🪩 Edinburgh Culture Minute: 23 - 29 Oct 2024
🪩 Edinburgh Culture Minute: 23 - 29 Oct 2024
Anger and 'abuse' over Summerhall cash, theatre demolition plan, two film festivals this weekend + CreativeMornings return
Welcome to the 64th edition of the Culture Minute, a weekly round-up of Edinburgh’s local creative news, events, jobs, funding and opportunities. The Culture Minute exists thanks to paying subscribers. If I’ve missed anything please get in touch.
The most-viewed links from last week’s Edinburgh Culture Minute:
📚 Edinburgh’s Radical Book Fair programme. (21-24 Nov)
🎭 The Brunton Theatre is facing demolition after repairs were deemed ‘unaffordable’ due to the discovery of dangerous concrete. The building’s fate is due to be sealed next week when councillors vote. - Avril Campbell, East Lothian Courier.
There’s more detail about the theatre’s Reinforced Autoclaved Aerated Concrete problem in Scottish Construction Now.
Michael Stitt of the Brunton Theatre Trust said: “This perfect storm of events, set amidst the current financial crisis, now means that the charity’s future is uncertain, and we urgently need support from funders and the public to ensure our long-term survival.”
Writing in The Scotsman, Rachel Mackie: “It’s the community hub that I’ll miss the most. A place of high art, of movie nights, of kids dances and clubs, a place for everything and everyone. I know it’s just a building, and it can’t hear, or feel, but if it could, or if the people who worked there read this; thank you for all of the light. I’ll miss it.”
Thom Dibdin, editor of All Edinburgh Theatre, said: “I’ve been reviewing shows at the Brunton since I first started out 30 years ago, and it remains one of my favourite places to visit. It is just a damn fine place to see shows thanks to the steep rake and the intimacy of the auditorium, which make it a very special place indeed. Personal feelings aside, the loss of the theatre will be keenly felt in the theatre world. Particularly as it is an integral part of the small scale Scottish touring circuit which helps sustain theatre across the country.”
🎭 Summerhall updates: The venue’s management are in legal proceedings having been served a winding up order from HMRC over a tax claim. Many events have been moved, canceled or postponed. A frozen bank account means the venue can’t pay out box office income, pay staff or suppliers, nor refund customers, says Robert McDowell, Director of Summerhall Management, in The Scotsman:
“To give some context and transparency, HMRC are pursuing Summerhall Management for over half a million pounds in corporation tax from many years ago, (for 2016, 2017, & 2018) claiming that we have made £1.5m undeclared profits in those 3 years, which our tax advisors and I believe is incorrect. According to our annual accounts since 2012 and verified by our independent accountants, Summerhall Mgmt Ltd. has in fact made a loss annually. The decision has been taken, under advisement, to continue to trade as far as possible within the prescribed restrictions imposed upon us.”
Cowgate venue Sneaky Pete’s contacted the Minute claiming it is ‘owed thousands of pounds’. Summerhall said it would not respond on-the-record to the claims. The Sneaky Pete’s statement said:
“Summerhall must have known about their current financial situation for a long time - freezing bank accounts is hardly a first step for HMRC. Winding up orders don’t come out of the blue, yet they have held our money and continued to sell tickets knowing they would not be able to pay.
“They never communicated with us about payments they are due to us until we had to confront them. In the meantime they sold more tickets to events they knew would not be going ahead.
“Sneaky Pete’s is not a publicly funded venue and we don’t have a rich benefactor. We rely on ticket and bar sales to pay our bills. We have done so successfully in a tough market for a long time. And as you may be aware, we have done an enormous amount of work to improve the conditions for grassroots music venues in Scotland, including Summerhall.
“We need Summerhall or their directors to pay out the funds due to us. We’ve already paid the artists from these shows, unlike Summerhall. It is not their income, never was, and should be paid out immediately so we can continue our work as the home of new and exciting music in Edinburgh.”
Meanwhile the Minute has learned that multiple Summerhall staff and freelancers have reported personal abuse over cancelled events and unpaid refunds. In response to this, the venue told the Minute:
“Summerhall Management Ltd. condemns any abuse directed at past and present members of Summerhall staff and freelancers over changes to the events programme, and are offering their full support to anyone affected. Present event changes and cancellations at Summerhall are due to financial restrictions currently imposed upon us while we defend the petition presented against us. These changes have nothing to do with the team, all of whom are doing their best in very difficult circumstances. We would encourage anyone affected to reach out to Summerhall Management Ltd for support.”
