GUITARIST Graeme Stephen was pointing out to me the other day that whenever he is involved in a Tune Up tour, it seems to snow. He won’t be disappointed this time, then, when he takes his excellent contemporary jazz sextet and special guest Ben Davis on the road in late February and early March, including dates in Perth, Inverness and Banchory.

It is a shame that this tour is not reaching any west coast venues, since the Aberdeen-born, Edinburgh-based guitarist has written a new suite of music, Vantage Points, inspired by either places or journeys through Scotland, including Callanish, Ardnamurchan and Knoydart.

He was due to take delivery of the first copies of a new CD of the music just prior to the tour, featuring the line-up he will take on the road minus Shetland fiddle maestro Chris Stout, who had to miss the recording sessions through other commitments.

Let’s hope the latest hefty snowfall in this very snowy winter does not impede their progress, or lead to too many cancellations to other planned events around the country.

The cold winds blowing through the arts world are not only of the literal variety, though – they are getting much chillier in the area of arts funding.

I have written on several occasions about the impending ravages of funding cuts to come, but the recent advance announcements of proposed cuts in Highland Council’s very hard-pressed budget over the next three years suggests things may be even worse than envisaged. The fact that they have taken the unusual step of issuing such advance warnings is itself a measure of the seriousness of the situation.

They are seeking a saving of £60 million over the next three years, a position the Council’s Budget Leader, David Alston, described as “extreme”. It is also planned to consult with the public on where the cuts should fall, although the final decisions will be made by Councillors.

It seems particularly hard to take in the case of the Blas Festival. Having set up and established the event as a very successful going concern, the cuts the Council are now threatening are likely to mean that the 2010 event in September could well be the last.

Quite apart from the artistic and cultural issues, should the event disappear the financial loss of income generated by the festival around the Highlands will be considerable, and it is only the most high-profile of the likely casualties. Finding new sources of funding elsewhere is likely to be equally tough. All in all, not a happy picture.

The availability or otherwise of music tuition is the subject exercising arts worker and concerned parent Jelica Gavrilovic in her Speakout piece this month, one she intends to follow up with a second piece on “the age of technology, rock school and general music education and its lack of consistency in terms of curriculum, plus a call-out to all guitar people of all genres.”

In a pair of interviews, Barry Gordon looks at two contrasting aspects of the arts scene in his native Thurso, cinema and breakdancing. Mull Theatre, the National Theatre of Scotland and the Hebrides Ensemble are among those following Graeme Stephen’s example and taking to the road this month, and we will bring you reviews of all these, and much more.

And just to end on a cheerier note, congratulations to all concerned at An Lanntair over in Stornoway, where they celebrate the 25th anniversary of their founding this year.

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