Ryan Youth Theatre And Dumfries Junior Guild In Double Performance

From Sid Ambrose, DG Unlimited Wigtownshire Area Arts Convenor

My head was very warm recently, which was no doubt due to the fact that l was in Stranraer's Ryan Theatre whilst wearing two hats. Hat number one represented my role as Wigtownshire Arts Hub Convenor, while hat number two signified the work l do for the Kirkcudbright based South West Scotland Sectarian project. In my case this explains the line from the old song “Where did you get that hat”.

Anyway moving on, The Ryan Youth Theatre delivered a powerful performance, on their home turf to a packed audience. Their production called Freedom Square was inspired by the turbulent events which took place in George Square, Glasgow on the eve of the Scottish referendum. Sectarianism, bigotry, love and nationalism were the key themes in the script which was written by celebrated playwright Des Dillon.

the cast from Ryan Youth Theatre rehearsing for Freedom Square

The play was commissioned by Wigtown Festival Company which received a grant from the Voluntary Action Fund small grants to sectarianism programme. Joining them in a double bill were young people from Dumfries junior guild under the tutelage of James Napper who delivered a performance titled “Unite Don't Fight” which was based around sectarianism and gang culture. The two shows were followed by a lively audience discussion on sectarianism and tolerance which was chaired by literature development officer Carolyn Yates.

James Napper who worked and starred with the Junior Guild

My twin hatted role involved linking the Ryan Youth Theatre up with the Stranraer based African Drummers, for both groups this created a new working environment and the sum of the parts i.e. youth theatre and percussion based performers was very definitely greater than the whole. I also suggested the double billing show which saw young people from Dumfries travelling across to Stranraer to perform in tandem with their counterparts. Similarly all three groups worked together to perform in New Galloway the following evening.

Carolyn Yates felt that the performances had been a credit to all of the young people involved and she was keen to thank all of those who had worked hard to bring the script to life, the Ryan Centre staff were singled out for special praise for their input on technical production, catering and general support.

The Ryan Youth Theatre performances in Stranraer saw young people working alongside a professional director in the form of Chris Taylor, the script was devised by Garlieston based playwright Des Dillon who is most famous for his comedy show called “Singing I’m no a billy he's a tim”. In addition they received direction from a specialist in stage movement and Blocking and they were able to choreograph the scenes to a live music accompaniment. All in all these skills and new working relationships incrementally strengthen the arts sector in Wigtownshire, and l am happy to play my part in supporting this even if it does require the odd change of hat.

Rethinking the Arts in England

From Peter Stark

(keen eyed Commonty readers will have been following a series of posts about the brilliant work that Peter Stark is doing to re-address the balance between Arts funding spent in London and in the rest of England......he has now reache the end of this work an the final report will be available - here

On 25th February - symbolically the 50th Anniversary of the publication of Jennie Lee's ground-breaking White Paper, A policy for the Arts - the first steps, GPS Culture - Christopher Gordon, David Powell and Peter Stark - will close their two year self-funded research programme into the arts in England. Their final report - A New Destination for the Arts. Between a RoCC and a Hard Place - is published today.

The report's recommendations build on the conclusions of earlier work that 'Arts Council England had continued to demonstrate a systemic inability to reform itself without external intervention. The forces of custom, practice and vested interest were just too strong'. The recommendations include:

Rebalancing funding. Just Do it!
Whilst longer term opportunities to rebalance arts funding are investigated, the report presents new analysis to show that officially projected increases in Lottery income between levels of the last and next five years mean that the delivery of a 'fair share' per capita level of Lottery spend outside London (an additional £100m per annum) can be achieved without a cash reduction to existing levels in London.

Beyond geographic and social rebalancing we need to address imbalances of scale
Up to date analysis shows that 64% of all of the funds made available from universal taxation to the arts and culture in England goes to only 19 organisations - the 'national' performing arts companies, galleries and museums and library.  Key questions requiring address include:
What is a 'National' Company - UK wide, British or English and what should we ask of them?
What are the current audience and visitor patterns at these institutions as between International, EU, UK and the English regions (including on line access)?
What is the pattern of visits and ticket purchase by the most frequent users? Where are they based?

