A social enterprise showcasing Dundee’s creative and cultural skills at home and abroad is in the running for a funding boost.
Councillors will recommend a one-off grant of £40,000 for Creative Dundee to secure a match funding partnership with Creative Scotland.
The cash would help employ a full-time freelance producer to support its events, which include the popular Pecha Kucha talks, and grow its online platform over the next two years.
A Creative Scotland review last year cited Creative Dundee as an “influential catalyst” for the increase of Dundee’s profile, bridging the gap between the community and the public sector.
Director Gillian Easson said the funding, if approved at a council meeting next week, would help Creative Dundee build on its already burgeoning reputation.
“It would create ways for us to help retain creative talent in the city and also attract it to Dundee,” she said.
“We are well-known for our digital work and we’d like to use the city’s digital skills to connect up with cities around the world.
“We’ve come a long way and we wouldn’t be here without the support of the creative community and the cultural organisations in the city.
“But it would be great to see Dundee focus on the infrastructure for the creative and cultural sectors, because that is a key area for the city of the future.
“There’s talk about the number of job titles that will be around in 10 years’ time, with robots and 3D printers and we’re keen to explore what that will mean for the city’s teenagers and think about how we can help them through training and events.”
Creative Dundee began as a blog in January 2008 before becoming constituted as an organisation in March 2013.
It is expected to deliver 36 events over the next two years, reaching 3,600 creative industries students and professionals as well as providing digital and website support to promote Dundee’s recently-awarded Unesco City of Design status.