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VIDEO: New film by Elgin production company, Northport, explores the creative journey of Highlands and Islands creatives as XpoNorth 2021 launches


By Calum MacLeod

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Scotland’s leading creative industries conference, XpoNorth, has unveiled its own curtain raiser in the form of a new short film showcasing the organisation’s far-reaching support network.

XpoNorth returns in online form on Wednesday and Thursday this week.
XpoNorth returns in online form on Wednesday and Thursday this week.

Created by Elgin-based production company Northport, following a competitive process, it features five recent success stories of the XpoNorth year-round programme of support including film maker Sean Grieve; children’s author Corrina Campbell; artist and maker Louise Barrington; Ullapool Museum’s curator and manager Siobhan Beatson; and Inverness musician and producer Josh Mackenzie.

The film explores a series of creative journeys and features a cross-reach of businesses that have engaged with XpoNorth's specialist sector support programme.

Director Sean Grieve, who premiered his North Coast 500 documentary at XpoNorth 2019 before it was picked up by STV, shares his experience of making his debut film and the inspiration he took from his home on the Isle of Skye.

Orkney based artist Louise Barrington talks about the importance of resilience and the challenges of creating exciting new work against the backdrop of the pandemic. Ullapool Museum's Siobhan Beatson, who works closely with XpoNorth’s heritage sector specialist Nicola Henderson throughout the year, highlights how culture enriches everyone’s lives and encourages continued curiosity. Children’s author Corrina Campbell, who first engaged with XpoNorth by entering its annual Tweet Pitch competition, which matches unpublished authors with agents and publishers, reveals how her perseverance has paid off and musician and producer, Josh Mackenzie, highlights the importance of community-based music and venues.

Josh has a long-standing relationship with XpoNorth’s sector support programme and was commissioned to create the original backing track to the new film.

XpoNorth’s head of creative, brand & digital, James Roberts, who also features in the film, said: “If you have a creative idea, don’t wait to put it in to action. Year round support is there for you to develop your concepts with industry specialists."

The Great British Sewing Bee's Patrick Grant is among this year's virtual guests.
The Great British Sewing Bee's Patrick Grant is among this year's virtual guests.

New ways of working and storytelling is the theme of this year’s XpoNorth 2021 which returns as a two-day interactive digital conference on Wednesday June 16 and Thursday 17. Delegates can engage in an exciting, dynamic programme of national and international speakers from creative, digital and heritage sectors including BAFTA award winning writer, actor and TV presenter, Sir Tony Robinson; historian and broadcaster, Professor Kate Williams; fashion designer and judge on The Great British Sewing Bee, Patrick Grant; founder and CEO of Crowdsourcing Week, Epi Ludvik; Anna Lowe, co-founder of Smartify, the world’s most downloaded museum App, makes a welcome return to the conference; director of digital development at the Royal Shakespeare Company, Sarah Ellis; digital producer at Scottish Ballet, Tony Currie; director of audience and experience at the Royal Academy of the Arts, and former general manager of merchandising at The Met in New York, Jo Prosser; author of six books of non-fiction including Adventures in Human Being, which won Saltire Non-Fiction Book of the Year 2015, Gavin Francis; Royal Television Society award winning composer whose recent projects include Sundance 2020 winning film The Reason I Jump, Nainita Desai; writer, comedian and actor who has the enviable job as writer/performer for the American late night talk show Conan, Levi MacDougall; co-CEOs of Buccaneer Media and the team behind Emmy-winning, Marcella, Tony Wood and Richard Tulk-Hart; and from Netflix’s music creative and production team, Rudy Chung.

Registration remains open throughout the conference so those still without a free ticket can register at: http://bit.ly/XpoNorthRegistration. Participants will then need to download the Socio Event App for free to access the panels, trade stands and networking opportunities: https://bit.ly/SocioApp_XpoNorth2021


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