How can we achieve consistency in the relationship between the Arts Council and Local Government?
Local Authorities in London contribute at far lower levels to Arts Council funded organisations in their areas (6%) than is the case outside London (32%). A new concordat for the arts is needed between the nation and the capital city - and one that recognises that there are two or more Londons to be addressed in such discussions.

What the Arts Council says and what the Arts Council does
The Arts Council partly argues its case for funding based on the power of the arts to deliver cultural, social, educational and economic benefits. How could the funds provided by taxpayers and Lottery players be better aligned with the delivery of these benefits? How can they best be delivered - in partnership - through devolved structures in England (as in Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland)?

Understanding what is happening at the grass roots and acting to protect infrastructure
In focusing on Local Authority funding for its own 'National Portfolio' of organisations, the Arts Council has ignored a deeper crisis in the collapse of Local Authority support for the local cultural infrastructure that develops talent, supports active arts participation and promotes individual and community wellbeing. What is happening at the grass roots? What new models are emerging? How can they be supported?
 
The need for a new, more flexible and responsive structure of funding programmes
A model of funding that only offers either a once-every-three years opportunity to receive revenue support or a one-in-two to one-in-three chance of success at 'once off project support' (after advice and recommendation) from Grants for the Arts does not engage with the realities of artists’ practice or the needs of emerging companies. There are better ways. What might they be?

Coda and Conclusion
At the end we return to our beginning with a note of advice for any incoming Secretary of State. In 1965, the Cabinet Secretary, Sir Burke Trend, personally intervened with the Prime Minister to argue against Jennie Lee's recommendations for greater support to the regions and partnerships with local authorities (which he felt belonged more properly to Government's 'industrial and social policies’) and for the modification of the White Paper in favour of 'the great national institutions'. The Prime Minister and his redoubtable Arts Minister stood firm and he did not succeed. Their successors will need to do so again.

The authors add:

"Now is the time for those who share a belief in a fairer, more honest, and more effective cultural policy for England to come forward, speak out loud and refuse any longer to accept that 'it can’t be done'.  Change in national policy has to happen and it can happen now, fifty years on from the last democratically driven effort.

New policy and programmes can be framed to invest in the broadest possible participative base and in extraordinary creative talent as it emerges – from wherever in the country and from whatever social or cultural backgrounds. This new emphasis can complement and will underpin continued substantial investment in the work of artists and in the national cultural infrastructure in London and in the regions, seeking to achieve excellence and benchmarked against the highest international standards.

Surprise guest for Lee’s Burns Supper

From Kerry Willacy

Barman Lee McQueen was amazed when a special guest accepted his invitation to appear at a Burns-themed fundraiser. The Globe worker, a popular accordionist, planned a modest evening to raise funds for the SNP locally. He was amazed when former First Minister Alex Salmond accepted his invitation to speak at the event on 26th February. As a result, the fundraiser has “grown arms and legs” with an array of local talent supporting the event which will be held in the Cairndale Hotel.

Robyn Stapleton, a BBC Radio Young Traditional Musician of the Year, will sing and Ian McIntyre, past president of the Burns Howff club, will act as Master of Ceremonies. There will also be an auction featuring memorabilia signed by Mr Salmond, a unique designer hat by Milliner Tracey Little and a handmade Burns quilt by Ann Hill.

Joan McAlpine MSP, who helping to organise the evening, said: “This is a great coup for Lee who has worked incredibly hard to make the evening a success. Lee helped to organise the entertainment when Alex Salmond visited Dumfries just before the referendum. Mr Salmond was completely overwhelmed by the scenes of welcome at the Devorgilla Bridge and promised to return to the town to thank all the activists.”

