Speakers
Chris joined The Moving Picture Company (MPC) in 2014, having previously worked freelance within the VFX industry. Starting in MPC as an artist on Disney's Jungle Book, Chris then worked on several projects, including The Lion King and most recently The Little Mermaid, Transformers & Napoleon. Over Chris' time at MPC he's worked his way through artist to Lead, to Head of Department and is currently Head of Creative for MPC overseeing all projects and supporting Heads of Departments. The public reaction and enjoyment of seeing beloved characters on the big screen is fundamentally what drives Chris' passion to work within the VFX industry, also the community and artistic family within our digital world alongside the recent advancements in technological and creative workflows provide fuel for maintaining Chris' drive - every new project brings new challenges which supplies never-ending opportunities to create emotive and artist-centric movies.
To find out more visit mpcvfx.com
Brian Gomez is a game designer, writer, and executive producer with a 28-year career spanning triple-A console, mobile, VR, and mixed reality. He has worked on global franchises like Star Wars, Marvel, and Jurassic World, and designed interactive experiences for Disney and Universal theme parks. He relocated to Dundee, Scotland as Executive Producer & Creative Director at 4J Studios Ltd in 2022.
To find out more visit 4jstudios.com
Andrew Girvan (Girv) is the Director of Product at Activity Stream and Co-Founder of Scottie, which recently became part of the Activity Stream Group.. Activity Stream is a group of products built specifically for the producers of live events and helps them manage their venues, understand and build their audiences, and tailor their visitor experiences. The Group has over 600 clients in 20 countries, spanning Broadway, the West End, arenas, opera houses, festivals, and arts centres. Local clients include Edinburgh International Festival, the Royal Lyceum Theatre, and the Scottish Events Campus (SEC) in Glasgow. Scottie is a platform that allows producers, box office managers, and arts marketers to build websites that sell tickets using a drag-and-drop content management system built on top of your ticketing data. His previous roles include leading Product and Operations for Red61, the ticketing software and services company that powers the Edinburgh Fringe.
To find out more visit scottie.io
Barry Robertson, the founder of 'The Grey Hill', is revolutionising the theatre industry by empowering organisations to embrace data-driven strategies and digital innovation. With a decade of experience in theatre production and community engagement, Barry has developed forms of digital engagement, including audio theatre and interactive audio experiences via Amazon Alexa. Currently, Barry is at the forefront of integrating data solutions for the Scottish theatre sector, collaborating with renowned institutions like Perth Theatre and Concert Hall, Dumfries Royal Theatre, and The Gaiety Theatre. By developing solutions, Barry supports various aspects of theatre production, from enhancing creativity and audience development to improving accessibility. Barry's tireless efforts and forward-thinking approach are driving a data-driven revolution in the theatre industry. His passion for combining technology and the arts, along with his vision for a more connected, insightful, and accessible theatre experience, has positioned him as a leading innovator in Scotland. His work is transforming the way theatres operate and engage with their communities, ensuring a vibrant and sustainable future for the performing arts.
To find out more visit thegreyhill.com
Beverley Hood is an artist and Reader in Technological Embodiment and Creative Practice, at the University of Edinburgh. Since the mid-1990s, she has interrogated the impact of technology and science on the body, relationships, and human experience through the creation of digital media, performance art projects, and writing. Her work is interdisciplinary and research-led, undertaken in collaboration with a range of practitioners, including medical researchers, scientists, writers, technologists, dancers, actors, and composers. Her work has been performed, screened, and exhibited at international galleries, museums, conferences, and festivals. She is currently a Co-Investigator, on the UKRI BRAID (Bridging Responsible AI Divides) programme, leading the Inspired Innovation theme focused on the creative arts. BRAID is a six-year research programme funded by the UKRI Arts and Humanities Research Council (AHRC), led by the University of Edinburgh in partnership with the Ada Lovelace Institute and the BBC.
To find out more visit bhood.co.uk
Caterina Moruzzi is a Chancellor's fellow in the Institute for Design Informatics, University of Edinburgh. Her research spans the fields of human and artificial creativity, philosophy of art, and the philosophy of Artificial Intelligence. As BRAID Research Fellow, she leads a collaboration with Adobe to promote the responsible integration of Artificial Intelligence tools into creative practices. As Co-Investigator in the UKRI-funded DeCADE and CoSTAR projects, she investigates the disruptive effects that emerging technological innovations have on creative workflows. At the forefront of the research on modes of shared creativity between humans, data, and technology, Caterina actively engages in discussions that convene stakeholders from academia, industry, and policy to discuss the impact of AI on the creative sector. She is Lead of the research cluster "Creativity, AI, and the Human" at the Edinburgh Futures Institute and Senior Fellow of the Future Unilab, Una Europa Alliance.
