ELLC/S3/08/4/A EDUCATION, LIFELONG LEARNING AND CULTURE COMMITTEE AGENDA 4th Meeting, 2008 (Session 3) Wednesday 20 February 2008 The Committee will meet at 10.00 am in Committee Room 5. 1. Arts and culture: The Committee will take evidence from— Cindy Sughrue, Executive Producer, Scottish Ballet; Vicky Featherstone, Artistic Director, National Theatre of Scotland; Simon Woods, Chief Executive, Royal Scottish National Orchestra; Alex Reedijk, General Director, Scottish Opera; and Roy McEwan, Managing Director, Scottish Chamber Orchestra; and then from— Amanda Barry, Marketing and Public Relations Manager, Edinburgh International Book Festival; Seona Reid, Director, Glasgow School of Art; Robert Livingston, Director, HI~Arts; and Fiona Rogan, Committee Member, Voluntary Arts Scotland. 2. Petition: The Committee will consider its approach to the following newly referred petition— PE1022 by Dr Murray Hill calling on the Scottish Parliament to debate the urgent need to make a step-change in strategy and vigorously promote foreign language learning and intercultural awareness in Scotland’s schools, colleges and universities. Eugene Windsor Clerk to the Education, Lifelong Learning and Culture Committee Room T3.40 Tel: 0131 348 5204 Email: [email protected] ELLC/S3/08/4/A The following papers are attached for this meeting: Agenda item 1 Cover note by the clerk ELLC/S3/08/4/1 Agenda item 2 Cover note by the clerk ELLC/S3/08/4/2 Agenda item 1 ELLC/S3/08/4/1 20 February 2008 EDUCATION, LIFELONG LEARNING AND CULTURE COMMITTEE Arts and culture Background 1. At its away day in summer 2007 the Committee agreed to hold a number of information gathering evidence sessions to inform the cultural part of its remit. The first of those sessions, on the topic of Scotland’s built heritage, was held on 16 January 2008. The next of these sessions, on the broad subject of arts and culture, will be held on 20 February 2008. A further session, on the subject of the creative industries, will be held at a subsequent Committee meeting. 2. It is thought that these sessions will help inform any possible Committee consideration of the proposed Scottish Government legislation on the formation and establishment of Creative Scotland, a new cultural development agency. The sessions will also help to inform the Committee’s consideration of cultural issues with regard to its future work programme. Arts and culture evidence session 3. The purpose of the ‘arts and culture’ evidence session is to hear initial thoughts from some of the current organisations working in the sector and to develop a better understanding of important issues. 4. The first panel of witnesses in the ‘arts and culture’ session are representatives from the five national performing companies: • Scottish Ballet • National Theatre of Scotland • Royal Scottish National Orchestra • Scottish Opera • Scottish Chamber Orchestra 5. The five national performing companies were granted official status in April 2007 when the then Scottish Executive took over the sponsorship role in relation to the companies from the Scottish Arts Council. The national performing companies are therefore now directly funded by the Scottish Government. 6. The second panel of witnesses gathers a range of representatives from other organisations across Scotland, representing arts and culture outwith those represented by the national performing companies. They are: • Edinburgh International Book Festival • Glasgow School of Art • HI~Arts • Voluntary Arts Scotland 1 ELLC/S3/08/4/1 7. The Edinburgh Book Festival and Glasgow School of Art represent the areas of literature and fine art, design and architecture respectively. HI~Arts is an organisation which promotes and develops art in the highlands and islands and the Voluntary Arts Network Scotland provide a perspective from the voluntary sector. 8. Briefing papers from all the above witnesses can be found at Annexe A. Nick Hawthorne Senior Assistant Clerk Education, Lifelong Learning and Culture Committee 2 ELLC/S3/08/4/1 Annexe A Paper by Scottish Ballet Introduction Scottish Ballet produces world-class dance and learning opportunities designed to engage and excite diverse audiences. By presenting new and modern work, and unique interpretations of the classics that make them relevant to audiences today, the company strives to provide a focus and inspiration for dance in Scotland. Scottish Ballet is Scotland’s national dance company. Originally formed by the distinguished choreographer Peter Darrell in 1957 as Western Theatre Ballet, the company transferred to Scotland in 1969 and was renamed Scottish Ballet. Scottish Ballet has established an award-winning formula that is drawing tremendous acclaim from critics, peers and audiences alike, as well as invitations to perform across the world. The Company presents a wide range of high-quality dance to audiences across Scotland, the UK and abroad, with strong classical technique at the root of all of its work. This includes new versions of classic pieces (e.g. The Nutcracker, Cinderella