Ms McAlpine added: “Tickets are selling fast and we are confident of raising a substantial amount to support the campaigns of our SNP candidates Richard Arkless in Dumfries & Galloway and Emma Harper in Dumfriesshire, Clydessdale and Tweeddale.”

Tickets can be obtained from Lee by texting 07835 405471 or by emailing dumfriesburnssupper@gmail.com

wheres your evidence, pal?

from Carolyn Yates

The Scottish Parliament’s Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee has launched its call for evidence for the Economic impact of the creative industries inquiry.  Please click on the link below for the call for evidence and the news release for the Committee’s.  Please feel free to circulate this to anyone who may have an interest in submitting written evidence to the Committee.

http://www.scottish.parliament.uk/newsandmediacentre/84547.aspx

Hip Hop is a Legitimate Artform

From Colin Tennant

Commonty readers who were partying last weekend at Drumlanrig may recognise Stanley Odd from their performance at last weekends successful Electric Fields festival. 

The Impact of Independence on the Creative Industries

From Carolyn Yates

Hope some D & G folk can get along and make the rural region case! 

The Scottish Government announced that Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs, Fiona Hyslop will be participating in a public discussion on the potential impact independence  on the arts, screen and creative industries at the Glasgow School of Art next Thursday, 18th July (1-3pm). The event is free to attend and discussion will be chaired by Tom Inns, Director, Glasgow School of Art. Sign up available through the following eventbrite page here 

Lady Alba aka Zara Gladman arrived in D&G last week as part of National Collective's Yestival

Yestival in Sanquhar

On Wednesday, National Collective's Yestival crew landed in Sanquhar as part of their national tour this month bringing with them writers, poets, musicians and artists. D&G creatives also took over A the Airts and the Nithsdale Hotel including Hugh McMillan and Stuart Paterson. More pictures on the Yestival Facebook page here

Heads turned in Sanquhar as the Yestival crew rocked up in their super cool trailer… keep your eyes peeled for it as it journeys around the country this month

Sarah Indigo creating new work in the car park 

Stuart Paterson, Sarah Indigo and Hugh McMillan
Photograph by Simon Baker — at A the Airts.

Busking in Sanquhar
Photograph by Simon Baker — at Nithsdale Hotel

"A troupe of vehicles, people and performers departs at dawn from Leith. We take only what we need, and leave all home comforts, introversions, fears and reservations behind us.

Reading the map it is marked with small villages, great cities, remote islands, mountains so vast their peaks are like the ocean, and between them all a line of ink draws from place to place, north to south, east to west, coast to coast. Our route will take us to parts of the country we have never seen, and show familiar places in unfamiliar light.

The words of the Edinburgh makar Ron Butlin ring through the ears: “The history we make, will make us in return.” "

Scotia Nova - Book Launch at Yestival event - Sanquhar 2nd July

Wednesday July 2^nd, 4.30-6pm

FREE EVENT, ALL WELCOME

A’ The Airts café

8-12 High Street

Sanquhar DG4 6BL

Tel. 01659 50514

Regional launch of a major national anthology –

SCOTIA NOVA: Poems for the Early Days of a Better Nation.

Luath Press,
Ed. Tessa Ransford and Alistair Findlay

“Whatever the outcome of Scotland’s Independence Referendum on 18 September 2014, a better Scotland is possible. Across every aspect of life in Scotland – housing, inequality, life expectancy, health, education, crime, sectarianism, localism and more – we all know that a better Scotland is possible. And then there’s Trident. And the Bedroom Tax. And the Democratic Deficit. And on and on it goes. Scotia Nova is a collection of poetry addressing social and political issues in Scotland. It is an ambitious and inspiring attempt to raise public interest and awareness.”

‘Scotia Nova’ includes work by local writers Donald Adamson, Stuart A. Paterson, Hugh McMillan, Tom Pow & Rab Wilson.

The launch event will include readings from some of the contributors, as well as a discussion about the book & the ethos surrounding its creation.

