Just what has thus Housewrfe got against rabbtts?
PAGE 8
.M "r' '
~’ ,3 Illifit'fl J
'"I ' M‘-
The CCA after its £10 million refurbishment in 2001
s (W . "t" -‘ shindig-g? ., .l "4 ll iri ; hi: :nnr‘nim
i‘f'ls'ffi"
finest”?!
: what now?
What impact will flagship venue’s transfer of management to the Scottish Arts Council actually have on Glasgow’s cultural scene? Words: Allan Radcliffe
umours ot‘ tinancial trouhlcs at (ilasgtm-‘s ('(‘.-\
havc hccn circulating for months. .\'o\\. likc a
knight in shining armour. thc Scottish .-\rts ('ouncil has riddcn up to saw thc hclcagucrcd \cnuc trom closurc. 'l'hc ccntrc had run up dchts of around £4()().()()(). dcspitc (or pcrhaps hccatisc ot‘) a L'lt) million rcl‘urhishincnt in 2()()|. 'l'his unprcccdcntcd Itim‘c mcans thc S:\(' will cl‘l‘cctncl) hc running thc flagship arts \‘cnuc. \Vlillc‘ continuing to suhsidisc its opcrations to thc tunc of £7()().()()().
But what arc thc implications of this ‘changc ot~
on ncrship‘ on (ilitsgt)\\“s arts sccnc‘.’
Katrina Brown. curator of Dundcc (‘ontcnllmran .-\rts t‘ccls this is a crucial momcnt for thc \cnuc and thc cit); ‘lt's an intcrcsting timc hccausc (Hitsng has such a good rcputation t'or thc Visual arts. So cvcr}onc‘s watching and waiting to scc \shcthcr thc S.-\(‘ can do anything to turn this kc} \cnuc around. 'l‘hc dcmisc ot' thc (‘(‘.-\ \xould hc a tragcdy' Brown also l'ccls lcssons could hc Icarncd from thc cxpcnsisc rcl'urhishmcnt. '.-\s | undcrstand it. at‘tcr thc rcdcvclopmcnt. sonic ot‘ thc artistic
sc‘ltltil'
\[iitc‘c‘ “as lost. li\c‘l'_\ ttt't ccntrc nccds it good cult" Ut' har hut not at thc cxpcnsc of thc art.‘
l.cigh l'rcnch. co-cditor ot' lit/“run! niaga/inc. agrccs \x‘idcr lcssons can hc Icarncd. ‘(‘('.'\‘s prohlcm is primaril} in thc root idcolog} ol' hon such ccntrcs arc torccd to opcratc. ch. thcrc is a crisis ot‘ contidcncc in Scotland. hut this rcsidcs in its go\crnancc. 'l‘hc ('(U\ should hc gi\cn hack to thc L‘Ultlllitlltll}. supporch \\llltlll thc puhlic scctor and rttn as a collcctisc ot‘cultural \xorkcrsf
With much-rcspcctcd curator l'irancis .\lcls'cc tcmporaril} at thc hchn. thc immcdiatc prospccts t'or thc c'c‘ttti‘c"s programmc should hc hright. 'l‘hc outstanding ducstion is \\llL‘lllL‘l'. in its currcnt torm. thc ('('.-\ can
actuall} hc turncd into a \iahlc amcnit) for thc pcoplc ot~
(ilasgou. 'l'hc nccd tor nc\\. longcr-tcrtn tunding inodcls for thc arts in Scotland has ncxcr hccn grcatcr. and an S;\(‘ announccmcnt on this suhicct is c\pcctcd immincntl}.
The CCA opens its doors again on Wed 19 Apr with Ross Sinclair’s Real Life Painting Show.
MORE CASH FOR ARTISTS - BUT IS IT ENOUGH?
I It’s been a long time coming but from 2007 Scotland’s artists and cultural organisations are to benefit directly from a 27.5 million per annum cash injection, a tranche of the £20 million announced in response to last summer’s Cultural Review. The Scottish Arts Council has been bequeathed an extra £7 million, representing a 25% increase in the SAC’s overall budget. Culture minister Patricia Ferguson has also announced more funding for the development of film north of the Border, with an extra £500,000 for Scottish Screen. ‘The Scottish Arts Council and Scottish Screen will now be able to allocate these funds in a way which should provide the bedrock for a strong creative sector,’ said Ferguson, in an admission of just how difficult life has been for arts organisations such as TAG Theatre (pictured) to date. (AR)
I As the Edinburgh International Festival announced the name of its new director on Monday (just after we went to press) reports of the organisation's financial meltdown have, it seems, been exaggerated. While the EIF is currently £1 million in deficit, the organisation hopes it will recoup these losses should variety tribute Nuts Coconuts (pictured) follow David Harrower's Blackbird into the West End, and if Shan Khan’s Prayer Room is adapted for film or TV. Whether it should opt for more co- productions in the future is a question facing the Festival’s new director. The EIF won't be able to take its lead from the Thundering Hooves study into the future of the festivals: its publication has been delayed while its conclusions are sharpened up.
Scotland's tounst Industry is turning to the performing arts to improve Its; workers.’ customer sen/ice skulls. A theatre workshop entitled Pr/(lt) 8 R’ISSIOH y‘all toarn professional actors Wlili participants for roleplay exercises aunod at augmenting the experience of tourists to Scotland. The one day event takes place at Glasgow's House for an Art L0ver on 8 March. Email team’blpndeandpasstonnot for further details.
I Edinburgh dances alive for three weeks in April with the Celilidh Culture festival, the capital’s annual celebration of traditional music. Appearances by the likes of Salsa Celtica and Rory McLeod have already been announced.
" '.‘ 1' Ir ' THE LIST 7