Cairngorms Creatives To Help Local Businesses Tell Their Story
Four local Cairngorms creatives are joining GrowBiz at an upcoming event to share their knowledge and experience on how ‘Telling Your Story’ can support creative businesses.
Full Press Release Below
Press Release
18th February 2021
Cairngorms Creatives to help local businesses tell their story
Four local Cairngorms creatives are joining GrowBiz, Scotland’s rural enterprise support organisation currently working in partnership with the Cairngorms National Park Authority, at an upcoming event to share their knowledge and experience on how ‘Telling Your Story’ can support creative businesses.
As part of this project, designed to explore how the diverse network of creative businesses operating across the Cairngorms area can be best supported, particularly following the difficulties experienced due to the pandemic, GrowBiz are running a series of Creative Peer Support & Learning sessions. Anyone working in the creative sector is welcome to join these free sessions, which offer a way to connect and discover fellow creatives whilst tapping into enterprise support relevant to their business.
Helping deliver this next session, ‘Telling Your Story’ on Thursday 25 February from 10-12noon, are four local creatives who all embrace different ways to share their own individual creative story: writer Merryn Glover, artist Ann Vastano, musician Ailsa Villegas, and freelance journalist and host of the podcast ‘Big Juicy Creative’, Suzy Bashford.
After the panel have shared their thoughts and experiences, participants will have the opportunity to engage in a Q&A, as well as discuss the topic in smaller groups.
Caron Ironside, GrowBiz Creative Sector Co-ordinator, comments, ‘We’re really looking forward to this opportunity of working with and having the support of local creatives sharing their varied expertise and knowledge of the value of ‘Story Telling’ to promote their business or practice. Knowing the artists’ story is a big part of the experience and why people enjoy attending events, workshops and buying original artisan products and artworks.’
Anyone working in the creative sector in the Cairngorms is welcome to join this event and can book a place at www.growbiz.co.uk/events In addition to the Creative Peer Support & Learning sessions, GrowBiz are also providing 1:1 advice and information supporting Cairngorm creative businesses.
ENDS
If you have a media query please contact connect@growbiz.co.uk
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Notes to Editors
• Merryn Glover is a writer, speaker and facilitator. Her plays and stories have been broadcast on the BBC, she contributes to The Guardian Country Diary and her Badenoch-set novel, Of Stone and Sky, is coming out in May 2020. She is currently writing The Hidden Fires: A Cairngorms Journey with Nan Shepherd. The first writer in residence for the Cairngorms National Park and a qualified teacher, she has wide experience as a workshop leader, project facilitator and speaker. www.merrynglover.com
• Ailsa Villegas is a singer/songwriter and session vocalist from Boat of Garten. In addition to her 20 years of experience as an entertainer, Ailsa has released four albums, worked on a number of commissions and commercial collaborations, and performed at various music festivals including Belladrum and Celtic Connections. www.ailsavillegas.com
• Ann Vastano is an artist and gallery and cafe owner based in Badenoch. Ann’s artwork depicting Scottish rural Highland landscapes has been widely commissioned and featured in exhibitions across the country and is strongly influenced having grown up and working and living in the Highlands. In 2019 Ann became co-owner of The Old Post Office Cafe Gallery, Kincraig where her artwork is on permanent exhibition alongside artwork and crafts of local artisans, and where local produce is showcased and celebrated. www.annvastano.com
• Suzy Bashford’s 20+ year career in communications includes working in journalism, writing books and articles, editor at a publishing company and workshop facilitator. Her creative approach to life is at the core of her Big Juicy Creative podcast, launched during 2020 lockdown, encouraging listeners to nurture their busy creative souls to thrive personally and professionally, through inspirational interviews and solo podcasts from interesting and sometimes surprising creative sources. bigjuicycreative.co.uk
• Nearly 25% of adults in rural Scotland are self-employed (more than twice the rate of urban areas).
• Rural communities and businesses face a range of challenges, including inconsistent broadband coverage, poor transport links and greater distances to food supplies and health services.
• GrowBiz is an independent, community-based organisation, founded in 2007 by local people in Perthshire to support rural enterprises. GrowBiz provides support to anyone starting or growing a business in rural Scotland.
• GrowBiz is part-funded by Perth and Kinross Council, Skills Development Scotland, Cairngorms National Park Authority and the Scottish Government.
• Since October 2016, GrowBiz has supported more than 2000 rural enterprises across all sectors
• GrowBiz runs an award-winning mentoring programme, which currently has over 80 participants and which is the first and only business programme in Scotland to achieve the Scottish Mentoring Network Quality Standard
