Chamber
Plenary, 20 May 2004
20 May 2004 · S2 · Plenary
Item of business
Major Events and Festivals in Scotland
Of course I agree with that point, but it is the one point that has been reiterated time and again in the motion and in the debate. In my opinion, the cultural side of the equation has been left untouched.
On a more positive note, I welcome the congratulations that the minister offers in the motion to our arts festivals and the people who present them. As the minister knows, an arts celebration is running in this city between 6 June and 12 June. The Leith festival is a community arts festival that has been reborn in recent years, as have others. I take this opportunity to wish Mary Moriarty, John Paul McGroarty and the team at the Leith festival every success.
I grew up in industrial Lanarkshire which, like much of Scotland, had gala days in every town and village in the summer. Such memorable days were often the gateway for youngsters like me to enjoy a wider interest in the arts as we grew up.
I hope that events such as the Leith festival abound and flourish all over Scotland but, in the time that I have left, I want to concentrate on the Edinburgh people's festival. A decision was taken by the 1945 Labour Government—a radical, visionary and popular decision—to establish the Edinburgh festival. The festival was to be an international celebration of the arts, to raise the spirits of a war-weary population who were emerging from the second world war and who were aware of the privations that still endured. It was that Government's visionary idea that led to the Edinburgh festival that we see today.
For many critics, the problem with the Edinburgh festival of the late 1940s was that it fell into the hands of those whom the late great Hamish Henderson once famously described as the "Edinbourgeoisie". The community celebration, which was meant to be for the people and by the people, was lost to a much more expensive and elitist alternative. In 1951, Hamish Henderson, Ewan MacColl, Joan Littlewood, the miners union, trade unions and labour organisations—the critics of the festival—decided to organise the Edinburgh people's festival. Time does not allow me to elaborate on the great success that the people's festival achieved, but it is fair to say that it went beyond the wildest dreams of its originators. In the end, it was not the failure of the festival that killed it, but the cultural poison of McCarthyism in the early 1950s.
I am glad to say that, in 2002, the Edinburgh people's festival was reborn. That year, a certain David Sneddon sang in the Jack Kane centre in Craigmillar, three weeks before winning the BBC's "Fame Academy". Last year, the festival ran for a week—with a world première of a play in Woodburn miners welfare; a comedy night; a celebration of the contribution that Edinburgh's Indian and Pakistani community has made to the city; and many other events. The highlight for me was the flyting—the debate—that took place in Wester Hailes, on the subject of "Whose culture is it anyway?" The line-up included Paul Gudgeon, who is the director of the fringe, Richard Demarco, who has been mentioned before, Joy Hendry, Tam Dean Burn, Tommy Shepherd, Robert Rae, Angus Calder and Kevin Williamson. Despite the last-minute apologies of Irvine Welsh and Paul Laverty, it lived up to its billing. It was a fantastic evening of arts, celebrated with gusto in an atmosphere of enlightenment, experience and improvement. This year's festival runs from 7 August to 14 August.
The Edinburgh people's festival is unashamedly not about boosting the local economy or promoting the city's international profile; it is about celebrating something that is much more valuable—our common humanity. Its continued success will be measured by the extent to which it includes and involves the communities of the Lothians. I am enormously encouraged by the support that the festival has received; in particular, I thank City of Edinburgh Council for the support that it has provided and the minister and his staff for helping to develop the people's festival in the years ahead.
On a more positive note, I welcome the congratulations that the minister offers in the motion to our arts festivals and the people who present them. As the minister knows, an arts celebration is running in this city between 6 June and 12 June. The Leith festival is a community arts festival that has been reborn in recent years, as have others. I take this opportunity to wish Mary Moriarty, John Paul McGroarty and the team at the Leith festival every success.
I grew up in industrial Lanarkshire which, like much of Scotland, had gala days in every town and village in the summer. Such memorable days were often the gateway for youngsters like me to enjoy a wider interest in the arts as we grew up.
I hope that events such as the Leith festival abound and flourish all over Scotland but, in the time that I have left, I want to concentrate on the Edinburgh people's festival. A decision was taken by the 1945 Labour Government—a radical, visionary and popular decision—to establish the Edinburgh festival. The festival was to be an international celebration of the arts, to raise the spirits of a war-weary population who were emerging from the second world war and who were aware of the privations that still endured. It was that Government's visionary idea that led to the Edinburgh festival that we see today.
For many critics, the problem with the Edinburgh festival of the late 1940s was that it fell into the hands of those whom the late great Hamish Henderson once famously described as the "Edinbourgeoisie". The community celebration, which was meant to be for the people and by the people, was lost to a much more expensive and elitist alternative. In 1951, Hamish Henderson, Ewan MacColl, Joan Littlewood, the miners union, trade unions and labour organisations—the critics of the festival—decided to organise the Edinburgh people's festival. Time does not allow me to elaborate on the great success that the people's festival achieved, but it is fair to say that it went beyond the wildest dreams of its originators. In the end, it was not the failure of the festival that killed it, but the cultural poison of McCarthyism in the early 1950s.
I am glad to say that, in 2002, the Edinburgh people's festival was reborn. That year, a certain David Sneddon sang in the Jack Kane centre in Craigmillar, three weeks before winning the BBC's "Fame Academy". Last year, the festival ran for a week—with a world première of a play in Woodburn miners welfare; a comedy night; a celebration of the contribution that Edinburgh's Indian and Pakistani community has made to the city; and many other events. The highlight for me was the flyting—the debate—that took place in Wester Hailes, on the subject of "Whose culture is it anyway?" The line-up included Paul Gudgeon, who is the director of the fringe, Richard Demarco, who has been mentioned before, Joy Hendry, Tam Dean Burn, Tommy Shepherd, Robert Rae, Angus Calder and Kevin Williamson. Despite the last-minute apologies of Irvine Welsh and Paul Laverty, it lived up to its billing. It was a fantastic evening of arts, celebrated with gusto in an atmosphere of enlightenment, experience and improvement. This year's festival runs from 7 August to 14 August.
