Scotland House Brussels is pleased to invite you to our annual St Andrew’s Lecture. This year, we are delighted that the lecture will be delivered by Isabel Davis, Executive Director of Screen Scotland.

Scotland’s National Day, St Andrew’s Day, falls on 30 November and marks the start of Scotland’s Winter Festivals, a series of events that represent a moment of celebration of Scotland's reputation as a culturally rich, diverse, inclusive, and welcoming nation. Our St Andrew's Lecture is a longstanding tradition: inaugurated by Scotland's first First Minister, Donald Dewar, in 1999, and we have welcomed distinguished speakers to Scotland House Brussels ever since. The lecture is an annual opportunity for us to reflect on Scotland’s place in Europe and the world. 

In her role as Executive Director, Isabel leads Screen Scotland’s drive to develop all aspects of Scotland’s film and TV industry through funding and strategic support in order to drive growth. Alongside their partnership agencies, Screen Scotland works to deliver on the aims of the Collaborative Screen Proposal, which sets out the ambitions of Scotland’s screen sector. Isabel and the Screen Scotland team also work to negotiate major new Screen sector deals and partnerships in Scotland, across the UK, and internationally.

Screen Scotland has several training programmes delivered alongside production studios, such as the most recent edition of the Outlander Training Programme, which was financed as a joint venture between Outlander, Screen Scotland, and ScreenSkills, and the Good Omens Training Programme, which was funded jointly by Amazon and Screen Scotland, and allowed Scottish crew to gain experience on a massive production. Aftersun, a 2022 film by Scottish writer and director Charlotte Wells, received funding through Screen Scotland’s Film Production and Development Fund.

Scotland Rising: Shaping the Future of Scotland's Film and TV Industry

Scotland’s film and TV industry has gone through a transformation in the past 5 years since the launch of Screen Scotland in 2018. In her lecture, Isabel will tell the story of how that transformation came about, looking at the role of Screen Scotland, backed by the Scottish Government. She will also discuss how the local industry in Scotland has risen to become a globally recognised centre of filmmaking and the importance of working with our European colleagues to continue to learn, develop and maintain this success.

Following the lecture, we are delighted to invite you to stay for a networking reception showcasing some of the best of traditional Scottish cuisine and hospitality.

If you’d like to join us, please RSVP here by Friday, 24 November.