THIS MONTH sees the culmination of the first series of Hi-wireless, which has been running on Northings since July.

While we are delighted to have been able to offer a platform for this project, credit for it goes squarely to Euan Martin and Dave Smith of Right Lines, and it is appropriate that it will be their own work which rounds out the five single shows currently available with a multi-part finale.

Ron Emslie and Garry Collins recording Morrison’s Van in the sunshine outside the recording studio at the Universal Hall, Findhorn, earlier this year

Morrison’s Van will run (no pun intended) over four consecutive days from 1 December, and we hope that listeners will take the chance to follow the series as it unfolds. If that is not possible, all of the Hi-wireless episodes will remain available on Northings, so there is plenty of time to catch up.

In a time of stretched resources in the arts sector (and with worse to come), Hi-wireless has offered a way of getting new work into the public arena for a modest investment, and has been both an imaginative and a highly enjoyable initiative. We hope that Right Lines will have the opportunity to extend the project in future.

Following a busy Autumn of touring shows and concerts, things go a little quieter as we approach the year end. As the review section of Northings will testify, it has been a busy year despite the financial gloom, and one that has produced more than its share of memorable performances and exhibitions, as well as the Year of Scotland’s Islands, and the North By North East touring fund..

Back in January, we reviewed Gill Russell’s Uamh exhibition in Edinburgh, and we return to her work this month with Gill’s own account of the genesis of her latest project, which opens in Strathmashie Forest near Laggan this month, and will run over the winter.

George Gunn has never been backward about making his opinions known, and the Thurso-based poet and playwright has had another blast at the current state of Highlands & Islands Theatre, with particular reference to what he sees as the lack of funding support for indigenous companies from organisations like Creative Scotland, UHI and HI-Arts.

His article in Scottish Review brought an equally robust response from Robert Livingston, the director of HI-Arts, and an aggrieved complaint from Charioteer Theatre in Moray, who felt that their artistic director, Laura Pasetti, had been unfairly targeted (although George did not name her, it was clear who he had in mind).

I don’t intend to go into the specifics of George’s accusations against Hi-Arts, but he is entirely wrong in saying that theatre companies have to “pay for the privilege” of a review in Northings (unless he counts providing a ticket for a reviewer as payment?).  No one has ever paid for a review in Northings, nor would such a thing be remotely countenanced. Both articles are on the  Scottish Review website, and you can follow the electronic trail of reports on the controversy on the BBC website.

Kenny Mathieson

Editor

© Kenny Mathieson, 2011