Waking a Sleeping Giant: Unlocking Ireland’s Creative Potential in the Digital Age

Cultural & Creative Industries Skillnet in collaboration with the Guinness Enterprise Centre (GEC) and Furthr would like to invite Furthr client companies and GEC companies to a presentation by award winning film producer and educator David Puttnam, followed by some light refreshments in the Workshop Room (Third Floor) at the Guinness Enterprise Centre.

Please note that although David Puttnam's presentation will use the creative industries as a reference point, his presentation will touch on topics that will be relevant to all sectors including technological change, innovation, and resilience.

Waking a Sleeping Giant: Unlocking Ireland’s Creative Potential in the Digital Age

The creative industries are showing no signs slowing down – in fact, the global creative sector is expected to see 40% growth by 2030. Of course, the pace of technological change has also been rapid in recent years, particularly with the proliferation of generative AI. Now the boundary between what’s considered ‘creative’ and ‘technological’ is evermore blurred. In this seminar, drawing on his own experience of the film industry, David Puttnam will consider Ireland’s position in the face of these changes and ask how Irish entrepreneurs and innovators can ensure they remain relevant, and even globally competitive.

David Puttnam

CEO & Founder, Atticus Education

Independent Film Producer

Member of the House of Lords (1997 – 2021)

A British film producer, educator and environmentalist, Lord David Puttnam is Chair of Atticus Education, an online education company that delivers audio-visual seminars all over the world. David spent thirty years as an independent producer of award-winning films including The Mission, The Killing Fields, Chariots of Fire, Midnight Express, Bugsy Malone and Local Hero. Together these films have won ten Oscars, thirteen Golden Globes, nine Emmys, thirty-one BAFTAs, four David di Donatellos, and the Palme D'Or at Cannes. In 1997, he was appointed to the House of Lords and during his time as a parliamentarian, he agitated unrelentingly in public policy for education, climate change, and the creative industries. In 2019, he was appointed Chair of the House of Lords Select Committee on Democracy & Digital Technologies, which was established to investigate the impact of technologies on democracy. David was awarded a CBE in 1982 and a knighthood in 1995. He is a Commander of the Order of Arts and Letters in France, and has more than 50 honorary degrees from universities worldwide. He was Ireland’s ‘Digital Champion’ from 2012 – 2017 and was granted Irish citizenship in 2022. He retired from the House of Lords in 2021 and now focuses on his work in education.