Summary

In fulfilment of Scottish Screen’s Exhibitions Strategy, HI~Arts, the arts development agency for the Highlands and Islands, will work with Scottish Screen to establish a new national organisation, provisionally entitled Regional Screen Scotland (RSS), which will act as a ‘hub’ for supporting cinema access in rural, remote and other under-served areas.  This organisation will provide a range of core services nationally, will undertake dedicated area development programmes with regional partners, and will own and operate the mobile cinema RBS Screen Machine, and potentially a new mobile cinema, still to be commissioned.
 

Background

In 2005 Scottish Screen funded HI~Arts to undertake a two year programme of development under the banner of Rural Cinema North. The aim of this programme was to trial a range of approaches to improving access to quality cinema experiences throughout the Highlands and Islands and the North East of Scotland.  The programme’s coordinator, Matt Lloyd, worked in partnership with the Eden Court Theatre in Inverness, and North-East Arts Touring, active in Aberdeen, Aberdeenshire and Moray.  The programme was intended to complement the services provided by the RBS Screen Machine, operated by HI~Arts throughout the North and West of the region, and by Eden Court’s own cinema programme, delivered during this period through the first Screen Machine, based in Inverness.

When Scottish Screen launched its new Exhibitions Strategy in March 2007, it asked HI~Arts to scope the potential for a national ‘rural cinema hub’, drawing on HI~Arts’ experiences in delivering the Rural Cinema North programme. It was also agreed, at an early stage, than any new ‘hub’ should also take over from HI~Arts the ownership of the RBS Screen Machine, enabling HI~Arts to concentrate more fully on its wider arts development role.  At the same time, the then Scottish Executive announced £0.5 million funding for Scottish Screen to commission a third Screen Machine, and it was therefore agreed that such a new facility should also be owned and operated by the new Hub.

In September 2007 HI~Arts submitted a costed outline proposal for how the rural cinema hub might be structured and operated, including the transfer to the new Hub of the RBS Screen Machine.  This proposal entitled the new Hub Regional Screen Scotland, recognising that not all access issues are limited to rural areas, and that there are many towns and suburban areas throughout Scotland where access to a quality cinema experience cannot be guaranteed at present.

Scottish Screen and the Board of HI~Arts have now agreed to work together to bring Regional Screen Scotland into being by April 2008, as an integral and crucial part of the network of Hubs envisaged in the Exhibitions Strategy.
 

Aims of Regional Screen Scotland

 The primary aim will be to establish the organisation as the centre of excellence (albeit a virtual centre!) for non-commercial, temporary, part-time or mobile cinema provision in a variety of formats; it will provide up-to-date advice and ongoing practical support to a range of groups and individuals, and maintain a network of mutual support between these groups, in partnership with BFFS Scotland and Local Authorities. In addition, the RSS will seek to develop the independent cinema sector in non-urban regions.
 

The Scottish Screen Exhibition Strategy document defines rural cinema provision in four ways:

• Access to good quality cinema provision
• Access to a diversity of programming
• Access to audience development and media literacy initiatives
• Opportunities for skills and knowledge development in screen exhibition 

These tasks are best delivered by a variety of organisations and individuals working in partnership. Regional Screen Scotland’s role can be divided into four specific yet complementary areas:

• Supporting communities
• Coordinating between communities and external/national organisations
• Supporting the independent cinema sector, both commercial and non-commercial
• Supporting Screen Machine

Individual councils will have the opportunity to enter a collaborative partnership with Regional Screen Scotland. RSS will offer core services across the whole of Scotland, and rolling developmental activities tailored to the specific needs of each partner council.
 

Activities of Regional Screen Scotland

As indicated above, RSS’s activities will be split between core services accessible to all of Scotland, and developmental activities delivered on a rolling basis to regional partners. As the latter will vary according to need, broad suggestions are given here rather than specific plans.
 

