AGENDA
:— Redrawing the map
Though Edinburgh didn‘t lend its name to a political issue in quite the same way as Maastricht, last year‘s Euro- summit helped put the city on the diplomatic map.
This year Lothian Regional Council aims to build on that recognition amongst other EC members by staging
another series of Lothian European
Lectures. A measure of how quickly .
these events were established as a serious platform for European debate last year is the fact that former Soviet leader Mikhail Gorbachev has agreed to take part.
Regional Council convener Eric Milligan sees the public lectures as a kind of return to the intellectualism associated with the Edinburgh Enlightenment in the l700s. ‘David Hume would have been proud of us.‘ he quipped at the launch ofthe I993 programme.
This year the series is called ‘Europe
_ Instrument-
ing change
Scottish Opera's Norma The proposal to merge the BOO Scottish Symphony Orchestra and the Orchestra oi Scottish Opera met with such opposition that an independent committee was set up to review the arguments tor and against.
The committee, chaired by iormer Daily Record director llelen Liddell, is now asking the public ior its comments on the meger idea. ‘The issues raised go beyond ilnance to the very heart oi orchestral provision in Scotland and no one should ieel inhibited about letting us know what they thinlt,’ she said.
The merger proposal, which received Scottish Arts Council support when it was announced at the end oi last year, would result in the less oi thirteen jobs and has been opposed by the Musicians’ Onion. The BBC and Scottish Opera say the creation oi a single national orchestra would raise artistic standards and make more eiiectlve use oi their SAO subsidies.
The review committee is due to report by the end oi the year. Submissions must be made by 25 October to Proiessor W. J. Oastier Mlchle, Oaledonian Suite, Magnet llouse, 59 Waterloo Street, Glasgow 62 TOP or call 041 2481119.
4 The List 8—2l October I993
includes lectures by Shirley Williams. former Social Democrat ‘gang of four‘ member turned Harvard professor, Roy Hattersley, former deputy leader of the Labour Party and foreign secretary Douglas Hurd.
The theme of the lectures will be the
5 upheaval in Europe caused by the
disintegration of the Soviet Union and ' _ Freedom of
movement
Nelson Mandela will visit Glasgow for the first time next Saturday to receive the freedom of the city which he was awarded in 1981 while held in captivity. After the civic ceremony, when he will also be awarded the freedoms of eight other British cities
‘ and boroughs. Mandela will address a
public rally which will relaunch the
; Anti-Apartheid Movement’s campaign ' to ensure the South African elections
on 27 April are both free and fair. Millions have actively supported the ; AAM since it was formed in I959 as ‘ the Boycott Movement. Some were imprisoned after demonstrations against sporting events. Others moved their bank accounts or voted with their 3 purses at the supermarket. moving their ' hands along the shelves to avoid buying the products of apartheid. For them. ; Mandela is still the symbol of the fight 2 against apartheid. ‘Mandela embodies the future as well
: Filling, chairman of AAM’s Scottish 1 Committee. He believes that when ; Mandela walked into the maelstrom of
Gorbachev and Reagan before Eastern Europe came and the New World Order’ and
as the past of South Africa,‘ says Brian
l:- e g ,. t A“ s “its; ‘ ‘ _ 1 apart at the seams other eastern European states. ‘The frontiers in Europe appeared definitively settled. we knew the map, but that is no longer the case.’ according to Professor William Paterson of Edinburgh University. who helped put the programme together.
However, underlying this line-up of heavyweight speakers is a desire by the Regional Council to promote ‘
Mandela: Freedom oi Glasgow
E public political life. he lived up to the i legend he had become during 27 years of imprisonment. Filling quotes a I statement made by Mandela during the I trial in I964 at which he was given life , imprisonment for treason and attempting to overthrow the South g African State. ‘During my lifetime I have dedicated myself to the struggle ofthe African people.‘ said Mandela. ‘l have fought 5 against white domination and I have ‘ fought against black domination. I have
Edinburgh as European capital with a separate political identity to London. ‘Edinburgh for a lot of people becomes an international capital for three weeks during the Festival but ceases to be for the rest of the year,‘ Milligan says. ‘We‘re promoting the city as a great European capital throughout the year.‘ But according to Milligan it is not an attempt to lay groundwork for political independence for Scotland as part of a federated Europe. ‘I don‘t want the little Scotlander argument to take over so there is no nationalist representation.‘ he says. ‘In no sense is this a push for Scottish independence.’ Instead he portrays the lecture series as part of a pragmatic attempt to win credibility amongst Euro decision makers in anticipation of a time when the balance of power in determining Scottish affairs shifts away from London. (Eddie Gibb) The first lecture is by architect Sir Richard Rogers who considers the Cities oi Tomorrow on 22 Oct at 7.30pm in the Royal Museum of Scotland. Chambers Street. Admission to all the lectures is free. apart from Gorbachev, but advance booking costs £2. Personal bookings from the Royal Museum of Scotland Information Desk.
cherished the ideal of a democratic and free society in which all persons live together in harmony and with equal opportunities. It is an ideal which I hope to live for and to achieve, but if needs be. it is an ideal for which I am prepared to die.‘
It is Mandela‘s continued espousal of these sentiments which gives him authority both inside South Africa and around the world. For some. however. he was a more potent symbol as a proud man held against his will than a flesh-and-blood politician who negotiates with his former captors. Since his release in I990. Mandela has been accused of becoming a greying elder statesman who has lost touch with the will of the youth in the South African townships.
But Filling disagrees: ‘Following the assassination of Chris Hanni earlier this year there was a huge outburst of emotion.’ he says. ‘Mandela turned that to constructive channels and out of it came the agreement of the election date and more recently to the Transitional Executive Council. The youth in the townships are now pushing forward to the elections and Mandela is indisputably their leader: they see him as the next president.‘ (Thom Dibdin)
Nelson Mandela addresses a public rally in George Square. Glasgow on 9 October at I pm. Details from the AAM on 041221 1276.
Border :control
I I _
I stamped, the Pooles will take over the 480 seat Kingsway next week. They will retain the lingo hall downstairs
I and hope to upgrade the cinema with
3 new seating, a new screen and Dolby
L stereo next year. Mr Poole told The
,; list that although plans have not been
The closure oi small town cinemas has I iinaiised yet, ‘there is room in the
= become a depressineg iamlliar tale but the Poole iamily, which runs the ; iioxy cinema in Kelso, has continued to buck the trend by taking over the Kingsway in Oalashiels. Providing all the licences are rubber
l building tor a second screen.’ i ‘We will certainly aim ior more ilrst- ; run product,’ said Poole. ‘The I iiingsway has the potential to justify a a print on release date, it has lust never I been realised beiore.’ This attempt to
secure more first-runs comes at a time when the Monopolles and Mergers Commission is investigating allegations that access to new illms ior small cinemas ls being blocked by major production companies that also control the distribution network.
ilowever the Pooles are well aware oi the diiiicuities laced by small independent operators aiter attempts to revive interest in the ailing Regal in Bathgete were abandon recently aiter audience numbers did not live up to expectations. (Thom Oibdln).
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