To find out more visit caterinamoruzzi.weebly.com
Graduating from the University of Glasgow with an MA Hons in Music, Christopher has worked in arts programming, marketing and communications, fundraising and strategic development for the past 15 years. He joined Perth Theatre and Concert Hall in 2021 having previously held various positions at Cryptic, the Scottish Music Centre and Cheltenham Festivals. He currently serves on the boards of Drake Music Scotland & PLUS Perth and was Vice Chair of the European Music Council Youth Committee. Results-driven and with demonstrable success across audience development, brand strategy, income generation, programming, campaign planning, and delivery locally, nationally and internationally, his greatest interests lie in exploring and maximising the many opportunities offered by data and new technology for increasing audiences' engagement with, and support of, artists' work. Previous projects and partnerships include Apple, The Arches, Arts & Humanities Research Council, Bang On A Can, Chamber Music Scotland, Crowdfunder, Glasgow's Concert Halls, Google, Inner Ear, Live Music Now, Nonclassical, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and the University of Edinburgh Business School. Christopher is a member of the International Society of the Performing Arts, and recognitions include Prestige Scotland, Corporate LiveWire and Clear Channel & Campaign Magazine's Outdoor Media awards.
To find out more visit perththeatreandconcerthall.com
Claire studied Performing Arts, specialising in dance, at De Montfort University, Leicester in the UK, and on graduating moved into the field of arts management. Initially joining the company from 1997 - 2002 she re-joined Cryptic in 2005 with a view to developing the company and has over seen the move from music theatre company to producing art house and has been instrumental in the production of work that tours across Europe, South America, Australia and Asia. She has worked with a variety of theatres and cultural organisations in Scotland including the Arches, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Renfrewshire Arts, Renfrewshire Enterprise and Scottish Ballet producing arts events, conferences, festivals and education programmes. From 2000 - 2002 Claire was chairperson of Renfrewshire Dance Project and is Chairperson for Glasgow-based theatre company Vox Motus and sits on the Board of Object-A.
To find out more visit cryptic.org.uk
Cristina is the co-founder of Bright Side Studios and brings over two decades of expertise in visual storytelling to the company. For her, there's nothing more exhilarating than witnessing a moment of profound connection, whether it directly impacts someone's experience or sparks their imagination in more abstract ways. Cristina finds her passion in the intersection of art, motion and design with technology, where visual storytelling ignites curiosity and fosters deeper connections. Bright Side Studios is an animation studio, specialising in crafting illusionary immersive experiences that breathes vibrant life into stories. Whether through visually stunning animations, intricate storytelling or ground breaking immersive experiences, the studio has mastered the art of creating awe-inspiring moments that resonate with audiences of all ages. They are storyteller drawn to the whimsical, the enchanting, and the uncharted, with a mission to transport viewers to realms where the ordinary transcends into the extraordinary.
To find out more visit brightsidestudios.co.uk
Gail Wylie taught and organised Literature classes at the University of Edinburgh's Centre for Lifelong Learning for fourteen years, before running her own business. She also gave pre-show talks at Edinburgh’s Festival Theatre, and was the Chair of the Muriel Spark Society. Now living near Perth, she has been the Chair of Blairgowrie's Bookmark Book Festival for the past six years. She gives talks at Perth Theatre for their series of plays in the spring and autumn season.
Jamie is Co-founder and Chief Creative Officer of Equator, Scotland's No. 1 and a UK top-five Digital Transformation Consultancy. She's been involved in creating game-changing websites, national integrated campaigns, start-up brands, business models and strategies across almost every sector from finance (Lloyds, Santander, AXA and RBS), utilities (SSE and Spark) to travel (Malmaison, Village, Rocco Forte) and consumer goods (Baxters, Macallan, Paul Mitchell) to name a few. She is a proud trans woman and believes in representation as a powerful force for change in terms of self-acceptance and the acceptance of difference in others. She was recognised at the 2022 Proud Scotland Awards, where she won the Community Champion Award. She is co-chair of the DE&I council for the British Interactive Media Association. This group is committed to creating incentives and tools for change across the UK's fast-growing digital sector. We believe in diversity as competitive advantage - an approach that actively enhances brands' abilities to solve the big challenges of tomorrow. In 2016 she launched Scotland's first tech festival, Techaus, to share ideas and strengthen the community in Scotland's growing digital sector. Jamie serves on the Data-Driven Skills Initiative board, and for 10 years served on the board of Creative & Cultural Skills, and as a founding trustee board member of The National College for Creative Industries. She is blessed with two jaw-droppingly awesome kids and harbour a deep-seated love for old cars and roller derby. You can call her JJ.
To find out more visit eqtr.com
Martin is a Consulting Partner at Equator. Since 2007, Martin has served at the helm of multiple growing functions within Equator, building out a diverse and talented Marketing team and, more recently, building and developing a cutting-edge Innovation function. Martin is responsible strategic marketing, technology and innovation consultancy - keeping Equator's clients at the forefront of technology and marketing innovation. Martin has been developing the business' consultancy and audit capabilities, delivering comprehensive performance, efficiency and capability audits and strategies for high-growth clients across multiple sectors while developing new products and services to help Equator grow its stable of consultancy and strategy offerings. Martin has served on the board of the CIM in Scotland and as Co-chair of the board of BIMA in Scotland. Martin leads Equator's efforts with the University of Strathclyde in delivering one of the first truly commercially-integrated postgraduate degrees in eMarketing, lecturing and collaborating on course design. Martin has appeared several times on national television discussing technology-based current affairs issues and being a guest on several podcasts and technology journalism sites.