Core Services

Supporting communities

• Maintenance of a website building on the format of the current HI~Arts ‘Virtual Film Club’
• Advice shop – phone, email or in-person consultation, covering all aspects of screenings on DVD, 35mm, or other formats – funding, licensing, technical, programming, etc
• Ongoing support to groups and societies

Coordinating between communities and external/national organisations

• Assessment of funding applications on behalf of Scottish Screen – small awards for one-off events or festivals.
• Representing the interests of small groups at a national level
• Designing/promoting specialised programme packages for film clubs
• Promotion of locally made work to national organisations

Supporting the independent  cinema sector

• Represent the concerns/interests of independents to Scottish Screen/Creative Scotland
• Digital/HD projection advisory role
• Facilitate regular round table discussions for this sector
  
  

Regional Developmental Activities

In-depth needs assessment is key to determining the specific nature of developmental activities in any partner region. Activities will then be designed accordingly, but may include the following:

Supporting communities

• DVD taster screenings – visiting communities with projection equipment and films, in order to demonstrate what’s involved, ascertain local interest, etc
• Nurturing new community cinemas – after an initial taster screening, it is important to maintain momentum by offering ongoing support and advice
• Guarantee Against Loss scheme for independent groups
  Projection equipment loan – dependent on location.
• ‘Book group’-style film appreciation clubs

Coordinating between communities and external/national organisations

• Festivals/One-off Events – RSS’s role should be primarily in an advisory capacity
• Moving Image Education - Bridging gap between local groups/schools and MIE Hub/Discovery Children’s Film Festival
• Skills and Knowledge Development – RSS will organise roadshow events, in partnership with MIE Hub, Cultural Enterprise agencies, Creative Scotland, regional film commissions, local production companies, etc.

Supporting the independent cinema sector

• Audience development through touring programmes/special events – collaborating with Programming Hub and cultural institutes to bring titles from national touring programmes, such as Italian, French, Spanish Film Festivals, or classic re-releases, to independent venues, negotiating terms and subsidising costs.

Operation of mobile cinema services

The RBS Screen Machine currently serves some 25 communities from Arran to North Uist and from Harris to Durness. Like its predecessor, Screen Machine 1, its capital cost was funded by the Scottish Arts Council National Lottery Fund and Highlands and Islands Enterprise.  It is intended that RSS will take over ownership and operation of the Screen Machine, maintaining its present area of operation, but integrating those tours with the other activities of RSS in terms of regional development and local support.

Following the allocation of Scottish Executive funding to Scottish Screen, it is also anticipated that a further mobile cinema will be commissioned, also for operation by RSS.  The intention will then be to provide a national mobile cinema service, utilising both Machines to the full.  This will include:

• Maintaining the service in the Highlands and Islands
• Ensuring that both Machines operate with full digital projection
• Providing regular tours to other areas of Scotland, notably Dumfries and Galloway and the Scottish Borders
• Supporting film festivals in Scotland, and abroad
• Supporting Moving Image and Media education initiatives

Structure of Regional Screen Scotland

A voluntary Board of Directors exercising all statutory functions regarding employment, financial management, company policies, etc and managing paid staff

An Advisory Committee, consisting of representatives from HI~Arts and other regional arts development agencies, Scottish Screen, BFFS, regional touring networks, local authorities, to guide the RSS work programme

A full-time Coordinator reporting to the board and the advisory committee and working alongside the Screen Machine Development Manager

A part-time Marketing and Audience Development Officer supervised by the coordinator, but working across both RSS and Screen Machine operations

A programme of part-time short-term interns supervised by the Coordinator and/or Marketing and Audience Development Officer (this will in part deliver the task of skills and knowledge development in screen exhibition)

In addition the coordinator will draw together a directory of freelancers (for example, programmers, event administrators, designers, tutors, projectionists and other technical experts) that are available for specific projects, either hired directly by RSS or recommended to third party organisations.
 

Partner organisations

As detailed above, RSS will concentrate its activities in partnership with local authorities. However, it will seek active cooperation at every level – i.e. voluntary groups, individuals, teachers. Close partnership with BFFS Scotland is vital – they have technical/practical experience and knowledge, and the clout of a UK-wide organisation, whilst RSS has local knowledge/contacts and resources.

Screen Machine

For the first year of operation of RSS, HI~Arts will continue to provide all operational staff for the RBS Screen Machine, on contract to RSS.  This will enable the RSS team, in its first year, to concentrate on its developmental role.
 

Next Steps

Consultation with Local Authorities, Highlands and Islands Enterprise,  and other regional agencies; with BFFS Scotland; with the other proposed ‘cultural cinema hubs’; with existing cinema provision in rural and non-urban locations.  This will be led by Scottish Screen

Company development - preparation of business plan, establishment of company, recruitment of steering group leading to formation of Board, recruitment of staff, transfer of ownership of RBS Screen Machine.  This will be led by HI~Arts, with support from Scottish Screen.