynote address at XpoNorth, we learned more about his singular vision

Painters may hang their own work in their house and musicians may listen back to

recordings of their songs, but the prospect of literally living in their own artistic creation is a pleasure reserved almost solely for the architect. Even so, Richard Murphy admits that embarking on such a venture was “probably the scariest thing I’ve ever done in my life.”

An award-winning architect, Murphy discusses the unique challenges of living in your own work of art, as well as the battle to create innovative architecture in an industry that is thoroughly risk-averse. Based in Edinburgh, he has recently completed what many archi-tects would consider the dream project: building a house designed by himself, for himself. After the credit crunch induced several years’ wait, the project is now complete and he is able to reflect on the pros and cons of designing for yourself. The project also initially struggled to gain planning permission, and yet it’s currently under consideration for a RIBA award. The theme of trepidation on the part of those who give the go-ahead to such projects is one that permeates much of Richard Murphy’s most successful work. He admits that the climate for innovative archi-tecture is becoming harsher; however, not totally pessimistic, he acknowledges the success of projects such as the Dundee Contemporary Arts and is acutely aware that when people are willing to be adventurous, innovative design is allowed to take place.

Murphy has gained significant stature within the Scottish architectural community, but re-mains humble in his belief that this means little outwith the architectural bubble. “I wouldn’t get too excited about awards and fame,” he says. Upon reflection of the f-word that usually follows fame, Murphy coyly jokes of telling architecture students that they should take a vow of “poverty and chastity” before entering the profession. For proof that architectural awards do not necessar-ily translate to commercial success and financial security, you do not have to look far. Only recently Malcolm Fraser’s award-winning, Edinburgh-based practice went under, showcas-ing the vulnerability of even critically acclaimed small architecture firms.

In a field that could seem quite hostile, what motivates him to work so hard? After paus-ing for a moment, Murphy concedes that arc- hitecture “is a drug” – an addiction fed by the notion of leaving something that will outlast

ourselves. “Only landscapes last longer, but are perhaps even more vulnerable,” he muses.

In a career spanning over three decades, Murphy has borne witness first hand to a great number of changes within the profession. Do these changes affect how individual architects approach their practice? On the contrary, he believes his architectural beliefs have remained unchanged – that is to say, they grow and evolve as naturally as the skill of any artist, indepen-dently of the litigious morphing of the architec-tural practice. Architects tend not to “zig-zag from one idea to another, but instead plough on and develop ideas through life.”

“ I wouldn’t get too excited about awards and fame”Richard Murphy

He does however concede that the changes within architecture have hampered his ability to create. “The conditions under which to get jobs have become more difficult,” he says. The procurement process now almost insists upon an architect having existing knowledge of individual building types, with those in charge of handing out contracts asking for two conflicting things: completely innovative design and a track record of designing said building type. This becomes damaging for smaller practices like Richard Murphy Architects, who cannot hope to meet the criteria of “building five libraries in the last five months.” Although not overly concerned with the fame that architectural awards bring, Murphy accepts that the awards are a marker for successful architecture and laments that this acknowledgement of success often counts for little against so-called experience in the eyes of those in charge of the procurement process.

Unfortunately self-described “generalists” like Murphy – who believe that to create success-ful architecture, an architect should be able to transfer their problem solving abilities to any building type – are up against a wall of resistance.

He is committed to maintaining a wide portfolio of work, even suggesting that some of the office’s most successful work has occur-

red “when we haven’t had the building type in office before.” He recalls with amusement a recent conference on the architecture of health centres where he was the only non-specialist, having only designed one hospital, in Belfast – another award-winning building he feels revolutionised the plan of mental health centres. In the plan, the soulless transitional space is removed, replaced with useable space that engages the user and allows the geography of the building to make sense. Would this revolutionary approach be feasible in a practice used to modifying the same plan for different locations? Murphy thinks not.

Murphy has already mentioned that he re- cently moved into a house of his own design in Edinburgh’s New Town. Aware of his age, and the fact that this may the only house he ever designs for himself, he is wary of the danger of putting every architectural idea he’s ever had into a single building. “It can get a bit over-egged,” he admits, “and it probably has. But I don’t mind that really.” The building was an opportunity to try ideas out that perhaps you would not risk on a client.

Designing for oneself, he found that decisions take a lot longer – this being a

self-implemented precaution to avoid the prospect of realising years later the big idea that was missed during a rushed design process. Luckily the recession hit, allowing him the time to consider these possibilities while the financial prospect of building was impossible. The experi-ence was fun, not easy and (as with all self-funded grand design projects) financially precarious.

