Business Digest

November 2013

Arts & Business 11 Abercromby Place EH3 6LB

0131 556 3353 www.aandbscotland.org.uk

Arts & Business Scotland is a company limited by guarantee registered in Scotland (SC406905) and a Scottish charity (SC042631).The registered office is 11 Abercromby Place, Edinburgh, EH3 6LB.

Contents Business news 3 Philanthopy 11 Arts & sponsorship news 11 Arts & Business update 14 List of sponsored arts projects / events 15

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BUSINESS NEWS

Brewers, Distillers & Food/Drink Manufacturers

Scotch whisky specialist Gordon & MacPhail has reported a dip in annual profits, but is continuing to enjoy strong growth in the volume of sales of its Benromach single malt. The Urquhart family owned Gordon & MacPhail business, which files its accounts as Speymalt Whisky Distributors, saw its pre-tax profits dip to £2.6 million in the year to February, from £3m in the prior 12 months. However, the latest annual profit, revealed in figures published today, was comfortably ahead of the £2.36m figure for the year to February 2011. (Herald 26/11/2013)

Soft drinks group Britvic today reported an 18.4 per cent rise in annual profits, helped by this summer’s heatwave. The maker of Fruit Shoot and Tango drinks, which pulled out of a planned merger with rival AG Barr earlier this year, posted an underlying pre-tax profit of £137.9 million for the year to 29 September, on revenues 4.4 per cent higher at £1.3 billion. (Scotsman 26/11/2013)

Arran Brewery managing director Gerald Michaluk will today formally launch his plans to raise up to £4 million through crowdfunding to upgrade his current site and open two further breweries on the mainland. Michaluk plans to issue up to 50,000 new “B” shares in his company, representing 4.76 per cent of its share capital and valuing the business at about £80m. (Scotsman 25/11/2013)

Drinks giant The Edrington Group has announced plans for a new £100 million distillery and visitor centre development in Speyside. -based Edrington said it plans to plans to build a new visitor centre for its single malt whisky, The Macallan and a new distillery adjacent to its current distillery, which will be closed and preserved. (Business Insider 28/11/2013)

The company behind iconic British treats such as Jammie Dodgers and Wagon Wheels has been snapped up by a Canadian pension fund in a deal thought to be worth almost £350 million. Burton’s Biscuits, which employs some 800 workers at its Sighthill plant in Edinburgh, has been sold to Ontario Teachers’ Pension Plan (OTPP). Jo Taylor, head of the pension fund’s London office, said the plan was to support growth plans at the business, with the possibility of using OTPP’s formidable firepower to make strategic acquisitions. (Scotsman 19/11/2013)

Wine retailer Majestic has expanded its corporate team in Scotland as it tries to grab a larger slice of the on-trade market. Chief executive Steve Lewis told The Scotsman that the Aim-quoted company had hired a business development manager to cover Glasgow and the west coast to complement its existing worker serving Edinburgh and the Highlands. “We’re targeting gastro-pubs, bars and restaurants,” said Lewis. “We’re also targeting wedding venues around and Inverness, which is our highest-turnover store in Scotland.” (Scotsman 18/11/2013)

Carr's Milling Industries has said a £17 million investment in a new Scottish flour mill can deliver benefits for years to come. The Kirkcaldy site, which started production in September, is expected to help return the food division at Carr's to "improved levels of financial performance". Overall, Carr's saw its pre-tax profits rise 21.5% from £13.1m to a record £15.9m with revenue increasing 15.8% from £404.1m to £468.1m in the 12 months to August 31 this year. (Herald 12/11/2013)

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Valvona & Crolla, the Edinburgh deli and cafe business celebrating its 80th anniversary next year, maintained a steady profit at operating and pre-tax level last year on a marginally higher turnover. V & C's pre-tax profit in 2012 was almost identical to the previous year, up £102 at £85,666, on turnover up from £4.5 million to £4.61m. (Herald 07/11/2013)

Porridge-maker Stoats is predicting a boost in turnover after securing a listing in 116 Tesco stores across Scotland. The Edinburgh business will see its porridge bars, boxes of oats and instant pots stocked by the supermarket giant. (Herald 05/11/2013)

Petra Wetzel, maker of German artisan lagers and wheat beers in Glasgow, has come up with some entertainment with a difference that may just bring a touch of culture to the drinking classes. In December, West Brewery will play host for the first time to two opera nights, during which guests will experience a “tasting menu of operatic delights”. (Scotsman 14/10/2013)

Energy, Oil & Gas

Renewable energy firm Infinis, which is chaired by former SSE chief executive Ian Marchant, today reported a 21.2 per cent rise in half-year profits as it delivered its first set of results since floating earlier this month. Infinis, which has offices in Edinburgh and Northampton, generates about 7 per cent of the UK’s total renewable energy from 147 power plants, including seven wind farms in Scotland. (Scotsman 29/11/2013)

Saltire Energy, the drilling-tool specialist perhaps better known for its sponsorship of golfing hero Paul Lawrie, saw turnover jump 50% last year to £32.9m and operating profit rise 31% to £18.5m. It is the second successive 50% hike in turnover for Saltire, founded in 1986, which has now more than doubled sales in two years. (Herald 19/11/2013)

