Guest Anonymous Posted March 17, 2006 Report Share Posted March 17, 2006 Just a note on the Folk Festival and Fiddle and Accordian Festival "not using the venue for the festival". No one other than the organisers can honestly make that statement, and from what I have read so far this has not happened. I have to say the post from Marvin re: redeveloping and using The North Star seems to be worth investigating. However the Council may have a problem with this given that they don't own the venue, and that George Hepburn may not be willing to sell. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted March 17, 2006 Report Share Posted March 17, 2006 Just a note on the Folk Festival and Fiddle and Accordian Festival "not using the venue for the festival". No one other than the organisers can honestly make that statement, and from what I have read so far this has not happened. I have to say the post from Marvin re: redeveloping and using The North Star seems to be worth investigating. However the Council may have a problem with this given that they don't own the venue, and that George Hepburn may not be willing to sell. i can remember the folk festivail saying years ago they were quite happy staing in islesburgh and the country halls so they are not interested Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted March 17, 2006 Report Share Posted March 17, 2006 Can I correct one major inaccuracy in your content on this site. The Cinema and Music Venue is NOT a £9 project. The total in the SIC's Capital Budget for this project is £7 which is the total estimated figure for the project as it stands. This figure does not include any contributions from external funding bodies such as the National Lottery who have earmarked £2.2m to the project. Therefor the estimated contribution from the SIC (or any other funding body) would be around £5. Best to have the facts. nice to see you on here davie - hope you have read all the views on your new home made project. do you take on board any of the feirs the shetland people have? do you reconise that you will never get new films?do you reconise that you will have a lot of seats in the garison and then new place to fill EVERY day or do you want it for now again conserts? oh nice letter in the paper, although a bit of a of a huff i thought Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marvin Posted March 17, 2006 Report Share Posted March 17, 2006 i can remember the folk festivail saying years ago they were quite happy staing in islesburgh and the country halls so they are not interested Yip, thats what Davie said at the meeting. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted March 17, 2006 Report Share Posted March 17, 2006 years agot the folk festivail used to put a consert on in the garrison - they stopped doing them because they didnt like the 'formal' way the concerts were run in the thearter style, i used to think as they were not alowed to smoke and take tins of lager on the stage, the folk sestival does not like using a theater venue so how will the new place with the arts lovies going to change their views? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted March 17, 2006 Report Share Posted March 17, 2006 We should spend the money on the CAT scanner. Something that we really do need here. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted March 17, 2006 Report Share Posted March 17, 2006 i was talking to someone today that was at wednesdays meeting and he sais that divie gardener kepet using the WE word - we plan to do this we plan to do that - davie can you tell us who WE are - have you got a new job - who says you will be working their - are you (Lot) qualified to run a picture house? i persume the jobs in the new place will be advertised in the proper way - no saying just now who will get them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Twerto Posted March 17, 2006 Report Share Posted March 17, 2006 We should spend the money on the CAT scanner. Something that we really do need here. then we need to emloy a fully qaulafied person to work it.. is it so need in emergancies that we dont have time to fly people to aberdeen? to me it sounds like a waste of money. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marvin Posted March 17, 2006 Report Share Posted March 17, 2006 We should spend the money on the CAT scanner. Something that we really do need here. then we need to emloy a fully qaulafied person to work it.. is it so need in emergancies that we dont have time to fly people to aberdeen? to me it sounds like a waste of money. Should perhaps move any discussion on the CAT scanner to another thread but.... The funding they are looking for includes all staff and training. Nobody is going to be flying back and fore to Aberdeen. I think you should perhaps do some research before damning a charity campaign that will be of huge assistance to Shetland. If you have anybody in your family that has suffered from cancer, then ask them if the current situation where they have to go to Aberdeen is acceptable. The scanner will save lives and shouldn't be mixed up in a debate over a music venue.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted March 17, 2006 Report Share Posted March 17, 2006 Right down to the desks and photo copiers as far as I am aware Marvin. By the way I'm really enjoying the debate here. More or less everything has been said and of course there are two sides to every story and I can see where many of the more negative comments are coming from and as I say I can appreciate them too. Democracy is a great thing - especially if you can try and see and debate both sides equally. I of course am also a rate-payer and choose to live in this community and would like to think I would not do anything detrimental to it in that respect. If I totally believed this facility would not benefit Shetland then I would like to think I would be the first to 'jump ship'. The fact is I am convinced that a high quality, integrated facility (once again see Clickimin Centre for the benchmark) is the best way forward for