Community Learning and Leisure

Education, Culture & Sport

Supported by The National Lottery through the Scottish Arts Council

Sat 10 Feb – 6.45pm to late

'SCOT-ISH' NIGHT at Merkinch Community Centre 

The evening will be a mixture of different sounds and tastes, as the night is open to groups who might like the opportunity to perform their traditional songs and music. 

Cost:  £2

Buffet included in the entry.  Buffet will be a mixture of foods from around the world, hot and cold, created by our chef for the evening.

we will have performances from the Singing for Pleasure group, Happyness Drumming, Shannon Dowe, amongst others.  The second  part of the evening will see a ceilidh led by TMC Folk, with a session by Happyness Drumming. 

There will also be face painting and a raffle. 

Tickets are available in advance from the Community Centre and Merkinch Enterprise, they will also be available on the door.

A TALE GATHERING – Artsplay Highland 2007

“Story Heritage –  Community, locality and people are valuable resources in the Highlands – sharing is what we do best; access and inclusion is what we are about, and what we want to be – sharing stories keeps our communities alive.”

Artsplay Highland are bringing artists into communities in the Highlands throughout 2007 in a storytelling project led by well-known community artist Bob Pegg.

The gathering of stories begins in Glenurquhart working with community groups and the primary school, encouraging people to share stories, and record them as a legacy. Visual artists will be working alongside Bob to interpret the tales leading to an open event on 21^st April  at Glenurquhart Hall which will include an exhibition and workshops throughout the day in music, dance and art for children and adults.

Bob Pegg will also be bringing his own knowledge of the Highlands and each area’s unique “story heritage” to enhance a sense of belonging. It is hoped that the stories can be re-told in each location and become a part of every-day conversation within the groups and will inspire them to take the stories into other art forms.

The story-gathering will be an organic process, initially non-formal in its approach with the groups in each area, and will seek to encourage communication, knowledge, awareness of the unique landscape, history and of course people and their lives, regardless of where they have come from, or where they may be going.

After Glenurqhart, Bob will be in Dingwall for early summer, and then moving onto Thurso for the autumn. Each area will have a day of exhibiting and workshopping, and it is hoped that everything can be brought together for a final exhibition in December 2007.

Childcare workers, care staff and teachers are expected to take part in the project as part of CPD and learning new skills by working with artists.

With thanks to funders: Awards for All, Highland 2007 and Inverness Childcare Partnership. Please refer to our wee website for updates and news on other projects and training days. www.spanglefish.com/ArtsplayHighland.

For further information please contact jelica@artsplayhighland.org.uk

Beauly Arts Group

In association with The Highland Council

www.beaulyartsgroup.com

17 Feb              Karine Polwart, Corina Hewat, Annie Grace

7 April               Gerry O’Connor and Donal O’Connor

19 May             Duncan Chisholm and Ivan Drever

2 Sept               Blas Festival – Flook and Anam

28 Sept             John Goldie

10 Nov              Cliar

8 Dec (tbc)        Ceilidh with Fergie MacDonald

Forthcoming at Farr Hall are :-

Sat. 14th April  8pm - PEATBOG FAERIES

Sat 26th May  8pm-  DOUGIE MACLEAN, etc.

Fri 31st Aug  8pm-  Shooglenifty, etc.(Blas Festival)

Tickets will cost £12 / £10 and can be got from the Riverside Gallery, Bank Street , Inverness or at Inverernie Stores, Farr . Information from Alasdair Forbes on 01808 521333.

Craigmonie Centre, Drumnadrochit

Events

http://www.craigmoniecentre.co.uk/calendar.asp

GLENURQUHART PUBLIC HALL

www.glenurquhart.info

February 24^th

with the lovely Heather Macleod and her band. You may have heard her fronting the Loveboat Big Band on Dec 29th - if so, you'll know what an astonishingly beautiful voice she's been blessed with

Sun 4 March

The one and only Michael Marra - widely acclaimed as one of Scotland's most talented and original songwriters. He's also an actor, composer, musician, artist, writer and performer

Fri 16 March

The Hall's first world premiere of MsFits Theatre Company's new play by Rona Munro, "A Clucking Good Hen Night". Sure to put a smile on your face and perhaps bring the occasional tear to your eye as well, we wonder if Rona and Fiona can top the excellent "Secrets, Lies and D.I.Y."?

