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As Strathclyde University consider axing the Collins Gallery, the Ramshorn Theatre and the Music Society, Collins curator Laura Hamilton pleads for a stay of execution
The Collins Gallery has been an integral part of Glasgow’s vibrant arts scene for almost 40 years and, financed by the University of Strathclyde, has carved a unique niche as the key provider of high calibre exhibitions, educational events and publications, which focus strongly on craft and the applied arts. The Collins is undoubtedly one of the best temporary exhibition spaces in Glasgow, attracting an annual attendance of around 37,000 visitors from the art and academic communities as well as the general public. We are also responsible for the
curatorship of some 2000 items held in the University’s permanent collections of Fine Art and Historic Scientific Instruments, and over the years, have been involved in several commissions of public art for the campus, including stained glass windows by John Clark for the Barony, and sculptural work by Jack Sloan, George Wyllie and Shona Kinloch. As part of a review of its cultural strategy, the University has issued a consultation paper which proposes closure of all three strands of its cultural interface with the city. Responses to the paper have been invited and the Court will review the situation in May.
It is clear that very few areas, across all sectors of society, will remain unaffected by today’s economic climate but we obviously hope, and will strive to ensure, to secure both the long- term future of the Collins Gallery and more immediately, the realisation of major projects currently being developed for the next nine months. Not least of these, is an exhibition which celebrates the life and work of the remarkable George Wyllie, whose archive was generously gifted to the University of Strathclyde last year.
8 THE LIST 28 Apr–26 May 2011
Home brewing
Head Fence honcho Johnny Lynch gives The List an exclusive look at another rock solid line-up for his Fife festival, Home Game
O ver the past 15 years Fence Records have put out around 180 different releases – CD albums, EPs, CD-Rs, magazines, samplers, 7” and 10” singles, and 12” LPs. But, unlike most labels, we’ve always maintained a live presence – and, increasingly, this live aspect is becoming the true essence of what Fence is.
Aikmans Bar, a now-defunct pub in St Andrews, was birthplace to Fence’s live gatherings – hosting bi-monthly Wednesday residencies (often in drag), with live performances interspersed with Scalextric marathons, and sprawling all- day drinking sessions for a Fence Sunday Social. The idea behind these events was to bring friends and like-minded folk together, with an emphasis on original performances and collaborations. This usually meant that half the attendees were bands on the bill, and the other half were girlfriends, boyfriends and mums. And local drunks. intimate,
When I joined Fence full- time in 2003, Kenny (King Creosote) assigned me the task of developing these live events. We decided straightaway that we wanted to have a big party, where everyone was together – all the acts on the Fence label, our pals and our pals’ pals. And local drunks. The lovable ones, not the fighty ones. Thus, Home Game was born. Our first Home Game took place in 2004; we sold 115 tickets for a two-day event in a small hall in the middle of
HOME GAME LINE-UP 2011
Andrew Greig, Babe, Burnt Island, Cancel The Astronauts, Cate Le Bon, Conquering Animal Sound, Colorama, David Thomas Broughton, Delifinger,
eagleowl, FOUND, François & The Atlas Mountains, Geese, Gummi Bako, Hardsparrow, Indian Red Lopez, Iona Marshall, Jack Joseph, James Mathé, Jamie Harrison, Jo
Mango, Jon Hopkins, Josh T Pearson,
Josie Long (& Friends!), Kathryn Williams, Khartoum Heroes, Kid Canaveral, King Creosote & The
Earlies, The Last Battle, Liz Green, Lomond Campbell, Martin John
Henry, The Massacre Cave,
Meursault, MonogAnon, Mystery
Juice, Nathan Fake, OnTheFly, Over The Wall, The Pictish Trail, Player
Piano, Rachel Sermanni, Randolph’s
Leap, Rich Amino, Rozi Plain,
Seamus Fogarty, Slow Club, Sweet Baboo, This Is The Kit, Tommy Reilly,
Trevor Moss & Hannah Lou, Viva Stereo, Will Burns, Withered Hand + more to be announced . . .
Anstruther. Given its reputation, you’d have thought that after eight years the event would have developed into some burgeoning Glastonbury-sized juggernaut. But it hasn’t. Instead HG numbers have swelled to an astonishing – wait for it – 400 tickets. And that’s it. We’ve spent eight years building and building this thing, and it’s not even big enough to be classed as a proper festival. And that’s probably what makes it so great. So, over three days this May,
there’ll be performances from 60 different acts, scattered across various small halls and back rooms of pubs, throughout the towns of Anstruther and Cellardyke. For the most part, afternoons are the domain of singer- songwriters, evenings are for bands, and night-time is when it gets really loud and dancey. There’s all sorts of stuff going on in addition to the music – Josie Long is curating three comedy sessions with her favourite comedians; Heavenly Records are curating an afternoon of music, as well as bringing a spoken word element their ‘Caught By The River’ blog; and there’ll be secret shows galore. Plus, there’s a whole beautiful seaside town to discover – boat trips out to the Isle of May, the best fish’n’ chips in Scotland, the lovable local drunks. Bliss. to mirror
Home Game 2011, Anstruther and Cellardyke, Fife, Fri 6–Sun 8 May. See fencerecords.com