9 May, 2008

Screen & Digital Media

WE ARE writing as representatives of the screen and digital media industries within Shetland. These industries range from film-making and web design to digital media and graphic design. Our industry is growing and now represents a serious contributor to the local economy with a real future. Modern technology means that our location is no longer a disadvantage.

We want to voice our support for the Mareel project and to urge the Shetland Islands Council to do the same. Mareel will provide a centre of creative excellence where our skills, talent and businesses can grow. It will also provide essential education for young people in Shetland who wish to work in the creative industries or to start businesses of their own in the future.

We are working to provide real jobs in the industry that will retain Shetland's young people and encourage them to return to the islands. This is a long term vision. We ask Shetland Islands Council to support us to do this by supporting Mareel. Mareel will succeed if we make Mareel succeed.

Signatories

Burnt Candle Productions (Karen Emslie/ Dave Hammond, Scousburgh/ Skeld)

and

Tim Bentley (Freelance film-maker)
Jimmy Carlyle (Zetcast Podcaster, Lerwick)
Jill Franklin (Film/ Public Relations, Semblester)
Debbie Hammond (Shetland Sail and Film, Skeld)
Lorcan Henry (Shetland Young Persons Media Club)
John Hunter (Video Artist, Aith)
Leslie Lowes (Penultimate Productions, Walls)
Andrew Lowes (Penultimate Productions, Walls)
Robert Lowes (Digital Imagineering, Walls)
Peter Johnson (Freelance film-maker, Skeld)
Derek Titheradge (The Ultimate Image, Gulberwick)
Roxane Permar (New Media/ Visual Artist, Burra)
Euan Robertson (Lecturer, Computing, Shetland College)
Mark Sinclair (Phatsheep Photograhy, Quarff)
Colin Smith (Flavour Productions, Quarff)
Neil Sutherland (Freelance cameraman/ editing teacher, Lerwick)
David Wagstaff (Freelance technician/ lighting designer, Bressay)


Music Industry

“WE SUPPORT Mareel and believe it to be an important investment in the future of music in Shetland. We urge councillors to support Shetland culture by honouring the SIC¹s financial commitment to Mareel”

Murray Arthur (musician/ music retailer)
Stefan Buchala (musician)
Ross Couper (musician, music student)
Sheila Duncan (nee Henderson, musician)
Russel Gair (musician, percussion teacher)
Andrew Gifford (musician, Fiddlers’ Bid)
Bryan Gear (musician)
Peter Gear (musician)
Neil Georgeson (musician)
Donna Goodlad (musician, Shoormal)
Owen Goudie (musician)
Gordon Gibson (musician)
Kevin Henderson (musician, Fiddlers’ Bid)
Stevie Hook (sound engineer, musician)
Linda Irvine (musician, Rock Salt n Nails)
JJ Jamieson (musician)
Mark Laurenson (musician)
Freda Leask (musician, Shoormal)
Erlin Sven McAlpine (Musician and Artist)
Sean McDill (sound engineer, Barbican Centre)
Catriona McDonald (musician, fiddle instructor)
Iain McQueen (Head of Operations, Queen's Hall Edinburgh)
Alan McKay (musician)
Julie Moncrieff (musician)
Gwyn Morgan Davies (musician)
Fraser Mouat (Sound Engineer)
Alice Mullay – (musician, music teacher)
Arthur Nicholson (musician, Little Green Machine)
Lois Nicol (musician, music student)
Jordan Ogg (musician)
Ivor Polson (musician)
Jim Quinn (musician)
Rueben Quinn (musician, Black Bic Biro)
Jonathan Ritch (sound engineer, musician, Fiddlers’ Bid)
Joe Robertson (music promoter)
Jack Sandison (musician, Little Green Machine)
Margaret Scollay (musician, fiddle instructor)
Ryan Smith (musician, guitar instructor)
Inness Thomson (musician, luthier)
Malachy Tallack (musician)
Gordon Tulloch (musician, Shoormal)
Joyce Wark (musician, Shoormal)
Michael Williamson (musician)


Wider Creative Industries

WE ARE writing as representatives of the vibrant and growing creative industry sector in Shetland. We believe our industry to be a serious and key player in the local economy.