and The Sleeping Beauty), as well as seminal modern pieces from 20th century choreographers, signature pieces by living choreographers, and new commissions. Scottish Ballet regularly tours to the large-scale venues in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Inverness, and undertakes small-scale touring across Scotland at least every two years. The company has established a relationship with Edinburgh International Festival, and large-scale work is also toured annually to other cities within the UK. There is demand from international promoters, particularly in Europe and North America, and plans are progressing to tour to China in 2009. Scottish Ballet employs 80 people (75 full-time equivalents), including 36 full-time dancers. We use a freelance orchestra. Education work We partner our performance work with a comprehensive programme of education and outreach activities for people of all ages and abilities. This includes work in schools, community settings, and in the workplace and other lifelong learning contexts. We provide a wide range of participatory classes and workshops, as well as Continuing Professional Development for teachers, public lectures, demonstrations, and behind the scenes events. Scottish Ballet runs a career-track training scheme for young people, called the Associates Programme, in order to identify and nurture talent. We are also currently working in partnership with the Royal Scottish Academy of Music & Drama (RSAMD) to pursue the possibility of establishing a higher-level vocational training course, thereby filling the critical gap in professional ballet training in Scotland. 3 ELLC/S3/08/4/1 Current activity Scottish Ballet began 2008 by scooping the Award for Outstanding Classical Repertoire at the Critics’ Circle National Dance Awards (the “Oscars” of the UK dance world). The Company is currently on tour with its new production of The Sleeping Beauty, which will have been presented 47 times, to nearly 50,000 people by the end of the 8-week tour. During 2008/09, Scottish Ballet will present nearly 100 performances of four programmes of work to audiences across the UK: • World premiere and four-week tour of a new large-scale production of Romeo & Juliet during May/June; • Small-scale tour during June/July to venues the length and breadth of Scotland, from the south-west to the north east, from the Borders to the Highlands, and including the Western Isles, Orkney and Shetland; • Triple bill programme, featuring the world premiere of Pennies from Heaven, touring large-scale venues for four weeks in September/October; • A revival of The Sleeping Beauty touring to large-scale venues across Scotland and the UK. New Headquarters Scottish Ballet is currently building its new headquarters at the Tramway arts centre in Glasgow. It is a new-build extension to this converted Victorian tram depot and is designed by award-winning Malcolm Fraser Architects, known for their sympathetic merging of historic buildings with new design (e.g. Dance Base, the Scottish Poetry Library, and the Scottish Storytelling Centre at John Knox House, all in Edinburgh). The £11 million project is being delivered in partnership with Glasgow City Council and with support from the Scottish Government, the Scottish Arts Council and Scottish Enterprise Glasgow. The project has also won substantial support from a wide range of private trusts, foundations and benefactors. 95% of the funding has been secured and a public appeal is underway to raise the rest by the end of 2008. The company will relocate in the spring of 2009, its 40th anniversary year. Cindy Sughrue Executive Producer February 2008 4 ELLC/S3/08/4/1 Paper by the National Theatre of Scotland Introduction The National Theatre of Scotland welcomes the opportunity of presenting information to the Evidence Session of the Scottish Parliament’s Education, Lifelong Learning and Culture Committee. This brief paper sets out a short background to the history of the Company, its vision and outline objectives and examples of its successes. History The Cultural sector in Scotland had long been discussing the need for a National Theatre of Scotland. As the result of a set of proposals presented by the Federation of Scottish Theatre in July 2000, the Scottish Parliament’s Minister for Environment, Sport and Culture identified resources that would be made available to support the establishment of the National Theatre of Scotland. A Working Group was set up to deliver a feasibility study which looked at the model of the organisation, its likely development over three years and the role of the organisation The Group consulted widely with theatre organisations and individual artists and with a wide range of national and local bodies. This report was delivered to the Scottish Executive in May 2001. In July of that year the Scottish Arts Council agreed to support a commissioning model for a National Theatre of Scotland. In May 2002 a Steering Group convened to advise on plans and timescale for the launch of the National Theatre of Scotland.