Faroe Petroleum is increasing its exposure to the UK North Sea with a deal to buy a further 50% stake in an undeveloped discovery off Scotland reckoned to contain millions of barrels of oil. The Aberdeen-based oil and gas firm has agreed to buy a 50% interest in the licence containing the Lowlander discovery from privately owned North Sea ventures. (Herald 15/11/2013)

North Sea focused Ithaca Energy achieved record third quarter results following the £203 million acquisition of Valiant Petroleum in March last year, highlighting the big returns firms can generate in the area. The Aberdeen-based oil and gas independent made $46m (£28.75m) pre-tax profits in the three months to September compared with $2m in the same period last year. (Herald 12/11/2013)

Kilmac Group has acquired a biomass business for an undisclosed sum to boost its renewables division. All seven staff at Angus-based Eco Biomass and its founder George Penman will transfer over as part of the deal. Kilmac, which has its headquarters in Perth, already has onshore wind and hydro in its energy arm. (Herald 08/11/2013)

Shipping and energy services firm Craig Group has marked its 80th anniversary with a strong rise in turnover and profit. The Aberdeen-headquartered firm, a privately owned business now employing a fourth generation of the Craig family, said revenues reached £146.8 million in the last financial year, up from £123.3m. (Scotsman (06/11/2013)

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The man who set up Murray International Metals' (MIM) steel business in Singapore in 1992 has chosen Glasgow as the first UK base for his new venture. Michael Craig assembled a group of North Sea oil and gas veterans, many ex-MIM, to set up EEW Energy Services, a Singapore-based steel supplier last year. Following a £6 million investment, EEW Energy has opened its first UK operation in Glasgow's Port Dundas, where an initial 15 staff will be employed. (Herald 04/11/2013)

Financial Services

Barclays is to cut 244 jobs with the closure of its Glasgow office where claims are handled for the mis-selling of payment protection (PPI). The bank said the volume of PPI cases had fallen and the lease on the site expired next year. Ongoing PPI claims will now be handled at other centres. Barclays said it would work to find other roles for the 137 full-time and 107 temporary staff affected. (BBC News 21/11/2103)

Aberdeen Asset Management has confirmed it is to buy Lloyds Banking Group's Scottish Widows Investment Partnership business, in an all-share deal worth £560m based on its Friday closing price. The takeover of SWIP will see Aberdeen become Europe's biggest independent fund manager. The deal will result in Lloyds holding a 9.9% stake in Aberdeen. (Herald 18/11/2013)

Nationwide Building Society has seen bumper half-year profits in spite of a £22 million hit from consolidating its regional brands including Dunfermline Building Society. Yesterday Nationwide unveiled a 25% rise in underlying income from £1.1 billion to almost £1.4bn in the six months to September. Underlying profit before tax grew from £130m to £332m. (Herald 16/11/2013)

Wealth manager Investec has again taken advantage of unsettled conditions across the sector to bolster its teams in Edinburgh and Glasgow. The nine recruits from Barclays and Deutsche Bank form the biggest of three recent raids by Investec, which is aggressively pushing to increase its share in the market for advice to wealthy Scottish-based investors. (Scotsman 08/11/2013)

Adrian Grace, chief executive of Edinburgh-based life and pensions firm Aegon UK, credited the recent restructuring of the company for a sharp rise in new business. The firm reported a 17 per cent rise in new business for the third quarter, driven by a 22 per cent jump in sales of pensions to £175 million. That leap offset a 21 per cent decline in sales of life insurance products. (Scotsman 07/11/2013)

Santander has done its biggest Scottish corporate lending deal yet with a £40 million facility for a -based property firm. The bank is enabling James Keiller Investments, previously backed by Bank of Scotland, to complete a "major corporate restructure". (Herald 06/11/2013)

Co-operative Bank plans to cut 15% of its branches as part of a £1.5 billion rescue deal backed by hedge funds, but has not yet decided whether any of its four Scottish outlets will be axed. The move, which has still to be formally approved, is expected to see up to 50 of its 324 high street sites close by the end of next year. (Herald 05/11/2013)

Baillie Gifford's flagship Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust has seen the value of its portfolio soar by 12.1% over the first six months of its financial year alone as it leapfrogged Dundee-based giant Alliance Trust to become the UK's largest generalist investment trust. (Herald 01/11/2013)

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Insurance group Direct Line, spun off by Royal Bank of Scotland last year, has overcome “highly competitive” market conditions to deliver a 20 per cent jump in profits for the first nine months of the year. The firm, still 28.5 per cent owned by RBS, also said that costs associated with its restructuring plans will be lower than previously thought. (Scotsman 01/11/2013)

Housebuilding, Property & Construction

Construction group Galliford Try today said that its Scottish division, Morrison, has been appointed preferred contractor for two secondary school developments worth a total of £48 million. The contract, from public-private development company Hub South East Scotland, will see Morrison build the new Kelso High School in the Borders and Newbattle Community High School in Midlothian. Work is due to begin next year and the schools are expected to be finished in 2016. (Scotsman 27/11/2013)

Ryden, Scotland's only major independent surveyor and the market leader, says a recovering economy has sparked a strong rebound in its transactional business in the year to April 2013. The 31- strong partnership's investment fees rose by 25% and agency fees by 18% to produce a total 20% rise. (Herald 26/11/2013)

