It’s been a funny old festive season. We’re culturally programmed to long for a white Christmas (that Irving Berlin has a lot to answer for!), but when it comes, chaos ensues. Among all the many other victims of this prolonged period of exceptionally bad weather, spare a thought for all the cultural venues that must be losing out at what, at least for theatres and cinemas, should be their busiest time. With most Scottish Arts Council funding at standstill, Local Authority funding often reducing, sponsorship deals crashing, and (of course) fuel bills rising, anything that then affects the box office income as well is just another among a positive rain of blows which the cultural sector is having to withstand.

Last month Sarah Jane Smith nearly got married. That might not sound like earth-shattering news, but for a dedicated Whovian, it would have been a deeply traumatic moment. For those not in the loop, Sarah Jane Smith is, for a multitude of fans, the finest of all the myriad companions of Dr Who, through his various manifestations in space and time over the last 46 years. In a comeback that must surely be unprecedented in the annals of TV drama, not only was the character of Sarah Jane reintroduced to interact with the current, reinvented Dr Who, but she was played by the same actress, Elizabeth Sladen, returning to a role she had first taken on over 30 years earlier.

Tomorrow morning I’m heading down the road to Livingston to attend the Voluntary Arts Scotland Conference (VAS).

Still not convinced about the powers of social media. This is a great video from socialnomics.com… this is not a fad! Convinced?

Social Media is taking centre court amongst audience development and marketing proffessionals. It’s free, it’s accessible anywhere and everywhere, it’s a new and interactive way of communicating with your audeince, your visitors, your customers, and it’s used by millions of people around the planet.

IMAG – The Inverness Museum and Art Gallery is located at the top of a steep hill in the heart of Inverness’s high street. Set behind a large, 1970’s design monstrosity, when you do make it up to the top of the hill, you’ll find a beautifully modern entrace, and usually some locally commissioned art on the walls ahead […]

It’s fair to say that everyone now has to consider their brand, and I don’t just mean business or company branding, but personal branding too. With the advent of blogging, social media, websites, etc we, as individuals can now embark on our own personal branding.

North Berwick is the most beautiful town in Scotland. As of last month, that’s official. But I didn’t know that when, for the first time in my life, I headed there last week. Previously, for me it had been nothing more than a cluster of buildings glimpsed from the train. So I was glad to have the chance to see up close how fully justified that new title seems to be. I think a long weekend break may be in order soon…

All we could do was look on and giggle nervously as the Pentland Ferry drew in closer to Gill’s Bay, on what was a wild and windy lunchtime in September. The ferry had been delayed earlier due to the weather, and I couldn’t help but wonder whether it was still safe to travel across the […]

I’ve decided it’s about time I started blogging about stuff I’m doing here in the Highlands and Islands of Scotland. I started working for HI-Arts about 4 months ago and have been traversing the country, working with some of the most interesting and inspiring artists across Scotland. In my role as audience development coordinator I […]