30 March

Sirens is an exciting new all-female group featuring Glen Urquhart's own Olivia Ross on vocals and fiddle, together with Fame Academy 2004 winner Shona Kipling, BBC Radio Scotland's Young Traditional Musician of the Year 2006 Shona Mooney, plus rising stars Laura Salter, Lillias Kinsman-Blake, and Rachel Newton. Their evocative sound features original compositions, traditional and contemporary material, on fiddles, mandolin, flute, harp, accordion and spinetingling vocal harmonies, often in Gaelic.

Old High St Stephen’s Church

Highland 2007 Programme

Date:                Thursday 22 March

Event:               Concert by St Stephen’s and Inverness Royal Academy Choirs

Venue:              St Stephen’s Church, Southside Road, 7.30pm

Date:                Friday 23 March

Event:               Concert by Dingwall Gaelic Choir

Venue:              Old High Church, Church Street, 7.30pm

Date:                Palm Sunday 1 April

Event:               United Choirs Concert, Conductor Bert Richardson

Venue:              Old High Church, Church Street, 7.30pm

Date:                Sunday 22 April

Event:               Anglo Indian Childrens Choir from Dr Graham Home

Venue:              Old High/St Stephens Church. Time to be decided.

Date:                Saturday 19 May                      

Event:               Messiah from Scratch by united Choirs. Conductor Andrew Adamson

Venue:              Old High Church, Church Street, 7.30pm 

Date:                May     

Event:               Choir Concert by  Inverness Singers

Venue:              Old High Church, Church Street, 7.30pm 

Date:                Friday 25 May

Event:               Concert by Inverness Choral Society

Venue:              Old High Church, Church Street, 7.30pm 

Date:                Sunday 1 July

Event:               Concert by the USA Stockton Chorale Adult Community Choir.

Venue:              Old High Church, Church Street, 7.30pm 

Date:                Wednesday 26 September

Event:               “Telling the Story” an evening with Jamie Stewart, author of the best-seller - A Scots Gospel, which translates the gospels of the Bible in the Scots tongue.

Venue:              St Stephen’s Church, Southside Road, 7.30pm

Date:                Friday 7 September

Event:               Concert by Music Fyne/Coronach           

Venue:              Old High Church Hall, Academy Street, 7.30pm

Date:                Saturday 22 September

Event:               All-day Event. Various artistes including:- organ recital by Bert Richardson; Boswell Trio; and Graham McKenzie.

Venue:              Old High Church, Church Street, 7.30pm

The IronWorks Live Music Venue
122b Academy Street
Box office: 0871 7894 173 www.ironworksvenue.com

 H&I TOUR / 20 - 28 APR'07

THE SINGING SOUS'CHEFS Alive Again!

directed by John Nicholson of Peepolykus Theatre Co.

‘musicality and life enriching’ Rod Clements Lindisfarne
‘hilarity in harmony, guaranteed to contain nuts’ The Plough Arts Centre

April’07

Mon 23             ULLAPOOL Village Hall, 8.00pm tix 01854 612103 www.ceilidhplace.com

Tues 24 ROSEHALL Village Hall, 8.00pm tix 01549 441291

Wed 25             LYTH Arts Centre, time 8.00pm 01955 641270 www.lytharts.org.uk

Thurs 26            STRATHPEFFER Pavilion, 8.00pm tix 01997 420124 www.strathpeffer.org.uk

Fri 27                INVERNESS Spectrum, 8.00pm tix 01463 234234

As featured on Rick Stein’s Food Heroes, Glastonbury Festival Comedy Marquee, Sidmouth, Hampton Court…

 ‘incredible vocal talents’ Jules Benjamin The Beatless

'So bizarrely brilliant and effortlessly charming, we wanted to take them home.' Tolmen Centre

‘a cross between Coope, Boyes & Simpson and The Old Rope String Band!’ Karen Tweed The Poozies & Swåp

Three chefs helter-skelter down the continuum of Time through the congestion zone of Space across the wide-open bison plains of History and back again before last orders. Meet Michelangelo, Merlin, Newton’s Apple and a Modern Day Hospital. Travel the globe. Feel its bigness. Join in.

