AGENDA
The Scottish Human Rights Centre is commemorating the
Scotland backs human rights charter
50th anniversary of the United Nations Universal Declaration of Human Rights by launching a national charter of its own, which the organisation hopes will be adOpted as official policy by the new Scottish Parliament. The new document reaffirms the entire original UN versron, while calling upon the soon to be newly elected body to 'deveIOp procedures which enable a participative approach to the consideration and scrutiny of policy and legislation'.
’This is part of our long term aim to create a modern human rights agenda for Scotland, which we hope will be part of the foundations of the Scottish Parliament,’ SHRC spokesman Douglas Hamilton told The List. The recent furore surrounding Chilean dictator General Pinochet has brought such issues to the public eye, and Hamilton believes the anniversary celebrations can be used to keep them there
'It's a good time to remind people what was agreed 50 years ago, when the UN tried to ensure that the atrocmes of the war could not happen again,’ he said. 'The fact is, people like Pinochet have broken laws which their own governments had agreed to abide by. Their acts are criminal, not political,’ Hamilton hopes that an earlier document, the Scottish Bill of Rights, which was published during SHRC's preVious incarnation as the Council for Civil Liberties, wrll also subsequently be taken up by the Parliament.
The new charter has already received cross-party support from Roseanna Cunningham MP, Des Brown MP, Menzres Campbell MP, and Annabel Goldie ()f the Conservative Party. Members of Scotland's religious, arts and law enforcement communities have also signed up, With Ivlotherwell’s footballing intellectual, Pat Nevrn, on board from the sporting world
The protect V/IH be launched at Glasgow's CCA on Thursday 10 December at 8pm, as part of an evening to mark the 50th anniversary of the original charter SHRC director Professor Alan l‘vliller \VIH address the assembled throng, and contributions from a variety of musmans and
Roseanna Cunningham MP: giving Scotland's new human rights document her support
poets are expected, though no names could be confirmed as The List went to press Entry is free and open to the general public, so it couldn't be easier to show soiidarity.
The CCA launch is organised l.". conjunction with Amnesty International, who are staging a variety of events across Scotland on 10 December, including candle-lit vrgils in Princes Street, Edinburgh and George Square, Glasgow. (Rob Fraser)
‘Hard’ times in store for Glasgow audiences
Domenick Allen: from Broadway to Barlinnie in The Hard Man
Glasgow is set to host the most ambitious musical ever staged in Scotland, Following a recent concert reading at the Pavrlion Theatre, The Hard Man — based on the play by Jimmy 80er and Tom McGrath -- will bring Broadway- stanclard talent and production values to the city next spring
The show is the brainchild of Chris Smith (book and directionl and Domenick Allen (music, lyrics, starring roie), who are confident of the city‘s capacity for success. According to Smith, 'Coming into Glasgow, seeing the energy of the place and everything that's gomg on, as Domenick put it it’s like a gold rush waiting to happen '
The protect has its roots in conversatiOns the two men had while working in New York. 'The idea came about a few years ago,’ Srnzth says 'With his Scottish background [Allen is part of the Logan theatrical dynasty] Domenick was interested in dOing the original piece, the straight play, but as soon as we started work, he had songs running through his head and it evolved into the musrcal.’
Making a song and dance out of Criminal activity brings 'IS 0er problems, as Smith was quick to recognise ’Whenever you move into song, you're somehow going to rornanticise characters and events to a degree, but we do not shy away from the fact that the :entral character is a itiuiderer we show him committing brutal acts, and we show the culture ef violence that he's part of Historical perspective has also helped 'p. the show's development Glasgow now is a changed place, and we can go back and take a look at what it once was ' The Pavilion conceit went down a storm, but can this defiantly Scottish piece succeed in the global market of the modern big budget musical7 Smith has few doubts 'We've done a smaller workshop in New York, and one of the straight play, to see if New Yorkers would feel involved and interested In fact they were thrilled, hungry for more ' tRob Fraser)
The Hard ivy/Ian opens in Scotland in early I999
AGENDA
The Scottish Inquisition
Questions you don ’t expect.
This issue: Lisa Ball-Lechgar; Arts Services Manager, ABSA (Association for Business Sponsorship of the Arts, Scotland).
Tabloid or broadsheet? Depends which paper is sponsoring a
.Scottish art event.
First arts-related job?
Apart from my Bonnie Langford-esque childhood, it was acting in Natalie Wilson’s Scream in Belgium, Morocco and Cornton Vale Women’s Prison. Career highlight?
Working with Big Sean (1995 International Festival of University Theatre), winning ’Best Actress' at Casablanca Theatre Festival, and seeing the arts companies | work with now succeed in sponsorship.
Name work of art you canot live without?
Derek Jarman's book Modern Nature. Where would you spend your last night in Scotland?
Becks Speigeltent, Edinburgh; or Casino Royal, Glasgow.
Glasgow, City of Architecture 8: Design: which building should be
' destroyed?
The Meat Market: for ObVIOUS reasons and because I live near it.
Name a law you're proud to have broken.
Co-habiting wnth boyfriend in Morocco.
Lifetime Contribution to Scottish Culture award goes to . . .
Andy Arnold, artistic director of The Arches.
Top Scot for the new millennium? Whoever heralds the meteoric rise of the Scottish film industry.
How do you see Scotland's future? Eurorosyl
(Compiled by Rob Fraser)
3—17 Dec 1998 THE UST 33