Ross and Liddell has acquired Dumbarton-based B&B Property Management for an undisclosed sum. The deal comes after B&B owner Jim Buchanan had been seeking a buyer as he prepares to retire. B&B was established in 1894 and services property across Dumbarton, Alexandria, Helensburgh, Rhu, Cardross and Balloch. (Herald 13/11/2013)

Stewart Milne Group has posted a £5.7m loss but its founder is confident the business is in a strong position to generate "steady and sustainable" growth in the coming years. The pre-tax loss can mainly be attributed to interest charges and £13.8m of exceptional costs relating to the sale of its general construction arm to Kier Group, an exit from commercial development and a loss recorded on the disposal of a block of apartments in . The company recently agreed a new £225m finance facility with Bank of Scotland which is expected to help build 5,000 homes over the next five years. (Herald 21/11/2013)

Braehead owner Intu Properties is seeing further signs of recovery in the UK economy as occupancy across its portfolio has stayed steady at 95%. The company said tenants were showing more confidence, with strong demand from the catering and leisure sectors and successful retailers adding more space. (Herald 06/11/2013)

Robertson Group, which has been restructuring and retreating from housebuilding and commercial property, has netted new funds from a major sale of infrastructure investments. The Elgin-based group says the proceeds will help it to reinvest in larger infrastructure projects and continue its diversification into project management, consultancy and advisory services to the public sector. (Herald 01/11/2013)

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Internet, Software & Technology

Edinburgh-based Modelling Design Partners (MDP) has added five equity partners to its board in a move to fund the development of its "big data" software platform. Founder Daniel de Bruin, a South African-born software specialist, has recruited the expertise to build on the analytics firm's presence in the insurance, banking and healthcare sectors. (Herald 21/11/2013)

Wolfson Microelectronics has agreed a partnership with US firm Elliptic Labs which will see Wolfson's audio chips used in its ultrasonic touchless gesture control technology. Wolfson said its chips, combined with Elliptic Labs touchless gesturing technology for consumer electronics devices, will make “always on” gesture control a reality for consumer electronics devices such as smartphones and tablets, as well as for in-car infotainment. (Business Insider 21/11/2013)

Technology services specialist Network ROI has become the latest in a growing number of Scottish companies to be bought by its employees. Ten years after setting up the Roslin-based firm, managing director Sean Elliot is handing over control to the 15 employees that provide IT, communications and cloud services to clients including online tyre retailer Blackcircles of Peebles. Elliot said it was the best option to safeguard the long-term future of the business. (Scotsman 14/11/2013)

Linn Products has predicted it will enjoy another profitable year following the successful launch of a £50,000 sound system the company believes will help cement its standing in the fast-growing market for digital music devices. (Herald 06/11/2013)

A Glasgow technology start-up which is developing an app aimed at enabling anybody to create and share games, programs, and interactive content on smartphones, tablets, laptops and desktop computers has secured £75,000 of funding from Creative Scotland. The funding will enable Zapcoder, founded by media and technology lawyer and entrepreneur Roger Dubar, to bring its app to market. (Herald 20/11/2013)

Law

Scottish law firm Blackadders is moving into Aberdeen through a merger with Adam Cochran. The move, which is expected to be formalised on January 1 next year, will result in a practice with 21 partners and 170 staff. (Herald 05/11/2013)

Leisure, Travel, Restaurants & Hotels

Travel operator Thomas Cook has raised its cost-cutting target after unveiling a 49 per cent surge in annual operating profits. Chief executive Harriet Green said the firm’s turnaround has been “a great success” but she insisted its path to sustainable growth “has only just begun”. (Scotsman 28/11/2013)

A fast-growing budget gym operator has unveiled ambitious expansion plans north and south of the Border as fitness fans keep faith with low-cost operators. Peter Roberts, founder and chief executive of PureGym, has 50 UK outlets, including two in Edinburgh and single premises in Aberdeen, Dundee and Glasgow. (Scotsman 17/11/2013)

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Media, Marketing, PR & Design

Itison, the Glasgow-based daily deals website, has served up pre-tax profits of nearly £1 million in its second year of trading. It comes a year after the firm made a retained profit of £128,466. Itison, which was founded by public relations and bar entrepreneur Oli Norman, turned over more than £10m as it grew its membership base to 550,000. (Herald 21/11/2013)

Newspaper publisher Johnston Press, owner of The Scotsman, today said its full-year operating profits should meet City expectations as it reported a surge in digital revenues. The group, which also publishes the Edinburgh Evening News and Scotland on Sunday, said operating profits for the 18 weeks to 2 November were 7.8 per cent higher than the same period last year, with the operating margin improving to 20 per cent. (Scotsman 13/11/2013) Academic publisher Edinburgh University Press (EUP) has bought the business and publishing assets of rival Dundee University Press for an undisclosed sum. EUP also announced its book and journal revenues grew by 7% to £2.37 million in the 12 months to July 31. (Herald 05/11/2013)

Other

Newly-privatised delivery service Royal Mail today said that rising revenues from its parcels business and ongoing cost cuts helped its operating profits almost double in the first half of the year. The group also said that its letters business has made a good start to the second half, boosted by mailings from energy companies. (Scotsman 27/11/2013)