Yestival in Sanquhar - line up announced

from National Collective

#TRADYES

From Andy Priestman

Here's a cheerful pic. C'mon Scotland, be brave, be proud, vote yes.
More about #tradyes on the National Collective webpage here

Yestival - the Summer of Independence

From National Collective

Dear Commonty, welcome to Yestival - the summer of independence

Travelling across Scotland from the 30th June until the 3rd August, the Yestival tour will showcase the grassroots cultural movement for Scottish Independence and will include communities in the Scottish Borders, Dumfries & Galloway, central Scotland, Western Isles, the Highlands, Orkney, Shetland, the North East, Angus, Perthshire and Fife as well as all of the country’s seven cities.

The busy schedule will include a mixture of small gatherings, pop-up happenings and larger scale events together with a few surprises along the way.

All of this is possible after a highly successful crowdfunder which raised the targeted £30,000 to help make Yestival happen. It cannot be overstated how much each contribution is appreciated. A massive thank you goes out to everyone who has donated.

Featuring an array of artists, details of which will be announced shortly, the Yestival tour is only one part of Yestival – our month long celebration in communities across the whole of Scotland. We’d love to visit every single town, village, nook and cranny of the country but time is against us. Beyond the tour itself we encourage other yes activists to host events in their own communities throughout July. Whether your event involves music, theatre, art, film, discussion or debate, get creative and take part in the Summer of Independence! Yestival will showcase this buzzing grassroots activity on our media platforms for the world to see. This is our one big opportunity to show the world we can Imagine a Better Scotland.

Leaving on the 30th June from National Collective’s subterranean headquarters in Leith, The Art Cave, the touring party will travel the length and breadth of Scotland and is hosting events in the following locations on these dates:

30 June – Haddington
01 July – Melrose
02 July – Sanquhar
03 July – Ayr
04-06 July – Glasgow
08 July – Falkirk
09-12 July – Edinburgh
13 July – Fort William
15 July – South Uist
16 July – North Uist
17 July – Harris
18 July – Stornoway
18 July – Skye
19 July – Ullapool
20 July – Inverness
21-22 July – Orkney
23-24 July – Shetland
25 July – Lossiemouth
26 July – Aberdeen
28 July – Montrose
29 July – Arbroath
30 July – Dundee
31 July – Perth
01 August – St Andrews
02 August – Stirling

For further announcements and details for Yestival, please visit www.nationalcollective.com/fundraising

@wearenational

Ross Colquhoun, Director of National Collective, said:

“Yestival will be a major cultural event at the centre of Scotland’s summer of independence and will be an exciting way of taking the Yes message directly to people in their communities.

“Of course creating that confidence is partly about economics and political preparation. But it is also about cultural confidence, about confidence in your community and its people, and about the basic democratic principle that Scotland should govern itself.

“The Yestival tour will be about adding a bit of fun and imagination into the referendum campaign, and inviting the people of Scotland to dare to dream. We’re calling on all artists, writers and activists to join in, now’s the time.”

If you are interested in getting involved in the D+G Yestival date in Sanquhar on 2nd July please contact: YestivalDandG@gmail.com

see you in Sanquhar!

National Collective

Dumfries writer launches Yes book

Dumfries and Galloway Multicultural Association will host the local launch of Yes: The Radical Case For Scottish Independence at 7pm on Wednesday 23^rd April. The book, written by Dumfries-based researcher James Foley with writer Pete Ramand, argues the case for a progressive campaign for a Yes vote in September's referendum on Scottish independence. It has been widely praised, receiving enthusiastic and positive reviews from the likes of Bernadette McAliskey, Ruth Wishart, Jean Urquhart MSP and Mogwai guitarist Stuart Braithwaite.

 

Foley and Ramand, both founding members of the Radical Independence Campaign, will be there to do a presentation on the book, answer questions from the audience and sign copies. James Foley said “I am delighted to have the opportunity to launch my book in my home town. In the first couple of weeks since publication we've sold out of our first print run, which shows that there's a huge appetite for new ideas about independence.”

Come along and take the opportunity to meet these authors of a book that Aamer Anwar has described as “a landmark on the road to independence”.