With songs by The Beatles, Ry Cooder, Iggy Pop, The Beach Boys, Dionne Warwick, The Chiffons, Lou Reed, Joe Jackson, Claudia Monteverdi and other iconic grooves of our Time. Organically seeded and sourced by Jim Howden, Adrian Mealing & William Tooby. www.thebighum.co.uk

Wherever we go, we’ve found that people like to sing and join in and shout things out. We know they do a lot of that in the Highlands & Islands so the Sous’Chefs are looking forward to coming. Big time.

DAY OF DANCE

Sat 2 June -  Culloden Academy

01463 724261

SUMMER IN THE CITY will run from mid June to end of August.

The programme events planned (dates not finalised) so far……

Summer Continental Market 21^st – 24^th June  

Summer in the City Launch Event

Live Music on Falcon Square, street performers, pipe band etc

CITYJAM 8 day music festival (Traditional to modern Scottish music) 16 – 21 July

Children’s Festival Saturday 28^th July

Rediscover Inverness 25^h August

Regular street events throughout the summer months include:

Thursday evening Highland Dancing & Piper

Live Music every Saturday

Piper at the Town House 1-2 every Saturday

Historic Trails and Re-enactments every Saturday (tours at 12pm and 2pm)

Inverness Piping Society

Piping concerts in the Town House, Inverness on Saturday, 14th July and Saturday, 11th August commencing at 8pm.  

David Power

Secretary, Inverness Piping Society

BELLA TICKETS ON SALE

Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival ’07 (Beauly, Inverness-shire),10^th & 11^th August 2007; tickets are weekend only and cost £70 which includes parking and camping. Tickets for children under 12 are free (maximum three per adult).

Tickets to Bella ’07 are available on-line via Ticketmaster, www.thebooth.co.uk,

INVERNESS TRADITIONAL MUSIC CLASSES

NEW TERM STARTS mid JAN 2007

Come and try something new ~ learn to play an instrument, have a go at singing, get your body dancing!

Regular classes. Age range  7 to 107. 

Places available in FIDDLE, ACCORDION, GUITAR, MANDOLIN, SCOTS SONG, GAELIC SONG, BODHRAN, WHISTLE, KEYBOARD, GROUP WORK, CEILIDH DANCE

For information please contact:

Margo Maclennan, TMC Co-ordinator, Community Learning and Leisure,

Town House, Inverness Tel: 01463 724314 

e-mail at margo.maclennan2@highland.gov.uk

http://www.highland.gov.uk/leisure/arts/music/invernesstrad.htm

Supported by The Scottish Arts Council through the National Lottery

Adult Feis Gleann Albainn

9^th – 12^th February 2007

Kilchuimen Academy

Fort Augustus

Expert tuition for over 18s in accordion, button box, fiddle, guitar, whistle and song.

Tutors: Angus Grant sr, Angus R Grant, Jonny Hardie, Charlie McKerron, Sandy Brechin, Tim Edey,

Jim Hunter, Martin Macdonald, Nuala Kennedy and Christina Stewart.

Includes various workshops, sessions, tutors concert and sail on Loch Ness.

For more information/application forms contact :

Christine Pinkerton

Tel :07708 005436

Email : christine@feisgleannalbainn.co.uk

The latest edition of The Kitchen Cèilidh is now available online at Scottish Internet radio

http://www.internetradio.co.uk/kitchen.html

Looks in particular at some of the nominations for this years Scots Trad Music Awards

Slow Jam after New Year (2007)

Feb 1, 15  Mar 1, 15, 29

Ness Bank Church, 7.30 pm.

