Edinburgh’s CodeBase pushes button on creative industries accelerator

A pilot cohort is already involved in the programme. Picture: Contributed

More than 200 people are set to join the Creative Bridge programme over the next three years as part of the multi-million-pound Creative Informatics initiative linked to the Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region Deal.

The initiative is designed to give participants the skills to turn creative ideas into successful businesses.

A pilot cohort is now underway, with participants coming from backgrounds in theatre production, music, interior design, data visualisation, photography, and publishing.

CodeBase’s head of bridge programmes, Oliver Littlejohn, who is the Creative Bridge lead, said: “Scotland has an amazing creative scene, and we’re really excited about the partnership we’ve built in Edinburgh to help bridge the gap between creatives and tech.

“We’ve been blessed with multiple tech success stories here in Edinburgh, but we know there are many more great ideas that need support be realised.”

He added: “It’s also the case that many of the technology start-ups are starved of the kind of creative and design talent that can really help them to scale. The best start-ups in the world are those that realise the value of creativity and include it as a core part of their culture.”

Participant Tom Smith, a freelance musician and educator, said: “Creative Bridge is giving me a clearer sense of the viability of my idea and providing the toolset to turn that idea into a business. I’m only part of the way through the course, but the lessons learned and connections made are already invaluable.”

A mix of entrepreneurs, company founders and senior industry executives are teaching on the accelerator.