Mareel - Cinema & Music Venue

[peeriebryan]

Here's what the Shetland-news website has to about it

 

And here's a letter Iain Johnston wrote to the same site. Iain claims that the two biggest musical events in Shetland (the Folk Festival and Accordian & Fiddle Festival) will not be held in the proposed venue. Is that right?

[Marvin]

What Davie said was something about the festival clubs not moving from their current locations. It was with reference to Iain's claim that the Boating Club would suffer if the venue opened. The Boating Club provides the bar facilities in Islesburgh when it is used as the Festival Club. He didn't say that the Folk Festival wouldn't be using the new venue.

[Marvin]

Another thing Iain said at the meeting, which to his credit was a very valid point, was that the manager of the new venue is going to be pressured in to making the books balance. As I said in a previous post - the only way that the venue can be commercially viable (even within the restraints of an acceptable deficit funding arrangement) is to put on commercially viable attractions. This could very well be the death knoll for the North Star because it will be in competition.....unless....the new venue programmes different types of events such as folk gigs that can attract a new crowd out on the town at the weekend. Whether this is possible I don't know...I doubt it, on a long term week in week out scenario anyway.

 

What bothers me most about all this is that it has caused so much bitterness and ill feeling in both camps, that it will damage music development in the long term.

[reesie]

Marvin, you said in an earlier post that the Fort was mentioned as a possible location. Do you know the details of what was discussed? Just thought it sounded like the most realistic alternative in terms of it's position, ie right next to Islesburgh and the North Star. Also, were thay considering the inclusion of the ground as well. Could have been beneficial in the summer time.

[JustMe]

Not use the council's flagship new arts complex for the folk and accordian & fiddle festivals?. Well it is certainly up to the festival organisers to decide not to and it could just be used as an alternative to the clickimin BUT somehow I dont see that happening.

 

Anyway although the fight against the new centre is not yet over (I guess it has to go to the full council) and even the full council's decision might not be the end......rules about public money used to compete with private enterprise could also come into play......I think the time has come to start a campaign to make sure that the building is right for the task.

 

For a start we do not want a repeat of the Scottish Parliament fiasco. Cost over runs should not be an option. All the user spaces need to be designed in consultation with the users. Example......band rehersal space. Would it be good to have lockable store rooms where bands could keep their gear before the next rehersal?. Just a thought.

[Marvin]

Marvin, you said in an earlier post that the Fort was mentioned as a possible location. Do you know the details of what was discussed?

 

No, sorry I don't. Michael Peterson proposed the fort because he was aware that Historic Scotland were looking for an alternative use for the hall. As you say, the location next to the Garrison was the key. I think it was thrown out because the hall would only be able to hold 300 or so people and the preffered option was a 700 capacity venue.

 

Historic Scotland wanted the external appearance of the buildings to remain untouched and there was a fireplace or something that had to be left untouched. It made the design and layout difficult but I would imagine that designing it for all the new building regulations would have been impossible.

 

For what is worth, after our experiences with Historic Scotland with the At the Edge festival, i would thouroughly recommend staying well clear. They seem to think the fort is as much of a national treasure as Edinburgh Castle!!

[Marvin]

if you click on this link you can hear Radio Shetland's report. It will be available untill Friday at 5.30pm

 

http://www.bbc.co.uk/scotland/radioscotland/console/index.shtml?listen=/scotland/radioscotland/media/news/shetland

 

If you go to about 12m in you get the report.

 

Caroline from Clive's pretty much sumed it up.....

[Guest Anonymous]

Well unsurprisingly, the Council look like they are going to steam ahead with this as yet another example of public money being used to fund very nice-to-have but loss making facilities. I really wonder when financial considerations are finally going to take precedence over the social and cultural benefits (which I fully accept) projects of this type bring. In short, (and on a day where we hear that the Council are to commit 13 million towards new public housing – which is exactly the type of thing our oil riches should be spent on) its an absolute disgrace.

