Dr Alistair Scott

Biography	I am an Associate Professor Film and Television. I am the University Research Theme Lead for Culture and Communities. Since 2022 I have been a member of the Media Studies Commission of FIAT/IFTA (the International Federation of Television Archives). My research and creative practice is focused on two fields: film and TV production history; and the Franki Raffles Archive project rediscovering the legacy of a forgotten feminist social documentary photographer. I started working in higher education in 2005 following a career in film and television. After graduating from the University of St Andrews, MA (Hons) in Modern History, I worked on community arts projects as a documentary filmmaker. After full-time post-graduate training at the National Film & Television School, I spent over 25 years working as a director and producer for the BBC, Channel 4 and Scottish Television. I joined Edinburgh Napier University as a Visiting Lecturer in 2005, acting as an industry consultant for the bid to establish Screen Academy Scotland. From 2006 I was Lecturer in Screen Media at the University of the West of Scotland moving back to Edinburgh Napier in 2009 as Senior Lecturer. I have held academic leadership roles in the School of Arts and Creative Industries over the past 16 years: as Head of Department for Photography, Film & Television 2009-2016; as Director of Screen Academy Scotland, the Creative Skillset Film Academy, (a partnership between Edinburgh Napier University and Edinburgh College of Art) 2015-19, and as Director of the Centre for Media and Culture 2018-21. Selected Publications and research: Scott, A. (2024) Franki Raffles: Photography, Activism and Campaign Work, Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art supported by Paul Mellon Foundation Scott, A. (2023) Songs for the Falling Angel, Conference Paper, FIAT/IFTA Symposium, BFI London Scott, A (2022) The Activist in the Archive, Conference Paper, FIAT/IFTA World Conference, Cape Town, South Africa Scott, A. & Davidson, N. (2021) The challenges facing freelancers in Scottish film and TV: an analysis of 45 years of data from the Film Bang directory 1976-2020, London, Creative Industries Policy and Evidence Centre. Scott, A., 'STV at Sixty' in the International Journal of Scottish Theatre and Screen Studies Vol 11(1), 2018,Edinburgh, QMU, pp 29-50 Scott, A., 'Re-discovering feminist photographer Franki Raffles' in Studies in Photography, Summer 2017, Edinburgh, Scottish Society for the History of Photography pp 58-62. Scott, A., 'Re-examining the aims and contexts of Raffles' photographic practice', in Brownrigg, J. & Scott, A. (2017) Observing Women at Work - Franki Raffles, Glasgow, GSA pp 15-21. Scott, A., 'Representing Scottish communities on screen, chapter' in Malik, S., Chapain,C., & Comunian, R. (Eds) (2017) Community Filmmaking: Diversity, Practices and Places, London, Routledge, pp 60-75. Scott, A. & Manderson, D. (2011) Local Hero, written and directed by Bill Forsyth Glasgow, Association of Scottish Literary Studies. Scott, A. (2009) What’s the Point of Film School, or, What did Beaconsfield Studios do for the Scottish Film industry Chapter in Murray et al. (2009) Scottish Cinema Now, Newcastle upon Tyne Cambridge Scholars Publishing pp 206-221. Professional Practice – selected credits: Franki Raffles: Baltic Bites 2024 15 mins for Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art Songs for the Falling Angel - three decades later (10 mins Screening for FIAT/IFTA Symposium, BFI London, Dec 2023), Raploch Stories - Where are they now ? (60 mins BBC 2017), Raploch Revisited (60 mins BBC 2007), The Road to Melbourne (25 mins BBC 2005), Disaster at the Pit (30 mins BBC 1 Scotland 2002), Raploch Stories (6 x 30 mins BBC1 Scotland 2002), Nightlines (25 mins Scottish TV available on the NLS Moving Image Archive), Postcards from Sighthill (25 mins Scottish TV This Scotland 2001), Dispatches – CCTV (52 mins Channel 4 2000), Execution at Camp 21 (52 mins Channel 4 Secret History series and The History Channel 1999), The Ring of Truth (30 mins film drama Channel 4 1996) Edinburgh International Film Festival, Children under Fire (30 mins Channel 4 1993), Songs for the Falling Angel - Lockerbie Requiem (60 mins ITV 1991), Supperman (52 mins STV 1991), NB (Scottish TV 1989-92), Leithers (52 mins Channel 4 People to People series 1987), Two Painters Amazed (45 mins Arena series BBC 2 1986), Getting in on the Action (30 mins NFTS 1982 Award for Best Documentary Celtic Film & TV Festival), On Site, Torness (29 mins 1979) included in Living Proof - Scotland's Climate Story (90 mins NLS 2021) Exhibitions: Franki Raffles: Photography, Activism, Campaign Works, Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art, Gateshead, 11 May 2024 - 17 March 2025 'Observing Women at Work - Franki Raffles', The Reid Gallery, Glasgow School of Art, 4 March - 27 April, 2017. Produced in partnership with The Franki Raffles Archive Research Project, Edinburgh Napier University. Franki Raffles – curated by Alistair Scott, at the 1st St Andrews Photography Festival, August-Sept 2016.
Research Interests	My research interests include documentary practice, archives, and film and television production in Scotland. My PhD, 'Raploch Stories, continuity and innovation for television documentary production' (2013), critically reflects on seven documentaries I directed for BBC Scotland. This professional practice continues with Raploch Stories - Where are they now ? (BBC 2017). In March 2016 I launched the website www.frankirafflesarchive.org as part of an ongoing research project into the photographic practice of feminist social documentary photographer Franki Raffles (1955-94). The impact of this has led to the inclusion of Raffles' photographs in the Tate Britain Exhibition 'Women in Revolt! - art and activism in the UK 1970-1990, and 'Franki Raffles: Photography, Activism and Campaign Works', the Baltic Centre for Contemporary Art. I have investigated the talent pipeline in the screen industries and in January 2020 began a research project funded by the AHRC through the NESTA Policy and Evidence Centre, Creative Industries entitled 'Film Bang 1976-2020 - resilience and sustainability for freelancers in the screen industries'. This research addressed the new challenges facing freelancers and production companies as a result of the Covid-19 crisis.
Teaching and Learning	I teach on BA Television and BA Film, and supervise a number of postgraduate research students.
PhD Supervision Availability	Yes
PhD Topics	I welcome expressions of interest in research topics including community media, the history of the screen industries in Scotland, documentary practice, and production studies. I am also currently supervising practice-based PhD research in photography.