Digital R&D Fund for Arts and Culture in Scotland

The second call for proposals to the Digital R&D Scotland Fund has now closed.

You can read the analysis report of applications to the first call here.

Find out more about the selected projects from the first call

Watch the presentations from our Digital Advisory Day

The Digital Research and Development Fund for Arts and Culture, Scotland is a partnership between Creative Scotland, Arts & Humanities Research Council (AHRC) and Nesta to support arts and cultural organisations across Scotland who want to work with digital technologies to expand their audience reach and engagement and/or explore new business models.

A key element of the £500,000 Fund is supporting collaborative partnerships between arts and cultural organisations and technology providers; and to provide a body of rich research evidence, data and case studies that inspires and supports the capacity of the wider arts and cultural sector to innovate.

We invited arts and cultural organisations in Scotland to submit projects which test digital propositions around audience reach and engagement and new business models.

Find out more about the six successful projects from the first call fund here:

• The National Piping Centre
• An Iodhlann
• The Cultural Quarter Project
• Dundee Contemporary Arts
• Glasgow Film Theatre
• The National Galleries of Scotland

This Fund is part of Creative Scotland's portfolio of digital initiatives to support the arts and cultural sector in Scotland - we will link to these initiatives when they launch during 2012. 

What types of projects are we looking for?

• Innovative digital projects which will expand audience reach and engagement and/or to develop new business models
• Proposals from all sizes of arts and cultural organisations in Scotland - we have 2 award levels of projects: 1) under £25,000 and 2) £25,000-£100,000 (both levels available at both application calls in spring and autumn 2012)
• Collaborations between arts and cultural organisations, technology providers and where possible, other cultural/arts organisations.

Eligibility and Selection Criteria

The full Eligibility and Selection Criteria are here. In summary, to apply to the Digital Research & Development Fund for Arts and Culture, Scotland, you must be:

1) An arts and cultural organisation* based in Scotland - which is either predominately publically funded and/or is a registered charity and who wants to work with digital technologies to:

• expand its audience reach and engagement* and/or
• explore new business models*

*Please see our definitions of these terms here

2) Your proposal must involve a collaborative partnership between yourself as an arts and cultural organisation and a technology provider (by which we mean any creative, media or technology company including other arts and cultural organisations with relevant technology know-how) that can provide technology services to arts and cultural organisations.

3) Your proposal must fall under one or more of the fund themes - 1) expand audience reach and engagement; 2) explore new business models. We ran a Google Moderator poll and the following areas were highlighted of interest to the sector:

• Digital content distribution - delivering content in new ways
• Social media - using technology for interactive engagement
• Making the most of archives through digital technology
• Mobile and location-based services
• Fundraising - using technology to generate giving, sponsorship and membership
• Connecting thinkers with doers: methodologies for emergent collaboration

Your proposal doesn't need to fall exclusively into one of these categories; we will accept ideas which encompass audience reach and new business models.

See our FAQs and definition of terms if you need more information.

Digital Advisory Day

Nesta ran a Digital Advisory Day in Edinburgh on 28th November 2012 for arts organisations and technology companies considering applying to the second call of the fund. 

The day included some short presentations and a panel Q&A with Nesta; Fund recipient Glasgow Film Theatre; and also representatives from Creative Scotland's other digital development initiatives: Sync and AmbITion. Four digital specialists also talked through their work before breaking out to one-to-one sessions. 

Following the presentations, participants were invited to share their details to encourage new potential collaborations across the sectors; we have made this information and contact details available here with participants' consent.

Digital R&D Scotland Fund - Second Call Timetable

• 28 November 2012 - Digital Advisory Day - Edinburgh
• Friday 1 February 2013 - Deadline for applications - the second call has now closed
• 26 February 2013 - Organisations informed of funding decisions
• 21 March 2013 - One day collaborative workshop bringing together successful organisations
• 1 November 2013 - All project activity must be completed

If this page and associated content haven't answered your queries, please contact us at rndscotland@nesta.org.uk

Nesta Operating Company is a company limited by guarantee registered in England and Wales with company number 7706036 and charity number 1144091. Registered as a charity in Scotland number SC042833. Registered office: 1 Plough Place, London EC4A 1DE.