Inverness IV2 5BB 01463 717811  www.heallan.com

EXHIBITIONS

(NEWLY REVAMPED) INVERNESS MUSEUM & ART GALLERY

Major National Exhibition

FONN’S DUTHCHAS (Land and Legacy)

Brought together by the National Museums of Scotland, National Galleries of Scotland, National Library of Scotland and other cultural organisations from the Highlands

Also to end Feb

Inverness Reviewed – inspired by Turner’s watercolour of Inverness

Digital images, stories and poems by Inverness High School students

Tel 01463 237114   Fax 01463 225293  www.invernessmuseum.com

CASTLE GALLERY

Castle Gallery

'One of the 100 best reasons to visit Scotland's cities' according to The Independent (March 2005). Ranked 28th, the Castle Gallery was only topped by the National Gallery of Modern Art and Aberdeen Art Gallery

www.castlegallery.co.uk

KILMORACK GALLERY

www.kilmorackgallery.co.uk

BEAULY GALLERY and The Kirk Coffee Shop

Original oil paintings and watercolours by renowned Scottish artists and limited edition photographs by some of the best Scottish photographers

Wester Balblair 01463 783508 www.beaulygallery.co.uk

TORE ART GALLERY

Tore Art Gallery always has a variety of artists in its mixed changing exhibition section, and a good choice of pottery, glass and other desirable treats. Closed Tuesdays

www.tore-art-gallery.co.uk

HIGHLANDS OPEN STUDIOS MEMBERS EXHIBITION 2006

The Open Studios movement reached the north this year when artists across the Highlands opened their studios to the public during a week in June. This month their work is brought together in an exhibition highlighting around 40 artists, with a huge range of media from painting and printmaking to  wood, glass, ceramics, textiles and jewellery - an impressive show of talent and diversity.

Artists can find out more about Highlands Open Studios 2007 at the exhibition.

HIGHLANDS OPEN STUDIOS MEMBERSHIP for 2007

Plans are well ahead for the 2007 Highlands Open Studios event. A comprehensive year-round catalogue/directory of Highland artists, craft-makers and galleries will be published at Easter 2007 and widely circulated, then in September 2007 there will be a 10-day Open Studios Event.  Artists and galleries should make sure they are included in the biggest visual art event of the north by e-mailing info@highlandsopenstudios.co.uk as soon as possible. Please don't delay!

STATION BANNERS - Mìosan na Bliadhna

If you are in Inverness at any point please take time to pop into the train station. Fèis na h-Òige have been very busy over the winter working on an art project called ‘(The Months of the Year) for Highland 2007. The project has involved Fèis participants working with art tutor Karen Anne Melville to design and produce large banners which depict the months of the year. As a result of all their hard work the banners are now on display in the train station and they will be up all year. We are also producing a Gaelic calendar featuring the designs which will be available in the very near future, either by contacting myself or Fèis na h-Òige. The project has been supported by Highland 2007, Comunn na Gaidhlig, FirstScotrail and Fèisean nan Gàidheal and Acorn Signs, Inverness.

Highland Guild of Weavers, Spinners and Dyers events

"Silk Papermaking, led by Gwyneth Lock 17th February 2007 10.00-15.30 Fabric Stencilling, led by Sally Wild 18th February 10.00-15.30

Tapestry Weaving, led by Joan Baxter 10th-11th March, each day 10.00-15.30.

Workshops to be held in the Beauly Centre, Beauly.

All workshop places MUST be booked in advance. For details

contact HGWSD Treasurer, Deborah Ilett  01862 842208."

Art Exhibition

CALLING ALL CREATIVE WOMEN IN THE SCOTTISH HIGHLANDS

.

WOMAN’S JOURNEY

This event seeks to share the creative expression of a woman’s

journey in life.  Overcoming adversity, trauma, crisis or abuse, emerging as women in their own right.  Celebrating and embracing the paths that lead the way. 

It is a unique exhibition of arts and crafts from female artists and extraordinary women of the Scottish Highlands

You are invited you take part in and/or support this unique event at Beauly Gallery that celebrates women of the Highlands and their creative expressions.

Two women die each week, murdered by partners or former partners. Each year over 100 women will not get the chance to complete their journey in life.

Scottish Women’s Aid provides refuge and support to women and children affected by domestic abuse and are a registered charity. Money raised from this exhibition will be given to Ross-shire Women’s Aid, in the heart of the Highlands.

Female artists and indeed all women of the Scottish Highlands are invited to submit, for exhibition and/or sale, original pieces of artwork, ready to hang (prints will be considered).

There is also the opportunity to exhibit art and craft pieces, including jewellery, ceramics, textiles, cards, written work, glassware and any other from of creative expression.

