Inksters Solicitors sponsors cultural award

Inksters Solicitors has sponsored a new award category at the Arts & Business Scotland Awards 2015 for “Business Creativity”. The award was the brainchild of Inksters’ founder, Brian Inkster, who persuaded his fellow judges to introduce it for the first time to the 2015 awards.

Last week, at a ceremony at the Edinburgh International Conference Centre, Mr Inkster presented the award to Peter Griffiths, marketing manager of Caledonian MacBrayne who won the award for their creativity in establishing CalMac Culture.

CalMac Culture is a stable of competitions - which includes CalMac Culture Music and Screen, and will add CalMac Culture Art this year. Each strand in this cultural stable works on a simple premise - offer talented newcomers an opportunity which, for most, would be out of reach. In the case of CalMac Culture Music, would-be singer/songwriters or bands are given the chance of winning a half hour slot at one of a number of major festivals across Scotland’s west coast. In the case of CalMac Culture Screen, the winner is able to work with a top-flight film studio to broaden their skills.

A commendation went to Macsween of Edinburgh who produced a show entitled Haggis, Haggis, Haggis that was performed at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.

Mr Inkster said: “Both the winners, Caledonian MacBrayne, and the commended company, Macsween of Edinburgh, showed extraordinary foresight by creating opportunities for the Arts which had business benefits. More often than not an Arts Organisation has to look for a business partner to assist it financially. For the drive and enthusiasm for an arts project to come from the business sector is something to be recognised and encouraged.”

Mr Griffiths on behalf of Caledonian MacBrayne said: “We are delighted to have been given this award. It is recognition not just for our team which works so hard on it, but also for the faith event organisers have had in us and for all those who enter the competition.”