A ground-breaking initiative to boost employment and growth in of one of Scotland's poorest areas will be launched tomorrow by council officials and business people in North Ayrshire. The new scheme, built on the area's 10-year economic development and regeneration strategy, will formalise a "team North Ayrshire" support system for a middle-tier of 150 growing companies in the area. It includes Irvine, Saltcoats, Ardrossan, Beith, West Kilbride and the Isle of Arran. (Herald 24/11/2013)

New business start-ups are surging in Moray as locals and economic development agencies respond positively to the closure of the RAF base in Kinloss two years ago. The impact of the RAF's withdrawal has proved to be a "shot in the arm" for a region which had largely relied on the forces for its economic wellbeing. Figures show 71 new business have started up in the first half of this financial year, up 16% on last year, with 140 expected to come on stream over 2013-14 if current growth is maintained. (Herald 19/11/2013)

Scottish recruitment firms FWB and Park Brown International have merged to form one of the country’s biggest executive search specialists. Edinburgh based FWB, established 20 years ago by Willie Finlayson, Judy Wagner and Scott Black, is formalising a partnership it has had with Aberdeen firm Park Brown International since 2009. They will come together as FWB Park Brown, though they will trade separately for an initial period. (Scotsman 16/11/2012)

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Pharmaceuticals

Pharmaceutical firm GlaxoSmithKline is to invest £25 million expanding its plant Montrose to support delivery of a new pipeline of medicines. The investment is being supported by Angus Council which has already ring fenced £2.7 million for the development. (Business Insider 22/11/2013)

Retail

Retailer Edinburgh Woollen Mill plans to create almost 250 jobs in Scotland over the next 18 months as it pursues further growth after turning around the Peacocks chain. The Langholm-based company revealed its plans after posting a surge in both sales and profits thanks to an updated online strategy and the contribution from Peacocks, which it bought out of administration early last year. (Scotsman 26/11/2013)

Former Tesco chief executive Sir Terry Leahy has joined the board of Glasgow-based online furnishings retailer Occa-Home as part of the firm’s £1.5 million fundraising exercise. The retail veteran, who ran the UK’s largest supermarket for 14 years before retiring in March 2011, will act as an adviser to the company, which has also added Jill Little, a former strategy director at department store group John Lewis, to its board. (Scotsman 23/11/2013)

Discount retailer 99p Stores is creating 30 new jobs in Dumfries with the opening of its second Scottish store. The new branch, which will open next week, is the result of a social media campaign urging the retailer to open a store in the market town. The Northampton-based retailer announced plans in July to open 20 outlets across Scotland by 2016 which it said would lead to more than 500 jobs being created. (Business Insider 20/11/2013)

Houston Kiltmakers is gearing up to generate more online sales at home and abroad after securing a funding boost from Santander. The Paisley-based retailer will use the £170,000 to develop its e- commercial platform, which is already said to account for a "significant percentage" of revenue. (Herald 19/11/2013)

Souvenir and textile supplier Bulloch, Cowell & Co has secured a six-figure overdraft with Clydesdale Bank to help expand its product range and buy a new stock management system. The Glasgow company, which trades under the Glen Appin of Scotland brand, supplies Scottish themed goods into the tourism sector around the world. Its products range from tea towels and magnets to upmarket Harris Tweed bags and accessories. (Herald 18/11/2013)

The recently opened £9 million extension at Glasgow Fort is "trading well", according to property operator British Land. A Vue cinema along with five restaurants - TGI, Chiquito, Prezzo, Pizza Express and Harvester - opened at the 45,000 square feet space in the late summer. Other tenants to move in recent months include Schuh, Jack & Jones, Chisholm Hunter and Office. A plan to add a further 112,000 sq ft of retail space is also on the drawing board with the total value of the project estimated to be around £17m. (Herald 14/11/2013)

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Outdoor clothing retailer Chris Tiso has sold a controlling interest in his eponymous Edinburgh-based chain of stores to JD Sports Fashion for an undisclosed sum. Tiso Group, launched in 1962 by mountaineer Graham Tiso and his wife Maude, employs about 300 staff in Scotland and the north of England in 16 stores. The deal will allow Tiso to grow and develop its business, which includes Alpine Bikes, George Fisher and Blues the ski shop. Tiso will become part of JD’s outdoor division alongside Blacks and Millets. (Scotsman 13/11/2013)

Shopping centre landlord Hammerson has confirmed the multi-million pound extension of Silverburn is now 84% let. That is an increase from the 75% which had been snapped up when the company updated the market in the summer. Hammerson said yesterday that building work is progressing on schedule with the first phase expected to be complete in autumn next year. (Herald 12/11/201)

Capital Document Solutions is to invest £1 million in the business and has appointed three new board members as it prepares for rapid growth over the next three years. The office equipment firm is upgrading its IT infrastructure and enhanced training and workshop facilities at its Edinburgh headquarters as it forecasts turnover to rise from £16.5 million last year to £21m this year and more than £30m by the end of 2016. (Scotland on Sunday 10/11/2013)

Gillian Kyle, the giftware entrepreneur known for her quirky illustrations of famous Scottish brands, has seen sales double this month compared with October last year after launching a new website. Now the artist, a graduate of Glasgow School of Art, is hoping the £15,000 investment will lead to a rise in exports, which currently account for 10% of web sales. (Herald 09/11/2013)