Each piece should in some way relate to a woman’s journey. This may be in the form of describing part of a journey through life, achievements, past experiences, overcoming trauma, crisis or abuse or simply celebrating womanhood.

Donations of art work and craft pieces from individuals and organisations are also sought for the exhibition and a raffle at the event.

Please contact Liberty Bligh or Cherry Seldon to register as an exhibitor or donate an item for A Woman’s Journey exhibition.

Exhibition Organisers

Liberty Bligh and Cherry Seldon

BEAULY GALLERY  The Kirk

Tel:01463 783508

E-mail info@beaulygallery.co.uk  www.beaulygallery.co.uk

Supported by The Highland Council

Submit a piece to New Writing Scotland 2007
New Writing Scotland is an annual volume publishing poetry and prose from emerging and established writers. Each piece appears in print for the first time and has been drawn from a wide cross-section of Scottish culture and society. Visit The Association for Scottish Literary Studies website for further details.

Have a look at:

http://www.hairyhaggisstudios.com/home.htm

SANDSTONE PRESS

Visit www.sandstonepress.com for the new Sandstone Review.

SANDSTONEPRESS WEB SITE

NEWSFLASH!

Sandstone Press is delighted to announce that three of its recent publications have been nominated for major literary awards.

ON THE ATLANTIC EDGE by Kenneth White has been nominated for the Saltire Society Book of the Year Award. This book can be viewed and purchased at www.sandstonepress.com  It can also be found at all Waterstones stores in Scotland and most Borders, and on Amazon.

THE HIGHWAY MEN by Ken MacLeod has been shortlisted for the British Science Fiction Association Award for Short Fiction.

This comes on the heels of the nomination of Janet Paisley's WICKED! for the Saltire Award, the first such book to be so honoured.

Both of these books can be viewed and purchased at www.sandstonepress.com in most Waterstones and Borders stores, and on Amazon.

Soon the new Sandstone Press web site will be online and will be very worth visiting.  Thank you for your kind attention.

Anam Cara, Inverness

welcome@anamcara.org    www.anamcara.org

GLACHBEG EDUCATION CENTRE

Allanglach Wood, North Kessock, Ross-shire IV1 3XD

Tel/ Fax 01463 811923  Mob 0772 0046107

www.glachbeg.org.uk

SPA PAVILION. Strathpeffer

February 2007

Fri 23   8 pm Bellows & Bows, a new box and fiddle festival, featuring
          Aly Bain & Phil Cunningham
          The Savoy Doucet Cajun Band
          Top Swedish folk duo Bjorn Stabi & Bengan Janson
           Tickets (going fast!) £16 (£12 for under 12s) from
           Pavilion office and thebooth 

FEBRUARY 2007 AT UNIVERSAL HALL, FINDHORN

TICKETS  Unless otherwise specified, advance tickets can be booked at the Phoenix Stores, Findhorn, 01309 690110 and on-line at www.thebooth.co.uk

Wednesday 7th Feb, 7.00pm                 THEATRE

SHAKESPEARE SCHOOLS FESTIVAL

If you want to see quality theatre presented by a youthful cast and at bargain ticket prices – this is for you. The UK’s largest youth drama Festival comes to The Universal Hall in February 2007. Schools from Culloden, Glen Urquart and Aberdeen will stage extracts from three different plays: Macbeth, As you Like It and Romeo and Juliet – each lasting half an hour – allowing the audience to experience a wide range of Shakespeare’s output. "Just knockout. There was a real engagement between the mind and the ability of the children and this long-dead genius and his work, and it was very moving" Tom Stoppard, The Guardian £4/£3

Wed. 21st Feb, 7.30pm         MUSIC/STORYTELLING

PETER VALLANCE AND BETH BAHIA COHEN

An evening of traditional music and stories accompanied by a moving tapestry of images that show both the life of the crofter and fishermen in the nineteenth century in the Shetland Islands and ritual from central Europe and the Middle East. Beth Bahia Cohen is equally at home on the violin, Hardanger fiddle, Greek lyra and the Turkish yayli tanbur. Poems from Rumi,  tales from the Norse tradition plus Jewish and Sufi tales from the East comprise Peter’s stories. The evening will conclude with the opportunity to participate in one or two dances. £6/£5 ?

