peeriebryan Posted September 19, 2011 Report Share Posted September 19, 2011 Also, my understanding is that most/a large proportion of the money spent on those festivals comes from Creative Scotland and various sponsors (Bryan might be able to offer some less vague information). Ie, it's not Shetland's money being spent - it's money being brought in to Shetland to provide entertainment to people here who are interested in literature and cinema. Surely a good thing? As you say Malachy, the funding comes from a range of sources - funding from local and national bodies, sponsorship, advertising and, what is often overlooked, box office income. I'm not sure of the exact split of Word/Screenplay is off the top of my head, but in terms of the music events that SA put on (perhaps most relevant to this thread), the majority of funding is from ticket sales. @Mallacky, I never said that Shetlanders shouldn't be interested in outside culture etc but my problem is that, from where I'm standing, outside culture(ie Wordplay/Screenplay) is replacing/becoming accepted as Shetland's culture. I'm not glad that money is coming into Shetland if it's erasing Shetland's indiginous identity. I'm afraid I can't see what relevance an author from a Hebridean island and another one from Aberdeenshire has to Shetland. For me, both of them and Scotland itself have a seperate culture and identity to Shetland but this is what's being foisted on Shetland. Can anybody tell me what the audience/attendance figures were for each programme that was on during Screenplay and Wordplay?. Not the overall figure but how the figures breakdown for each programme. If you're looking for a breakdown of attendances, try contacting the SA office. You repeatedly say that external cultures are being 'foisted' on you. Without meaning to be patronising, just go to the events that fit your definition of Shetland culture then. For example, the local film makers night at Screenplay or talks and readings by locals at Wordplay. You obviously have a passion for Shetland heritage - with the greatest of respect, it seems that this passion influences what you deem as appropriate cultural or artistic activities Shetlanders should have the chance to experience for fear of watering down our heritage. Shetland culture and heritage, and all the meanings that has to each of us, is the result of centuries of outside influences. I think it would be detrimental to timestamp and ringfence Shetland and actively shun art and culture which doesn't fit the boundaries some may wish to place upon us. But then I would say that, working for 'that lot' Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peeriebryan Posted September 19, 2011 Report Share Posted September 19, 2011 That could be an idea Bryan but I'm quite sure of the response I would get from that phone call. Anyway, can you confirm if this is truly an issue or one of those half truths Bryan? To cut a long story short, no, the roof isn't sagging and no, I haven't heard that there are worries about the weatherability of the roof either. Without meaning to sound like some sort of spin doctor, some sections of the building have been a bit of a challenge to put up - but that was/is to be expected of any building of the size. I can't comment on anything specific such as the number of bolts and brackets, mainly because it's not my job to know the specifics - it's in the hands of the contractors and they're in the business of finding solutions to challenges. I've heard numerous rumours about the roof and external cladding, but none of which I consider to be an 'issue'. When the contractors foresee a potential issue, they find a solution and get on with it. But by the time 'potential issues' are passed through the rumour mill, they tend to become catastrophic showstoppers! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Gibber Posted September 20, 2011 Report Share Posted September 20, 2011 @Mallacky, I never said that Shetlanders shouldn't be interested in outside culture etc but my problem is that, from where I'm standing, outside culture(ie Wordplay/Screenplay) is replacing/becoming accepted as Shetland's culture. I'm not glad that money is coming into Shetland if it's erasing Shetland's indiginous identity. I'm afraid I can't see what relevance an author from a Hebridean island and another one from Aberdeenshire has to Shetland. For me, both of them and Scotland itself have a seperate culture and identity to Shetland but this is what's being foisted on Shetland. What is Shetland's indiginous cultural identity and how is it threatened by events like that? The fire festival, fiddle and accordions, Rhoda Boulter's poetry, Bobby Tulloch's books and photos all survived Shetland's Country & Western and Punk scenes. Shetland's social scene didn't disapear when the Bressay mast went up either. 1000 or so guizers won't be abandoning Up Helly Aa (a cultural reinvention of Shetland's Norse past anyway) to rush to Mareel to create a drink fuelled soundscape and video installation homage to Yoko Ono. If they do in addition, then that cultural artifact would justify the entire Mareel budget in my opinion If on the one hand your complaining that the numbers who attended Wordplay were too small because of lack of interest (to be worth the investment) then that runs counter to the argument that home grown culture is under threat. If anything Shetland's 'culture' of spunking away money on stuff has a far more 'illustrious' and costly history preceeding any arts project in Shetland. Mareel could be as valuable to the Shetland Fiddlers Society as it could be to someone with a stylophone and a laptop looking to use a recording studio. The Arts costs money, but it wouldn't be right to use that money solely on foisting idiginous culture back into Shetland. **posted before I read peeriebryan's post** Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