🎬 The Edinburgh Short Film Festival is going ahead as planned at Summerhall. Its opening night is on Friday and events run until 10 November. - The programme is here.
🎞️ Indie short and feature documentary films by international filmmakers will be screened at the Cameo this weekend at the Close:Up Edinburgh Docufest.
🍿 The Cineskinny Film Club returns next month.
📌 Tomorrow: “All new, returning and prospective volunteers for the Hidden Door Venue Launch Party this November are invited to our Volunteer Get Together, at Leith Arches - 24th October 18:00-20:00. Come along to meet the Hidden Door team and other volunteers, and find out what volunteering at the Paper Factory will involve. Let us know you’re coming by signing up on our eventbrite, or just head along on the night.” - Thank you to Rohanie Campbell-Thakoordin, Volunteer Manager, Hidden Door, for sharing this.
⮑ Find out more about volunteering with Hidden Door here.
🎹 Tickets go on sale on Friday for Ludovico Einaudi at Edinburgh Castle in July.
🧵 Opening on Friday at Dovecot Studios: Stitched: Scotland's Embroidered Art, with 80 pieces spanning 1720 to 1920. - There’s a preview in this Instagram video.
📚 There’s a ‘HalloZINE’ fair on Saturday at the National Library of Scotland on George IV Bridge. - Details from Coin-Operated Press.
✍️ Tuesday 29 October at Custom Lane: Join ‘In the palm of a spider’s hand’ author Gerald King, in conversation with Editor and Publisher Rachel Arthur, to launch his ‘vital’ new poetry collection. - More details via boom saloon.
📸 Opening for free on Saturday: Celebrating 40 Years of Scotland's Photography Collection at the National Portrait Gallery.
🎭 What’s on Edinburgh’s stages this week?
Once again here’s All Edinburgh Theatre’s Thom Dibdin:
It's a pretty full card of theatre this week, topped out by the PFT production of A Streetcar Named Desire opening at the Lyceum for a fortnight run (Fri - 9 Nov: tickets) and the arrival of Michael Maloney as Hurcule Poirot in Christie's supreme thriller: Murder on the Orient Express at the Festival Theatre for one week only (Tue-Sat: tickets).
Those who like their theatre less mainstream have plenty on offer too. The EUTC has Mat Crowley's The Boys in the Band (Wed - Sat: tickets) at Bedlam, Manchán Magan has yet another cooking-while-we-watch piece, Aran & Im, at the Traverse (Fri/Sat: tickets) and, if Summerhall remains open to Saturday, Creepy Boys will be playing there (Sat: tickets).
The lunchtime theatre slot at the Traverse is super-topical with Detained (Tue-Sat: tickets) and the Lyra Young Company drop into the Studio with a dance theatre piece, That Feeling When (Fri/Sat: tickets).
If you want some musical theatre then the Nardone Academy of Performing Arts is at the Church Hill Theatre with Annie(Fri/Sat: tickets), while at the Playhouse, The Book of Mormon, continues its three week residency (ends Sat 2 Nov: tickets).
For shows coming up, check: On Stage Next Week; and for more details of this weeks' shows go to Æ's Preview and listings: Mon 21 – Sun 27 Oct 2024.
📌 Edinburgh Culture Minute Community Noticeboard
📌 “CreativeMornings Edinburgh is back! After a hiatus, the Edinburgh chapter of the largest face-to-face creative community in the world is returning to our city, and they have spaces to join the team. If you're passionate about creativity, community and connection, get in touch.” - Thanks to Sophie Jones, Host, CreativeMornings Edinburgh, for sharing this.
📌 “My podcast - A History Of Scottish Drama In Six Plays - is being launched at the Traverse Theatre on Monday evening - and tickets are free! Over six episodes, and one bonus episode, it charts the evolution of Scottish drama from the 16th century to the present day. The launch will feature a panel discussion with Traverse Theatre artistic director Gareth Nicholls, playwrights Nicola McCartney and Isla Cowan, and critic Mark Fisher.” - Thanks to Fergus Morgan for sharing this.
📌 “The Chicken Coop Writing Group is at Lost in Leith next Tuesday, October 29 from 6-8 pm with host and local writer Naomi Head. This month the Coop is exploring all things horror and spook, writers of all genres and levels are welcome in the curious and hilarious community. Naomi will be guiding you through prompts exploring the power of micro-stories and horror-focused free-writing.” - Thanks to event organiser Naomi Head for sharing this.
📌 Argonaut Books on Leith Walk hosts a character illustration workshop tomorrow:
🤝 This week’s networking, jobs and funding opportunities, including roles in film, photography, festivals, art, books, venues and design:
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