Meeting of the Parliament 14 August 2014
I welcome the opportunity to talk about Scotland’s festivals, especially the smaller, community-based events that take place all over the country and get very little recognition for what they do for us.
I particularly thank all the parents, aunties, uncles, grandmothers and grandfathers who take toddlers and young people to various clubs up and down the country, and who sit in the evenings and stitch all sorts of garments for them at their own personal expense and make them proud that they can achieve something in the community. These events, which enrich us on a daily basis, take place all over the country throughout the year.
I have seen it time and again that when these small groups apply for funding in councils and various other places they are written off because they are too small and are not important enough. Believe me, those events are where it all starts. They are where people find their niche. They then want to continue to do these things all their life and support other activities throughout the country. Sometimes we underestimate their value. I particularly want to thank all those people who make such a huge effort on a weekly basis to support their young people to engage in community events and festivals up and down Scotland.
Over the past year I have been involved in many events where the community gets together and celebrates all that Glasgow has to offer. The quality of the gigs encourages visitors to keep coming all year round, every year. That is important. It is not just about small events in communities; we also want to share our festivals with other people.
On the face of it, getting people to come to Glasgow in January to listen to traditional music sounds like a big ask, but Celtic Connections continues to go from strength to strength. That is a huge achievement.
A festival that is close to my heart is the Glasgow mela, which has been happening since the early 1990s. Glasgow Life plays a key role in the organisation of the mela every year. The mela celebrates Glasgow and Scotland’s diverse communities and multicultural society, and it has become so popular that there is a waiting list for people who want to participate, who come from all over the UK—despite the fact that it gets rained off every second year.
The mela could not have become so successful without the tremendous support of Glasgow City Council over the past 20 or so years, which I witnessed when I was a councillor in Glasgow. It is also supported by many other organisations, which is wonderful, because I like to see such things eventually become self-sufficient. It started as an ethnic minority mela, but it is now Glasgow mela and it attracts a rich and diverse group of participants. It is a fantastic event.
People sometimes wonder whether all that activity happens because we are part of the UK or because of local spirit. I know that the minority community has copied many events from down south and adapted them to Scottish design and culture. That shows the spirit among Scottish communities; we might import things from other parts of the world but we tend to adapt them to our culture. That is wonderful, because it shows how we celebrate diversity, taking up what other communities do and creating a brand new cultural activity.
The Indian Bollywood industry frequently comes to Scotland to make films, as do the Lollywood film companies, from Lahore in Pakistan. When the film makers come, they tap into the talents of the local community, which can offer something different from what is available in their home towns. We can offer something unique, even though it might be similar to the traditions elsewhere. The expertise and skill of our young people is amazing, and what they can offer is fantastic. Perhaps that is why people from many countries come to make films in Glasgow and in Scotland’s countryside.
Festivals are important, because they add so much richness to people’s lives. I ask the cabinet secretary to make a commitment to the people of Scotland that the Government will not cut funding for such activities but strive to find resources to support them. That would be fantastic. I do not expect the cabinet secretary to give me figures just now—I would not dare put her on the spot. I simply echo the wishes of all the people who put on festivals on a shoestring. They really need support from councils and the Government, so I am sure that support would be very welcome.
I have had the privilege of travelling around the world and I assure members that no one can match our festivals in Scotland. We should be proud of that. That is why I always thank all those relatives who do so much to develop children’s skills.
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