Chamber
Plenary, 18 Jun 2009
18 Jun 2009 · S3 · Plenary
Item of business
Scotland's Festivals
It has been a good-natured and informative debate, although it has included some odd moments, to which I will refer, in passing, as I sum up. Before I do so, I want to respond to some of the positive and serious suggestions that have been made.
Karen Gillon suggested a festivals event in the Parliament, through which we could spread knowledge of the work that the festivals do and allow members to provide information about the festivals in their areas. That is an excellent idea, which we will try to take forward collaboratively. Another strong suggestion that I thought was a good idea was that festivals could share knowledge of what was taking place and art forms could speak to each other. There is an element of such collaboration already, and I think that some of the programmes that we are developing under the innovation fund that will be announced next week might give us an opportunity to resource such an intervention at a future festival. I thank Mr Whitton for that idea; we will take it away and see what we can do with it.
By and large, the points that have been made in the debate apply to us all. We have heard some interesting personal reflections. Karen Gillon said that we should ensure that events are drawn in from other places, including the rest of the UK. When the Music of Black Origin awards are held in Glasgow in September, it will be the first time that the event has been held outside London. The fact that that extremely important event was secured for Scotland was the result of a Scottish group of organisations ensuring that they could bid for an event that would make a difference in Glasgow.
I thought that Mr Brocklebank was a little churlish in his introduction to an entertaining speech. To suggest that the debate was a filler was probably the wrong thing to do; it has been an opportunity for the Parliament to exchange information and to celebrate good things in Scotland, and I know that Mr Brocklebank eventually came round to that point of view.
Iain Smith made some interesting points about the need to take a longer-term view of the resourcing of festivals. By and large, a long-term view is taken, but when that does not happen, which is often the case with smaller festivals—I have been working with Mr Smith on a festival in his area of which that is true—we need to help as much as possible. However, it is a two-way street. Organisations need to know what they will spend and to plan ahead. Before other organisations can join in, they need to be sure of what their commitment is. It is necessary for a longer-term view to be taken of certain events if we are to ensure that they are not single events.
Elaine Murray made an important point about licensing. I am happy to commit myself to speaking to my friend the Cabinet Secretary for Justice, who is now in the chamber, to see whether we can make progress on the issue. Repetitive form filling should not be necessary for local festivals, into which members of local organisations put a great deal of time and effort. They need to be helped as much as possible by the organisations that are there to support them, which should not hinder them. I will take the issue up and will ensure that I communicate directly with the member and with the organisations that have raised it with me.
I am not sure that I will do the same for the festival of guga hunting, to which Alasdair Allan drew attention. I am familiar with what takes place on Sula Sgeir and although I have supported it, and been condemned for so doing, it is perhaps stretching the idea of a festival just that little bit too far to define it as such.
A number of festivals with interesting origins have been mentioned. Elaine Murray made an important point about the fact that some festivals arise out of the natural rhythm of the year and the age-old rhythm of communities, whereas other festivals—such as the G66+Live festival, to which Mr Whitton referred—arise out of a particular need. They are the result of people deciding that they need to do something about their community. I was extremely sorry that I was not able to attend the G66+Live festival—it was not my fault but Sir Kenneth Calman's. I hope that I will be there next year to take part.
Mr Whitton was right to say that one good year should, but does not always, lead to another, so festivals need to be constantly ambitious and constantly aware of the pitfalls that they might face. As several members have said, we do not know what effect the recession will have on the arts or the festivals in Scotland. It is possible—we hope that this is true—that there will be more people in Scotland this year. The idea of the year of homecoming is that not only will people come from other places, but that people from Scotland will travel around the country taking holidays and going to events. If that turns out to be the case—and the signs are good—that will be tremendous. However, we must always be aware that there are difficulties and pitfalls, and that nothing is guaranteed. Inventiveness and ideas are needed.
Mr McGrigor was right to draw attention to food festivals. Festivals should celebrate the best of Scotland, and we should certainly invest in the celebration of Scottish food. I did not learn from Mr McGrigor's speech whether Shed Seven was a place or a performance; no doubt he will tell me at some stage. I claim absolutely no cred. Karen Gillon asked me to get some cred, but I do not think that it would be legitimate for me to do so—I admit my ignorance on such matters. However, I recognise that T in the Park is a huge economic force, as well as a huge cultural and entertainment force.
