THE ST MAGNUS FESTIVAL in Orkney (www.stmagnusfestival.com ) takes centre stage on the festival merry-go-round this month, but there is no question where the biggest crowd will gather. That will be in the tiny village of Dores on Loch Ness, when 20,000 are expected to descend for the Loch Ness Monster (www.rockness.co.uk ) event, featuring Fatboy Slim and Skye-born Mylo on the bill.

This is an enormously ambitious undertaking for the local promoters involved, Joe Gibbs of the Tartan Heart Festival and Rob Hicks of Beyond Promotions. Selling tickets is one thing, but mounting an event on this scale in such a location is an enormous logistical challenge. Concerns on that front seem to have been largely addressed, so it’s fingers-crossed that all goes well on the day.

It has also been argued that this event has little to do with Highland arts and culture, but is simply being parachuted into a Highland location when it could equally have been held anywhere else. On the face of it, that is undoubtedly true, but the fact that it is being run by locally-based promoters helps balance that perception, and it is clearly answering a hitherto unfilled demand among dance music fans in the Highlands and Islands, as well as far beyond.

We wish the event well, and hope that there will be no need for recriminations after the fact. With Highland 2007 (www.highland2007.com ) looming ever closer, a successful event on this scale would be a good precursor to whatever the year of Highland culture will eventually bring.

On a more prosaic but no less significant note, Northing understands from informal sources that Highland Council have plans to axe their specialist music and art teachers in Highland primary schools from the end of the current term, a proposition that does not seem to have been widely aired. We await further developments, but if this is indeed the proposal, it is a very backward step that will have serious long term effects, and would sit very badly with Highland Council’s commitment to Highland 2007.

Our main interview this month is with Matt Lloyd, who tells Georgina Coburn about his work as Coordinator of the Rural Cinema North Project and creator of the Virtual Film Club website for the north of Scotland.

Sandra Robertson sets the scene for the Scottish Arts Council-supported Tune Up tour that brings together dance ensemble Dannsa with the excellent First Harvest in what should be a hugely enjoyable collaboration.

We are pleased to welcome a first contribution to Northings from Michael Russell (http://web.mac.com/feorlean ), the Argyll-based writer, commentator, broadcaster and former MSP, who addresses the issue of Cultural Tourism in our Speakout slot.

Theatre Hebrides are this month’s Highlands & Islands Theatre Network profile, and we have ArtsFolk contributions from both Inverness and Shetland. As ever, there will be much more to come, so keep checking back for news, reviews and features.

Kenny Mathieson
Commissioning Editor, Northings

Kenny Mathieson lives and works in Boat of Garten, Strathspey. He studied American and English Literature at the University of East Anglia, graduating with a BA (First Class) in 1978, and a PhD in 1983. He has been a freelance writer on various arts-related subjects since 1982, and contributes to the Inverness Courier, The Scotsman, The Herald, The List, Times Educational Supplement Scotland, and other publications. He has contributed to numerous reference books, and has written books on jazz and Celtic music.