For further info, contact Dan Foley on 07541 109653 or radicalindependenceDG@gmail.com

Commonty note - we make no claim whatsoever to being even-handed on any issue at all....but if someone wants to send in information about a launch for a book making a 'radical case for the Union' - we'll be delighted to post it on the blog.....any takers??

Achival Mapping and Independence

There is no end to the different ways it is possible to discuss Scotland's future - good pals of the Commonty DAMP (Dumfries Archival Mapping Project) are getting in on the act with their blog 'Maps and Scottish Independence' - check the Cartographic Viewpoint - here

A neat symmetry with the Marquis being one of the architects of the union back in 1707...

Questions about the Economics of Independence?

From RIC D&G

Do you have questions about the economic case for independence? 

Come along to a Meeting at Castle Douglas Community Centre on 19th March at 7pm and put them to leading economists Jim and Margaret Cuthbert, who will be talking about the Economics Of Independence. This meeting is arranged by Radical Independence Campaign - Dumfries and Galloway

Jim Cuthbert is an economist and statistician who was formerly Scottish Office Chief Statistician. He has worked with OECD and Australian government, and presented papers to the World Bank. Margaret Cuthbert is also an economist and statistician who among other things lectured in econometrics at Glasgow University. She edited Public Expenditure in Scotland (1980), a response to the failure of the 1979 referendum. Both are now retired and pursue research interests with the Jimmy Reid Foundation and The Common Weal, amongst others. They appear regularly in the Scottish press.  

Common Weal

Event details can be found here: https://www.facebook.com/events/1428442170734004 
If you have any questions or need any help with travel, give us an email or phone me on 07541 109653.

Burning Issues - Miners Strike 30 years on

Dear Commonty 
Please find below details of a film being sponsored by Dumfries Trades Union Council to mark the 30th anniversary of the 1984/5 Miners Strike. The film, Burning Issues, has been developed by Birmingham-based Banner Theatre, and is a video ballad production, which seamlessly interweaves archive film footage, interviews with former miners, their families and supporters, and specially written and performed music and song.

The 1984/5 Miners Strike was the most significant industrial dispute of the late twentieth century and the defeat of the miners led to the rundown of the mining industry and the impoverishment of many mining communities. The film is a celebration of the solidarity, resourcefulness and resistance of mining communities throughout the strike, which lasted for more than a year, and allows miners and their families to speak for themselves twenty years on from the strike and to reflect on what it has subsequently meant to them and their communities. Burning Issues is being screened at 7.30pm on Wednesday 5th March at the Robert Burns Centre Film Theatre in Dumfries and will be followed by a discussion of the implications of the strike thirty years on, led by Scottish TUC Assistant General Secretary Dave Moxham. 

I hope you are able to include information about the film on the site. It is a potent lesson in recent political history and an inspiring account of 'community'. 

Thanks Ian Gasse for Dumfries Trades Union Council

Big Burns Supper Debated in Parliament

South of Scotland MSP Joan McAlpine will next week lead a debate celebrating the 2014 Big Burns Supper festival in Dumfries.

Members will debate a motion congratulating festival organisers – Graham Main, Creative Scotland, Homecoming Scotland, Winter Festival Burns Night, 8020 and Dumfries and Galloway Council on the diverse programme of music, carnival, cabaret and theatre.

The festival has grown to become the biggest Burns Night celebration in the world. The Homecoming Carnival on Burns Night itself will involve 2,000 people and be lit by up to 1,000 lanterns. 

 

Ms McAlpine said:

"The festival has helped to establish Dumfries as one of the most creative places in Scotland and It is fantastic to see it going from strength to strength"

Festival Director Graham Main said:

 "We hope that Burns himself would be delighted that the town which he loved and where he lived and worked, was holding a three-day festival inspired by his values and his passion for all the things which bring joy to life."

  

Ms McAlpine will also use the debate to highlight and support Dumfries’ bid for the 2014 Creative Place Award.

