Comments on: Not so Jolly Roger

By: Gerry Reynolds

Gerry Reynolds — Fri, 06 Nov 2009 18:11:41 +0000

Duncan MacInnes has highlighted a growing awareness at grass roots level of why we are being asked to apply for a grant. The economic impact con for those who don’t know involves Quangos with funds asking for applications for grants from local bodies, selecting a limited number for financial support and then publishing a list of everyone who did apply on their official website. The final act enabling them to a) say they are helping you with your marketing and b) enabling them to claim that they have hundreds more events in their programme than they are supporting. The hundreds more events THEN enables them to draw the wool over the eyes of politicians by enabling them to grossly inflate the economic impact of THEIR year long festival.

By: Duncan Macinnes

Duncan Macinnes — Wed, 04 Nov 2009 16:47:13 +0000

Thank you Kenny for voicing what I am sure is a universal area reaction to the Homecoming project. As a promoter on Skye we tried to avoid direct involvement – we had no desire to fill in forms just to increase our existing programme of 40 events this year! But we did receive several events who came clutching a Homecoming banner. This included one real homecoming visit from Newfoundland Gaels who largely paid their own way but who were kindly given a homecoming banner to display. Another flagship event landed on us and did not, I am afraid, live up to expectations.
But then there was Highland Homecoming’s missed opportunity of the year – Mairearad Green’s ‘Passing Places’ (which had a bit of Highland exposure in the summer). During the Highland Homecoming I believe it was funded for only one gig, here with SEALL events at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig. With any sense this would have been seen in every Highland venue and sent to every venue in Scotland and then around the world. It alone would have done more for Scottish cultural tourism than all the rest put together!

By: Jelica Gavrilovic

Jelica Gavrilovic — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 21:47:51 +0000

I agree with Dragan!

Nice to get a trip to Iceland…

By: Gerry Reynolds

Gerry Reynolds — Mon, 02 Nov 2009 19:48:27 +0000

When I attended the International Festival and Events Association’s European Conference in Iceland early last year I sat listening to Dragan Klaic explaining precisely WHY year long festivals cannot work in Reykjavik Art Museum.

A former President of the European Forum for Arts & Heritage (EFAH, Brussels) Dragan pulled no punches in his speech and said that anybody who thinks that year long festivals are a good idea needs educating.

Just for the record Dragan teaches Arts and Cultural Policy at the University of Leiden and serves as a Permanent Fellow of Felix Meritis Foundation in Amsterdam.