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ATomb Raider or Encarta? Live And Kicking or BBC Knowledge? Should leisure time be seen as stimulating and life-enhancing, or be frowned upon as a distraction from more worthwhile pursuits? These questions are raised by journalist and musician Pat Kane in an essay which forms part of A Different Future: A Modernisers’ Guide To Scotland, a new collection of commentaries on Scottish political issues.
As he attempts to define a 'play ethic‘ for the Information Age, Kane notes that the infrastructure of modern leisure is still founded on the public baths, sports grounds, parks, libraries, museums and galleries of the Victorian era.
As Scotland enters the 21st century, technological advances have not yet created a new leisure society. In fact, Kane reckons, personal computers and mobile phones allow work to penetrate our free time and home environment like never before - with positive and negative implications. In order to keep abreast of the 'knowledge-is-power' Information Age, pressure is upon us to ensure leisure pursuits have productive results. However, the available technology can also help employees free themselves from the workplace and spend more ’office hours' with their families. It is said that the devil makes work for idle hands to do; but all work and no play would make Jock a very dull boy indeed.
A Different Future contains 29 other essays, ranging across the political agenda to take in economics, devolution, national identity, education, local government and Europe. Contributors include journalists Joyce McMillan and Tom Nairn, Deputy First
av ethic“
Work hard, play hard: Pat Kane
Minister Jim Wallace and fellow MSPs Wendy Alexander, Jack McConnell and Andrew Wilson.
The editors (University of Strathclyde lecturer Chris Warhurst and political consultant Gerry Hassan) believe the book is the most ambitious collection planned on Scottish politics since The Red Paper On Scotland in 1975 - but it is not restricted to the powers of the Scottish Parliament. ‘It is about restating the relevance of politics to everyday life in this age of apoliticalness and making politics relevant and engaging,’ say Hassan and Warhurst in their introductory piece. 'It is about a Scotland and a future that works — tomorrow's Scotland.’ (Alan Morrison)
a A Different Future, published by the Centre for Scottish Public Policy and The Big Issue in Scotland, is out now, priced £ 70.99.
Creative
Music makers: Tommy Smit
Scola‘ befits
hometo away
§ in their field. The shortlist covers the spectrum of arts in Scotland and includes such notable names as Sally Beamish, Horse McDonald and Tommy Smith (music); George Wyllie, Ross Sinclair and Steven Campbell (visual arts); Cathie Boyd, Gerry Mulgrew and Anne Downie (drama); Des Dillon, Aonghas MacNeacail and Alice Thompson (literature); and Calum Colvin (photography), Andy Howitt (dance), Keiko Mukaide (crafts) and Rachel Bevan Baker (film).
’Scotland has never lacked for
-. 3- creative genius,’ said SAC Chairman, . ‘ Magnus Linklater. ’lts writers, artists, hand Sally Beamish composers and musicrans have given
this country great works that are
The Scottish Arts Council is aiming to put a brake on the ‘brain drain' by encouraging established artists based in Scotland to further their careers at home rather than looking elsewhere. A shortlist of 51 artists has been drawn up for the Creative Scotland Awards 2000; later this month, fourteen winners will receive £25,000 each to enable them to ‘experiment, refresh
skills and realise imaginative ideas’. After the deliberation of an independent panel chaired by Dame Diana Rigg, the successful candidates will be named, appropriately enough, on Burns Night - Tuesday 25 January — at The Hub in Edinburgh.
A total of 134 applications were received from individual artists who have already made some contribution
widely celebrated, and have helped to form its cultural identity. But Scotland has not always been as generous as it might in recognismg and nurturing its native talent. It is to meet this need that we have launched the Creative Scotland Awards. The range of applications shows just how rich Scotland is in artists of imagination and talent.’ (Alan Morrison)
Bulletins News in bite-sized bits.
ALTHOUGH THE RE-OPENING of Glasgow's Tramway, planned for Spring 2000, has been put back to later in the year, much of the programme for March will go ahead under the Tramway@2000 banner. The season opens at the Old Fruitmarket with two of Scotland's most exciting theatre companies presenting large-scale productions: Suspect Culture’s Candide 2000 (a contemporary staging of Voltaire's text) and theatre babel’s Greeks (takes on Oedipus, Electra and Medea by, respectively, David Grieg, Tom McGrath and Liz Lochhead). Tramway©2000 then moves to the Barrowland for a new commission from Anatomy, . . . Love Songs In A Lonely Desert Full Of Crying Men which aims to push the barriers of dance by bringing together five performers and a group of artists. For other theatre highlights due in the year ahead, see The List’s Preview of 2000 feature, pages 94—102.
HOMELANDS SCOTLAND IS likely to go ahead at an as-yet-unconfirmed venue on Saturday 29 April. Last September, the dance event saw The Chemical Brothers and Carl Cox storm an all-nighter at lngliston. This year's line-up and ticket details will be announced in a future issue of The List.
FROM FLORA MACDONALD to the school dinner lady - nominations are being sought naming unsung heroines from past and present for 'The Elsies'. The awards ceremony — part of a week-long series of events and workshops (5-11 March) organised by Edinburgh-based voluntary organisation ENACI' 2000 — coincides with International Women’s Day and aims to highlight achievements by women in various fields. 'The Elsies' themselves are named after Elsie Inglis, suffragist and founder of the famous Edinburgh maternity hospital. Individuals and organisations should send a note explaining who deserves such an award (and why) to Rose Brown, ENACI' 2000, 184 Dalry Road, Edinburgh, EH11 ZEP.
Home again: Carl Cox, star of 1999’s Homelands
7-20 Jan 2000 THE U81 21