The town was shortlisted for the coveted award after a joint bid was led by Big Burns Supper, The Stove and Electric Theatre Workshop to attract investment of £150,000 to the town to support the development of a Creative Place through a year-long celebration of Creativity to help support Dumfries town centre.

She said: “The bid has been developed by the arts organisations independently, which mirrors the trend that has been happening in Dumfries over the last three years.   Artists and their Organisations are leading the way in the regeneration of place, community and identity.

“I will be doing everything I can to support the bid, including using next week’s debate to highlight Dumfries as Scotland’s vibrant southern capital.”

The debate will take place in the Scottish Parliament on Wednesday the 22^nd of January.

Britain an a' that (innit)

Photo by MonkeyatLarge

The 'love that dares not speak its name' (aka -art is about changing the world) hardly ever rears its head on the Commonty (aye right). But it was pleasing to see this wee blog was connected to one of the big debates this week. Leading playwright David Greig was interviewed by the Guardian newspaper about the indpependence referendum and David's approach was about the effect that the debate is Scotland is having in the North of England. We know for a fact (because David picked up on one of our blog posts on Twitter) that the reference to Newcastle in the article stems directly from something published here about an arts seminar at the University of Northumbria that featured oor own Matt Baker and John Wallace alongside colleagues from the Scottish Borders - James Wyness, Jules Horne and Claire Pençak.

Picking up on the theme National Collective then published this letter by Matt Baker 'Dear Britain'

Welcome to the Periphery and Welcome to 2014

The Borderlands....aka the new common wealth

from Matt Baker

Yesterday artists from D+G and the Borders joined academics and artists in Newcastle to take part in a seminar about the impact of a more autonomous Scotland on the north of England. Whatever the outcome of the the referendum next year there have been some fascinating new developments in thinking about issues of how Scotland could develop and where it positions itself in the world - and we were all eager to find out what the reaction to that might be from our nearest neighbours. Most of what we tend to hear from the english media seems to be between the poles of 'who do they think they are kidding' ...to....'good riddance to them' - so it was with some trepidation that we approached Newcastle.
Much to our surprise and delight we discovered that this particular group were committed to strengthening ties with their northern neighbours and saw the discussion about a different Scotland as a long-overdue re-balancing of the over emphasis on the South East of England within the overall British picture. There was a sense that a strong and distinctively different power structure in Scotland (with or without full independence) would help counter the dominance of London and allow the North of England to exert a more nuanced version of its own distinctive culture in relation to these two powerbases rather than just identifying themselves as 'not-London'.

Eaglesfield's John Wallace talking at the Borderlands Seminar at Gallery North yesterday

It was  also very heartening to see that the seminar was a joint project between a cultural research group and one based on economics......from the arts perspective to have our work recognised as 'important' by folk charged with the the stuff that seems to be generally accepted as being 'important' was very welcome!

The day was a fascinating mix of theses ranging from governance and systems to the delicate understanding of place and collective working brought by many of the artists. D+G's own John Wallace stole the show with his 'insider art' talk on his project Cinema Sark that he presented as part of this years Environmental Art Festival Scotland in Gretna. Overall the presentations showed that the Border as a context (both an edge and a joining) has amazing potential and there are groups of artists and organisations on both 'sides' that are working with this context in very interesting ways.

It was particularly good to meet up with colleagues from the Scottish Borders who are working on the excellent Working the Tweed project. This project and the superb development work being done by Mary Morrison and the CABN-Borders initiative is helping build working links with the creative community in D+G....and it was great to hear that artists in the Scottish Borders follow The Commonty blog.

Borderlands was held in Gallery North which is the in-house gallery for the University of Northumbria - the last presentation of the day was by the gallery curation team who put forward (very seriously) the proposal that they rename the themselves Gallery South in recognition of their position in the hinterland of a Norther powerbase....rather than reinforce the tired stereotype that they exist only in relation to London.

