AGENDA
_ Street
theatre
When members of the theatre company Rain Dog began researching a play about prostitution. they found it was a subject that took them in unexpected directions. They discovered prostitution couldn‘t be considered without looking at other social issues.
‘You can‘t talk about prostitution and not talk about drugs and homelessness; these elements all seem to be linked and that‘s what the play is about.‘ explains director Caroline Paterson.
Wasted was devised by the cast during improvisation sessions but the characters‘ stones are partly drawn from a series of interviews with five working prostitutes from Glasgow saunas. ‘There was a very relaxed feeling amongst them. It was like “This is what we do — it‘s ajob". I was shocked at the matter of factness of it
Rain Dog; improvised characters ; and how in control they are. For them. it‘s got nothing to do with sex.‘ Although Rain Dog‘s first hand experience of prostitutes was through saunas. the Scottish Prostitutes Education Project says that drugs and
I homelessness are more of a problem for 5
prostitutes who work on the streets. ‘There is a major difference in terms of their vulnerability between street women and those who work indoors.’ says Scot-PEP co-ordinator Ruth Morgan Thomas. ‘One of the positive aspects of working indoors is that the women are less at risk from violent clients.‘
Scot-PEP is based in Edinburgh. where it distributes 2000 condoms a week to prostitutes. but is planning to open a drop-in centre in Glasgow. Prostitution operates very differently in the two cities; in Glasgow 80 per cent work on the streets and the rest indoors. while in Edinburgh the figures are reversed. Those working on the streets are much more likely to be intravenous drug users which makes Rain Dogs‘ linkage of the two issues particularly relevant to Glasgow.
‘This is a slice of life people don‘t usually see and we‘re trying to get behind the issues,‘ says Paterson. (Eddie Gibb) ll/usied is at The Arches in Glasgow ; from Friday [8 March—Saturday 2 April at 7.30pm.
I Paisley humour Cafe Borgia. which puts on regular music gigs in Paisley. wants to branch out into comedy. John Shaw hopes to establish a regular comedy night at the venue and would like to hear from anybody who already has an act or fancies trying their hand for the first time. Interested? Contact him on 041 887 6293 during the day.
I Student victory The Government has
decided to back down on its plans to reduce the number of services student unions can provide after huge opposition from university heads and the House of Lords. Some changes are still expected with the introduction ofa code of practice for student unions. and NUS Scotland president Jim Murphy warns that some of the changes could end up as backdoor reforms. Under the Government‘s revised proposals. individual students will be given the right to opt out of student union membership. but there will not be any financial incentive to do so. as was feared. I Camera flash The Citywatch security scheme. which would bring closed circuit television cameras to Glasgow's city centre. may not go ahead if local business do not increase their financial support for the project. The scheme has been further delayed while the Citywatch Association looks for alternative sources of funding. I Home ruling Civil rights campaign body Liberty has claimed that the Government's refusal to allow Scotland the right to determine its own constitution could be a breach of human rights legislation. It will be asking the United Nations to consider the claim. which Liberty regards as an example of the centralisation of Government power. when it next examines Britain‘s human rights record. as part of a regular review of all member nations. I Community theatre Castlemilk People‘s Theatre hopes its new production of Lorca’s Blood Wedding will help establish itself as a small- scale toun'ng company which will be Lable to help local actors receive Equity cards. Blood Wedding will run at The
Access all areas
: Urban aid funding for an off-shoot project has allowed Edinburgh’s Video
Access Centre, which offers the public :
' cheap camera hire and editing facilites, to expand into bigger premises.
Last year over 150 amateur and semi- professional videos were produced at VAC. That number looks likely to
increase when it opens a new studio
and vision mixing facility which will
: allow pop promos to be produced at
the centre. A number of people who
learned the basics of video making at
5 the centre have gone on to film
i school, according to VAC co-ordinator
: Audrey Hutchison.
