Since 2002 Aimhi has been a members only organisation servicing the creative industries as a whole. In that time a great deal has changed and as a result Aimhi must also change and adapt with the times. 2007 has already seen a change with the appointment of a new Development Manager and recent AGM was used to ratify the new direction Aimhi will be taking.

Aimhi is now a publicly funded through HIE and as a result we have a new tighter mandate to promote, specifically that of the Broadcast and Screen Industries within the Highlands and Islands. This will see us working very closely with HIE, Scottish Highlands and Islands Film Commission, Scottish Screen and great number of small companies throughout the region.

As a publicly funded body we can no longer operate with an excusive membership, we must instead open ourselves up to represent all Broadcast and Screen companies within the Highlands and Islands. This new User Group will have access to the services offered by Aimhi without having to specifically sign up or pay a membership fee. Our services are in effect free to everyone working within the Broadcast and Screen cluster.

The narrowing of our focus from the Creative Industries in general down to the Broadcast and Screen cluster has proved to be a necessity. Simply put, the creative industries are growing and is already far too big for anyone one group to coordinate. As such Aimhi will be working alongside three other organisations each with a different focus, currently Music Industry, Designer Fashion and Publishing.

So what exactly is Broadcast and Screen? Actually its a bit wider than it might first appear. The broadcasting part naturally covers Radio and Television Production. The screen part incorporates anything what is displayed upon a screen from Films to Web Narrowcasting to Video Games. So our remit is still pretty big. There will also be occasion when Aimhi will work closely with one of its partner organisations because there is a synergy between the two areas; a good example might be cooperating with the Publishing cluster to provide a workshop in script writing.

The first step along this new path is for Aimhi to identify all the companies within the Highlands and Islands that operate within our Broadcast and Screen cluster and to make contact with all of them. Only once we are full aware of whos doing what and where, can we begin to offer a service that will be of use to everyone.

If you work within the Broadcast and Screen cluster and have not yet been in contact with Aimhi, then please drop us an email.