Official Report search · Parliament Workbench

Chamber

Meeting of the Parliament 02 May 2012

02 May 2012 · S4 · Meeting of the Parliament

Item of business

National Performing Companies

White, Sandra SNP Glasgow Kelvin Watch on SPTV

I accept Annabel Goldie’s explanation, given that we are talking about the performing companies. I align myself with some of her remarks, as I, too, have been told that I cannot sing, although I have sometimes been told that I can dance.

As we have heard, the five national companies have done, and continue to do, a great deal to promote Scotland’s cultural profile throughout Scotland and around the globe. It would be remiss of me not to mention that four out of five of the national companies are based in Glasgow; indeed, three of them are based in my constituency of Glasgow Kelvin. The upgrading of the Theatre Royal and the Royal concert hall is welcome, but I make a plea for the Pavilion theatre in Glasgow, which is very short of funds and does not get any public funds at all.

I agree entirely with the sentiments that are expressed in Patricia Ferguson’s amendment. I am glad that we have accepted her amendment. I welcome the fact that the Scottish Government is committed to ensuring the widest possible participation throughout Scotland, as shown by the fact that NPCs must meet certain criteria set out by the Scottish Government. One criterion is that, to be eligible for central funding, NPCs must ensure that they perform to a wide and diverse audience in Scotland, that they have community education programmes and that they work with other NPCs.

I have a revelation to share. I have discovered a composer through someone in my constituency and Creative Scotland. Last week, I had a meeting with Creative Scotland, which works closely with the national companies, to look at digitising the work of one of Scotland’s greatest composers, Thomas Wilson, who produced more than 100 works in a range of different styles, including orchestra and ballet. I met Mr Wilson’s widow to discuss her late husband’s work and the digitisation of his manuscripts. During a very pleasant afternoon, Mrs Wilson told me about the many requests and visits that she had received from people from outside Scotland seeking her husband’s work. Indeed, she told me about a Spanish teacher who had introduced schoolchildren to Mr Wilson’s work. I heard a small piece, which was a delight. The point that I am trying to make is that, as well as the national performing companies, organisations such as Creative Scotland and others can work together to help to produce great artists who some people have not heard of.

That discussion led us to discuss the great effect and importance of widening the appeal of the performing arts to schools, communities and individuals that may previously have had little or no experience of them. The national and international importance of the national performing companies is undoubted, but it is equally important—if not more important—to use them to get as many people as possible involved in the arts.

The Royal Scottish National Orchestra, which is based in Kelvin, does a huge amount of outreach work, such as its monster music concerts, which are aimed at three to five-year-olds. The cabinet secretary and other speakers mentioned those concerts, which involve well-known songs and nursery rhymes, encourage the kids to join in in whatever way they can, introduce them to basic musical concepts—high and low, fast and slow—and give them an initial interest. I hope that they will get some enjoyment out of that interest as they continue to enjoy music. That work is followed up by mega music concerts for primary 5s to primary 7s and maestro music concerts for secondary school kids. All those concerts give kids the opportunity to learn more about music. The orchestra also provides teacher training sessions and packs to be used in class.

Although that programme of events is fantastic, I cannot help but think that there is something missing: what about kids in primary school up to primary 5? It could not be more important for them to get the same learning opportunities as others. Those years are formative and, as many studies have shown, will have a huge impact not only on the rest of the children’s educational lives but on their lives as a whole. Perhaps the cabinet secretary and the RSNO may wish to consider that small gap within primary school when they review its work.

Search Hansard contributions

Meeting of the Parliament 02 May 2012

In the same item of business