ool for school
RSAMD to undergo restructuring to secure future. Words: Anna Millar
fter months of speculation and
interventions from alumni such as
David Tennant and James McAvoy, bosses at The Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama have answered fears surrounding a reported £600,000 cut to their funding.
Plans for a restructure led to pressure from Atonement actor McAvoy, who publicly urged ministers to help secure the future of the drama school. McAvoy joined stars including Tennant and Alan Cumming in signing an open letter to Alex Salmond, which warned that any monetary cuts to the RSAMD could ‘severely damage Scotland’s reputation on the intemational cultural stage’.
Dr Who star Tennant added: ‘Nothing I have managed to achieve in my career would have happened without my training at the RSAMD. The drama training I received was world class and the idea that the opportunities I got there might be compromised for future generations is deeply upsetting.’
A spokeswoman for the RSAMD said that after four months of ‘consultation’
10 THE LIST 5—19 Jun 2008
between staff and students, there was only likely to be one redundancy from the School of Drama. Elsewhere, a small number staff will be offered term time contracts to ‘reflect the needs’ of the Academy.
In addition, the Academy has accepted five voluntary severance applications from colleagues in other areas of the RSAMD’s activities. Structural changes will take place within the School of Music and the School of Drama, with some departments combining their resources.
Commenting on the re-structures, Principal John Wallace said: ‘The Academy is one of the jewels in the crown of Scottish culture and our role as an incubator of Scottish talent in the performing arts is unparalleled. Through a period of intensive consultation with both staff and students we have found inventive ways to make the most of the current resources available to us and enhance the student experience. We are now in a strong position to face the future and look forward to the Scottish Funding Council review of drama funding.’
PARTY ON I The Three Sisters on Edinburgh's Cowgate is celebrating its tenth anniversary with a six-figure refurbishment and redesign - its most extensive facelitt since opening in 1998. Housed in the old Tailors' Guild Hall and owned by Edinburgh-based Festival lnns, The Three Sisters' owners said they wanted the new look bar areas to showcase 'a timeless appeal that translates well to both daytime dining and a bright-eyed party outlook.‘
THE FILM Travel Plans last week picked up the Best Film gong at the first ever Edinburgh 48 Hour Film Project. The film competition saw 24 teams of over 100 filmmakers scrambling to make a film from start to finish in just one weekend.
FAN! OF Illu- DRU are being offered the chance to get their creative efforts onto the small screen, with bosses on the hunt to find alternative takes on their latest advert, a spoof of Rudyard Kipling’s poem ‘If’. Details can be found at www.irn-
bru.co.uk
HYDRO CONNECT music festival has announced the addition of Gomez, The Young Knives, Dave Clarke, The Black Lips and Passenger to their line-up. Some, Slam and Optimo have also been confirmed as curators for the Unknown Pleasures tent, as have performances from top club nights Vegas! and Club Noir.
AID MALLY King Tut's Wah Wah Hut’s initiative Your Sound has been awarded funding from the Scottish Arts Council’s Youth Music Initiative for its efforts supporting emerging musical talent.
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UNPUBLISHED AUTHORS have until 9 June to apply for a lace at the Iura M t Whisky New Writer Retreat, following the decision b the Scottish Book rust to offer a new emerging author the chance to s end October wrlting on the Isle of Iura. www.3cottishbooktru st.com/jura
BUDDING FILMMAKERS SOUGHT
I Following a successful run in 2007, the Scottish Mental Health Arts and Film Festival (SMHAFF) is asking for submissions to this year’s film competition. The multi-arts festival, which aims to tackle the stigma surrounding mental health issues and promote recovery, will this year be hosted in venues all over Scotland from 1-19 October. Last year’s festival attracted over 50 independent films, including shorts starring Kate Dickie (of Red Road fame) and Trainspotting author Irvine Welsh.
For more information about the competition email smhaff@gmail.com with ‘Frlm Competition’ in the subject line. Winning films will be screened alongside the festival‘s features and documentary programme. Elsewhere, organisers have announced that the inaugural Sounds Film Festival, which aims to celebrate the use of music in film and TV, will take place at Gilmorehill 612 on 17-19 October.