AGENDA
l _
Charter
spubhshed
A CHARTER FOR THE ARTS IN SCOTLAND
The ‘high‘ arts. as the definition used by those who fund the arts in Scotland. are out. Official. Now the arts will be defined in the widest possible terms, to include everything from crafts, traditional arts and popular culture to classical music. amateur dramatics and opera.
This is the guiding idea behind the Charter for the A rts in Scotland. published last week after an eighteen-month consultation period. At a cost of£100.000. it is the result ofthe most extensive consultation and debate ever undertaken in the arts north of the border. The whole process was overseen by a Steering Group with representatives from the
Scottish Arts, Museum and Film Councils and the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities.
‘This Charter is not a statement from the funding bodies. but represents the views. hopes and aspirations ofall those who participated in the consultation,‘ according to Seona Reid. director of the Scottish Arts Council which has endorsed the document. ‘It provides a shared vision and guideline for the future development of the arts into the next century.‘
Written by theatre critic Joyce McMillan. the Charter includes 75 separate recommendations to all
' sections ofthe arts community. ' However, its most important impact
is to take on board the ‘tremendous pressure for redefinition ofwhat we mean by art and culture.‘ according to McMillan.
At 175 pages. the Charter is hardly an easy read. but its importance to artists and those involved in the arts. whether they play a guitar. help out
at a local dramatic society or run a , major gallery. cannot be over-
emphasised. according to David Ferguson ofCOSLA. "The Charter
- has come from the arts community. it
is their document. They should look
at the Charter and make sure that
f they use what‘s in it to push for their owninterests andtheir own case.‘he j said. (Thom Dibdin).
The Charter for the Arts is available
from HMS 0 bookshops, price
{ £11.50.
I Reclaim the Night: Hundreds of women are expected to march through Edinburgh on Friday 29 January to demonstrate their anger at the current state of women‘s safety in Edinburgh and Britain. The march will start at 7. 15pm from Middle Meadow Walk and pass along George IV Bridge. Princes St and Lothian Road, areas where women are often attacked. ‘The march signifies a positive statement by women that they have a right to be on the streets at night and challenges the assumption that women should stay at home after dark.‘ said Helen Chambers of Outright Women who are organising the march. The event will be filmed for a documentary to be screening as part of EDC international women‘s day celebrations. (TD)
I Greenpeace: Despite the Braer disaster, the search for oil goes on. Now the government are offering in-shore sites for oil exploration. These include the Moray Firth and the Mull ofGalloway. both important sites for dolphins. The Moray Firth contains the only
remaining resident population of
bottlenose dolphins in the North
Sea. Greenpeace are organising
‘dive for the dolphins‘ sponsored swims in Edinburgh on February 21 and Glasgow on February 27. For sponsor forms and details phone: Kirsti on 031 447 7436 or Ella on 041
4'l‘he List 2‘)January— ll February l—W3
644 5436. (TD)
I Student loans: The National Audit ; Office slammed the administration of the student loans scheme in a hard
hitting report published on January 13. NUS Scotland say that among the
serious errors and miscalculations on 7
the part of the Government which the report highlights, each loan costs an astonishing 240 per cent more to
administer than estimated. At a time
when Scottish Homes have withdrawn housing subsidies for student accommodation. the report reveals that the loan company‘s hi-tech office is too large. costing £365,000 extra in the first year alone. Take up of the loan scheme is running at only 38 per cent. according to NUS Scotland President Jim Murphy. (TD)
I Bungee for Bosnia: Daredevils across the country with a penchant for jumping off platforms tied only by a length ofelastic rope are being sought by Euro Bungee Club Scotland for a sponsored bungee jump in order to raise funds for Scottish European Aid‘s appeal for Bosnia. The event will be held in mid-February at Edinburgh‘s Powderhall Stadium. and anyone wishing to take part can get registration and sponsorship forms from Scottish European Aid. 14 Frederick Street. Edinburgh. EH2 2H8 or by phoning Euro Bungee Club on 031 556814].
Club curb threatened
Edinburgh District Council's experimental zoning policy ior late night licensing oi pubs has come under attack irom within the council’s licensing board. The city centre experiment currently limits licences atteriipm in the wards oi St Giles, Tollcross and New Town to premises on busy streets.
At their meeting on 18 January, the licensing board considered a proposal to extend this policy to some ten wards, encompassing an area covering the whole of Central Edinburgh. An additional restriction would limit admission to clubs alter 1 .30am. Amid accusations that chair of the board, Margaret McGregor, had acted hastily, the board decided to deter consideration at the matter until their meeting on 15 February.
‘ time to debate the issue and ‘whip’
vote one way or the other. As a
quasi-judicial body, the members oi
the board are not allowed to vote along party lines for individual licences, but
The political groups will now have 7
their representatives on the board to
must grant them on individual merit. However, strategic issues can be debated and members instructed on how to vote.
Commenting on the proposals, 3 Labour Councillor Spike Wilson said ‘I 3 hope to be able to convince my l colleagues that extending the zoning
policy would be detrimental to Edinburgh and would aliect the tourist industry and may also increase violence because it will actually encourage people to migrate lrom pub to pub late in the evening, trying to find 7 one with a late Iicence.’
According to sources with the , council, the proposal is very unlikely to ‘
some extension at the zoning
experiment is on the cards. This is likely to include limiting entry to licensed clubs and discos to before
l
I
go ahead in its entirety. However, 1
l
. 1.30am.(Thom Dibdin)
Approach the bench . . .
One oi iour winners of the Tramway ‘Surprise Surprise' Billboard Competition, Big : Panda can here be seen on their rather unusual bench-billboard at the bottom at Maryhill Road in Glasgow. The photo shows X-Pander and his mate Greig busking
with a couple at bods lrom NB.
I New Fringe =force
. The three largest venues on the
Edinburgh Fringe have joined lorces lor this summer’s event in a move set to eclipse the box oliice turn-over at even the International Festival. The Gilded
' Balloon, Pleasance and Assembly
I
together expect to attract a quarter of a million people lrom August to September, amounting to a turn-over oi £1.5m. By combining administrations and sharing publicity, the three super-venue's Artistic Directors believe that they can create greater stability lor the venues and provide a better inundation ior nurturing and presenting shows.
Each venue will retain its distinctive identity. By collaborating they expect to have more bargaining power and ilexibility when dealing with agents and acts, while their clout when
dealing with iunding bodies and
sponsors will also increase. Forthe audience, the most obvious
2 bonus oi the management change will
I be the formation of the iirst
comprehensive Edinburgh Comedy
Festival, a city-wide event which will
draw attention to the importance oi the ; Edinburgh Fringe alongside Melbourne . and Montreal when it comes to the
encouragement oi stand-up comedy.
‘It is our intention, as a group, to commission, develop and tour new work,‘ said Karen Koren oi the Gilded ,
l Balloon. ‘lam very excited at the
l prospect of presenting one at the
. biggest and the best comedy
5 programmes Edinburgh has ever seen.’ i (Mark Fisher) i
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