Friday 23rd Feb, 8pm                         MUSIC

PRESTON REED

Guitarist, Preston Reed, is back for his fourth visit here, and his local popularity grows as more people find out just how good he is. By turns explosive and sweetly lyrical, he riffs with the conviction and guts of a rock band, yet plays with the subtlety of a jazz pianist. No fancy gadgets or gimmicks just six or twelve strings, two hands and a daring that crosses all boundaries.

“Amazing….hypnotic” The Scotsman

“Absolutely unmissable” The Herald

£8/£6

SOME OTHER OPPORTUNITIES

Inverness Riverside Churches Association
is seeking to appoint a

P/T Project Manager
Part-time: February – December 2007
Fee: £6000 plus £500 expenses

To organise all aspects of a new programme of three artists residencies working closely with Inverness Riverside Churches Association. This unique initiative will involved reporting to a Project Steering Group and being responsible for -

• researching artists & overseeing the recruitment process
• liaising with churches & community groups
• all financial management for the project
• planning workshops and events
• effective communication with all interested parties
• marketing and publicity
• overseeing print & documentation
• managing project evaluation.

For a detailed job description, please contact:
The Very Reverend Canon Alexander Gordon
Tel: 01463-233535

To apply, send recent CV and covering letter to the above address or by email to canonalexgordon@btinternet.com  

APPLICATION DEADLINE: Wednesday 7th February
INTERVIEWS morning of Friday 9th February

Unleashed Returns to The Ironworks

Unleashed the night set up to showcase unsigned talent returns on February 18th and 25th and offer unsigned bands to play through a top level soundsystem and play on a stage that has featured such names as The Charlatans, Babyshambles, The Stranglers and Goldie Lookin Chain since the venue opened in August 2006.

Previous Highland unsigned bands to play Unleashed include Shutter, The Rites, The Side and Stolen Order whilst bands such as Our Name is Legion from Perth, 10 Easy Wishes from Aberdeen and Refuse Boy from Edinburgh have also taken apart.

Any band wishing to take part should send a CD to:

Steve Robertson

Ironworks Live Music Venue

122B Academy Street

Inverness

IV1 1LX

Unleashed is backed and supported by HUBL the Highlands Ultimate Band List website (www.hubl.co.uk) set up to support the live music scene in the Highlands and Moray and is also supported by Scotloads www.scotloads.co.uk the Scottish music site dedicated to bringing the very best in Scottish MP3 downloads and Scottish CDs. Scotloads promote Scottish music that is happening right now at gigs up and down the country, Promoting many different genres such as folk, celtic, rock, indie, punk, metal, funk, soul, electronic, blues, jazz.

Consultation process

The Scottish Executive issued two consultation documents on 14 December 2006.

The first relates to the Draft Culture (Scotland) Bill. This includes a draft of the Bill itself, a detailed introduction to the contents of the Bill, explanatory notes, and a set of questions to which the Scottish Executive is inviting responses.

The second offers Draft Guidance on Cultural Planning and Provision of Local Cultural Entitlements. This is directed to Local Authorities, but has clear implications for many other agencies and groups as well. There are no specific consultation questions.

Responses on both documents can be sent to the Scottish Executive by 31 March 2007.

The draft Bill includes a list of ‘bodies sent a copy of the consultation document’. This includes some 50 groups and organisations in the HIE area, including Highlands and Islands Enterprise itself and HI~Arts. This is not an exclusive group—anyone can offer comments.

The Draft Bill
The Bill has four main areas: 

Local Cultural Entitlements and cultural planning 

The establishment of Creative Scotland, as an amalgamation of, and successor to, the Scottish Arts Council and Scottish Screen. 

The National Collections. This relates only to those bodies which are already directly funded by the National Executive. The Bill does not refer directly to the transfer of the National Performing companies from the SAC to the Executive.

Two technical issues relating to ‘tainted’ cultural objects and the ability of Local Authorities to ‘broadcast information’.

The Draft Guidance to Local Authorities

This is a work in progress. In particular, it is intended that the general guidance in the printed document should be supplemented by examples of good practice on the Executive website. HI~Arts will aim to ensure that its partnership with Highlands and Islands Enterprise and with the Scottish Arts Council is included as such an example.

