homelessness to public attention, and to the forefront as a political issue in the imminent election. Shelter is organising special campaigning and fund-raising events to mark IYSH as well as continuing with projects, which include schemes to repair the homes ofthe elderly, to bring empty rural homes into use, a youth co-operative housing project and a mobile homes project, as well as the daily Housing Aid Centres to which the homeless can go for help and advice.
During the year The List will look at some of the projects Shelter has undertaken and at various aspects of housing and homelessness in Scotland, starting next issue with the young single homelessness.
Ifyou want to know more about Shelter‘s work, or have time. ideas or money to give, Shelter Scottish Campaign for the Homeless is at 65 Cockburn Street, Edinburgh, 031 226 6347. (Ness Raison)
THAT SINKING SHANDY
This movie’s got the lot: East/West paranoia, heroin pushcrs, secret agents, transvestism, football, and it‘s Scottish. Sounds like a hit doesn‘t it? Unfortunately, you won‘t be able to see it quite yet, as filming on this 90-minute comedy thriller hasn‘t yet begun. Broken Home Movies, however, are confident that A View ToA Shandy will go ahead, and perhaps provide some serious competition to Bill Forsyth from Edinburgh‘s young unemployed.
Broken Home Movies, based at Tollcross Community Centre, is an independent film co-operative whose members are semi- or self-trained in a range of cinematic techniques, and which aims to involve as many local people as possible in the production of their James Bond spoof, to be filmed on 16mm to as high a professional standard as possible. Frustration at being unable to progress in the film world, despite their high levels of ability, brought the group together in an attempt to break the established film monopoly.
An ambitious project, the funding forA View ToA Shandy is being approached in stages. Thanks to the assistance of local authorities, the initial £1000, to make a 10-minute trailer for proving the project’s credibility to larger funding agencies and commercial organisations, has been raised. The trailer is now about to go into production and will take about a month to complete.
When the second stage of funding is secured, the project will offer around 200 local people (with particular emphasis on the unemployed) a chance to participate in the making ofthe completed film, allowing them to acquire and develop skills which could be helpful to their future careers.
Interviews and auditions for those who wish to take part, on a strictly voluntary basis, will be starting on 26 January and continuing for six weeks. Broken Home wish to stress that, although previous experience is helpful, time, energy and enthusiasm are the most vital qualities needed. Actors and actresses should have prepared pieces, and any prospective personnel should bring along relevant details of previous experience. Applicants should phone 031 229 8448 between 12.30 and 2pm on weekdays. From the extremely wacky and controversial synopsis A View To A Shandy should be one to queue up for. (Mab)
',. g». .A ,‘q I
CHRIS HILL
Sam Piacentini-pictred M at the opening of Edinburgh’s Gilded Balloon last year.
UNLICENSED ART
Unlike the East Coast critics
on board, uplifted after the
first night of the Citizen
Theatre‘s latest production of Death of a Salesman. two well known men about Edinburgh were spotted slumped despondently across the table on the cultural express from Glasgow to Edinburgh. Even the consoling bottle ofchampagne on the table looked a little flat.
Andrew Brown, director of the 369 Gallery in Edinburgh and Sam Piacentini who helped set up the gallery‘s associated restaurant, The Gilded Balloon, had expected to have been celebrating. Instead their
exerting project to Open a cafe/bar and gallery complex on similarly ambitious lines in Glasgow‘s merchant city had been delivered a crushing though hopefully not mortal blow by the City‘s licensing court.
The intention, as Sam explained a few days later, had been to open ‘a very upmarket continental cafe with a one-off design by a young Glasgow designer. The café would serve light.
well-prepared meals and be open for breakfast, Sunday brunch and in the evening have a continental bar Operation.‘ The building, an American style 19305‘ building in Hutcheson Street. would have been sympathetically converted in keeping with its original style and it was hoped that the bar/cafe could be used to subsidise, for its first two years, an art gallery which would have been situated above the restaurant. The financial backing and the planning permission had already been found for the project and artistically it had received a friendly reception in Glasgow. ‘Many people in Glasgow were very keen to have a contemporary dealing gallery of the 369 kind and we had the Glasgow art establishment behind us because they knew we were filling a gap,‘ Andrew Brown told me. ‘There is no extra money from the Arts Council or other funding bodies to start up new projects so the only hope was some form ofcommercial sponsorship. We wanted to follow the success of the restaurant art gallery complex of the 369 in Edinburgh.’ Local artists would be given a chance to display their work in an atmosphere which would attract international interest. At the Licensing Court Brown says they were ‘shocked to find there was an objection.‘ The objection came from Ainslie Developments Ltd of India Street, Edinburgh, who claimed that the location was more than adequately served with public house facilities and that the proposals would cause a great deal of noise in ‘what is at night a quiet residential area.‘ Brown and Piacentini claim that the bar became a necessary addition to the restaurant plans when planning permission was refused for a night club on the basement floor: ‘the figures just didn‘t add up without it‘ says Piacentini. But both men challenge the apparent assumption ofthe court in supporting the objection that as Brown put it ‘artists would be noisy and rowdy.‘ The gallery restaurant would in any case, Brown believes. only rely on artists for a small proportion of its clientele. Furthermore Brown believes the court didn‘t take seriously the artistic merits of the project: “They were laughing and making jokes about contemporary art. They were holding up catalogues of the sort of art we would be showing and making jokes. As far as Glasgow being the City ofCulture was concerned, they had no interest whatever.‘
Brown and Piacentini intend to appeal against the decision. Says Piacentini ‘We believe so much in this idea that we will go to the great expense of making an appeal.‘
T—*"§|.|ST
Issue no 33 22 Jan —5 Feb 1987
Cover Charles Dance.
1 Guest List
People in the news.
2 Short List
News. 4 Prison Psychology.
We look at the psychological implications ofthe present prison system.
6 Charles Dance.
Stephanie Billen meets the suave good—looker of Jewel in the Crown
fame. g 7 Listings.
Full guide to events this fortnight Film 7 Jazz 25 Theatre 14 Rock 27 Cabaret 16 Media 30 Dance 17 ()pen 3] Art 18 Kids 32 Classical Music 23 Sport 33 Folk 24
34 Backhst
Special guide towards having a good time with no money. Plus Nightlife and Clubs Guide and Books.
CONTRIBUTORS
Publisher Robin Hodge.
Editors Nigel Billen. Sarah I lemming. Associate Editor Allan Hunter. Design Simon iisterson. Advertising Robin
1 lodge. Frances Lochtie Accounts Georgette Renwiek. Richard (iray. Typesetting Jo Kennedy. Aileen .lardine and I Iewer Text. Production Editor Paul Keir. Art Sally Kinnes. Books Alan 'I‘aylor. Classical Music Carol Main. Dance Alice Bain. Film Allan Hunterfl‘reyor Johnston. Folk/Jazz Norman Chalmers. Kids Sally Kinnes. Media Nigel Billen. Sally Kinnes. Rock (Edinburgh) Alastair Mabbott. Rock (Glasgow) John Williamson. Listen Andrea Miller. Sport Kenny Mathicson. Theatre Sarah llemming. Camera Darien Printing Co. Cover: Charles Dance. Cover Design Nigel Billen. Paul Keir.
Published by The List Ltd. 14 l ligh Street. Edinburgh. 5581191 and
13 Bath Street. (ilasgow 332 3393.
SUBSCRIPTIONS
£15 per year, £8 for 6 months. payable to The List Ltd.
The List 23 Jan — 5 Feb 3