music and our social future and all the economics linked to that. Just a though - why does it have to fully pay for itself compared to all our other services and facilities? The business plan says that this facility would expect a operating 'loss' of around £80, 000 per annum. At very worst they have measured this at just under £200,000 per annum or at best an operating profit of £100,000 per annum - fairly small money in the overall picture, although I'm not playing down the potential costs involved But lets be honest they are not massive or will break the bank either way. Imagine how good it would be it if could clear its feet or even pay for itself in the long run? Our economy in melt-down? Too strong a term I think. Yes things in general are not too bright at the moment. But equally our investments via the Charitable Trust etc are currently yielding much higher dividens as expected so should we not try and use these to our benefits while this is the case, partially at least redressing the current downward trend if we can? However considering the range of services, programame, educational elements, secondary events in rural public halls, an entertainment and training programame and a recording facility aimed at all kinds of music and all sectors of the community - is the potential deficit really such a desperate cost? Why cant music and culture be seen as a 'service' to the community along with all the other benefits we get from the Council? Its cost them and us very little up to now. I'm sure many of you could dream up other public savings that would indeed help balance our books in a public sense and make the net cost of including this facility in terms of public sector costs no more than the current level of expenditure. Contrary to many opionions this subject has already been well consulted on but it's great to see more debate on this really good site. Just a pity its all largely anonomous which I feel gives it a lot less credibility. If you have the strength of your convictions, or not firghtened or embarrased by your arguements, why not let everyone know who you are. As I said, given this factor and the fact that almost everything from both sides has been said I see little point in me entering the fray on a regular basis at least. You already know my thoughts. I would just like to add that Shetland is a very go ahead, pro-active and highly creative community in all senses of the word and I'm personally convinced a facility like this would add to this and take music, culture and our social scene in general to a new level, similar to that which our recreation centres are doing for sport. I'm equally sure local folk (musicians and otherwise) will find many more imaginative and exciting ways of positively using a facility such as this once its up and runnning as is usual in this community. Equally a top class facility will get us even more noticed on the mainland and beyond in a musical sense. This happened in Orkney with Fusion, with the national music industry sitting up and taking note and a lot more top quality acts asking to go there and perform. Creating an external buzz about your community is no bad thing and quite possibly worth spending some money on. Remember that a much larger 'anti' lobby existed for the Clickimin Centre and our network of swimming pools and leisure centres with accusations of white elephants etc and look where that has taken sport not to mention increased user levels year on year to amazing proportions. Would fixing up a number of old seperate buildings, all of lower quality and not working in a joined up way, be any better and work as an integrated and attractive service, personally I dont think so. Good, well managed facilites attract ALL sectors of our population (and a higher proportion of visitors) not just a specific few and tend to keep them coming back for more. Also refurbishing old buildings is still very expensive (yes we did look at this very option, and a number of existing / disused buildings at the very outset believe it or not) and remember they would ALL have to be refurbished, run and continually managed seperately in some sense or other - again very expensive in the long run. I'm all for the commercial / private sector, they already do a great job in Shetland both in their own right and often hand in hand with public bodies such as Shetland Arts Trust. SAT continue to run many events in partnership with them, both past and present - events in the Lounge, Marlex, Noost, British Legion and yes especially the North Star (see Ocean Colour Scene in May) where we both work well together and everyone benefits both socially and economically. So its at least partially true to say they do benefit from some public fuding support at least. Then of course there's the already extensive programme we do with public halls - do you think that they pay for the likes of Aly Bain and Phil Cunningham to play Bressay or Salsa Celtic to play Cullivoe? No its us and to part extent the public purse again, along with door take (they take the bar income). If this was not the case I'm afraid it would just not happen at all. Yes successful but still this service has many limitations. Again a new facility would support this rural hall service and make it much more regular and sustainable than it is at present. And yes this is also accounted for in the existing business plan costs. I just dont accept that the commercial or private sector would offer a full range of musical services, especially those that dont make good profits for them. As I say they have their role but cannot be the 'be all and end all'. I'm certainly not knocking it but ask yourselves why the existing programme in the North Star is nowhere near as extensive as it was when Alan MacLeod (who IS doing a great job by the way) initially took over? And have you seen jazz, traditional music, classical music or even country music in there? They do what they do well but again commercial considerations have to be brought to bear rather than social or cultural ones. I equally have no wish to see any of the existing