AGENDA
The doors are open
NATIONAL .‘vl()NL.'t‘viliN'l'S RECORD
St Vincent Street Church, Glasgow, by Alexander ‘Greek' Thomson
On 14 September Edinburgh and seven other Scottish towns and cities will be following the lead established last year by Glasgow and Ayr in conducting a Doors Open Day — an initiative which allows the denizens ofeach town the chance to view the interiors of various municipal buildings. churches and private residencies to which the public do not normally have access. The
scheme is designed to heighten
l l
awareness ofScotland‘s architectural and cultural heritage and is part ofthe wider European Heritage Days venture. in which Scotland is participating alongside the likes of France. Denmark and Holland.
Last year‘s inaugural affair in Glasgow was deemed to be a great success with buildings like the Mosque and the Sheriff Court much oversubscribed. Glasgow has seventeen more buildings open to the public this year. including the auspicious halls of the City Chambers and the rather more dubious attraction of the Art Gallery‘s taxidermy department. Two synagogues— Garnethill and Queen‘s Park — will open on Sunday 15. This brings the total number of
The Signet Library, Parliament Square, Edinburgh
NATIONAL MONL’MliN'IS RECORD
participants to 62, spread throughout the City Centre. West End and South Side.
This year the organisers. the Bridgegate Trust. have attempted to supply refreshments and co-ordinate special exhibitions and events in various locations; there will be an organ recital in St Mary's Episcopal Church. and archive shipbuilding footage in the Clyde Port Authority building. The Babbity Bowster is offering the incentive ofa bottle of whisky to the person who can produce leaflets from the greatest number ofbuildings.
Edinburgh’s first attempt at a Doors Open Day. organized by the Cockburn Association, has resulted in the opening of61 buildings throughout the Old and New Towns. and stretching out to the extremities of Leith, the Dean Village and the South Side. Principal attractions include the Caledonian Brewery, Hearts‘ Tynecastle football ground, the Greyfriars Kirk. the Royal College of Physicians, the Signet Library and the often-passed over Magdalene Chapel. (Fiona Shepherd)
Doors Open Day 199] takes place on Sat14. Admission to every building is free.
A REEL IN THE DAY OF STEPHEN GILMOUR
Stephen Gilmour, trainee projectionist :
at the Cameo Cinema in Edinburgh, tells us what goes on in that room at the back oi the cinema.
I did Higher English— don‘t come it with me, pal. What’s that got to do with cinema projection? Communication isn't really important in my job because there’s a wall between me and the audience. No one else sees me or even knows I’m there — but they're quick to
complainiltheiilmisabitdodgyorout i ?
ol locus, or it the sound is a bit loud, etc, etc, pal.
Most people don‘t understand what myjob involves. We receive prints in various conditions and unlortunately there’s very little we can do about it. At the start ol my day I check it all the lilms are in (often they arrive late) and it’s not the case that when they are delivered they are all in screenable torm. Far from it. The prints are delivered in separate reels which then have to be joined together, checked thoroughly lor flaws, and at all times handled with great care.
Screening a lilm is no picnic either, pal, ye ken — it requires skill, judgement and quick decision-making. A lot oi mistakes can be made whilst showing a lilm, and it‘s an essential part of my job to prevent these errors coming to the attention at the public. The Cameo, which has just introduced
two new screens, has created a projectionist’s nightmare (the start and finish times of lilms clash, and any delays cause havoc). It has, however, given me a job, working beside experienced projectionists, albeit as a trainee.
The Cameo Cinema says start'em young. j
V CLIPPINGS
I Photography Festival: Edinburgh-based photographer Alasdair Foster has been appointed Director of the Scottish International Festival of Photography, which is due to take place in 1993. Foster was formerly assistant to the director of Films of Scotland before setting up his own business in 1981. As a writer he has frequently contributed to photography journals in Britain and abroad, and has exhibited his work extensively. He was organiser of the ‘Behold The Man‘ exhibition — a study of the history of photographic representation of the male body — which was commissioned by Stills Gallery in 1988 .The post of Festival Development Officer, who will have responsibility for marketing and fundraising, has not yet been filled.
I Scottish Film Council: Coinciding with the publication of the SFC's Annual Review for 1990-91 comes the news that, in film terms at least, Scotland has been recognised as a ‘small country‘. This decision by MEDIA. the European Community programme in support of film, means that Scotland will be able to reap the benefits of the programme — both financial and participatory— in its own right and not as part of the UK. Meanwhile 30 September sees the closing date for applications for the SFC‘s Production Awards, which are designed to offer grant aid to those working with low-budget filmmaking. but normally excluded
from such opportunities. Details are
available from the Deputy Director of the SFC, 74 Victoria Crescent Road, Glasgow, G12 9JN.
I District Arts Council AGM: The Edinburgh District Arts Council Annual General Meeting, to be held at 7pm on Wednesday 25 September in the Assembly Rooms, George Street. will be addressed by Brian McMaster, Director-Designate of the Edinburgh International Festival. The meeting is open to all. I Sponsored Walk: A sponsored walk in aid of the British Union for the Abolition of Vivisection will be held in Glasgow on Sunday 29 September, with registration at 10am near the People’s Palace on Glasgow Green. The Glasgow event is part of a series of nationally co-ordinated walks which aims to raise funds to stamp out the unnecessary suffering of millions of animals in British laboratories each year. Anyone wishing to take part should contact BUAV at 16a Crane Grove. London. N7 8LB.
I Scottish Olllce Demo: Values Into Action, a national organisation who campaign with — as well as on behalf of— people with learning difficulties, will be staging a protest at l lam outside the Scottish Office on Friday 13 September. The demonstration
' is an attempt to draw the
At the end oi the day, in the wee small 2 hours oi Saturday morning, I delve into my minimalist pay packet and console mysell with the thought that someone, somewhere, is worse ott than me - but then again, I've always wanted to live in a semi-detached in Albania.
Government‘s attention to the
I number of mentally handicapped
people in hospitals, and to convince them that domestic housing with proper support is a better alternative to relocating people to other institutions.
The List 13 — 26 September l9915