There is a great deal of detail in the Guidance Document which deserves close attention. It has no formal status at this stage, and its future status, the document states, will ‘be a matter for the incoming Administration’ after the May elections. There is therefore scope for amending or adding to the Guidance both before and after those elections.

The Draft Bill and the Draft Guidance document are available at:

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/ArtsCulture/CulturalPolicy

or from the Scottish Executive Education Department, Cultural Policy, Victoria Quay, Edinburgh Eh6 6QQ, or by e-mailing culturebill@scotland.gsi.gov.uk

Consultation responses should also be sent to this address or e-mail address by 31 March 2007.

In the spirit of encouraging debate, HI~Arts invites both formal and informal responses to the Draft Bill and Draft Guidance document, which we will present here. Please send your comments to info@hi-arts.co.uk . HI~Arts will be preparing its own formal responses, and will make this available online once it has been submitted to the Scottish Executive.

BBC Radio Scotland invites scripts.
Watson's Wind-Up is a topical weekly show in need of sketches. The deadline for submissions is noon on Thursdays. The show is recorded on Friday and broadcast on Saturday. Sketches must relate to that week's news and can be anything from 20 seconds to 2 minutes long. Ideally they should have a Scottish slant, but for bigger news stories this isn't essential.
Send submissions to philipdiffer@comedyunit.co.uk
Please include your name on every page of material you submit.

THE SIX CITIES OF SCOTLAND - Aberdeen, Dundee, Inverness, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Stirling - will host the country's first nationwide international design festival in from 17 May to 3 June 2007. The Six Cities Design Festival celebrates all forms of design, from architecture to graphic design, from product design to fashion.

In Inverness we're going for a Home Environment theme.  This is a theme which is directly related to all; We all have a home, we all live in houses which provide to us the most basic human needs of warmth and shelter; providing a 'micro' environment for us but simultaneously shaping the 'macro' environment of the landscape and the city, and absorbing high amounts of energy.

Therefore the Six Cities Design Festival theme has 2 linked strands;

* Macro; The Home and the Environment; The house in context; This strand will explore issues related to contemporary and future housing design, incorporating building materials and technologies, and efficient or renewable energy systems to promote sustainable and environmentally friendly living. 

* Micro; The Home Environment; Living at home; Look at futures in living spaces; Interior design, furniture, home technology systems, recycling etc. 

Lucy Conway is the Coordinator for the Six Cities Design Festival programme in Inverness and is currently putting together a broad programme of ideas which reflect these two strands.

If you are organising or promoting an event which has a design theme related to the Home Environment theme, and would like to be included in the Six Cities Design Festival, please get in contact with Lucy by email to lucy@isleofeigg.net.  

Even if your design event is not related to the Home Environment theme, it may still be possible to include it.  So if you're doing anything design related between 17 May and 3 June, please get in touch. 

Register now at www.six-cities.com/signup.php

to keep up to date with all festival developments

Six Cities Design Festival

Inverness 07810 001 336

lucy@isleofeigg.net   www.six-cities.com

Creativity and Education

Do you work in formal or informal education?  Would you like to develop methods of working which use your creativity in order to nurture this is in others?  Are you interested in active learning processes that have the potential to cut across a range of subject areas and interests?

Starting February 2007 Stirling University Institute of Education is offering a Post Graduate Certificate for professionals working across all aspects education exploring creativity and its practical application in relation to educational practice.  The course which is designed to accommodate the pressures of part time study whilst working addresses the needs of the reflective practitioner who wishes to enhance their professional skills and resources. This course aims to increase the capacity of educators to facilitate learning through the use of active processes.  The structure of the course will allow students to develop the skills relevant to their individual situation. This is a cross-professional learning opportunity that will be especially of interest to those from the fields of teaching, community learning, and arts/gallery education.

These are but a few of the many positive comments made by previous students:

‘Truly creative and participatory’

‘One of the most enjoyable and positive experiences of learning I have ever had’

‘Am just blown away by the creativity of the group and the safety of this learning community’

The course will be delivered in Stirling University during weekends and evenings from February 2007 to February 2008.  The outcome of the first part of the course will be a proposal for an action enquiry that will be enacted in the second half of the course in the workplace of the student.