facilites closing down. I think, if we work together, we can work out a plan that would ensure this did not happen i.e. promoting alternative programmes on the same evening. I totally sympathise with the commercials sectors views, I simply dont see any evidence to support it. In other similar communties where a public funded facility is provided for performances i.e. Skye, Lewis and Orkney to name but three - pub closures etc quite simply have not happened. In fact pubs, hotels and restaurants in these areas have ALL measured increased activity when events are promoted in their particular venues (during parts of the evenings at least) And yes people (especially young and 'older' folk) who do not normally go to pubs etc are tempted to come out and socialise if a more formal event is promoted in the area. Hiring the Clickimin Centre more for events? - yes an option. But due to the incredibly high usage of the facility its extremely difficult to get a date when you want it and I've missed out on some opportunities already this year (remeber we just cant pick the dates for bands touring or get acts from outside Shetland off the shelf as we do when promoting local bands) Its also very expensive to hire, but again we may be able to do something with that in the future. And will the private sector be so keen to promote things in the future that do not make them 'good' profits such as folk / traidtional music, classical music, jazz etc etc - I doubt it, as they are not doing this at present. Then how about other 'groups' of people such as the young and older age groups - again it seems to me, rightlyor wrongly, that the current commerical operators take little account of them. But lets also think population retention and attraction - especially among younger age groups. People are already leaving Shetland, our population is falling, but that doesnt mean we should give up the ghost. Why not try and redress this situation where we can. There is little doubt that good social facilities are not the be all and end all in this respect - good qauality jobs being perhaps the most important factor - but good social facilites certainly play their part. Finally I've had a bit of a laugh at the "getting drunk and falling into the sea" arguement. How have the Thule, Captain Flints, Queens Hotel (its built into the sea for God's sake) etc etc got away with this problem over the years? Just a few thoughts to inspire more debate - Good on you all though. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Marvin Posted March 17, 2006 Report Share Posted March 17, 2006 i was talking to someone today that was at wednesdays meeting and he sais that divie gardener kepet using the WE word - we plan to do this we plan to do that - davie can you tell us who WE are - have you got a new job - who says you will be working their - are you (Lot) qualified to run a picture house? i persume the jobs in the new place will be advertised in the proper way - no saying just now who will get them. The 'WE' related to 'pro' lobby and Arts Trust. Davie hasn't at any time made any assumptions that he will be taking on a new role. I'm sure he would be much happier in his current role. The venue isn't his project. The Arts Trust has been asked to proceed with this venue at many public meetings. It has however become his pet project as the venue is an integral part of the work the Arts Trust is trying to do through their Music Development Project. I think it is fair that people can comment on how they think he is doing but he is in a no win position at the moment. For that I sympathise with him. I also don't think its fair to make personal attacks as some posts seem to be doing (not yours but others). Lets keep the debate going on a fair footing and try to keep personalities out of it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Anonymous Posted March 17, 2006 Report Share Posted March 17, 2006 god Davie im glad you have nothing to do there wrighting aa yon! now get on we some work Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
peeriebryan Posted March 17, 2006 Report Share Posted March 17, 2006 god Davie im glad you have nothing to do there wrighting aa yon!now get on we some workPardon? Do you have nothing constructive to add to the debate........? Hi Davie. Welcome to the forums. Its good to hear it 'from the horses mouth' rather than some of the 2nd hand misquotes that have been attributed to you! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JustMe Posted March 17, 2006 Report Share Posted March 17, 2006 Just a though - why does it have to fully pay for itself compared to all our other services and facilities? The business plan says that this facility would expect a operating 'loss' of around £80, 000 per annum. At very worst they have measured this at just under £200,000 per annum or at best an operating profit of £100,000 per annum - fairly small money in the overall picture Ok so I will admit that £80,000 or even £200,000 are not that big compared to the overall council budget of £114 million but when looked at alongside the budget deficit then adding £80,000+ to the year on year spending might not sound so good. That said if the plans are passed by the full council, no one manages to get something like a judicial review of council projects competing with private companies and planning permission is granted (bound to be objections) then we will be having this venue so now is very much the time to consider who will have input into the design of the place. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Njugle Posted March 17, 2006 Report Share Posted March 17, 2006 Right down to the............. ...................Just a few thoughts to inspire more debate - Good on you all though. Good on you Davie to address the 'hot potato' currently running here, you put forward a very reasonable case. And the debater who can contribute to a debate and remain 'positive about the negative' is a debater worth his salt! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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