Marfa - Art, Climate Change and Environmental Activism

Shared from Switchboard (National Resources Defense Council blog)

In 1970, the artist Robert Rauschenberg created a poster for the first Earth Day, a bold image of a bald eagle superimposed atop photos of environmental destruction—a simple collage, and yet a powerful, visceral call to action. Art, as Rauschenberg knew, has the power to move people, often in ways that science, law or politics cannot.

Earth Day, 1970. Lithograph and chine collé on paper, 521/2 x 371/2 inches
From an edition of 50 published by Gemini G.E.L. and The American Environment Foundation (Art © Robert Rauschenberg and Gemini G.E.L./ Licensed by VAGA, New York, NY)
While art and the environment have long been intertwined, the connection between our communities today is not as visible as it could, or should be. And when it comes to battling today’s most pressing environmental issue--climate change--we need to use every tool at our disposal, to have every community using its own strengths to push solutions. Visual artists have a critical role to play in this battle. Last week, NRDC President Frances Beinecke sat down with artist Maya Lin, as part of the Marfa Dialogues New York, to talk about connecting art, climate and environmental activism.

Frances Beinecke and Maya Lin in conversation at MARFA Dialogues in New York

Both Frances, who joined NRDC as an intern in 1973, and Maya, who made her name in the art world while still a college undergraduate with her design for the Vietnam Veterans’ Memorial, came to their careers as passionate lovers of nature; and both women, advocate and artist alike, are surprisingly similar in their informed, data-driven approach to their work.
Lin’s latest work, What is Missing?—which will be her last memorial— is an exploration of extinction and habitat destruction, through videos, personal stories, an interactive map and multiple art installations. The project, still in progress, is exhaustively researched and science-based, yet by using images, sound, and interaction, Lin makes a vast and diffuse problem seem intimate and personal.

"Unchopping a Tree" from Maya Lin’s What is Missing? Image courtesy of the artist.

The artist’s ability to engage people, to evoke emotion, provoke dialogue, and inspire a vision of a better future, can be a critical tool in the climate fight. We at NRDC have a formidable army of scientists, lawyers and policy experts, as well as 1.4 million passionate and motivated supporters. But we sometimes fall short in creating dialogues with people whom we don’t normally reach—and that is perhaps what art does best. It’s a forum of expression that engages people, invites them in and encourages them to form their own conclusions. Art can spur people to action because it makes them feel it’s the right thing to do, not just because the experts say so. Artists can convey an emotional urgency in a way that environmentalists often can not.
When Rauschenberg created his Earth Day poster, environmental issues were discrete and immediate. Dying eagles. Rivers on fire. And environmental advocates tackled these problems one issue at a time, often with great success. Climate change is a different sort of beast, however, complex in effect and global in scale. It is a problem that we can solve, but not through legal briefs or policy blueprints alone, and not if we are working in isolation. Solving climate change is an all-hands-on-deck effort. If more of those hands come from the art world, with the talent and ability to reach out, engage and inspire, the faster we can start making changes to stabilize our climate and preserve the health of our planet for future generations.

Local Government - the new rock n roll

Whatever you think about the referendum - there is the heady smell of change in the air in Scotland just now. Big ideas are not just being thought up - but they are being discussed and taken seriously. Whatever the outcome next September - one of the legacies of the process promises to be a better informed and motivated population - one that will not be satisfied with the 'Ay Been' any longer.

Not normally heard in the same sentence...today the Local Government lobby have launched their ambitious and radical vision for the expansion of local democracy in Scotland. Bring it on....

What follows are extracts from 'Local Matters - COSLA's Vision for stronger Local Democracy in Scotland'

“Scotland has a choice to make, not just about its constitutional future, but about how that future can be used to change lives in local communities”

'Improving lives in Scotland means, for the first time, enshrining local government as an equal partner in the governance of Scotland.That vision might seem radical and ambitious, but it is surely one that rings true with all those involved in the debate about Scotland’s future.

Across western Europe, communities are already reaping the rewards of independent and empowered local government. Scotland must be no different'

Read the whole thing - here