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Davie Gardner
18 September 2007
So what now for Shetland’s cinema and music venue project, or
‘Mareel’ as it’s now known of course?
OK, the Capital Lottery’s funding guru’s in Edinburgh have,
metaphorically speaking, ‘blinked’ for the first time since being
asked to fund a significant part of the proposed facility and,
perhaps not surprisingly, put a temporary hold on actually handing
over their £2.1m offer until certain elements of the project have
been more fully evaluated and specific questions answered.
But is this hopefully temporary delay any reason for the rumoured
outbreak of political ‘cold feet’ toward the project now apparently
emanating from the Town Hall - and long before winter itself has
actually set in around our council’s own stately home either? You
have to hope not. Hopefully political cold feet, if they indeed
exist, won’t lead to a cultural ice age.
I accept it’s difficult for me to be totally objective on this issue
given the length of time I have spent close to the project - but I
can still try, especially now that I am no longer directly involved
with it. Although there are of course wider issues here, forgive me
if I tend to concentrate mainly on the more music related elements
of the planned initiative.
Let’s be honest £2.1m is a lot of lottery ticket losing’s, and those
people who were so easily parted from their hard-earned cash in the
first place now want to see their money wisely spent in other
ways – and rightly so. As do we, given the £8.something million tag
currently hanging over the whole project, and the fact that much of
this total will inevitably come from local sources. So one thing we
all surely agree upon is that we want to get it right from the
outset, and if that takes another 6 months or so..... then all to
the good.
No one wants to be saddle a financial white elephant, but laying
aside the purely financial elements and arguments for the time
being, let’s take a look at how things stand and what we could
possibly lose if a development of this kind does not go ahead.
Concerns for the future
We are continually told by some in our community that this
particular kind of facility “has to wash its face” or “it has to
make a profit”. Why? What’s so different with regard to the
provision of social and cultural amenities compared to say sporting
ones that we happily and heavily subsidise year out year in, to the
tune of around £2m, without one gripey letter to the media? Let’s
face it, commercial enterprise delivering such a facility is a
pretty unlikely scenario in Shetland, otherwise some enterprising
entertainment entrepreneur, most likely from outside the islands,
would have already descended upon us by now, creaming off profits or
buying us out as they have continually done in other commercially
attractive sectors in the recent past.
It’s equally unlikely given that the bigger percentage of theatres,
art centres and other such venues within UK, and indeed beyond, are
either operated by, or at least supported by, local authorities -
what does this tell us? They, of course, see such cultural
facilities (not night-clubs or music pubs as this particular
facility has been labelled by some local ‘experts’) as a crucial
social, public and community ‘service’ - so why, in a so called
culturally rich group of islands like Shetland, can’t we?
“We are too small a community to practically support such a
facility” others cry. Unlikely again, given that many similarly
small areas now boast such facilities on their own doorsteps and
benefit greatly from them in all sorts of ways – and no, such
provision has not led to mass beer pump dismantling and a nailing up
of shutters in pub-land, with destitute landlords selling their very
last BMW either. Quite the opposite in most instances in fact.
Sure if it was only a cinema and music hall these purely commercial
arguments might hold some water, but if, as clearly planned, many
elements of the proposed facility are centred around ‘education’ (in
the broadest sense of the word) and professionally developing
(perhaps in the loosest sense of the words) Shetland’s music scene,
film and digital media sector and the wider social and cultural
environment, for the future well-being of the islands and its
population, then purely commercial considerations surely cannot
singularly apply. Who in the commercial world, or private sector,
funds such developmental activity purely for profit? If you can name
one you are doing better than me.
We’re also continually assured by those apparently ‘in the know’
that, Shetland being Shetland, things have always looked after
themselves in the past in this respect. So why do we now need this
facility for such a purpose? “Hit didna tak a bonnie building to get
Aly Bain whar he is da day” they sagely observe.