Admitting there is the slightest touch of ex- hibition about the architectural detail, he ex- plains that because of the very nature of private housing projects the intricacy of design can rarely be showcased – it’s “easier to do so when it is your own home”. There’s an incredibly satisfy-ing video online where Murphy demonstrates the use of some of these architectural features: the building seems to come alive, adapting and gliding into new forms, reflecting its use throughout the working day. The building retains a certain aspect of eccentricity, “as you might expect from an architect designing for himself,” and it is fascinating to watch this in action. In conclusion, Richard Murphy explains succinctly how the experience left him: “Broke but happy.”

Richard Murphy

Phot

o: P

aul C

ampb

ell

Galeri Creative Enterprise Centre, Caernarfon, North Wales

Phot

o: P

aul C

ampb

ell

14 XPONORTH

This XpoNorth conference panel brought together Ingrid van der Wacht, Ambassador

for Design for Europe and freelance international projects manager for Dutch Design Week; Alex Milton, Programme Director of Irish Design 2015; and Anne Guiney, Director of Research at New York’s Van Alen Institute, as well as Don McIntyre, Programme Director at the Glasgow School of Art’s Institute of Design Innovation.

With such an impressive panel of leading design experts each with illustrious and varied careers, the panellist introduction was fascinat-ing. As a result, the audience were quick with questions for each of the panel – so much so that

Words: Lynne Mackenzie

XpoNorth hosted a range of sessions on the advances of digital technology shaping the

media landscape. Day Two of the festival offered up a training session with Anthony Browne, executive producer @bbcthesocial.

Browne, who has worked in television, radio and online media, is at the helm of The Social, which is aimed at 18-34 year olds with content published on eight digital platforms. Since its launch at the start of 2016, it has won an RTE award and accumulated a high volume of fol- lowers. The pilot started with 50 young Scottish

Beyond the Logo

Innovation and Survival

Eric Huang started a career in publishing at Disney, moved on to being managing editor at

Penguin, then worked for toy company Funtastic and Paragon. Now Eric is managing director at digital publishing agency Made in Me. It’s safe to say he knows a thing or two about publishing.

Surprisingly, Eric’s presentation, Innovation And Survival In The Digital Age, was as much about his failures as his success. One of his early ventures into digital publishing was on the cusp of making it, receiving rave reviews and nominat-ed for a prestigious award; it was tipped to be

Words: Lynne Mackenzie

there seemed little time left for the proposed discussion.

The thrust of the session clearly demon-strated how design can act as a motivator and catalyst for transformation across academic, business and civic sectors to address complex economic, social and health issues. Beyond the Logo provided a thought-provoking panel session which gave a flavour of developments at the cutting edge of design innovation and, judging from the audience’s enthusiasm to discover more, the discussion could have continued well into the night.

big. The next day Apple launched the iPad. Everything changed. Eric’s app wasn’t compatible.

At XpoNorth, Eric shared the lessons he learned from experiencing failure and explained how he developed an approach to business that gives him the agility to move in new directions. Eric advised us not to be afraid to rip up business plans and take advantage of unexpected opportunities. Advice worth taking if we want to survive in this digital age.

BBC The Social, Training eventWords: Sorcha Meredith

Perhaps the most discussed topic at this year's festival was ‘what does the future look like for

the world's tech companies?’ In an age during which technology is developing at rapid speed, the cream of the crop on all things innovative turned out for the Are Tech Companies The New Powerhouses of The Creative Industries?

Games industry guru, Brian Baglow, one of the writers on the original Grand Theft Auto, spoke of an increased need for co-operation in

creatives. Experienced professionals from all areas of the BBC helped them to develop content.

At the session, a short film was aired, showcasing the diversity of content which the platform has already produced. Browne ex-plained that his motivation came from research which revealed a disinterest in Scottish content from younger generations. “They weren't always hearing from young Scottish role models,” he added.

From Concept To Creation

Children's media has a rich heritage in Scotland. A huge number of classics were

forged in Scotland, from Harry Potter to Peter Pan and more.

Thursday morning's panel, From Concept To Creation – Children's Media In Scotland, com-prised of industry insiders who discussed where to go next with children's media in Scotland.

According to Lindy Cameron, Executive Producer of BAFTA Children's award-winning CBeebies’ Katie Morag series, it's not all about the big players. She said: “Believe in yourself and don't think you have to go to a big London

company to do it.”For Joanne Carmichael, creator of the

pre-school Lily's Driftwood Bay, the beaches on the Isle of Arran provided inspiration. Carmichael also stressed new creators shouldn't jump-the-gun and go with the wrong company.

Damien O'Connor, Director at Brown Bag Films, revealed that it took him over thirty years to get regular work in children's TV. Paris-based producer, Eleanor Coleman added: “Children's media is eclectic. They are simply the most mature and intelligent audience.” In short, it's worth persevering.

