AGENDA
Government told ‘keep hands off Lottery’
The National Lottery has come under lire again. Tor its lack ol‘ y'isihility in Scotland and for failing to target funds at the truly needy.
A conference held this week by the Scottish Council for Voluntary Organisations tS(‘\/'()) will he the lirst occasion on which all live Lottery distribution hodies haye heen hrought together in Scotland. They will take part. along with politicians from the major parties. charities. and church leaders. in a dehate on the l‘uture ol‘ the Lottery.
The Rey‘erend Bill Wallace. cony'cncr
The Lottery: ‘Feeds on self interest and exploitation of the poor’
ol' the Church ol‘ Scotland Board ol Social Responsihility. says that while
it may he here to stay. the Lottery must
he changed. ‘.-\ll the churches in
Britain truly regret the setting tip ol‘ the
National Lottery.‘ he claims. ‘lt has changed attitudes iii society. and feeds on sell-interest and exploitation ot the poor. ‘The Government should get its hands ol‘l'the Lottery. Throughout this century. Parliament has heen an independent monitor ol‘the gamhling industry. Now it is one ol- the lead role players.’
His main demand is that money for
good causes should he hetter targeted towards those in need. ‘lnstead ol’ proliting to such a large estent. the (ioy'ernment should he making increasing concessions to charities. Since the poor are disproportionately iny'olyetl in it. Lottery lunds should he directed towards areas ol~ depriyation. ll‘ they want to spend money on huge opera houses. the folk who use those should pay lor it themselyes.‘
The conl‘erence \\ ill also limit” llitll the Millennium (’ommission and the National Lottery lleritagc l’und are not \‘isihlc enough iii Scotland. ('omiic Smith. a researcher with S('\’( ) said: ‘\\'c hope to help the Lottery ltotlics with hasic things like ensuring Scotland recciyes lair l‘unding. The millennium and heritage operations are hasctl in London and need to he more accountahle in Scotland.’
She helicyes a re-think is necessary o\ er rules pre\ cnting Lottery cash heing used to pay the rtmning costs ol. proiects, ‘Vii'ginia Bottotuley' has already announced plans lo who the rules slightly on sponsorship ol~ indiy iduals in sport and the arts.' Smith points out.
The Key Wallace will he adding his \oicc to these calls. claiming: ‘ll all the money is spent on capital protects. we are going to hay e wonderful museums and leisure centres. w hilc schools and hospitals are lallitig apart ‘ (Stephen \aysmithi
Photo gallery snaps up bumper pay-out
While the debate continues over the Hational Lottery, a Scottish gallery is to be transformed with a £750,000
public more and hopes to attract everyone from amateurs to professional artistic photographers.
With three out of four adults owning a camera, Stills’ artistic director Kate Tregaskis believes there is huge
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National Trust: foxes caii be hunted
The anti-foxhunting campaign has lost another round in its battle to persuade the National Trust for Scotland (HTS) to ban the sport.
Les Ward, director of the Edinburgh campaign group Advocates for Animals, used his position as a member of the HTS to submit a resolution to their recent A.G.M. Had it been passed it would have reversed the HTS policy allowing hunting with hounds on their estate at the Hill of Tarvit in File.
Although 8000 votes were cast, only a few hundred members turned up to the meeting and Ward’s resolution was defeated by 1400 votes. As in the past, the HTS council was able to cast proxy votes on behalf of absent members.
‘We had lost before the meeting even started, the proxy votes accounted for that,’ Ward said afterwards. ‘I have to accept that a democratic vote has been held. However, members like myself will have to reflect on whether they still want to be associated with an organisation that allows this
grant via the Scottish Arts Council. Edinburgh’s Stills Gallery, was established in 1977 as Scotland’s
The money will be used to expand exhibition space and instal state-of-
public interest in photography. ‘The Lottery award will allow Stills to
barbaric sport to take place on its land.’
first gallery devoted to photography. It has courted controversy in the past, with shows including Hermione Wiltshire’s array of perspex-bound photographs of erect penises, an exhibition on American death cells and work by celebrated German photographer Joel-Peter Witkin.
How it will be able to involve the
the-art electronic production facilities, unparalleled anywhere in Scotland, for public use.
Currently, Stills utilises under a quarter of its four-storey premises. Previously redundant areas are to be converted into dark rooms and education facilities. The gallery space will also be enlarged to include a mezzanine cafe.
create a centre where anyone can come and learn practical photography skills, from the conventional wet processes to the most up-to-date electronic systems,’ said Tregaskis.
The refurbishment will cost over £1 million and the gallery closes after the summer show to re-open in mid- 1997. (Susanna Beaumont)
Ward believes fox-hunting will eventually be banned in Britain: ‘All polls show 85 per cent of the public solidly against this savage pastime.’
A spokesman for the HTS said: ‘We believe this issue is one to be decided on by Parliament, not by us.’ He added that no hunting had actually taken place on the HTS property for eight
l years. (Stephen Haysmith)
Scottish film industry aims to balance profitwith purity
Scotland's lilm intlustry has cotue ol‘ age. and a Stiltspagc report has just heen ptihlishcd to proyc it. Sent/(Hid ()Il .\T’H't I1 \\;ls launched \\ lllt lli'c’ enthusiastic hacking of Scottish Secretary Michael laii'sytli in New York last month.
The emphasis ol the report is on the economic impact ol lilm in Scotland. ‘I helieye that this could sustain employment in Scotland in quite significant numhers.’ l-‘orsyth said during his trip to New York tor a screening ol~ the Ted Hanson yarn /.Ut'/I .\tyy.
()ne ol~ the central recommendations in the report. which l’oisyth has already adopted. is lot' the creation ol a single lilm agency in Scotland. The Scottish ()llicc has already conniiittcd
Allan Shiach. screenwriter and Scotch whisky mogul. will chair a new agency to dcy'elop the moy‘ie industry in Scotland. As Eddie (iihh hears. he hopes Scottish l‘ilmmakers can make commercial pictures. without
having to ape Hollywood.
an extra £3 million oy er three years to the running ol this new agency.
The {lgCllL‘}"s chairman. .\llan Shiach currently chairs the Scottish l-‘ilm
('ouncil. lle welcomed the report. 'l-‘or
too long lilm has heen seen as a peripheral actiy ity.’ he said. 'lt has taken a long time to persuade the (ioyerntiicnt there Is an industry dimension worth recognising ’
lloweycr. Shiach say s concentrating on the economic henel'its ol' lilm
doesn't necessarily mean aitistie considerations will he ignored id like to see more l'tltus ol cultural \alue.‘ he said ‘l’d like to l'md ways to deyelop the tltsti'iliutiou ol tilms that may not he percetycd as commercial. althouin the dil'lerenee hetween cultural and comiiict'cial is narrower now ()n which side ol the line do you ptit Sum/.7 In. t \ ”
‘.-\ halancc til tltllei'cnt ty pcs ol llllli is essential to the health ol the whole
industty.‘ Shia 'h .ttltls "l he last thtan we should he tlottr' is trying to ape lloll'.
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w hich cut into production this week. \\ ith titousy .‘llllltllt‘ll'c'al through the ‘s‘. ottt sh \tts (ounctl. whose remit is deltttttely .‘ultriral rather than commercial. Um x (in it is liaseil on a script hy wtitei' \. l. lsciinedy. suggesting ati ‘arty‘ protect But the suhtect matter .1 young Sqotttsli ptostttute ll‘.Ul‘.' in l.ontlon .llltl the e.tslllt" o! lst'lly .\lactlonald suggest a llllll with tl‘itltllL' (ill‘lH
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4 The List 3-16 May W96