LEADING creative industries festival XpoNorth takes place in Inverness on June 27 and June 28, offering a range of music and showcases of some of the best new artists in Scotland as well as a packed programme of seminars and workshops led by creative industry professionals.

Formerly known as goNORTH, XpoNorth is the only festival of its kind in Scotland covering craft, fashion and textiles; writing and publishing; screen and broadcast; digital and technology; and music. By night, the Highland capital will hear the likes of Annie Booth, Beta Waves, Tamzene, Zoe Graham and Emme Woods at a series of free gigs across the city.

By day, the conference element of the festival will offer a series of seminars from industry figures such as broadcaster Vic Galloway and representatives from the Scottish Music Industry Association, Edinburgh International TV Festival, the BBC and the Music Producers Guild.

As well as exploring developments in gaming, podcasts and cultural tourism, there is a series of events called ShiftED, where craft, fashion and textile makers from the Highlands and Islands and Iceland will provide insight into their collaborative working practises.

Iain Hamilton, head of creative industries at Highlands and Islands Enterprise, which funds XpoNorth with the European Regional Development Fund, said: “We’re delighted to announce this exciting and diverse list of new speakers.

“Finding the right quality and balance of content is a critical part of producing the seminar element of the festival and we’re thrilled with the range of speakers set to participate in this year’s conference. It’s important that we develop a platform where we continue to attract high-level national and international speakers and deliver a great environment to connect them with our business infrastructure.”