LANGUAGE INNOVATION INVESTMENTS

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1 LANGUAGE INNOVATION INVESTMENTS Using our indigenous languages as an asset

2 LANGUAGE INNOVATION INVESTMENTS INTRODUCTION In 2015, Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) introduced a new Language Innovation Investment product. It was developed following the findings of key research entitled Ar Stòras Gàidhlig the Economic and Social Value of Gaelic as an Asset, published by HIE and its partners in Although the research focussed specifically on the use of Gaelic as an economic and social asset, it also identified how the use of the region s other indigenous languages and dialects namely Shetlandic, Orcadian and Scots can also add value to a business or third sector organisation. The Language Innovation Investment product has been specifically designed to provide initial investment / seed funding to enable businesses and third sector organisations develop innovative ideas for products and services that enhance the use of any of the region s indigenous languages and dialects to bring about economic and social benefits. It will provide initial investment to support product / service development from idea stage to market readiness. To date the investment scheme has attracted wide interest from companies operating across a range of different sectors including creative industries, education, heritage, traditional arts, outdoor education, and tourism. It s also catching the attention of young people with it being sighted as a way to help contemporise the use of Indigenous languages and dialects particularly within the creative industries, supporting development of new indigenous language and dialect content that appeals to young people. The scheme offers the opportunity for businesses and social enterprises to create a new product or service that uses Gaelic and other indigenous languages as an economic and social asset. It supports a new approach and one that offers many new opportunities for businesses and social enterprises to develop products or services that offer new pathways for economic development and community development. As a Gaelic Graduate, I view this scheme as a fantastic way to develop new products and services that contemporises Gaelic, making it more appealing to non-traditional users thus creating new opportunities for Gaelic to add value. Christie Maclean Graduate Gaelic Development officer The case studies that follow provide an insight into how some of our Language Innovation Investments have been used to enable innovation by supporting the development of new ideas that use our indigenous languages and dialects as an asset across a diverse range of sectors. 2

3 TAIGH CHEARSABHAGH Taigh Chearsabhagh museum and arts centre is a social enterprise based in Lochmaddy in North Uist. It opened its doors to the public in Its ethos is to create a place where the community can meet, share ideas, learn new skills and most importantly provide an experience of cultural interpretation that is imaginative and stimulating. A Language Innovation Investment has enabled Taigh Chearsabhagh to work in partnership with St Andrews University to progress a new innovative digital product - Taigh Tasgaidh gun Bhallachan - that uses cutting edge technology to provide a digital interpretive experience of the local culture and heritage. Through knowledge exchange and sharing of ideas between Taigh Chearsabhagh and St Andrews University has led to the successful development of new digital software and systems (photospheres, video spheres, 3D scenes, and digital artefacts) to enable digital heritage immersive experiences of the North Uist history, language and culture. Its success has resulted in further research and development activities to promote awareness and use of Gaelic in emergent digital technologies. The application developed and associated goggles will be marketed to both locals and visitors on a commercial basis. The new digital interpretation products have also been designed as a way to encourage more young people to visit the museum and learn about the local history of the area. This example highlights how a social enterprise has successfully taken a new product to market that uses Gaelic to differentiate from its other non-gaelic products, and as a result increases the appeal of its products to new and existing customers, supporting a number of economic and social benefits as a result. The model that we created is bilingual, our junior comann eachdraidh Uibhist a Tuath members have been doing stories and songs in the school. It is amazing to have this funding to encourage young people to use the language Norman Macleod Operations Manager Taigh Chearsabhagh 3