Footwear group schuh is to create a further 50 jobs in Scotland over the next five years in a new European distribution centre. The expansion follows continued growth of the chain, which opened its first shop in Edinburgh in 1981 and was sold to US shoe giant Genesco in June 2011 for more than £100 million. (Herald 06/11/2013)

Telecommunications

The team which employed 3000 staff in building Airdrie-based beCogent into one of Scotland's biggest call centre companies is aiming to repeat the trick in Motherwell, with aspirations to become the largest private sector employer in the town. (Herald 19/11/2013)

Transport

Prestwick Airport has passed into public ownership after being bought by the Scottish government for £1. The facility, which was put up for sale last year by New Zealand firm Infratil, has incurred annual losses of £2m. It is understood a deal was concluded late on Friday. It is expected the airport will continue to operate as normal and there will be no job losses. (BBC News 24/11/2013)

Scandinavian airline SAS has announced new routes linking Scotland with Norway. Edinburgh is to have Oslo and Stavanger flights twice a week between April and October next year. Aberdeen is to have a new year-round link with Oslo three times a week. The new routes come after Edinburgh Airport secured its first direct Middle East link and recently secured a new route to Philadelphia. (BBC News 21/11/2013)

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Flybe has refused to comment on how many more jobs it will cut in Scotland after the regional air carrier announced plans to axe a further 500 staff across the UK. Exeter-based Flybe, which connects Aberdeen, Glasgow and Inverness with airports around the UK, is poised to enter a 45-day consultation with unions over the cuts. The first wave of redundancies will come in January, with the rest occurring in March. (Herald 12/11/2013)

Firstgroup boss Tim O’Toole has said the transport giant remained committed to the Scottish bus market after unveiling a slump in passenger numbers. Speaking after the Aberdeen-based group unveiled narrower losses for the first half of the year, First’s chief executive admitted that Glasgow in particular was suffering from “the broader phenomenon” of high numbers of economically inactive households. (Scotsman 06/11/2013)

PHILANTHROPY

The latest Coutts Million Pound Donors report shows the total value of charitable donations worth £1m or more in the UK rose by 9% to £1.35bn in 2012, its highest level since the financial crisis in 2008/09. Arts, culture and humanities received 20 gifts of £1m-plus totalling £95.4m, less than the 2010/11 total of £109m, while higher education received one in four of all large donations with 47 gifts totalling £570m, making this the most popular cause for the first time. (Arts Professional 21/11/2013)

ARTS & SPONSORSHIP NEWS

Sport & Other Sponsorship

Car brand Ford has become the latest name to be announced as a commercial partner for the Glasgow Commonwealth Games. It joins Emirates, Virgin Media, Harper MacLeod, Emirates, BP, Dell, Barr, Cisco, Atos and others. As part of the package, it will provide in excess of 1,100 vehicles for use during the Games. (Drum 04/11/2013)

Funding

The Enterprise Ready Fund is a Scottish Government funded programme which will distribute up to £6M from 2013 to 2015 to help maintain, develop and grow Scotland’s enterprising third sector. The Fund will provide grants of up to £250K to support the long-term development objectives of new, emerging and established enterprising third sector organisations in Scotland, with an annual income of up to £5M. For more information, please download and read the Programme Information and Application Guidance Notes.

Creative Scotland is set to scrap all of its controversial funding schemes from next year and has vowed to create a new “level playing field” for artists. As many as 18 different funding pots will be simplified down to just three under a proposed new regime drawn up following the appointment of new chief executive Janet Archer. (Scotsman 22/11/2013)

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Scottish Opera said £12 million of the £12.45 million target to transform its home, the Theatre Royal in Glasgow, has been collected. The milestone was reached with cash from hundreds of individual donors, adding to support from the Scottish Government, Creative Scotland, Glasgow City Council, the Heritage Lottery Fund and various trusts and foundations. (Herald 18/11/2013) The Fruitmarket, next to Waverley Station, is set to launch a major fundraising appeal to help pay for a £6 million overhaul which would bring its outdated facilities up to scratch, amid warnings it is being left behind by rival galleries across Britain. If the funding can be secured, it is hoped work will start after the 2016 Edinburgh Art Festival. (Scotsman 13/11/2013)

Training, Development & Awards

The head of Scotland’s oldest trading company, Crieff Hydro, was last night handed a prestigious award for a lifetime commitment to Scottish tourism. Stephen Leckie, chief executive of the 145-year- old luxury hotel, where he has been at the helm for two decades, was described as a “shining light” for tourism in Scotland as he was given the Silver Thistle award by VisitScotland at a glittering ceremony at Stirling Castle. (Scotsman 16/11/2013)

An American writer has landed one of Scotland’s flagship literary prizes - with the first ever Gaelic science fiction novel. Tim Armstrong, a former singer in a Gaelic punk rock band, has scooped the Saltire Society’s prestigious “first book” prize with his book “Air Cuan Dubh Drilseach” (On a Glittering Black Sea). (Scotsman 16/11/2013)

Glasgow will host MTV’s European Music Awards next year, it has been announced. The show will be held in the new SSE Hydro venue, and is the first time the event has been hosted in Scotland since the awards came to Edinburgh 11 years ago. (Scotsman 09/11/2013)

