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SUMMER 2014 } the Leader 03 Classy Kids at the Free Kicks and The New 40 - Two Traverse Theatre Changing Lives Presidents Celebrate the SYLA’s birthday 2 3 + Time present and time past Walter McGill, S THat RARE BEAST, A POET WHO A feature in this edition on Sarah Kemp and her Chairperson and Kenny LOVED WORKING WITH NUMBERS brand of training within Scott + Co reminds us too Cameron, Youth DURING HIS TIME at THE baNK, that the future of this company, like all others, rests Work Manager – keeping goal at ATS Eliot IS A favoURITE OF THIS on the constantly developing skills and enthusiasm Spartans FC COLUMN. AND WHO CAN ARGUE WITH of its staff. Sarah is, of course, involved with slightly THOSE SENTIMENTS. OUR FUTURE IS more mature learners than the Traverse or Spartans, FORMING ALL aroUND US AND IT taKES but she brings the same principles of challenge and A particULAR BRAND OF NortHERN engagement to her work. FATALISM to BELIEVE THat WE ARen’T The economic prospects of this country depend PART OF THE procESS OF SHAPING OUR on many factors, but without our brightest and best PERSONAL DESTINY. young professionals we start to look more Celtic In a summer full of raging debate about our national tabby than Celtic tiger. Alex Lamley, Rising Star at destiny, questions about where our future lies have the 2014 Scott + Co Scottish Legal Awards, has David McLaughlin never been more stark or urgent. And while there the glass-ware to prove he’s in the brightest and has often been more foam than facts, the options best category. His story shows how imagination and are being considered very seriously indeed. social skills are as vital as traditional professional So, no better time for the Leader to examine training in making a first class contribution. what the future means and how best we can The 40th Birthday party of the Scottish Young Cover prepare for its inevitable surprises. Lawyers Association was an excuse for reminiscence, FIONA MCALLISTER No better place to start than with young people among other social activities. The SYLA’s story is a & EMMA BOFFEY 10 and it is, after all, on the next generation that we microcosm of the Scottish economy and its twisting Out-going and in-coming OUT ON THE STREETS course through the past four decades. But also a Presidents of the Scottish Young depend for our future prosperity. Scott + Co have Football and youth reminder of how vital the Law is to our economic Lawyers Association look to the work with Spartans FC supported the Traverse Theatre’s Class Act project future of the profession. for two years. In that time professionals from the and civic life. 14 Traverse have brought out the best ideas and energy Which brings us to Les Robertson, and another 03 THE NEW 40 { from pupils from schools across Edinburgh. Taking reminder from the IRRV that the feasibility of the TIME PRESENT AND TIME PAST SYLA hits a significant birthday seasoned writers, actors and directors into schools, future comes down to very practical things – like David McLaughlin – and they all look so young! Class Act has helped to give a voice to dozens of collecting revenues. And to Bill Drummond, who 04 teenagers. It may, or may not, have discovered from his unique position as Managing Partner of 18 dramatists of the future, but that isn’t necessarily one of Scotland’s most successful law firms and TRAVERSING THE BOARDS STARRY NIGHT “Time present Classy first acts at From green room to board room the point. Chairman of the Scottish Council for Development the Traverse Theatre – Rising Star Alexander Lamley and time past What Class Act does is to give young people a and Industry, scans our immediate and longer term direct experience of the power of words – the thrill prospects. In the uncertain world ahead he sees 08 20 Are both much change – but change for the better, provided Take the ‘A’ train of an auditorium full of people silently listening to TOP BOSS we keep our sights firmly on the global. Training and the art Leader meets Bill Drummond – perhaps present an actor speaking your words. Not to mention the of business maintenance Managing Partner of the Year confidence that comes from a full-house applauding I’m confident that this edition of the Leader will in time future something you made. leave you much more optimistic about our future - 22 Developing confidence in our young people is whatever happens. PAYING DUES And time future Les Robertson, IRRV also at the heart of what goes on at the Spartans Have a fantastic summer. Scottish