IN THE original version of my Editorial which appeared briefly on the site this month, I accused H2007 of missing a valuable opportunity for a promotional exercise at Celtic Connections this year, based on the interview I conducted with Donald Shaw.

Fiona Hampton, the director of H2007, quickly pointed out that the assertion made was not factually correct, in that while there is indeed no H2007 concert in the festival, as Donald said, they have been in negotiation with Celtic Connections for some considerable time, and are one of the joint partners in Showcase Scotland.

Accordingly, I have removed the inaccurate conclusion drawn in the original version of my editorial, and am happy to acknowledge that rather than lose out on the exposure of a major international event, H2007 will be represented as a partner, albeit at Showcase Scotland rather than Celtic Connections itself. My apologies to Fiona and her team and to Donald for the misunderstanding.

Celtic Connections itself will run from 17 January until 4 February, and will provide a platform for a great deal of music from the Highlands & Islands, including a 21st birthday celebration for Fèis Rois.

The festival season is winding down now, but Inverness has one more to offer this month. The 4th annual Film Festival will take place from 9-12 November, and co-director Matt Lloyd sets the scene for us.

Brian Morton considers the lessons that might be learnt from the differing experiences of two septuagenarian national broadcasting organisations, the BBC and the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, in our Speakout slot.

No new ArtsFolk feature this month, but Dogdazetheatre in Moray is our featured company in the HITN Profile series, and write Mandy Haggith provides a sobering reflection on the real costs of the reams of paper we take so much for granted in our HI-Arts Showcase. Another writer, novelist Susanna Jones, reflects on her writer-in-residence stint in Shetland.

November also sees a potentially significant gathering in Ullapool of those involved in the visual arts in the Highlands. Georgina Coburn’s report on the current state of play, ‘Five Challenges’, can be downloaded from the HI~Arts site, and her summary articles are available on Northings.

As ever, we will be adding more news, reviews and features throughout the month, so keep checking back.

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.