The title of Scottish Building of the Year has been won by the transformation of a neglected Edwardian tenement block in Glasgow into a colony of studios for artists. The new Wasps Studios complex, based in a culture quarter near the city’s Clyde waterfront, claimed the nation’s prestigious “Building of the Year” title in a ceremony at the Scottish Parliament. (Scotsman 08/11/2013)

The Scottish company behind the global Grand Theft Auto phenomenon is set to receive two major honours in its home country in the space of a week. BAFTA Scotland and the Scottish Style Awards will both be paying special tribute to Rockstar North in the wake of the success of the fifth instalment of the hit gaming series, including smashing six world records. (Scotsman 06/11/2013)

A doctor who spent 14 months living on a research station in Antarctica has won Scotland’s biggest literary prize. Gavin Francis won the £30,000 Scottish Mortgage Investment Trust Book of the Year Award, 2013 for his book Empire Antarctica, which recounted his time as the base-camp doctor at Halley, a British research station on the Caird Coast of Antarctica. (Scotland on Sunday 02/11/2013)

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Visual Arts Glasgow, a web-based initiative that aims to raise the profile of the diversity of visual arts in Glasgow and grow audiences for the city’s museums and galleries, has taken first place in the Public Sector category at this year’s Herald Scottish Digital Business Awards. Conceived by Culture Republic, the mobile-responsive website collates visual content from social media posts by a group of participating venues, to enable visitors to keep up to date with the latest news, see what’s on and engage with exhibitions and commentary. Other winners included Equator, ResDiary, Line Digital, Spider Online, Storm ID and Free Agent. (Arts Professional 25/10/2013)

Arts & Heritage

A derelict landmark on Glasgow’s waterfront, originally built to allow pedestrians, horses and carts to travel under the river in the late 19th century, will be turned into a vast “pop-up” arts venue for the Commonwealth Games next summer. The National Theatre of Scotland has unveiled plans to take over the South Rotunda building, which has been closed for almost all of the last 33 years, for one of its most ambitious projects, partly inspired by the city’s industrial heritage. (Scotsman 27/11/2013)

First Minister Alex Salmond has vowed to help Dundee’s artistic revolution continue despite the city losing out to Hull in the race to be the UK’s next culture capital. He has pledged to stage early talks with the city council about taking aspects of the £25 million bid forward to try to realise some of the “great ideas” that had been drawn up. (Scotsman 21/11/2013)

Scotland’s first ever national youth strategy has set out a series of recommendations aimed at enabling Scotland’s young people to achieve in and through the arts. Creative Scotland’s ‘Time To Shine’ strategy is centred around the three themes of creating and sustaining engagement, nurturing talent, and developing infrastructure and support. £5m of new funding from the Scottish Government over the next two years will support initiatives that will deliver the key objectives of the strategy. (Arts Professional 08/11/2013)

Kathleen O'Neill has been appointed as the first ever Regional Arts Convenor for Dumfries and Galloway, to work with artists and organisations on events and projects which will promote the region as a centre of creativity. For the past year she has been the Project Manager for the Fresh Start for the Arts initiative. (Arts Professional 07/11/2013)

Magnus Linklater, the former chairman of the Scottish Arts Council, was today appointed chairman of the board of the troubled Horsecross Arts organisation in Perth. The appointment of Mr Linklater, who is also a former editor of The Scotsman, follows the resignation of Iain Halliday, the previous chair of the arts organisation, and five board members and the surprise departure last month of Jacqueline McKay who quit her post as chief executive after just over a year in the job. (Scotsman 01/11/2013)

Compiled by Anna Ashton, Administrator

Note: The Business Digest gives a snapshot of current business and arts issues each month with extracts taken from a range of newspapers and publications. For a fuller/more in-depth picture of events, the Business Digest should be read in conjunction with other sources of business and arts news.

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ARTS & BUSINESS UPDATE

New Arts Sponsorship Grants 2013/14

There is still some New Arts Sponsorship Grants funding available for this financial year. These are administered on a first come-first served basis, so if you have managed to find a new business sponsor then get your application to us ASAP.

For further information please contact Carl Watt on 0131 556 3353 or [email protected]

New Arts Members

The Scottish Fisheries Museum is a charitable trust which has become a national institution with an international reputation. Its principal aim is to excite informed interest in the development of the Scottish commercial fishing industry among people of all ages in and beyond Scotland. Its core story is the history of how, through a constant process of innovation, the Scottish fisheries became such an important part of the lives of so many Scots.

Arbuthnot Museum is one of Aberdeenshire’s oldest museums, and is home to displays of Peterhead's fishing, shipping and whaling past. As well as Inuit artefacts and Arctic creatures, there are displays on local history and numismatics. They also hold one of northern Scotland’s largest coin collections.

Board Bank Placement

John Alpine, Clydesdale Bank, has been invited to join the board of The Hidden Gardens, Glasgow.

Training

Introduction to Sponsorship (Edinburgh) – 20 Feb 2014, 1pm-5pm This popular half-day course covers the basic principles and practice of this area of fundraising within the arts sector. Aimed primarily at those who have no sponsorship experience, the course is also a great refresher.

Introduction to being a Board Member (Edinburgh) – 27 Feb 2014, 1pm-5pm Our regular half day seminar to help new board members (and those who would like a refresher) to understand their roles and responsibilities.