4 AKUTAGAWA Technology has impacted on everyone, at home and at work, creating dramatic changes in how we access news and entertainment, and how we find and engage with customers. Arguably, nowhere has this impact been greater or more obvious than in the music industry. The growing importance of platforms such as Spotify, Apple Music and YouTube finally saw digital revenues accounting for 45%, overtaking physical s market share of 39%. Performance rights and synchronisation accounted for the additional 16%. That year saw a 45.2% increase in streaming revenues and a 10.5% drop in download revenues, highlighting a significant move to streaming services. Critically, for musicians and labels, these new distribution models offer a broader range of opportunities than ever to collaborate, engage and trade internationally. XPONORTH Music was the recipient of a Language Innovation Investment, specifically to look at these changes and the opportunities that new digital platforms offer for Gaelic music and song, and how they can reach new audiences. Manager of XPONORTH Music, Alex Smith, explained: Typically Gaelic music, particularly traditional, has performed well across physical formats- with a strong focus on very active live schedules and selling CD s directly to audiences. This concentration on physical sales is higher than many of their peers in other parts of the music industry. What we wanted to establish is how new digital opportunities would perform for Gaelic content, and would they highlight barriers to growing sales and entering new areas of the consumer market. The investment allowed XPONORTH Music to work with three leading Hebridean artists- Astrid s Willie Campbell, award winning poet and novelist Kevin MacNeil, and musician/ producer Colin MacLeod to create Akutagawa, a four track EP of new Gaelic songs and other content promoting Gaelic and the Western Isles, exclusively available in a digital format. Kevin MacNeil explained: We are named after a Japanese writer, Ryunosuke Akutagawa, a brilliant writer who blended a Japanese sensibility with a love of Western literature; I wanted to do something similar, shining a Hebridean light on an Eastern genius. The first phase of the project saw an initial track being promoted using a variety of social media and distribution platforms. This was also available as a transaction track, providing a free download in return for contact information. Initial sales have been healthy, and the project has exposed some interesting results in the consumption patterns, with the music being exposed to over 151,000 people, and the material also being accessed by media channels who have no or vey little engagement with Gaelic in the past. Alex Smith confirmed that: a significant number of consumers that took the transaction track have progressed to purchase the full product. From the first 10 day promotional activation, this appears to be around 40% higher than we might have anticipated based on past experiences using similar strategies and technologies. Streaming is very clearly the growth format for music currently, but interestingly, Akutagawa currently has downloads outperforming all other format choices. Analysis seems to suggest this is because a slightly older audience has been attracted to the project across this initial phase of the campaign. Phase two of the project will see the delivery of additional video content to strengthen the engagement and a greater emphasis on the messaging apps that young people have moved to from older social media such as Facebook. Christie MacLean, Gaelic Development Officer for HIE said: With artists of this quality we hope the songs will encourage new audiences to engage with Gaelic. However the story the analytics are telling us is likely to be of wider value, helping Gaelic artists increase their sales, and informing our own future developments. The tracks can be heard on Spotify and most other streaming and download platforms. 4

5 MG ALBA MG ALBA was established in 2008 to work in partnership with the BBC to run and develop the Gaelic television channel, BBC ALBA. By working in collaboration with the BBC, MG ALBA aims to make the language more accessible throughout Scottish media channels, creating new and modern content to ensure the language has a platform in Scotland s social and cultural life. A Language Innovation Investment has enabled MG ALBA to create a development officer post, within the screen and broadcast sector, to develop new ideas and formats for Gaelic-originated programmes. This new sector post is developing new opportunities for companies to network and work collectively to lever in external investment, share areas of technical expertise, skill sets and equipment, all of which are required to progress new ideas and formats for Gaelicoriginating programmes. MG ALBA has also secured the support of Scottish Development International, who will provide specialist support to assist the consortium of participating businesses access new international markets for the new creative content created. Supporting these new business collaborations within the sector will enable an innovative platform for business growth, particularly around supporting companies to scale up to create new content for Gaelic screen and broadcasting programmes, and access to new markets. In turn, it s viewed as having the potential to become an exemplar model that can be replicated within other business sectors. In addition to new staff resource, the investment has also allowed MG ALBA to purchase new cutting edge technology that provides quicker and easier transfer of broadcast programmes and material. This new capital infrastructure is providing the conditions for Outer Hebrides based producers to access broadcast services vital to their business, that otherwise would not be available to them. It is also supporting new opportunities for enterprise and collaboration, particularly in relation to live broadcasting from events, festivals and other cultural events more effectively, attracting new national and international audiences as a result. This example highlights how a Language Innovation Investment has been used to support development activities using Gaelic within the screen and broadcast sector to bring about a number of economic benefits, and in turn support long-term financial sustainability of participating companies. Supporting MG ALBA through our Language Innovation Investment scheme has allowed them to progress vital developments to support the Gaelic screen and broadcasting sector. Both the development officer post and broadcast transfer technology will greatly support the creation of new content and the accessibility of technology that is crucial to screen and broadcasting businesses throughout the western isles and Skye. HIE s Language Innovation Investment will help create a better landscape for the Gaelic language, and support the production of new contemporary content for Gaelic speakers and non-gaelic speakers alike. CHRISTIE MACLEAN Graduate Gaelic Development Officer HIE 5