Karen Gillon suggested a festivals event in the Parliament, through which we could spread knowledge of the work that the festivals do and allow members to provide information about the festivals in their areas. That is an excellent idea, which we will try to take forward collaboratively. Another strong suggestion that I thought was a good idea was that festivals could share knowledge of what was taking place and art forms could speak to each other. There is an element of such collaboration already, and I think that some of the programmes that we are developing under the innovation fund that will be announced next week might give us an opportunity to resource such an intervention at a future festival. I thank Mr Whitton for that idea; we will take it away and see what we can do with it.
By and large, the points that have been made in the debate apply to us all. We have heard some interesting personal reflections. Karen Gillon said that we should ensure that events are drawn in from other places, including the rest of the UK. When the Music of Black Origin awards are held in Glasgow in September, it will be the first time that the event has been held outside London. The fact that that extremely important event was secured for Scotland was the result of a Scottish group of organisations ensuring that they could bid for an event that would make a difference in Glasgow.
I thought that Mr Brocklebank was a little churlish in his introduction to an entertaining speech. To suggest that the debate was a filler was probably the wrong thing to do; it has been an opportunity for the Parliament to exchange information and to celebrate good things in Scotland, and I know that Mr Brocklebank eventually came round to that point of view.
Iain Smith made some interesting points about the need to take a longer-term view of the resourcing of festivals. By and large, a long-term view is taken, but when that does not happen, which is often the case with smaller festivals—I have been working with Mr Smith on a festival in his area of which that is true—we need to help as much as possible. However, it is a two-way street. Organisations need to know what they will spend and to plan ahead. Before other organisations can join in, they need to be sure of what their commitment is. It is necessary for a longer-term view to be taken of certain events if we are to ensure that they are not single events.
Elaine Murray made an important point about licensing. I am happy to commit myself to speaking to my friend the Cabinet Secretary for Justice, who is now in the chamber, to see whether we can make progress on the issue. Repetitive form filling should not be necessary for local festivals, into which members of local organisations put a great deal of time and effort. They need to be helped as much as possible by the organisations that are there to support them, which should not hinder them. I will take the issue up and will ensure that I communicate directly with the member and with the organisations that have raised it with me.
I am not sure that I will do the same for the festival of guga hunting, to which Alasdair Allan drew attention. I am familiar with what takes place on Sula Sgeir and although I have supported it, and been condemned for so doing, it is perhaps stretching the idea of a festival just that little bit too far to define it as such.
A number of festivals with interesting origins have been mentioned. Elaine Murray made an important point about the fact that some festivals arise out of the natural rhythm of the year and the age-old rhythm of communities, whereas other festivals—such as the G66+Live festival, to which Mr Whitton referred—arise out of a particular need. They are the result of people deciding that they need to do something about their community. I was extremely sorry that I was not able to attend the G66+Live festival—it was not my fault but Sir Kenneth Calman's. I hope that I will be there next year to take part.
Mr Whitton was right to say that one good year should, but does not always, lead to another, so festivals need to be constantly ambitious and constantly aware of the pitfalls that they might face. As several members have said, we do not know what effect the recession will have on the arts or the festivals in Scotland. It is possible—we hope that this is true—that there will be more people in Scotland this year. The idea of the year of homecoming is that not only will people come from other places, but that people from Scotland will travel around the country taking holidays and going to events. If that turns out to be the case—and the signs are good—that will be tremendous. However, we must always be aware that there are difficulties and pitfalls, and that nothing is guaranteed. Inventiveness and ideas are needed.
Mr McGrigor was right to draw attention to food festivals. Festivals should celebrate the best of Scotland, and we should certainly invest in the celebration of Scottish food. I did not learn from Mr McGrigor's speech whether Shed Seven was a place or a performance; no doubt he will tell me at some stage. I claim absolutely no cred. Karen Gillon asked me to get some cred, but I do not think that it would be legitimate for me to do so—I admit my ignorance on such matters. However, I recognise that T in the Park is a huge economic force, as well as a huge cultural and entertainment force.
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Alasdair Morgan):
SNP
The next item of business is a debate on motion S3M-4421, in the name of Michael Russell, on the energy, commitment and creativity of Scotland's festivals an...
The Minister for Culture, External Affairs and the Constitution (Michael Russell):
SNP
I apologise for arriving in the chamber just seconds too late to be able to follow on—in cricketing parlance.I am pleased to speak about the success of the E...
