Go Local Development Manager appointed
Jacquie Shortland joins GANE as Go Local Development Manager, responsible for raising awareness and participation in the campaign across the North East of Scotland and nationally. Jacquie has over twenty years commercial business experience, originally working in recruitment in London – where she hails from, briefly overseas in Sydney, and in the last twelve years settling in Aberdeen, she has specialised mainly in business and event development.
Following a long held ambition to study Fine Art, Jacquie returned to University in 2005 to complete a degree in Sculpture at Grays School of Art. Since graduating she has re-directed her considerable commercial experience towards socially engaged and community arts based practice. Her project management skills have been utilised by SMART Consultants where she facilitated the growth of the highly successful Tea Cosy – alternative art, craft & design fair and developed a new collaborative exhibition with local business. More recently she has been working on a yearlong project with Tenant’s First Housing Co-operative to deliver arts activities to residents of a new housing development in Peterhead. Jacquie is delighted to be working to promote collaboration between arts, culture and local business, believing that our towns and cities need to be looking at creative and exciting new ways of keeping our communities vibrant. Jacquie lives on the Dunecht Estate just outside Westhill with her partner James and their sprollie, Chisel.
Go Local, what’s it all about?
Go Local Banchory launch: this is what we did!
Video produced by Sam Thom, Rufus Runs Fast
News: arts and businesses join forces in Banchory for the launch of their Go Local campaign
From arts to food and books to whisky, Banchory is the first to become a Go Local town and we are proud to launch it with a BANG on Friday and Saturday 9 and 10 September! Come and join us for a weekend of entertainment for the whole family around the town, including live music, art, theatre and dance.
Some highlights include folk duo Ross Couper and Tom Oakes, who are giving a live performance at Deeside Drinks Emporium, to accompany a fine wine tasting session organised by the premises. They will play their full (ticketed) concert at Woodend Barn later that night. Talented young photographer Kelly Compton is launching her career in the changing room of Out There Active Wear (transformed into a mini gallery!), showcasing some of her finest work. Aberdeen based RedRag Theatre will give short taster performances of their upcoming show ‘Doorways in Drumorty’ at several locations around the High Street. For the younger locals there is a Story-time-rhyme-time session at the library and kids are even encouraged to “be BAD” in Banchory Museum! There will be something for all ages and all events are free unless otherwise stated.
For the full programme of events, time table and locations, please visit the dedicated Go Local Banchory page.
We hope to see you soon!
PS: And don’t forget: we are looking to roll out campaigns in other Scottish towns and neighbourhoods too – so get in touch if you’re interested to take part.
Go Local – get involved!
Treacherous Orchestra, Woodend Barn, Banchory, 2010
The North East of Scotland is a vibrant and creative place to live, but not everyone in your area may be aware of what’s on offer to them, both in terms of arts, culture, food and other local activity.
Go Local is a new campaign encouraging people to explore and take advantage of all the great things available on their doorstep for them and their families: theatre & concerts, galleries, festivals as well as wonderful local food produce, restaurants, shops and other local businesses. With the Go Local campaign we are hoping to bring the arts, businesses and tourism together to create a real ‘buzz’ and raise awareness of the great quality that is around us.
The first Go Local campaign will take place in Banchory, launching on 9/10 September 2011, and we are seeking to roll out the campaign across other towns and areas in the North East – and also neighbourhoods in Aberdeen city. How about yours?
Join the campaign!
We are encouraging local arts organisations, private businesses (in retail, tourism, etc) and communities to work together to promote, develop and sustain the cultural life in their own area. We invite your organisations and businesses to become part of the scheme and lead it in your community, with our help and advice. There is no joining fee, all we ask is enthusiasm, partnership working and a passion for your local area. Please download our free Information Pack from this website to learn more about the campaign and how to get involved.
If you’d like to find out more or want to help us to deliver this exciting campaign and keep your local community vibrant, please email info@ganeaudiences.co.uk or phone us on 01330-826522.
Go Local is led by GANE in partnership with HI-Arts, North East Arts Touring, Aberdeenshire Council, sound and Woodend Barn.
Press Release
New Campaign launched to boost North East towns
A new campaign is set to launch tomorrow in Huntly to encourage local businesses to join forces in a bid to keep North East towns vibrant for both residents and visitors. The Go Local campaign, developed by North East cultural agency GANE, has already attracted much interest from the arts and business sector with Banchory being the first town on the list to get a boost.
A special Information Day is being held for interested parties on Friday 24 June, 10am – 12noon, at the Ex-Service Men’s Club in Huntly.
Go Local info Day in Huntly: 24 June
Come along to the Go Local info Day to learn more about the campaign and find out how to get involved. With brief presentations from GANE, Deveron Arts, Historic Scotland and others (tbc).
You will receive an information pack with tip-sheets, a sign up form and support material so you can go and start campaigning in your own local area. Open to both arts organisations and businesses. We hope to see you there!
- Go Local Information Day – Friday 24 June 2011
- Location: Ex Service Menʼs Club, Huntly map
- Time: 10am-12noon
- Optional visits after lunch: a short tour by Deveron Arts showing their ‘Town Collection’ in Huntly and a visit to Huntly Castle as potential Go Local venue with Historic Scotland.
- Free entry, coffee/tea and lunch included.
Please register your attendance by emailing fionajack@ganeaudiences.co.uk
Take part as a business – be part of the Buzz!
Need creative ideas to boost your business and keep your community vibrant? Join forces with the arts!
Why take part:
- Your business will be part of an umbrella campaign, promoting quality in your local area.
- Working with artists and arts organisations may give you lots of different, creative ideas to put your business on the map and reach new audiences.
- ‘Day-time’ visitors to galleries and other arts events will most likely team it up with a bit of shopping and a cup of coffee and turn their visit into an attractive ‘package’. Joining forces with the arts could mean offering special mutual discounts to encourage customers to come to you.
- People who are going to see a concert or play at a local village hall or arts centre are probably interested to make a night out of it and book a table in a restaurant locally or go for drinks afterwards.
- By supporting your local economy the money spent in the community is more likely to stay local and further enhance local employment.
- By supporting the Go Local campaign and local arts venues and groups you help ensure your local community remains vibrant and varied.
- Taking part in Go Local will not cost you anything other than a little bit of your time!
What will I get in return?
- In return for supporting your local cultural life, participating arts venues in your local area will include your business details (logo and/or name) on their website and promote your business as part of the Go Local campaign
- You will be mentioned in PR material and press releases for your local Go Local campaign
- If you take part in a Cultural Ambassador Scheme you could receive complimentary tickets for shows or other rewards from local arts venues you promote (this would be agreed between you and the arts venues).
- If a communal loyalty card is set up, you will be able to include your business and encourage return visits by customers.
As a business you can take part in Go Local in various ways;
- Participating venues and businesses are invited to display the Go Local logo as a sticker on their window to create a recognisable, ‘trusted’, local brand.
- Participants could set up a Go Local loyalty card scheme between both arts venues and retailers to encourage cross-over business and reach new audiences
- Businesses could team up with arts organisations at local events;
For example: a catering business could offer to do a taster session during a performance or opening night of an exhibition, to expose its product to a new audience. Or what about having a little ‘taster’ musical performance in your local shop that would draw attention (and press!) to both your business and the arts event at the same time? The possibilities are endless – get in touch to discuss things further.
There are numerous ways in which local arts, business and also heritage, tourism and community groups could collaborate and together keep their local area vibrant. Get in touch if you want to take part or have an idea for the campaign. We’d love to hear from you! Call 01330-826522 or email info@ganeaudiences.co.uk to find out more.