 

Regardless of which pot the money is going to come from, the message that the Council is looking to spend public money on building and running an all singing and dancing cinema and music venue on one hand and considering closing schools with another isn’t a good one and does nothing to install confidence in an already sceptical public that the Council are serious about making sensible decisions about its spending.

 

Over the years, millions have been spent providing or upgrading fine public buildings the length and breadth of Shetland, let alone just in Lerwick. Providing a more modest facility by adapting and re-branding one or two of these such as the Garrison (subject to the usual planning considerations on noise, late night activity and so on) at a fraction of the cost would surely suffice in providing what is really necessary whilst still delivering the cultural and social benefits of a new venue. The location of many could present an ideal opportunity to add a bit of much needed evening activity to the town centre, taking advantage of existing parking facilities and having spin off benefits to existing pubs, takeaways and restaurants from pre or post cinema/concert goers.

 

If the many fine facilities and services which the Council has provided are a positive legacy to the benefits oil has brought Shetland, the ‘I want, gets’ culture is surely the negative. A far cry from the poverty which existed in the islands up until just 50 years ago, some people seem to have become accustomed to the Council being there to cater for every last whim, that it should be expected to pay for loss making amenities and services which private businesses and enterprises would south and that anything new should always be the best of the best, no matter what the long term financial implications are. What will be the next sharg when the novelty of this venue wears off – an ice rink, a bowling alley, an imax?

[Guest Anonymous]

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.

[Guest Anonymous]

Of course I meant to say the contribution from the SIC (or whoever) would be £5m not £5.

[Marvin]

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.

 

Davie,

 

Earlier in the thread somebody said that the capital spend of £7m did not include equipment.

 

It clearly states in the times that it will cost 6.1million PLUS fees and the equipment to fill it(hence nearly 9 would be nearer the mark)......

[JAStewart]

Well unsurprisingly, the Council look like they are going to steam ahead with this as yet another example of public money being used to fund very nice-to-have but loss making facilities. I really wonder when financial considerations are finally going to take precedence over the social and cultural benefits (which I fully accept) projects of this type bring. In short, (and on a day where we hear that the Council are to commit 13 million towards new public housing – which is exactly the type of thing our oil riches should be spent on) its an absolute disgrace.

 

But what about the people who live in Lerwick and have for the last.. 8? 17 years? Do they want new houses built? No. They want something to do. You have to please both sides. If you keep on building more houses there will be more demand for the venue itself.

 

I do recognise though, that building the venue would create a bigger push to move to Lerwick, which would just further the problem of the 'Waiting List'.

 

Its a complex issue!

[Marvin]

Two letters in the Shetland News today from Richard Wemyss and Davie.

 

http://www.shetland-news.co.uk/pages/Letters/letter_page.htm

 

Good points well made. Pretty much sums up the meeting at the Garrison. A complete shambles and a disaster for the SLTA.

[BigMouth]

But what about the people who live in Lerwick and have for the last.. 8? 17 years? Do they want new houses built? No. They want something to do. You have to please both sides. If you keep on building more houses there will be more demand for the venue itself.

....snip ...

 

Its a complex issue!

 

Those homeless or awaiting housing have different priorities to those who are comfortably housed. Obviously the comfortably housed see their entertainment as a higher priority than the housing of the homeless.

 

Imagine that we have a terrible disaster and houses are devastated somewhere across Shetland. Suddenly those that were living in the devastated houses who were voting for entertainment will suddenly see housing as a priority.

 

Unless you are having personal experience of homelessness, or perhaps your children's school closing down then these issues are less important to you.

 

I just wish I had a pound for every time someone said that the money was coming from a different pot. Isn't it a sad indictment of society when they see entertainment as more important than housing their fellow man.

[Twerto]

on the other hand you could not build a cinema/music venue.. most of the younger population gets bored of living in shetland due to lack of amenitiys and move south.. problem solved.. you dont need to build anymore housing. and no money has been spent.