We urge Shetland Islands Council to support Mareel as an essential tool for the educational, creative and economic growth of the Creative Industries in Shetland for this and future generations.

SIGNATORIES

Businesses & Groups

Karen Bruce (Mootie House Designs, South Nesting)
Fiona Cope (Designed in Shetland website/ Oily Mugie Craft Shop, Hillswick)
Richard Gibson (Richard Gibson Architects, Lerwick)
Magdalena M Gibson (Richard Gibson Architects, Lerwick
Davy Inkster (Speiliks Handmade Wooden Toys, Burra)
Sharon Lowe & Family (Ace Training Solutions)
Alan MacKay (Alan MacKay Architects, Lerwick)
Andrew Ross (Centre for the Creative Industries, Yell)
Jim Sutherland & staff (Redman & Sutherland Architects, Scalloway)
Jono Sandilands (Energizer Promotions, Lerwick)
Ann Thomson (Serpentine Drama Group)


Designers & Artists

Linda Bannister (Art Machine, Lerwick)
Paul Bloomer (Painter, Bigton)
Ruth Brownlee (Visual Artist, Sandwick)
Fiona Burr (Art teacher/ Artist, Bigton)
Kath Carlyle (Textile Designer, Lerwick)
Wilma Cluness (Visual Artist, Culswick)
Andrew Goodlad (Graphic & Web Designer/ Musician/ Music Producer)
Jane Matthews (Visual Artist, Sandwick)
Gillian Okill (Dressmaker, Trondra)
Tirval Scott (Visual artist/ musician/ designer/ photographer/ sound engineer/ film-maker, Lerwick)
James Thomason (Visual Artist, Levenwick)
Anne Thomason (Levenwick)
Susan Timmins (Visual Artist/ Speiliks, Burra)
Andrea Williamson (Textile designer, Whalsay)

Writers/ Media

Johan Adamson (Writer/ actor, Bixter)
Mary Blance (Freelance media, Lerwick)
Gordon Dargie (Writer, Burra)
Anne Dickie (Writer/ Teacher, Cunningsburgh)
Jen Hadfield (Writer/Visual Artist)
Nat Hall (Writer)
Donald S. Murray (Writer/ English teacher, Chair Shetland Arts)
Hannah Nicholson (Writer/ Student, Brae / Glasgow)
Lise Sinclair (Singer songwriter/poet/composer, Fair Isle)
James Sinclair (Poet, North Idea)
Marsali Taylor (Teacher/ writer/ drama & film fan, Aith)
Genevieve White (Writer/ teacher, Lerwick)
Matthew Wright (Writer)
Pete Bevington (Freelance journalist)


Arts Students

Stephanie Jameison (Tingwall)
Jackie Kynes (Contemporary Textiles, Shetland)
Joan Manson (Sullom)
Paula Pottinger (Lerwick)
P. Preshaw (Scalloway)
Sarah Sidgwick (Ollaberry)
Dale Sinclair (Tingwall)
Rebecca Sinclair (Lerwick)
Jessica Smith (Brae)
Hilary Spalter (Mossbank)
Julie Williamson (Whalsay)


MaddriM Media Club

We at the young persons’ media club feel that the cinema and music venue is a necessity for our community for various reasons, in terms of our club we were given access to so much amazing equipment, but we have nowhere to use it.

This is incredibly frustrating to us because the possibilities of what we could do with the equipment are endless and we hate knowing its there but not being able to fully utilise it.

We need somewhere accessible and practical where we can go. The offices at Shetland Arts are where people work, not where we should be running around filming, editing and going back and forth with equipment.

The cinema and music venue would be the perfect place to make use of this equipment, also it would act as a great place to screen our films, as at the moment only we can see them and this is by gathering around a basic computer screen, which doesn't exactly show off your project very well. Here we would be able to get real audiences and really get our work out there to show the wider population what young people really can do.

In a more general view Shetland’s main industries are dying. In the next few decades we will not be able to rely on those to keep Shetland as it is, we are beginning to rely on tourism more and more.

The problem with tourism is, what is there to do for young people? Hill walking and bird watching is just not attractive to those under 20. People want somewhere that they can take their children.

The cinema and music venue would be an excellent and enjoyable way to spend an afternoon especially when you are a young person visiting Shetland.

Lorcan Henry
Young Persons Media Club