To find out more visit eqtr.com
Aja joined the Scottish Music Industry Association (SMIA) in 2024 as General Manager. Their role involves the day-to-day management of the SMIA's business operations, including overseeing the successful delivery of our annual programme of services, projects and events; supporting the work of the wider executive team. They also work with our partners across SMIA projects and programmes, building effective relationships to support the SMIA's strategic objectives. They have previously held roles at Youth Music & the PRS Foundation.
To find out more visit smia.org.uk
Rightsbridge has been created to help music industry practitioners better understand, manage and monetise their various music based copyrights and neighbouring rights. Jamie Gilmour is a Director of Rightsbridge, a Director of digital distribution company EmuBands and has previously held positions at the Scottish Music Centre (SMC) and the British Academy of Songwriters, Composers & Authors (BASCA). He is also an experienced Artist Manager and Music Project Manager.
To find out more visit rightsbridge.com
During Dr Rahman's PhD research in the neuroscience & complex systems of creative cognition, she identified a signature brain pattern underlying 'Flow' mental states. Flow states improve creativity & cognitive flexibility, are intrinsically motivating and increase engagement & attention, and importantly being in Flow improves mood & stress resilience. Research has shown that training Flow can improve one's cognitive abilities. Yet Flow remains an elusive state. In order to train it, we should know when we are in Flow in the first place! Through her startup NeuroCreate, Dr Rahman has developed a participatory artwork and interface Zeitgeist, that analyses whether audiences are in a Flow state and represents their Flow visually. Audiences will choose their favourite colour, and the more in Flow they are, the more this colour will glow brighter as audiences learn to associate this visualisation to how they feel internally. Audience brain activity is measured through consumer wearables, and this is classified through deep-learning AI models developed by NeuroCreate.
To find out more visit neurocreate.co.uk/zeitgeist
The Centre for Sustainable Design®, UCA has been on a journey from research to developing a practical tool for assessing sustainability maturity in the Createch sector. The tool aims for simplicity and accessibility. It uses a straightforward maturity model - ranging from Zero to Advanced - to help companies evaluate their current sustainability efforts. This model categorises companies based on their sustainability practices, providing them with a clear picture of their strengths and areas for improvement. It then offers tailored advice based on their specific needs. The tool is designed to be interactive and user-friendly, allowing company leaders who might not be experts in sustainability to easily navigate its features. By answering 17 questions, companies can receive immediate feedback and practical steps they can take to enhance their sustainability efforts. It also links to respected sources and guides, helping them to delve deeper into specific topics as needed. It helps Createch companies align with sustainable practices and ensures they can meet the increasing demands from customers, investors and regulators who prioritise environmental and social governance.
To find out more visit cfsd.org.uk/research
At DataMind Audio, we present a groundbreaking real-time neural audio synthesis integrated seamlessly into your Digital Audio Workstation (DAW). Simply input any audio signal, and watch as our plugin recreates its timbre, drawing from meticulously curated datasets crafted in collaboration with leading sound designers and music producers. The sounds are entirely generated by neural networks with no samples involved. What sets us apart is that our platform is committed to ethical sourcing, guaranteeing that artists receive proper compensation for their invaluable contributions to the dataset. Experience the future of audio synthesis with DataMind Audio.
To find out more visit datamindaudio.ai
Building music with Lego. BeatBlocks is an app that enables you to build music in real-time using toy bricks. The app uses computer vision and AI to recognise bricks of different sizes, shapes and colours. When the app sees a brick, it plays a sound: when you build, you create music. A hands-on accessible, inclusive and playful music making platform. Launched at SXSW 2023 the BIMA award winning software is available now on the App store.
To find out more visit beatblocks.app
Jamie Bankhead is the CEO of Konglomerate Games. Konglomerate Games is a video games company specialising in creating game to help people. They take the best parts of video games and apply them to non game scenarios like healthcare and education. From physiotherapy games for children with breathing conditions to medical training and math and literacy games, Konglomerate Games works with experts to solve real life problems through games!
To find out more visit konglomerate.games/
Maxwell Scott-Slade: Director of Games @ GLITCHERS Maxwell is on a mission to use games to tackle some of the world's biggest challenges in healthcare, scientific research and biodiversity conservation. After being nominated for a "Games Beyond Entertainment" Bafta, Max has also gone on to win 9 x Cannes Lions awards, 3 x D&ADs and countless others for his work in this field. "Games are often solving the problem of entertainment and entertainment alone. I like to challenge the relationship with the game design process, by carefully balancing entertainment with an unconventional problem. Problems like lack of data in dementia research or providing personalised medicine recommendations using games. The results of this process are having a massive impact and we're only just at the tip of the iceberg using games in this powerful new way!"
To find out more visit glitchers.com
Led by Edinburgh Futures Institute, the third CreativeTech Scotland Gathering brings together creative tech and data-driven innovation practitioners from across the creative industries to share, network, showcase their work and explore innovation within creative technology.
This event is supported by Edinburgh Futures Institute.
