The European Movement in Scotland (EMiS) is adding an array of top level speakers from the Scottish hospitality, tourism and culture sectors for its upcoming “Understanding Brexit” workshop in Glasgow on 21st October.
Chaired by leading Scottish business journalist Alf Young, the panel at the event at Strathclyde University business school is now being joined by Claire Moran, one of Scotland’s most experienced international producers.
She is now the senior producer at Cryptic, the internationally renowned company famed for its pioneering work in in live music, visual and sonic arts and performance. Her work at Cryptic has toured throughout the UK and in Europe, South America, Australia and Asia. Claire has previously worked extensively with theatres and cultural organisations, including the Arches, the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, Renfrewshire Arts, Renfrewshire Enterprise and Scottish Ballet.
Other conformed speakers include: Glasgow’s convener for culture and the chair of Glasgow Life, Annette Christie, Scottish Tourism Alliance chief, Marc Crothall, Leon Thompson, Scotland chief of Hospitality UK and Katrina Brown, a director of the visual arts organisation, Common Guild and a former director of the Glasgow International Festival of Contemporary Art. Economist Emma Congreve, deputy director of the Fraser of Allander Institute and author of a recent series of studies on the future of Scotland’s hospitality sector, will add her acute analysis.
Hospitality and culture are cornerstones of the Scottish economy. Tourism and the creative industries alone are estimated to be worth over £10 billion annually to the Scottish economy. Tourism supports over 200,000 jobs and 14,000 businesses. The creative industries employ some 60,000 people, ranging from the country’s great orchestras to many thousands of small companies in music, visual arts, product design, digital products and technical support in film, TV, theatre, concert venues, sports events, exhibitions and conferences.
Leaving the EU has made life more complex, expensive and challenging for businesses, cultural organisations and individuals, with one in four singers unable to work in Europe post-Brexit.
The aim of the event sponsored by EMiS, Scotland’s leading pro-European campaigning group, is to provide a platform for these sectors to say what they want from governments (particularly Westminster) in areas like EU work permits, employing EU citizens, freedom of movement for Scottish performers, producers and technicians and the Brexit bureaucracy faced by travellers.
With a general election imminent and growing appreciation that the UK needs to reset relations with the EU, EMiS wants to contribute to creating greater public awareness of the issues facing the Scottish tourism, hospitality and culture sectors. The aim is to spur policy makers in London, Brussels and Edinburgh into urgent action.
David Clarke, chair of EMiS, says;
“This is not about crude “Brexit bashing” but a grown-up analysis and debate around the issues any new UK government must address to help restore these sectors to health, profitability and global competitiveness.”
“We are now all set for a very interesting and educational day on how our immensely valuable tourism and hospitality sectors can re-engage and utilise Scotland’s close links with the EU for their benefit. No matter what impediments are put in their way by the ultranationalists behind Brexit, our job is to use the goodwill that exists between Scotland and Europe to keep our industries thriving.”
This is a free, ticket-only event. Tickets can be booked on Eventbrite.
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The European Movement in Scotland is committed to promoting the essential European value of free speech. Consequently, we regularly publish articles by leading academics, journalists and others discussing issues germane to Scotland’s place in Europe. Such articles do not necessarily reflect the views of the European Movement in Scotland.