For information contact

Heather Lynch                                                                Morag Redford

Phone 01786 466262                                                       Phone 01786 466279

heather.lynch@stir.ac.uk                                                 morag.redford@stir.ac.uk

Institute of Education  University of Stirling Pathfoot Building Stirling FK9 4LA Tel: 01786 467600 http://www.ioe.stir.ac.uk/

www.channel4.com/ideasfactoryscotland

Arts Organisations in the Inverness Area

Listing available from Arts Officer, Town House

adrian.clark@highland.gov.uk

01463 724261   Additional Information welcome

thebooth.co.uk online ticketing service, developed by HI-Arts and funded by the Scottish Arts Council Lottery Fund, European Regional Development Fund and Highlands & Islands Enterprise. www.thebooth.co.uk or email us at info@thebooth.co.uk.

Opportunities Scottish Arts Council Writers' Bursaries

15 January 2007

SAC Writers' Bursaries give assistance to enable published writers of literary work and playwrights to devote more time to their writing. Awards range from £3,000 to £15,000.

To apply visit SAC website www.scottisharts.org.uk, downloading an individual's application form.

Opportunities Robert Louis Stevenson Memorial Fellowship 2007

Administered jointly by the Scottish Arts Council and the National Library of Scotland, the fellowship provides accommodation for two months in 2007 in a self-catering studio apartment at the Hotel Chevillion International Arts Centre at Grez-sur-Loing. Set on the edge of the Forest of Fountainbleau in France, Stevenson visited first in 1875 and for three successive summers. Travel and accommodation is paid for and there is a grant of £2,400 to cover living expenses.

Download the leaflet for further information at the SAC Website.

SOME FUNDING

SAC

New Funding Guidelines

http://www.scottisharts.co.uk/1/information/publications/1001573.aspx

Artfull

Funding for Arts and Mental Health

http://www.artfull.org/content/blogcategory/1/101?pagetype=notice

Big Lottery Fund

Awards for All is now able to make grants up to £10,000.

http://www.awardsforall.org.uk/scotland/index.html

Making Music Grants (England and Scotland) Making Music which represents and supports over 2,350 voluntary music groups throughout the UK, including choirs, orchestras, and music promoters administers devolved funding programmes in certain areas across the UK to make project funds, training grants and guarantees against loss available to groups in membership and other voluntary music groups. Devolved funding programmes are currently available in the East Midlands, North East, North West, Scotland, South East and Yorkshire. No two devolved funding programmes are identical and, apart from the obvious geographical criteria, each programme has developed its own criteria for the allocation and distribution of the monies available. The funding programmes are usually run by the relevant Making Music voluntary committee in each area and potential applicants are strongly advised to contact the committees directly for up to date information.  http://www.makingmusic.org.uk/html/133.shtml

Scottish Small Rural Development Awards

http://www.scotland.gov.uk/Topics/Rural/rural-policy/16780/6554

Friends of Highland Music Awards

For young musicians wishing to attend short courses

http://www.friends-of-highland-music.org/outreach.asp

Next deadline end January 2007

Some Useful Websites

www.highland2007.com

www.inbhirnis.org

www.panpromoters.co.uk

www.literatureinlearning.org.uk

http://www.connectorscotland.org

http://www.create-scotland.co.uk

www.channel4.com/ideasfactoryscotland

www.hi-arts.co.uk

www.eden-court.co.uk

http://www.artswork.org.uk

http://scotland.ideasfactory.com/highlands/index.htm

www.vascotland.org.uk – voluntary arts Scotland

www.spl.org.uk/poetry_online/index.html

http://www.highland2007.com/communities.html

www.highlandyouthvoice.org

www.youngscot.org/local/highland

http://www.projectscotland.co.uk/

www.virtualfilmclub.org.uk

http://www.familyrapp.com/  - parenting

New

http://artlinkhighland.org.uk/

www.ironworksvenue.com

www.spanglefish.com/ArtsPlayHighland

http://www.new-dynamics.org

www.highlandlife.net

www.WhereCanWeGo.com

www.highlandartists.co.uk

www.beaulyartsgroup.com