6 FÈISTV Fèisean nan Gàidheal was established in 1991 as the independent umbrella association of the Fèisean,a traditional arts movement that has since achieved both national and international recognition as a model for engaging young people and communities in creative activities. Its Blàs festival and local Fèis Festival events are fully embedded in the national events calendar, attracting international visitors from across the globe. There are currently 46 Fèisean operating throughout Scotland, providing tuition to thousands of young people in traditional music, Gaelic song and Gaelic drama. They offer a wide range of other development services to its volunteers and members such as grant aid training, first aid, insurance and instrument loans. The growth in Gaelic medium education is leading to further development opportunities in the provision of extracurricular Gaelic, music and cultural activities. Fèisean nan Gaidheal is now looking to digitalise some of its creative products and services. A project currently under development is Fèis TV which will allow for live broadcasting and archiving of Fèis events, Cèilidh Trail Performances and Blàs Festival concerts. This service will create access to new audiences across the world. A further new innovative digital service, Oide, is also being developed to provide online music tuition and Gaelic learning. The improvement in broadband infrastructure, particularly in more remote areas, is leading to a new demand for such services. A Language Innovation Investment has assisted Fèisean nan Gàidheal in developing and taking these new digital services to market. Whilst these development services will result in increased company turnover, they will also help to develop the broader Gaelic arts sector by increasing access to creative Gaelic content and learning opportunities. This case study provides an example of new services within the creative industries using Gaelic music, culture and drama along with the technology to support economic and social benefits. By using Gaelic along with cutting edge digital technology is providing a contemporary services that will increase accessibility for users, and open up new markets through online access, broadcasting and streaming. In turn these services will generate increased company turnover, support new jobs, and help develop the Gaelic arts sector. We are delighted to be launching our Fèisgoil service in 2017 and are grateful for the additional support we have received from HIE through the Language Innovation Investment scheme. FèisTV will provide a platform for us to showcase the work we are involved with, raising the profile of the Gaelic language, heritage and culture to an international audience. The funding we have secured will allow us to stream live events from the Blàs Festival, community Fèisean, drama tours and other events. As part of the service we will also launch Oide, a new online tuition service which will feature a series of lessons on traditional instruments, Gaelic song and language. CALUM ALEC MACMILLAN Development Manager Fèisean nan Gàidheal 6

7 SPÒRS GÀIDHLIG Comunn na Gàidhlig is a social enterprise delivering Gaelic development services and projects across Scotland, with its headquarters located in Inverness. It has successfully established a wide range of activities for young Gaelic speakers, and the growth in demand for these coupled with the growth in number of pupils undertaking Gaelic medium has led to them exploring new models for providing specialist Gaelic youth development services. One such model is Spòrs Gàidhlig, which is being explored as a means to address a current gap in the market recently identified in the provision of sports and outdoor activities for young people through the medium of Gaelic. It s an aspiration that this might ultimately lead to the creation of a specific Gaelic outdoor activities centre. A Language Innovation Investment has assisted Comunn na Gàidhlig to further develop the Spòrs Gàidhlig concept and help take it to market. It has provided the resource required to bring in specialist support to undertake further market research, lever in external investment to support service development costs, and explore potential for working with partners to make best use of existing resources to support service delivery. It has also enabled Comunn na Gàidhlig to bring together a group of people interested in working in the sector for a development weekend. This case study provides an example of developing a new service within the outdoor adventure industry that is using Gaelic language to support economic and social benefits. Through the use of Gaelic it is differentiating its range of services from that of its other competitors; increasing the appeal of its youth development services to new target markets, and the income generated through the Spors Gàidhlig service will help to stabilise and support long term viability of the social enterprise. Through Spòrs Gàidhlig we are trying to achieve two things to enthuse young Gaelic speakers about their language through fun and adventurous activities, and to build a new and sustainable business. A critical part of that plan will be recruiting the right people. HIE s assistance so far has allowed us to develop the project and, importantly to hold a two-day seminar at Glenmore Lodge for potential recruits. The participants were able to learn about the project, and we were able to begin assessing the calibre of those who might eventually apply for trainee places. DONALD MACNEILL Chief Executive - Comunn na Gàidhlig 7

8 FOR MORE INFORMATION NEIL ROSS Head of Community Growth E neil.ross@hient.co.uk T ANN MARIE REID Senior Social Culture Enterprise Manger E annmarie.reid@hient.co.uk T (0)