THE LIST
As the post-cultural arts world waits for news of funding in Glasgow and galleries in Edinburgh close down left, right and centre, Miranda France speculates on the future as the recession takes a hold.
1;; i .. ~ 7“ 7 :E i ' so.itneverhadahope ofpullingthe sort of ‘ t . .— l a 7C queuesattractedtolastyear‘s DinosaursAlive.’ ‘
i ‘_ i .. i g i " it i“; exhibition atthe City Art Centre. and unlikethe
I '?'-."-f in 3o9.itdoesn‘town its building. So.is it nowbeing
penalised for failing to do something it could
never have done anyway. that is to make money i out ofexpensive art? i Lindsay Gordon. ofthe Scottish Arts Council. i does not see it like that. ‘We hope that the l
Fruitmarket will continue to fulfil its function as a
centre for contemporary British and international 0 F M 0 u T H ~ , art.‘ he says. but adds that the new directors will
“mm” 5369: undenmat' have to reconcile themselves to some changes. ideally striking up ‘a cunning balancing act‘ in
’ve lost complete confidence in my board and I
hope that they Wt“ teetgh rather the” Cause : which some of the more esoteric exhibitions (fnngvciigftnhitifhtiigitiigiii:mil?
eonfttmtatteh- They hate Pet'tetmed . . ’ would make way for more ‘popular‘ works. flags] (ignit surrendc; Thurs the
heghgehtty and] m thhhg t0 Ptlt that 1” Pnht . Not surprisingly. there are even more galleries story 0me lite.‘
- . -Tht5 t5 3" issue Whteh hits get t“ he brought i wrestling for survival in the Glasgow‘s post-1990 Cable News Networkfounder Ted
t0 PUbtte debate -‘ inele’e. Rumour has it that Tramway may come Turner, explaining why his Gulfwar 50 said Andrew BTOWh~ dtteeter "t the 369 through victorious. but several others are not COW’th’ Wipe-3' the/700’ Wit/1
Gallery in Edinburgh on the day the gallery‘s
. . o . expected to make it to the second round. At the ~ "Ve’.t'0”eet-"e 3'- govermng board decrded. against his wrshes. that
Maryhill Arts Centre. Sally Broughton is taking a I
they WOUtd rather 369 were htltttdttted 0’ Passed philosophical approach to the prospect of ‘They were describing it as it it was a onto the District Council than see it continuing to ; redundancy. After all‘ She. like mam, other Sports {may
run at a loss — this is despite the fact that the value peoptc‘ mdk a ShmHerm comma 16b in 1990 on Tony Benn. MP. on television
ofits assets (its building. which it owns) far _ the Off Cham:c that it would be renewed. Even SO coverage ofthe outbreak ofthe war he outstrips its deficit. It was also the day. Friday 18 ' Shc feels resentful that some Ofthc more lucrative UPPO-Yt’t-
January. that the Scottish Arts Council decided to jobs went to people coming in from outside discontinue its funding for Edinburgh’s : Glasgow ThC community centre _ which is :Many people believe that to march Fmttmarttet Glittery With the WWW that the : funded bv the Council‘s Education department — m “"5 wast '5 I." be d'SI‘m’l to those gallery could. and should. reopen in the future ' Who are t'tlhtmg. But the T0850" 12"“ i with a new board ofdirectors. Meanwhile. over here teeny {5 heeitue I Want them the road. the City Art (‘entre is closing for over a baCk' I do" [want them dead'
. will. in theory. carry on with one member ofstaff (there were five during 1990). But Sally
- d , . k , . . .t .t . 1 , 1t , , t- . ! Broughton t5 “0t Opttmtsnc “hm” “5 tUturc' Actress Iimma Thompson. putting yedtther ettettt“ e 50m? 5 m“ U“; f‘ H” ‘0'” ! ‘We‘re obvmusly pitching ourselves right. she he,bmflm,fimmrdmmt, When tt reopens 1“ the Sprmg 0f 199~~ 't Wt“ have says. 'and it is a task to get people away from their anti-(iu/f-warcampaign.
The City Art Centre‘s exhibition organiser. Zoe the momentum going.‘
‘Flash your knickers for our brave
CttPemtth~ teeeghtses the ditttettttY 0t 1 With so many cultural events riding on the backs boys. 00 (m‘ give icm a fri”_‘ subsidising galleries which. important as they are. of enthusiastic sponsors, it was inevitable that 771;, Sun's head/1m, 0,, Wednesday hOId ttttte attraetttm for mO-‘t Prt’SPeettVe gallery , more than one artistic bubble would burst in 16. encouragingphotographic visitors. There is. she feels. a world ofdifference ’ 1991_ The carnival‘s over, after all‘ and the correspondence as an aid to the war . between COUDCit-flm and indcpcndcnt galleries. sponsors have gone home. or moved west to this (’ff‘W- ‘It was very difficult for the Fruitmarket in that year‘s Cultural Capital, Dublin, But that docs not they were trying to be a place purely to show explain why the crisis should be so acute in .AS the UN deadline passcd‘ out 3 Innovathe COhtemPOF'dr)’ MN She says. ‘ They Edinburgh. The outlook for the arts has. after all. crawled the usual collection of } COUIdn‘t realty 5e” an)’ ka- \Ne‘te 3‘ DtStrtet . been bleak for years. students. Godbotherers. Guardian l Council museum so were serving the community Lindsay Gordon agrees that the cuts in Arts readers. gays. communists. Trots. more. we have a different remit. We’re so poorly Council grants have exacerbated the financial men with beards and dufflecoats. , funded anyway that the recession doesn‘t really precariousness of many galleries and he men‘WIth POhY tall-*3 Wth‘mth '“_ l matter t0 05-. recognises that ‘most art organisations are me" 5 etethes and Old hippieS With } One ofthe most innovative and ambitious art walking a tightrope“. But. ifthe recession has still m” countryme “"d the F'5h , galleries in Britain. the Fruitmarket has received to do its worst. what will be next for the chop? Riclard Lin/(john in [hammw
more than £1 million in SAC grants since it auspicious organ. passing sage stOpped being a mumcrpal gallery In 1984. Even commenton peace demonstrators.
I Despite reports to the contrary, the ’ due to be appointed until the end of l pertormance and exhibitions to which
tuture oi Glasgow's innovative February, we have become accustomed until at
Tramway remains uncertain. Much Once Tramway closes to the public on least August or September. .
hangs on the appointment and the 27 January, the stall will be employed The rumours are hopeful that this can
specitic responsibilities of the Director tor another month and maintenance be aehteVedi httt the danger '8 that
and Deputy Director 0' Pertorming Arts. work will be carried out on the building. unless, tundino Is approvensoon, the
new inhS “stoned to continue the Beyond that. there is little certainty. It Venue 3 successmt team Wt" hall? to he
momentum established by Bob Palmer is known that Maytgst and the Jazz disbanded. Then instead of building on
and Ne" Wallace 88 Director ann Festival plan to make use of the venue, What "33 atteady been aettteVeev
Deputy Director at Glasgow 1990. The hut otherwise, even it Tramway Van'an mall hat"? to Start 393'" horn
new positions. which will take on some resumes business as a lull-time setateh-
0t the Wont 0' the DtStttCt CounCit'S operation, it is unlikely that we will see
Halls and Theatres Department, are not anything at the targe-scaie 5
4 The List 25 January — 7 February 199]