Sure, musically speaking at least, things have worked out for a
chosen and talented few, and we would probably expect this kind of
result wherever we reside, especially in an area that already
invests so much in additional instrumental education. “Whit mair do
we need?” they challenge.
But is this particular investment and approach actually doing all we
think or believe it is? Sure it’s a brilliant asset that none of us
would want to see withdrawn, and it has an amazing impact within
schools in all sorts of ways, but ask yourselves how many great
Shetland traditionally orientated or inspired bands have we spawned
since ‘Fiddlers’ Bid’, Rock Salt and Nails and ‘Filska’ initially
hit the market in the early to mid 90’s? Quite a while ago, and
since then there’s been..............well nobody really.
And how many high quality solo fiddle players who, for arguments
sake, go on to commercial success outside the islands does Shetland
create year out year in, given the extensive numbers who regularly
access high quality traditional fiddle tuition in schools? “Ah, now
let me think........” Exactly!!!!!
Or how many Shetland rock bands or contemporary musicians have found
themselves in the national or international spotlight over the
years? “Weel dere wis Iain Bairnson in the 1970’s and he’s still
going strong. But apart from him...........I canna tink” Exactly!!!!
Let’s be brutally honest our national and international successes
are pretty few and far between, and even fewer of late, although I
accept things could be much worse. There’s still a lot of very good
stuff going on and our reputation still holds up none the less - but
more so thanks to acts that have been established for a few years
now, rather than a continuous flow of ‘new blood’ coming through.
Sure there are a few bright hopes around at the moment, but in
proportion to the numbers involved in schools, not to mention the
money we throw at this particular area, apparently around £750,000
per annum, we can hardly be said to be knee deep in potentially
international talent, although we may occasionally choose to believe
otherwise.
And given this significant investment in instrumental tuition in
schools, how many pupils do you think have gone on to study music at
higher education level outside Shetland in the past three years? I
can tell you, it’s only nine - and there were none at all in 2005/6.
So does all this add up to causing some concern for the future? I’ll
let you decide.......
Could this possible failing be something to do with not having any
kind of positive ‘follow-on’ educational, developmental or
performance related strategy outwith school to maximise on our
initial investment and further develop the current, perhaps as yet,
embryonic potential of the individual or group? Surely not!!!
So are we currently making the best or gaining the most from our
initial investments? Are we occasionally getting there by careful
design and via a cohesive or strategic cultural plan or more so by
accident or perhaps the purely personal commitment of the occasional
individual. Again you decide!!! A well
balanced social infrastructure is needed
If we need evidence of what a cultural facility such as ‘Mareel’
should look like, how it should be run or what it could potentially
achieve or deliver, surely we need look no further than our
fantastic network of leisure centres.
You have to ask, would they attract the number of visitors they
collectively do (apparently over 600,000 visits per annum and still
rising) if they were merely average quality sports ‘sheds’ with a
few random items of equipment and basic facilities, run with purely
profit or financial ‘break-even’ in mind? Equally, would we be
competing at the national and international level we now are in so
many sporting disciplines without them and the commitment and
expertise of the professionals who manage and operate them and
provide the strategic thinking behind them?
Surely even the most sand-buried head, or habitual community moaner,
must see that these particular high quality facilities, and the
associated public investment required to operate them effectively,
initially opposed by so many in the local community, is now reaping
huge rewards for Shetland in all sorts of ways – including national
and international profile and recognition, not to mention the health
and wellbeing of so many individuals and groups. Surely then it
stands to reason that a facility such as ‘Mareel’, based around
similar qualities, principals and aspirations could surely do the
same for Shetland in cultural terms.
It’s all very well drawing up much heralded cultural strategies,
dozens of singular community action plans, brand images and other
fancy documents and corporate ideals, all created by endless
consultants, public sector working groups and ‘think-tanks’, who do
little more than encourage even more studies to be undertaken and
reports to be written into anything and everything - but without a
suitably high quality, effective, practical and physical
infrastructure, allied to professional commitment to deliver the
actual initiatives effectively, you might as well use such documents
to......well you can use your imagination here?