The Edinburgh people's festival is unashamedly not about boosting the local economy or promoting the city's international profile; it is about celebrating something that is much more valuable—our common humanity. Its continued success will be measured by the extent to which it includes and involves the communities of the Lothians. I am enormously encouraged by the support that the festival has received; in particular, I thank City of Edinburgh Council for the support that it has provided and the minister and his staff for helping to develop the people's festival in the years ahead.
In the same item of business
The Deputy Presiding Officer (Murray Tosh):
Con
The next item of business is a debate on motion S2M-1341, in the name of Frank McAveety, on major events and festivals in Scotland, and two amendments to the...
The Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport (Mr Frank McAveety):
Lab
I welcome the opportunity to speak about the role that major events and festivals play in contemporary Scotland. I remind members that the importance of fest...
Chris Ballance (South of Scotland) (Green):
Green
Does the minister accept that the military tattoo has political connotations, particularly given that it has invited the red army of China to come in the sam...
Mr McAveety:
Lab
I recognise the sensitivity of the issue, but that is a matter for the tattoo's board.At the centre, we need to recognise that the tattoo has been an incredi...
Mrs Nanette Milne (North East Scotland) (Con):
Con
Is the minister aware of the extremely successful Aberdeen international youth festival—of which, I should declare, I am trustee—which has welcomed more than...
Mr McAveety:
Lab
I put on record my appreciation of all festivals that have such a long history. If my diary permits it and I am in that part of Scotland at that time, I will...
Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP):
SNP
The minister said nothing with which I would seek to disagree. On the SNP benches, we normally dispute the requirement for motherhood and apple pie motions. ...
Chris Ballance (South of Scotland) (Green):
Green
When first I saw the motion, I thought that the Executive simply had too much parliamentary time, because this is the third motion on the tourism, culture an...
Karen Gillon (Clydesdale) (Lab):
Lab
Does the member believe that the minister has no role in the arts in Scotland, given that the budget for arts organisations comes from the Executive? Does he...
Chris Ballance:
Green
The Scottish Arts Council was set up separate from Government to fund arts organisations. It is that council's responsibility to administer arts funding, and...
Cathy Peattie (Falkirk East) (Lab):
Lab
People who are involved in voluntary arts up and down the country organise arts festivals from January to December, and they continually say, "Politicians sh...
Chris Ballance:
Green
As I said, I am not belittling the importance of festivals. I have been involved as the chair of—
Tricia Marwick (Mid Scotland and Fife) (SNP):
SNP
On a point of order, Presiding Officer. We have spent some minutes on the Green amendment, but the member has not referred to it at all. He seems to want a d...
The Deputy Presiding Officer:
Con
Mrs Marwick, the member made several references to festivals, which are mentioned in the motion that is down for debate. How he allocates his time within his...
Chris Ballance:
Green
If I may, I will complete my speech.I fully recognise the importance of community festivals in particular, and I pay tribute to the enormous contribution tha...
The Deputy Presiding Officer:
Con
It might be helpful to members who hope to speak in the open debate if I advise that I have to cut the time allocation to five minutes, although I will conti...
Mr Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con):
Con
This morning, a learned Edinburgh gentleman commented to me that the motion is all verbiage and that it is the sort of thing that makes people ask what the S...
Donald Gorrie (Central Scotland) (LD):
LD
I apologise that I will shortly have to depart the chamber, but I must attend a meeting that is intended to facilitate the operation of the Parliament next w...
The Deputy Presiding Officer:
Con
We now go to the open debate. I ask members to keep to tight five-minute speeches.
Sarah Boyack (Edinburgh Central) (Lab):
Lab
I welcome the debate; it should be used as an opportunity to reflect on the importance of major events and festivals to Scottish life economically and to our...
Rob Gibson (Highlands and Islands) (SNP):
SNP
The success of festivals throughout Scotland is a reflection of people in our country celebrating their lives. The small festivals that make up the bulk are ...
John Scott (Ayr) (Con):
Con
In speaking in this debate, I will highlight three events that are taking place in Ayrshire this summer and note the benefit that they will bring to the Ayrs...
Jeremy Purvis (Tweeddale, Ettrick and Lauderdale) (LD):
LD
Will the member give way?
John Scott:
Con
I would rather not if Mr Purvis will forgive me. I am short of time.I believe that local people taking local decisions about a product in a market that they ...
Karen Gillon (Clydesdale) (Lab):
Lab
I am pleased to participate in the debate, which has been slightly bizarre at times, not least the contribution from Chris Ballance. On one hand, he asked wh...
Mr McGrigor:
Con
In 2001, the Scottish Arts Council commissioned the Jonas report, which showed that Scottish Opera was losing about £1 million a year. Surely it does not tak...
Karen Gillon:
Lab
Huge structural issues are involved. I have been involved in the debate since 1999 and whenever anybody criticises the way in which the structure and operati...
Margaret Smith (Edinburgh West) (LD):
LD
I am delighted to be able to be parochial this afternoon and to talk about the greatest arts festival in the world, which is right on our doorstep. Indeed, o...
Pauline McNeill (Glasgow Kelvin) (Lab):
Lab
I sincerely welcome this debate on festivals. When I first saw the motion in the Business Bulletin, I thought that it presented a great opportunity for the c...
Colin Fox (Lothians) (SSP):
SSP
This afternoon, I want primarily to highlight the outstanding work of the Edinburgh people's festival, which has not been mentioned so far. However, before I...