Arts & Business Scotland would like to thank Murray Beith Murray for their support of our Board training programme.

Fees: Arts & Business Scotland members: £75 +VAT Non-Arts & Business Scotland members: £95 +VAT

For more information and how to book: http://www.aandbscotland.org.uk/events/

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New Arts Sponsorship grants awarded

Ref No. Arts Business Grant Location

SCG383 The Grant Thornton UK LLP £5,000 Edinburgh

Sponsored Arts Events in Scotland throughout December 2013

New Event & Venue Date(s) Balfour Beatty Art in Healthcare – artworks for hospitals in NHS Fife Dec ’13 – Dec ‘14 Cooperative Cromarty Film Festival 6-8 Dec ‘13 Membership Diageo Edinburgh’s Christmas Nov ’13 – Jan ‘14 Dickson Minto National Galleries of Scotland: The Scottish Colourist Series: JD Dec ‘13 Jun ‘14 Fergusson Drambuie Edinburgh’s Christmas Nov ’13 – Jan ‘14 Glen Ord Distillery Cromarty Film Festival 6-8 Dec ‘13 Heineken Edinburgh’s Christmas Nov ’13 – Jan ‘14 Ithica Energy Cromarty Film Festival 6-8 Dec ‘13 MG Alba Scots Trad Music Awards – Brand Sponsor 7 Dec ‘13 Thwaites Edinburgh’s Christmas Nov ’13 – Jan ‘14 On-going Event & Venue Date(s) Accenture Scottish Opera – continuing as principal sponsor and sponsor of U26 Sep ’13 – Aug ‘14 £10 tickets programme in Aberdeen anCnoc – ticket sponsor Oct ‘13 – Sep ‘14 Apex Hotels Dundee Rep Theatre – Season Partners Jan ’13 – Jan ‘14 Arnold Clark - Gorbals Schools performances (renewed) Nov ‘13 - Jan ‘14 Automobiles Artemis Investment Scottish Ballet – Sponsor a Dancer: Chris Harrison and Tomomi Sato Apr ’12 – Mar ‘14 Managers Baillie Gifford National Library of Scotland – series of five Inspirations events. Jan ’13 – Dec ‘14 Baillie Gifford Royal Lyceum Theatre – collaborative workshops across cultural orgs Jan – Dec ‘13 to engage young people in Edinburgh with careers in the creative arts Barefoot Wines National Library of Scotland – Public events programme Sep ’13 – Aug ‘14 Belhaven Tron Theatre – brochure sponsorship renewal. Sponsor since 2005. Apr ’13 – Mar ‘14 Cairn Energy Royal Lyceum Theatre – Lyceum Youth bursaries and internships Jan – Dec ‘13 Capital Solutions Hearts & Minds – Free use and servicing of photocopiers (since 2008) Jan – Dec ‘13

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Capital Solutions Scottish Opera – continuing in kind sponsor Aug ’12 – Jul ‘14 Capital Solutions RSNO – in kind sponsorship of photocopiers/printers and concert Sep ’13 – Aug ‘14 sponsor in Edinburgh, Glasgow and Aberdeen (renewed) Central Taxis Dance Base – community programme Jul ’13 – Mar ‘14 ComCab Festival & King’s Theatre, Edinburgh – ticket inserts Apr ’13 – Mar ‘14 Dancewear of Dance Base – community programme Jul ’13 – Mar ‘14 Edinburgh Drambuie Filmhouse Cinema - A Taste of the Extraordinary season of films Oct ’13 – Sep ‘14 Fishers Tours Dundee Rep Theatre – subsidised travel for groups/schools + Mar ’13 – Jan ‘14 Christmas show sponsor (sponsorship extended) George Devine Royal Lyceum Theatre – provision of upholstery for productions Apr ’13 – Mar ‘14 Glasgow Airport RSNO – marketing/advertising initiatives at airport (renewed) Sep ’13 – Aug ‘14 GlaxoSmithKline Music in Hospitals – series of 20 fully funded live concerts in Scottish Jun ’13 – May ‘14 healthcare units situated locally to GSK offices in Irvine and Montrose + care units nominated by GSK staff. Graham Art in Healthcare – hanging and display of 26 contemporary artworks Apr ’13 – Mar ‘14 Construction for new state-of-the-art 60-room Drumbrae Care Home, Edinburgh Highland Fuels Regional Screen Scotland: Screen Machine – mobile cinema touring Jun ’13 – May ‘14 the highlands and Islands Hotel Indigo Citizens Theatre – provision of rooms for guests. Sponsorship Apr ’13 – Mar ‘14 renewed. Hotel Indigo Citizens Theatre - Accommodation partner (renewed) Apr ‘13 – Mar ‘14 Inverarity Morton Scottish Opera – in kind sponsorship Sep ’13 – Aug ‘14 Inverarity One to Festival Theatre, Edinburgh – Inverarity Bar (since July 2010) Jul ’13 – June ‘14 One Jurys Inn The Arches – accommodation partner throughout year Jan – Dec ‘13 La Bonne Auberge RSNO: Children’s Classic Concerts Season in Glasgow + Edinburgh Sep ’13 – Aug ‘14 (renewed) La Bonne Auberge Scottish Opera – hospitality and events Sep ’13 – Sep ‘14 LifeScan Hearts & Minds – Clowndoctors visits to Raigmore Hospital, Inverness Apr ’13 – Mar ‘14 + community visits to schools and families. Link-Tel Glasgow Film Theatre – provision of two-way radios and charges and Feb – Dec ‘13 Communications complimentary hire during Glasgow Film Festival MAC Cosmetics BAFTA Scotland - category sponsorship and official make up partner Nov ’13 – May ‘14 at the BAFTA Scotland Awards 2013 and additional events MacRoberts LLP Scottish Opera – Preferred Legal Services Partner + performance Jul ’11 – Jul ‘14 In kind sponsor at Theatre Royal, Glasgow Majestic Wine Dundee Rep Ensemble – drinks for press nights Jan – Dec ‘13 Mitchells Hire Drive Citizens Theatre - The Jungle Book Nov ‘13 - Jan ‘14 Morisons Solicitors Glasgow School of Art – Portfolio Coaching Programme Sep ’11 – Jun ‘14 My Little Town Giant Geriatric Generators LTD – sponsorship of 6 month book tour for Oct ’13 – Mar ‘14 Book Company author Stuart Reid NASUWT Scotland National Youth Choir of Scotland – education partner Apr ’12 – Mar ‘14 Park’s RSNO – official transport provider Mar ’13 – Feb ‘14 Point Hotel Royal Lyceum Theatre – provision accommodation for visiting artists Apr ‘13 – Mar ‘14 Provident Financial Royal Lyceum Theatre – Lyceum Discover Sep ’11–Aug ‘14

