THE AMALGAMATION of the Scottish Arts Council and Scottish Screen into a single organisation, Creative Scotland, has aroused lots of controversy, but few could really have expected the bill to be voted down in the Scottish Parliament on the grounds of the proposed financial arrangements for the new organisation.

It was the first time a major bill had been rejected since the Parliament was set up, and under the rules of parliamentary business, it cannot be re-presented to the house for six months. It is a major setback to plans that have received a mixed welcome, but in a statement Richard Holloway, Chairman of the Scottish Arts Council, remained positive on the longer-term prospects for the new organisation:

“While the failure of the Bill to progress was disappointing for the Joint Board, staff of Scottish Arts Council and Scottish Screen, as well as the sectors they support, the delay provides an opportunity for even greater engagement with the process and the chance to really think about how we can work together to create an organisation of which we can all be proud.

“At its meeting, the Joint Board made a clear and unified commitment to moving forward positively with the work required to create a new organisation that has clarity of purpose, relevant expertise and the resources required to fulfil its remit.”

The SNP administration, meanwhile, criticised Scottish Labour “reckless opposition” and failure to “realise the consequences of what they have done”. A fair old stooshie indeed, and one that we will be hearing a great deal more about in the coming months.

Closer to home, more details will be revealed at the beginning of this month on the Highland 2007 Legacy Fund, although as I write this Editorial those details were still awaited (keep your eyes on our news section for more information).

July means it is time once again for the annual mega-bash that is the Hebridean Celtic Festival in Stornoway. This year’s line-up includes The Saw Doctors, Shooglenifty, Seth Lakeman, Red Hot Chilli Pipers, Four Men and a Dog, Julie Fowlis, Karine Polwart, Hunger Mountain Boys, Mairi Smith, and Mary Ann Kennedy & Na Seòid, among many others.

NORTHINGS has the distinct look of a Northern Isles special this month. I would like to claim that this was entirely intentional and all down to brilliant editorial planning, but that would perhaps be stretching the truth a little.

It is more of a happy coming together of many diverse strands of arts activity in the Orkney and Shetland islands, taking in writer Ron McMillan’s stravaiging around Shetland and fascinating projects involving mailboats and wind turbines (read on for further elucidation).

Over on the west coast, An Tobar in Tobermory provides our venue profile, and Rob Adams looks at developments at the National School of Excellence in Traditional Music at Plockton High School, while in the east Visual Arts correspondent Georgina Coburn scrutines the work of Glenferness-based artist Daniel Kavanagh.

As ever, we will be posting more reviews and articles as the month unfolds, including our review coverage from the Heb Celt shindig.

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, and other publications. He has contributed to numerous reference books, and has written books on jazz and Celtic music.