However, it is the recognition of
video as a powerful tool for youth and
; community work which has attracted
over £400,000 in Urban Aid funding for
C Young People Speak Out, which
orginated at VAC. The two projects
will be sharing the new premises and
i the grant has enabled new video
' equipment to be bought. YPSU will be working with young people up to the age of 25 in socially deprived areas. UVideo can be used as a tool to develop a range of social skills in kids who would otherwise be alienated
’ ii
5 from society,’ says YPSO co-ordinator Peter Cregson.
For instance youth workers who want to use improvisation to help young , people to talk about their experiences find using a video camera encourages
them to take part. It seems that even the most cynical teenager regards ‘ video as hip, where anything that l smacks of drama definitely isn’t. j ‘People are surrounded by technology i and using video is a way of l empowering people,’ says Hutchison. l ‘You can pick up a camera and make a i statement, which is a great way of : leamlng about yourself.’ A forerunner of vrso based near Dalkeith enabled a group of young 5 people, who had frequently been in i trouble with the police, the chance to make a short documentary about their : experiences. This included an 5 interview with a police representative i about his views on youth crime. ‘They may not have liked the answers but at least they got to ask the questions,’ a youth worker involved in the project said. (Eddie Clbb) The Video Access Centre is now based at 25a South Vlest Thistle Street and can be contacted on 031 220 0220.
V ACTION
I Unite Against Racism Sat I9 Mar sees a major demonstration against racism. with support expected from all over the country. The Anti-Racist Alliance. which organised the London demo. has called for members of all ethnic minorities. trade unions. the labour movement and all who oppose racism and the extreme right to attend. From Scotland, buses and overnight trains have been organised by the STUC: phone Bill Spiers‘ office on 041 332 4946 during office hours for local details. Otherwise. phone the ARA hotline on O7] 837 3797. For once. it seems that there has been no other major anti-racist demonstration organised for the same day and the Anti-Nazi League is also running buses: phone 071 924 0333 for local details. The demonstration will assemble at llam, Sat 19 at Spitalfields Market, London to march to the rally at London Fields. Hackney.
I Cycling Conference The Glasgow Cycling Campaign has organised a conference to examine the connected issues of whether cycling in Glasgow can be made safer for cyclists and the number of cyclists increased. The conference will be held at The Woodside Halls. near St George's Cross. on Sat I2 Mar, from 9.30am. Conference fee: £4 (£2). Further details on 041 552 8776.
I Women and liuntan Rights Amnesty International has organised a major
conference on Women and Human
Rights for Sat 12 Mar at the Chaplaincy Centre, Bristo Square, Edinburgh from lOam—4.30pm. The cost is £8 (£3) including lunch. The Edinburgh St Marks Amnesty Group is holding a ‘Wine and Sign‘ evening on Mon 14 Mar at St Marks Unitarian Church. Castle Terrace at 7.30pm with greetings card signing, video and refreshments. All are welcome.
I The Work of LEEP Friends of the Earth Edinburgh is holding a public meeting on Thurs 17 Mar in the Executive Rooms of the EUSA, 60 The Pleasance. at 7.45pm. The speaker is Laura McGadie who will talk about her work at the Lothian and Edinburgh Environmental Partnership.
I EDINBURGH PEACE FESTIVAL The Festival continues until Sun 20 Mar. See also Music. Theatre and Days Out listings. A full programme is available from Seb Fisher on 031 554 2276.
My Visit to the 1993 Japan Peace Conference Mon 14. 7.30pm. Peace & Justice Centre, 3 Lothian Road. Talk by Lynn Jamieson, secretary of Scottish CND.
Nuclear Convoys on the ltlng need Thurs 17, 7pm. 18 Hailesland Road. Wester Hailes. Public Meeting and debate organised by Wester Hailes Representative Council and Edinburgh CND.
Mediation In the Community Thurs 17, 7.30pm. Friends Meeting House. Victoria Terrace. David Lowe presents an introductory seminar and workshop on mediation and approaches to peacekeeping in the community.
The Future of the United lotions Sat 19. 1.15—4.30pm. Royal Pharmaceutical Society Hall, York Place. Seminar and discussion groups organised by the Scottish UN Association.
Tron. Glasgow from 22—24 March.
The List 11—24 March 1994 5