Words: Jamie Mcdonald

Are Tech Companies The New Powerhouses?Words: Jamie Mcdonald

the tech world. “We need the other people,” he declared. “We need the musicians and the film makers.” This theme cropped up repeatedly at XpoNorth this year. The need for creatives to integrate as much as possible could be the line to take away from the 2016 festival.

The discussion on Thursday morning varied in places. In the end, we were told, in the future we will all be replaced by computers. End of?

Don McIntyre of Glasgow School of Art makes a point during Beyond the Logo

Eric Huang during Innovation And Survival In The Digital Age

Siobhan Synnot interviews YouTuber Scola Dondo for XpoNorth Live!

Phot

o: T

im W

inte

rbur

n

Phot

o: P

aul C

ampb

ell

Phot

o: P

aul C

ampb

ell

15

Music

XPONORTH

It wasn't just rock stars bathing in the limelight at XpoNorth 2016; on the eve of the festival, it

was the turn of several artists or ‘makers’ to tell their story. This talk showcased each artist’s work, ranging from jewellery and ceramics to wood-work and textiles, and also included a Q&A hosted by Helen Voce and Carol Sinclair.

In September this year, nine Highlands and Islands-based makers will travel to the prestig-ious London Design Fair 2016 to exhibit their work as part of a 22-strong group from Scotland in an XpoNorth part-nership with Craft Scot-land – the first ever Scottish delegation at the event. Those showing their work on Tuesday night included Kirsteen Stewart, Melanie Muir,

Catherine Macgruer and Netty Sopata, who trades under the name of Diggory Brown.

It’s been a long road to the top for some of these emerging talents, as Catherine Macgruer explains: “For one amazing yes there are ten crushing noes.” Based in Inverness, Macgruer works as a knitted textiles designer producing high quality blankets, cushions, scarves and more.

Melanie Muir, a polymer clay jewellery de- signer based in Nairn echoes Macgruer’s sen- timents. “Resilience is the word,” she says, de- scribing how self-promotion and business stra- tegy are crucial to being a successful maker.

You can see the work of all nine Highlands and Islands makers at the London Design Fair 2016 from 22-25 September.

Making Place

One of the first talks at XpoNorth 2016 looked at the issue of arts coverage in Scotland. A

testing subject but this panel provided an insight into the struggles of mainstream and online media in the arts.

Nikki Simpson, business manager at PPA Scotland, says the scene isn’t lacking in talent: “The audience is there but we need to get through to people.”

“Traditional media see the arts budget as an easy target,” explained Alan Morrison, soon to become head of music at Creative Scotland,

while Danish architecture blogger Marie-Louise Munter (of missdesignsays) took a positive approach: “There’s a lot of good content out there. It’s just harder to find.”

BBC arts correspondent Pauline McLean reiterated Morrison’s concerns, but suggested people would sorely miss quality arts coverage were it to disappear – an issue of value, and “whether we want to pay for good journalism.”

There were more questions raised by the panel than answers, but this is perhaps the nature of the beast with such a vast subject.

State of the Arts

It is a dream of many who work in the hustle and bustle of a busy city to up-root their life and

work to a more serene setting. There may never have been a better opportunity to discuss the topic than at XpoNorth in the Scottish Highlands with a panel of international advocates.

Hosted by BBC Scotland’s Donald Iain Brown, the panel included filmmaker Beatrix Wood, who manages her company Trixpix from a croft in South Uist, and Ana Svenson, a documentary commissioner from Sweden.

They were joined by musician Johnny Lynch, who runs a number of solo and creative projects from the Isle of Eigg, and described the location as allowing him an “absence of distraction.” Meanwhile, Marcel McKeough works in culture and heritage development with the Nova Scotia government – he spoke of the benefits that can be gained from having a regional identity, with his work encouraging artistic expression for eco- nomic growth in the Canadian province.

Remote Control

Crowdfunding has become a useful tool to sh- are projects with the public – and a way to

ask for help to fund it. If executed well, it can have the ability to build online communities which will support and encourage well-constructed plans into becoming a reality. One of the first hands-on training sessions at XpoNorth came from Patricia Van Den Akker, Director of The Design Trust.

Taking a look at the flipside of crowdfunding as a marketing tool, the participants were made

up of a mixed crowd of creatives, the majority of wh-om had never launched a crowdfunder and were planning to do so for the first time this year.

This included filmmakers, musicians and a photojournalist who wanted to publish a photo book covering historical pictures of the Scottish Islands. The training event discussion centred on the most effective tool for success being reward-based crowdfunding and good storytelling. Watch this space…

Crowdfunding?Melanie Muir

Words: Sorcha Meredith

Words: Sorcha Meredith

Words: Jamie McDonald

Words: Jamie McDonald

Phot

o: P

aul C

ampb

ell

Patricia Van Den Akker

Phot

o: T

im W

inte

rbur

n

Phot

o: T

im W

inte

rbur

n