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Pulsant Scottish Chamber Orchestra Oct ’13 – May ‘14 Rathbones National Galleries of Scotland – Blazing with Crimson at SNPG Jan ‘11 – Dec ‘13 ScotRail Arts & Business Scotland – travel passes (since 2010) Jan – Dec ‘13 ScotRail Hearts & Minds – Provision of travel passes for practitioners Jan – Dec ‘13 Scott + Co – Class Act – two year education project with Sep ’12 – Jan‘14 Edinburgh’s secondary schools. September to January each year Scottish Friendly Scottish Book Trust – Scottish Friendly Children’s Book Tour Oct ’13 – Dec ‘13 Scottish Friendly Scottish Book Trust – sponsorship renewal of the Scottish Friendly Apr ’13 – Mar ‘14 Children’s Book Tour + events throughout year. Sponsor since 1998. ScottishPower ScottishPower Pipe Band – piping competitions/events during year + Jul ’13 – Jun ‘14 St Andrew’s Day Schools competition (Sponsor since 1989) Soave’s Ice Cream Cumbernauld Theatre – three seasons of work Jul ’13 – Jun ‘14 Stirling Credit - sponsor of the Christmas Appeal Fund to Nov ’13 – Jan ‘14 Union enable children and young people supported by social care charities to attend the Christmas pantomime Telegraph Media Scottish Ballet – Sponsor a Dancer: Bethany Kingsley-Garner Apr ’13 – Mar ‘ 14 Group Tesco Bank National Galleries of Scotland (three-year title sponsorship) Jan ‘12 – Dec ‘14 Tesco Bank Art Competition for Schools. Tesco Bank The Reading Agency – The Tesco Bank Reading Challenge Scotland Jul ’12 – Aug ‘14 Three-year title sponsorship to run annually July thru’ August The Courier RSNO – concert sponsor at , Dundee and accompanying Oct ‘13 – Oct ‘14 programme of community work The Glenmorangie National Museums Scotland – The Glenmorangie Research Project – Mar ’11 – Dec ‘13 Company Phase II of six year project into Early Historic Scotland AD 300-900 The List Royal Lyceum Theatre – preview performances Apr ’13 – Mar ‘14 The Miller Group Royal Lyceum Theatre - Project Dream – immersive creative learning 2012 – 2015 project in Edinburgh & Midlothian – autumn terms (Sept-Nov) each year for 4 years The Miller Group Scottish Chamber Orchestra – SCO Connect car Oct ’13 – May ‘14 The Miller Group RSNO – community project at Rachel House Children’s Hospice Sep ’13 – Aug ‘16 (renewed for 3 years) The Royal Bank of National Museums Scotland – RBS Lates: third series of after-hours Oct ’13 – Sept ‘14 Scotland events at National Museum of Scotland Tiger Beer Glasgow Sculpture Studios – product for exhibition opening events Jan – Dec ‘13 Tiger Beer Glasgow Sculpture Studios – Haegue Yang exhibition Oct – Dec ‘13 Tullis Russell ON at Fife – Fife Foto photographic gallery in Rothes Halls, Glenrothes Sep ’11 – Aug ‘16 Valvona & Crolla RSNO – Gala Ball + events throughout season (in kind sponsor) Feb ’13 – Jan ‘14 Wallace Brass Scottish National Jazz Orchestra – provision of instrument mutes Feb – Dec ‘13 Walter Scott & Festival and King’s Theatre, Edinburgh – community programme Sep ’13 – Aug ‘14 Partners (renewed) Wave 102 Dundee Rep Theatre – Spring Season partner (music + comedy) Jan – Dec ‘13 William Bros. CCA – provision of Heather Ale for exhibition previews Sep ’13 – Aug ‘14

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