Getting back to finances again, who in their right mind would want
to take away any funding intended for much needed care-home plans
for the islands elderly? Not me that’s for sure, as I too have
relatives who desperately need such services. But emotive and
compelling though this particular argument and priority is, surely
the ‘powers that be’ cannot afford to turn their collective backs on
other equally important members of our community, especially the
young, who currently seek alternative priority facilities crucial to
their particular needs and well-being, namely the provision of a
well-balanced social infrastructure to provide a wider and
attractive quality of life within a rural and indeed relatively
isolated community such as ours.
If we are to practise what we preach in terms of population
retention and attraction policies (including bringing locals back to
the islands); drug and alcohol related policies; youth policies;
regeneration policies and not to mention community action plans by
the political bucket-load, then social and developmental facilities
such as ‘Mareel’ will be crucial to supporting such policies, again
most especially in relation to attracting and maintaining younger
generations or professional individuals.
And hey I know of quite a few ‘mature’ locals who don’t see
themselves as quite ready for ‘care in the community’ just yet and
still desire to be an active part of that community in a more social
context. ‘Mareel’ is not just for the young, let me assure you of
that.
But finally let’s get back to Shetland and its culture again, and
let’s align that to economic diversity and benefit. We have for
years paid little more than political lip-service to our cultural
sector, creative industries and tourism, all of which of course will
inevitably become increasingly important industries in their own
right as our more traditional local industries wane or are
threatened by external forces or markets. These apparently
individual ‘industries’ are however ‘joined at the hip’ so to speak,
with increasing numbers of visitors often citing music, heritage and
culture, in the wider sense, as some of their primary reasons for
visiting a specific area.
Let’s look at what we currently have to offer in this respect. A
terrific and much heralded new museum of course, but pretty much
everything else is a cheap and cheerful (nothing wrong with that of
course) reasonably well executed ‘cottage industry’, largely reliant
on the voluntary sector. Tremendous in its own right we all agree,
but is that enough for a community of so called social and cultural
quality, ambition and intellect, which has clearly stated desires
and aspirations to continually and increasingly compete in, and
impact upon, the international market place in this particular
respect? Will such a structure, largely left to its own devices,
continue to be effective, productive and sustainable in the longer
term as things move on elsewhere and we find ourselves having to
compete against increasingly vibrant markets outwith the islands?
Maybe if we intend to compete effectively in this multi-million
pound market we need to think a bit bigger and ‘outside the box’ for
once and at least aim to have an iconic, hopefully sustainable and
high quality ‘home’ for our ambitions and those individuals that
harbour them. A facility not only offering quality and variable
entertainment, with something for everyone in the community and
visitors alike, but also aligned to an education, developmental and
cultural policy and programme that would build further on our
current reputation and investments to date and help keep us out in
front in this particular market. In other words a facility that
would put, or perhaps more accurately keep, Shetland on the cultural
map.
So is there anything wrong with seeking to effectively celebrate and
maintain what we already have in place, while still aspiring to do
things even better and more professionally in the future, supporting
our music, culture, heritage, economy and hopefully all members of
the local community to the utmost in this respect. Why not have a
cultural home that we can all be proud of, one which locals and
visitors alike can admire and one that fits with our existing
reputation and future ambitions.
The lottery may have chosen to blink temporarily, but that’s no
reason why we should, and cold feet can be easily warmed given the
right approach. Money, and its careful management, is very important
let’s make no mistake about that, but it isn’t everything either.
Shetland has always been good at looking at the wider picture. Let’s
not blink and miss it on this occasion.
What do you think? Does Shetland need a dedicated music and
cinema venue? Or is it a waste of public money that could be used
for better purposes? Write to us at
comment@shetland-news.co.uk
21 September 2007
Davie Gardner has to be congratulated. He has hit the nail exactly
on the head, yet again.
Thank you Davie.
Stewart Pottinger
betty@ednet.co.uk
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