President contained in Club in North Edinburgh. While Scott + Co is a explains corporate debt long-term supporter of the Women’s football team, time past.” we’ve always been impressed by the youth work that David McLaughlin BURNT NortoN, takes place around the first teams. Young people MANAGING PARTNER T.S Eliot who often face difficult circumstances are given a trusted environment, friendship and inspiration by a set-up that goes far beyond all-weather pitches and passing drills. { C{contents} 4 5 “Our idea came OUT Of things we’d LEARNED IN SCHOOL ABOUT THE 1970S AND 1980S THE TIME OF THE NATIONAL FRONT AND SKINHEAD VIOlence against immigrants” ASHLEIGH HIBBERD + Words Words Words HE Arts MEAN DIFFERENT then suddenly there it is – their work live on We couldn’t have begun to turn a white sheet THINGS to DIFFERENT stage presented by professional actors and of paper into a play that a hundred people PEOPLE. YOU MIGHT THRILL directors and in front of a full house. sat and listened to without the help of Nicola TTO A PERFECT TURANdot. Scary or life changing? We spoke to only a McCartney and Roseanna Hall. Nicola is an OR yoU MIGHT THINK, AS GroUCHO handful of the people involved to find out. experienced playwright with productions for MARX may OR may Not HavE SAID children as well as adults and Roseanna is + Ashleigh Hibberd and Georgie IN A NIGHT at THE OPERA, ‘I’VE HAD a young writer who’s part of the Traverse’s Strachan professional playwrights and A PERFEctly WONDERFUL EVENING. Emerging Writers Programme. They gave students at Wester Hailes Community BUT THIS WASn’T IT.’ us the tools to allow us to make a structure High School Edinburgh. Which is the great, lovely, flexible thing around our ideas. They showed us that there ‘We started with an idea. Our idea came about the huge sweep of activities that were different types of conflict and how we out of things we’d learned in school about comes under the heading of the arts. could dramatise them and keep the play the 1970s and 1980s, the time of the moving forward. But you would be brave to argue it has no National Front and skinhead violence against But the big moment was when we heard real function in a civilised society. Indeed the immigrants. It seemed as if some of those live actors speaking lines that we had written definition of an uncivilised society might tensions were still around - not in our - that we’d made up out of our heads! And include one where there were no arts and school but in society generally and we felt it that’s when we suddenly discovered the only propaganda and entertainment. was important to show the human side of words that just didn’t work – that didn’t fit Scott + Co has a long track record in arts immigration - the challenges of coming to the characters and that were just getting in sponsorship. Our approach has been to a new country and integrating – coping with the way. More chopping! reflect the environment that we often positive and negative reactions. Nothing much could prepare us for the work in – more the gritty realism than the We also loved the series This is England feeling of sitting in the dark with the grand opera end of the arts rainbow. We’ve – the characters looked tough but were audience waiting for our work to come supported writing in prisons and we’ve really kind and thoughtful. worked with the Community Company at the onstage. Or of seeing our names in That was the start - we wanted to make Citizen’s Theatre in the heart of the Gorbals. print in the book of the Class Act plays. a point. But then the people took over, We’re not necessarily going to have But we’re also aware that without new artists the characters. It was as if they had a life careers in the theatre – but working there are no arts. Or at least there will just of their own. And so as the play grew it on this has given us real confidence. be lots of old artists hanging around. Not became more of a human story than a way Nothing else could seem as scary - a bad thing perhaps in itself, but not a of making a point. We hoped that we were but with work and help we did what dynamic future for the arts. still making a point of course – but that the we thought was going to be just For the last two years Scott + Co has been audience would also care about the people. about impossible.’ sponsor of Class Act - the Traverse Theatre’s Not that our play grew – it shrunk as we cut well established writing programme for more and more bits out of it. You don’t have secondary school students.

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