engineer21 Posted September 20, 2011 Report Share Posted September 20, 2011 I Think like most people, who say its ugly its not soley because it is an ugly building but because its cost so much to have an ugly building, yes your right the educational reasons and social stuff which will be inside will be great but lets face it you could have built a massive Agri - Shed for an small portion of the cost and still had all that great stuff inside! so if spending a great deal of money why not build somthing that will at least match its surroundings i.e the museam i cannot fathom why they didnt? and then to say that this area was an ugly eyesore, those ppl forget the employment and history that was in the area! and they went and built a load of offices which dont look good or match also! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JohanofNess Posted September 20, 2011 Report Share Posted September 20, 2011 I think it would be a fairly rum do if Shetland Arts held a festival to promote arts then decided to only allow Shetland writers to take part. Every other festival I've seen or read about of any note promotes arts on the wider scale. The Edinburgh, Sundance, Cannes and Berlin film festivals promote cinema and not just that native to where it is being held as these festivals are exactly that a festival of cinema. I'm not saying that Shetland contributers shouldn't be the main focus of any such festival but to get a larger audience it sure as hell doesn't hurt to bring in some people from elsewhere in the world and introduce Shetland to them. Who knows Shetland may be used as a basis for a book, film or TV series (not about wildlife please) after some of the writers and film lot come for a visit. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joesg Posted September 20, 2011 Report Share Posted September 20, 2011 The Tall Ships cost Shetland more than Mareel, that lasted all of 4 days, yes it was good but it does put things in perspective. Mareel has not been as expensive as the non existent Bressay Bridge or Anderson High. At least this time we have something to show for the money. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Infiltrator Posted September 20, 2011 Report Share Posted September 20, 2011 At least this time we have something to show for the money. Yep, a 12 million pound webpage.... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ghostrider Posted September 20, 2011 Report Share Posted September 20, 2011 Question: How much cheaper would Mareel have been if the outer shell had been a muckle tin shed the same type as at Broonie's Taing, as what we've gotten looks worse. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
southham Posted September 20, 2011 Report Share Posted September 20, 2011 The Tall Ships cost Shetland more than Mareel, that lasted all of 4 days, yes it was good but it does put things in perspective. Mareel has not been as expensive as the non existent Bressay Bridge or Anderson High. At least this time we have something to show for the money. How do you work that one out? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biglad Posted September 20, 2011 Report Share Posted September 20, 2011 That could be an idea Bryan but I'm quite sure of the response I would get from that phone call. Anyway, can you confirm if this is truly an issue or one of those half truths Bryan? To cut a long story short, no, the roof isn't sagging and no, I haven't heard that there are worries about the weatherability of the roof either. Excellent news then, you could have just said that in the first place but an honest and legitimate answer is good enough for me. Now to give my mole a slap! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Biglad Posted September 20, 2011 Report Share Posted September 20, 2011 The Tall Ships cost Shetland more than Mareel, that lasted all of 4 days, yes it was good but it does put things in perspective. Mareel has not been as expensive as the non existent Bressay Bridge or Anderson High. At least this time we have something to show for the money. How do you work that one out? Yeah, how do you work that one out? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joesg Posted September 20, 2011 Report Share Posted September 20, 2011 ASK! They hide information like this inside the heads of the people who know - also there is the whole freedom of information act........ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joesg Posted September 20, 2011 Report Share Posted September 20, 2011 At least this time we have something to show for the money. Yep, a 12 million pound webpage.... fair point at the moment, I've been in Mareel, it is going to be brilliant! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shetland_boys Posted September 20, 2011 Report Share Posted September 20, 2011 Yey i canna w8 lol how many screens does it have? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kavi Ugl Posted September 20, 2011 Report Share Posted September 20, 2011 Yeh, it's true I do have a deep passion for Shetland's heritage and I'm in no way against visiting arts but I would prefer to see the money going to certain aspects of Shetland's heritage first which I feel are being neglected. I'll give you an example of what I feel Shetland is up against. I really like those signs with the old norse names on them like Lerwick/Leirvik. I think it's a wonderful way of preserving and promoting wir norse heritage and would love to see more(however and whoever erects them). Now, I half read and half browse The Shetland Life magazine each month and until a month or two ago was enjoying the Place-names articles. Then, to what I can only describe as my utter disbelief, about 2-3 months ago the author who is actually the official place-names project officer for The Shetland Amenity Trust poo-pood these signs and said that the old/original names should only be preserved in books and on heritage signboards. As the man said, you couldn't make it up..... As for Mareel, could they not have clad it in nice red timber or something?. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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