SAMIZDAT

Newsletter Winter 2006

Welcome to another Samizdat. It's a new year but culture is still king (in a beneficent figurehead kind of a way) at Out of the Blue (OOTB).

Sadly, December marked the closure of OOTB's New Street studios after more than a decade of cutting edge creativity. Birthplace of the Bongo, launchpad for many artistic careers (see below), home to hundreds of artists and scene of thousands of memorable exhibitions and performances over the years; New Street was a significant catalyst for culture in Scotland and will be sorely missed.

The old bus depot that housed the studios is finally to be pulled down to make way for the proposed Caltongate development. However, OOTB's campaign to highlight the dearth of production space for artists in Edinburgh and policy of positive engagement with the local community, the council and developers has paid dividends. Samizdat can reveal that OOTB has just been appointed as a consultant to Caltongate to advise on providing cultural content to the development. OOTB aims to use its influence to create a working cultural quarter around the New Street area.

The news comes as Phase 2 of the refurbishment of The Out of the Blue Drill Hall gets underway. Work is set to continue until the summer with a grand opening sometime in July. With a café, more studios and exhibition, rehearsal and performance spaces, it promises to give Edinburgh's art scene a timely fillip.

Clearly, these new developments are a step in the right direction. However, they threaten to obscure a mounting crisis for Edinburgh's arts scene. Tangible benefits from OOTB's work on the Caltongate project are still years away. Even with the additional studios created by Phase 2, the demand for spaces at The OOTB Drill Hall still far outstrips supply. Other studio providers across the city are facing similar problems. With many displaced New Street tenants still without studios, artists are relocating to other cities in search of affordable space. If Scotland's capital is to sustain a year round calendar of vibrant cultural events, then emerging artistic talent should be nurtured not forced out.

Urgent action is required. Phase 2 and eventually Phase 3 of The OOTB Drill Hall refurbishment will go some way to meeting this shortfall. OOTB is also actively seeking other properties to convert as studios. But Out of the Blue can not rely on public funding to continue its vital work. Your generosity can make the difference. Please pass the word to friends and family and Click-A-Brick at www.outoftheblue.org.uk. And if anyone knows of a suitable building for lease then please contact OOTB coordinator Rob Hoon on 0131 555-7101 or email at rob@outoftheblue.org.uk.

Congratulations to former OOTB-based artists David Martin, Chad McCail and Jim Sutherland. Portrait painter David Martin has scooped the 2006 Alastair Salveson Art Scholarship worth £10,000. He plans to use the money to fund a four month research trip to the Middle East. Fellow New Street alumnus Chad McCail was invited to the Tate Britain to discuss invented worlds in art as part of a talk entitled Fantasy. Composer, musician and producer Jim Sutherland has just been shortlisted for the £30,000 Creative Scotland award for his vision of a 120-piece touring street orchestra.

It's well deserved recognition for the artists and OOTB is proud to have played a part. "As you can imagine I'm on cloud 9 - I canny wait to get out there and get into those unknown places... OOTB has been a really important part of my survival as an artist in the 'burgh, and an important part of my development too, - very cool!" Martin tells Samizdat.

The Park Life community arts project to regenerate Dalmeny Street Park continues apace. A public meeting held in January at The OOTB Drill Hall was attended by some 30 people. Presentations from Mitchell Manson, of the nearby Friends of Hopetoun Gardens scheme and volunteers Annie Woodman and Lise Bratton sparked plenty of lively debate about the future shape of the park. Now a series of events to show the potential of the park as a venue for arts, gardening and sport activities is planned for the coming months.

OOTB's trading arm The Bongo Club is definitely the place to be with big names such as Massive Attack lynchpin Daddy G, Mark Rae of Rae & Christian fame and Aberfeldy all lined up to play in February. And if you are out and about on Valentine's Day then Swing Out Scotland is hosting a glittering night of shipboard romance and thirties-style glamour at The Bongo with entertainment from The Loveboat Big Band featuring Tony King, Heather Macleod, Mr McFalls Chamber and Orkestra del Sol plus DJ Lenny Love. Dress code is fancy. Ten pound advance tickets with complimentary swing dance class and cocktail are available from Ripping Records, Ticket Scotland and The Bongo Club. Check www.thebongoclub.co.uk for full listings.

Looking further ahead, OOTB has been asked to coordinate the community element of the Cow Parade in Edinburgh during May and July. It's the world's biggest touring public art project and has made a big impact on many cities across the world. OOTB is working with sponsors, community groups and artists to paint cows for display around Edinburgh. Check out www.cowparade.com for more details.

Finally, OOTB is currently planning for this year's Festival at The OOTB Drill Hall. Last year's International Festival run of Jordi Milan's Nuts Coconuts was a big draw and OOTB is keen to build on that success. Interested theatre companies, groups and artists should email Dana Macleod at dana@outoftheblue.org.uk.

That's all from Samizdat until the Spring. In the meantime, keep an eye on the OOTB website for the latest news. If you wish to unsubscribe please email Hugo Fluendy at hugo@outoftheblue.org.uk