RAISE YOUR GAME NATIONAL
A Scotland-wide skills development programme for creative freelancers, sole traders, and early-career practitioners. Delivered in partnership with Creative Scotland and six incredible creative networks across the country.
What Is Raise Your Game National?
Raise Your Game National scales our proven Raise Your Game model (four years strong here in Edinburgh) out across Scotland. Led by Creative Edinburgh and funded by Creative Scotland, the programme is delivered in partnership with six creative networks - Applied Arts Scotland, Creative Dundee, Creative Glasgow, Creative Arts Business Network (CABN) DG Unlimited and OnFife. It aims to give freelancers, early-career creatives, and returning professionals in those communities access to the same kind of practical, high-quality skills support our Edinburgh members have benefited from for years.
The programme is designed for early-stage freelancers, sole traders, small creative businesses, and anyone making a pivot in their creative career.
How the Programme Works
Each cohort brings together 35 participants from across Scotland - six from each of the partner networks - for:
- An introductory session, bringing the cohort together for orientation, goal-setting, and networking
- Eight online sessions, structured across three chapters - Taking Stock, Making Moves, and Thinking Forward - covering business planning, marketing, finance, project management, data, legal awareness, open source, and design thinking
- A final Insight to Industry session, connecting participants with employers, festivals, and creative agencies from across the country
Participants also get access to a bespoke digital resource hub, a Mentor Yourself Toolkit, and up to 26 weeks of post-programme guidance from the Creative Edinburgh team.
Eligibility Criteria
Terms & Conditions
Our Partner Organisations
Raise Your Game National is only possible thanks to our six delivery partners, each recruiting and supporting participants from their own communities.
If you're based in one of these communities and want to find out more about applying, get in touch with your local network directly - they'll have all the details on how to take part.
Based in Edinburgh?
Raise Your Game National is open to creatives based within our six partner network regions. If you're based in Edinburgh, you already have a dedicated route into this kind of support through our original Raise Your Game programme, now in its sixth year. Recruitment for the next Edinburgh cohort opens towards the end of 2026 and into early 2027.
Read all about our last Edinburgh-based cohort here.
Supported By Creative Scotland
Raise Your Game National is funded by Creative Scotland, whose ongoing investment in Scotland's creative sector makes programmes like this possible. We're grateful for their continued support in helping us build a more connected, resilient creative community across the country.
Want to Support Scotland's Creative Sector?
Programmes like this exist because organisations choose to invest in the people behind Scotland's creative industries. If you're interested in funding or sponsoring future skills development work, we'd love to hear from you.