From Survival to Sustainability: Securing Creative Futures in Scotland’s Music Industry

Tuesday 7 October | 4pm-6pm | Online via Zoom

About the Session:

Creativity powers Scotland’s cultural identity and economy, but at what cost? This panel explores the emotional, environmental and financial realities of sustaining creative practice in a sector underpinned by precarity. As artists, industry professionals and organisations strive to balance ethics, autonomy and economics, how do we move from survival mode to sustainable futures?

This session tackles the hard questions: Can we build resilient businesses without compromising our values? How do we ensure emotionally and financially sustainable creative careers in a sector where burnout is rampant and normalised? From AI and shared risk models, to the rising burden of emotional labour, our panellists explore what it means – and what’s needed – to sustain creativity.

The discussion will confront the hidden costs of labour, asking how we can create safer, more inclusive working environments. Can publicly funded and commercial sectors align without compromising vision or mission? And where is the space for new, distinctly Scottish approaches to creative enterprise?

Join us for a grounded, bold conversation on redefining value in a sector that urgently needs sustainable, values-led solutions.

Registration

This session is free to attend for SMIA members.

To access the registration link, you’ll need to be logged in to your SMIA account.

Not a member yet? SMIA membership is free and open to anyone working in, or aspiring to work in, Scotland’s music industry. Join today to access the Digital Summit and year-round opportunities, resources and events.