PANTD STRIKE: THE LAST LAUGH?
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One unloreseen victim ol the current schoolteachers’ strike may well be the traditional Christmas Panto. The teachers' refusal to organise extra-curricular activities has meant that several theatres are lacing llnancial problems due to the loss oi revenue lrom school outings. Two
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theatres which have been aliected in this way are Glasgow Citizens’ and Pavilion. Kate Burke, Press Olllcer ol the Citizens' told me that they are lacing a loss at £34,000 this year as a direct result of the strike. This ligure represents the loss at the box-office
ollset against the savings involved in
wages from the cancellation ol one quarter ol the planned pantomime perlormances.
The Pavilion in Renlield Street laces a more serious problem. Each year the theatre produces shows especially lor school parties and although this year's productions ol Snow White and Cinderella are sale, they may well be the last. This is because the income earned lrom this year's show goes to linance the next and the negllgible bookings lor this year put the luture of these shows at doubt. Mr Ian Gordon, manager of the Pavilion says that he has been in contact with the unions involved, but they say that they are unable to make any exceptions to their industrial actions.
Edinburgh’s Lyceum theatre has encountered no firm problems as yet, but Press Oliicer Frieda Munro admits that they are ‘worried' about the possible ellects ol the teachers’ strike and that they are keeping a careful eye on the situation.
Sympathetic though we at The List are to the teachers' case, it does seem a shame that their strike action should have such unfortunate and unanticipated ellecls on both pupils and theatres. For some schoolchildren this will mean that they may never get the chance to see a traditional Christmas pantomime. And it the worries ol the Pavilion prove correct, this could be true lor many years to come.
ACCOUNTING FOR THE ARTS
The Scottish Arts Council‘s annual report is released this week. it reads rather sadly, full of best laid plans going aft agley. The mice and men at Charlotte Square had no sooner put together a package for the Next Five Years when the Government cut back its funds.
Each part of the report begins with a summary of the aims for the different departments but the details reveal how difficult it has been to proceed as ‘the funds required were simply not available.’
The SAC were . for example, at last going to do somthing about their own collection which has been languishing in some store for years — barely catalogued and rarely seen. They were going to look at it. see what was any good, tell people about it and put it on show. Now everything is back where it was with rumours circulating again that the collection will be asset stripped and the remainder ‘disassociated‘ - a fate too offensive to specify.
Still they seem to manage much of
their affairs better than their counterparts down south. The literature department is a striking contrast to the endless turmoil in Piccadilly. it has made possible the current revival of writing and publishing in Scotland and now even seems to be trying to bring peace to the epic Little Spartan War which lan Hamilton Finlay has been waging against bureaucracy in general with the SAC often singled out. The largest book grant announced is for £5 ,000 for a book about him and his work, A Visual Primer, to be published by Reaktion
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It will be interesting to see how Ian Hamilton Finlay reacts to this gesture; will be open the gates and welcome the SAC as a friend or will he regard it suspiciously as a wooden horse. Either way, the book itself promises to be a lavish production drawing together the wide range of Finlay's powerful work.
Such achievements are nothing, however, when compared with the problems created by a short-sighted government which often seems to view the arts as something ‘to rin an‘ chase with murdering pattle‘.
Inside
George Miller on the making of Mad Max Ill.
4 Oberon revisited: Anthony Burgess and Graham Vick talk about the new libretto.
Coming back to Glasgow and Edinburgh — Billy Connolly talks to Nigel Billen.
9 Post punk reminiscences as Siouxsie of the Banshees discusses her career with Andrea Miller
10 Mark Ellis on American Football in Scotland.
11 Listings: Theatre 12. Music 16, Cinema 23. Art 28. Time Out 31 . Sport 32, Kids 34. Media 36. Open 39. Books 40, Student 42. Late 43, Classified 45.
46 Style: Max Wall, Masks and Mackintosh.
48 Backlist: Graham Caldwell sees the launch ofcable television in Glasgow.
STAFF
Publisher Robin Hodge, Editors Nigel Billen, Sarah Hemming, Glasgow Editors Graham Caldwell. Lucy Ash, Design Simon Esterson. Advertising Manager (Edinburgh) Joanna Watson , Advertising Assistant Fiona Murray, Advertising (Glasgow) Chris Banks. Typesetting Jo Kennedy and Hewer Text Publications Manager Sally Anne Kinnes, Circulation Director Alastair F. 8. Scott, Production Editor John R. MacWilliam, Production Assistants Tanya Woolf , J ane Kennedy, Jane Ellis, Jane Scott.
Art Alice Bain, John Leighton, Keith Hartley, Sally Anne Kinnes, Lucy Ash, Books Alan Taylor, Cinema Alan Hunter, Trevor Johnston, Classical Music Carol Main, Polk/Jan Norman Chalmers, Kids Sally Anne Kinnes, Late-Night section Alastair Scott, Jane Ellis, Jane Kennedy, Alan Aitken, Media Allan Hunter, Open Richard Norris, flock (Edinburgh) Alastair Mabbott, Rock (Glasgow) Andrea Miller. Sport Mark Ellis, Janet MacLean, Student Page John Penters, Alastair Scott, Theatre Sarah Hemming, Time Out Alan Aitken, George Duff, Photos Clare Stephen, Chris Hill, Gerry McCann, Graphics John Springs, Paul Gray. Brian Cairns.
Thanks to Lorraine Brown, Dave Mallinson, John Hewer and Dougal aka David Templeton of Venue. Cover: Billy Connolly, Cover Photo Phil Starling, Cover Design Simon Esterson.
Published by The List Ltd, 14 High Street, Edinburgh, 558 1 l9] and
13 Bath Street, Glasgow 332 3393. Subscriptions; £15 per year, £8 for 6 months payable to The List Ltd. Printed by Dunlermline Press Ltd.
The List 18—31 October 1