David Whitton (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Lab):
Lab
I am astonished to learn of Mr Russell's debut. Will he tell us what he contributed? What song did he sing?
Michael Russell:
SNP
Of course, I am a modest person and do not wish to talk too much about my own performances—Interruption. There is a strange sound of laughter to my right, fr...
David Whitton:
Lab
That is because you described yourself as modest.
Michael Russell:
SNP
Well, it is a definition that I recognise, even if no one else does. I appeared in a work called "The Flight of the Arctic Tern", by a composer called Mark S...
Ted Brocklebank (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con):
Con
I am grateful that the minister reminded us of how many people attended the launch of Sir Sean's book. Can he tell us how many copies of the book Sir Sean sold?
The Deputy Presiding Officer:
SNP
Mr Russell, I think we may now be straying from the point of the debate.
Michael Russell:
SNP
Well, that is a great pity. I will simply say that the book was, as befits a Scot of international celebration and reputation, a wonderful seller.The fact th...
Karen Gillon (Clydesdale) (Lab):
Lab
The vision of Mike Russell and modesty is not one that easily comes to mind, but I look forward to buying tickets to his forthcoming show. It will be an inte...
Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD):
LD
I thought the member was going to say "Mike Russell".
Karen Gillon:
Lab
Well, there is always a chance.Seriously though, T in the Park compares favourably with any festival in the world. It should be celebrated. Last year, virtua...
Ted Brocklebank (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con):
Con
I was tempted to restrict my speech to the observation that festivals are generally good things, especially those that are held close to my home or those to ...
Iain Smith (North East Fife) (LD):
LD
Inevitably, the motion concentrates on the iconic Edinburgh festivals, and probably rightly so, as they are known throughout the world in a way that others a...
Ian McKee (Lothians) (SNP):
SNP
What does it cost to enter these events?
Iain Smith:
LD
I do not have the price list in front of me. What is great about community festivals is that entry to many of the events is free, so that people can particip...
Alasdair Allan (Western Isles) (SNP):
SNP
Aside from the Edinburgh festival, I am sure that there will be healthy competition among us all today to get in the most references to the local festivals i...
Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab):
Lab
The major festivals such as the Edinburgh international festival, T in the Park, Celtic Connections, the St Magnus festival and so on are all hugely importan...
Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP):
SNP
Our opportunity to debate festivals and their success in Scotland is a valuable contribution as we look towards the future, celebrating place and aspects of ...
Shirley-Anne Somerville (Lothians) (SNP):
SNP
Edinburgh without festivals is simply unimaginable. Our capital city is the world's foremost festival city; it provides a beautiful historic backdrop for an ...
Christopher Harvie (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP):
SNP
I would like to join my colleagues in celebrating Scotland's festival cultures. I am slightly older than the Edinburgh festival and I can still remember its ...
Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD):
LD
I thank the minister for his optimistic contribution, if only for a highly unusual show of modesty—that leaves only 999 things to do before I die. He was abs...
Michael Russell:
SNP
I draw the member's attention to the fact that although this year's fringe tickets went on general sale only on Monday, the fringe has sold £500,000 worth of...
Margaret Smith:
LD
I am as optimistic as the minister about this year's festivals, particularly the fringe, which is often a victim of its own success. We will see wonderful pe...
Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con):
Con
I am sure that ticket sales are up because the minister is performing in the festival.I am pleased to be winding up for the Scottish Conservatives in this sh...
David Whitton (Strathkelvin and Bearsden) (Lab):
Lab
Like the other members who have spoken, I am delighted to participate in the debate and take the opportunity to talk about a couple of festivals that take pl...
Michael Russell:
SNP
It has been a good-natured and informative debate, although it has included some odd moments, to which I will refer, in passing, as I sum up. Before I do so,...
Karen Gillon:
Lab
Will the minister undertake to meet some of the industry organisers in Scotland to look at how we can make the lighting, staging and public address systems t...
Michael Russell:
SNP
I would be happy to do so. I note the concerns that various social enterprise organisations have expressed on the matter—procurement is an issue. Last night ...
George Foulkes (Lothians) (Lab):
Lab
Has the minister been contacted by Mr Ian McFarlane asking why no Burns productions are included in the Edinburgh international festival? If so, what reply d...