Referendum shows weren't the highlight.

The Morning Star asked me to review the cultural side of the struggle for 2014. This is what I felt were the key moments of an eventful year. Next year already looks as if it too, is shaping up to be a goody - with a retrospective of Ewan McColl's music, and a celebration of Arthur Johnstone featuring at Celtic Connections 2015.

The 2014 referendum debate inevitably had an impact on this year’s productions. However the domination of pro-Yes sympathies in Scotland’s artistic community didn’t lead to as much important work as anticipated. Successful shows used the debate as a stepping-off point to examine the nature of Scotland, like Rona Munro’s James plays for the National Theatre of Scotland (NToS) at the Edinburgh Festival. 

Front looked at the 1WW from both sides

 

However it is a production in that festival that addressed a different political issue that gets my vote as outstanding. Front, a Flemish production from a German company about the first world war in Flemish, German, French and English was outstanding. Using both Erich Maria Remarque’s All Quiet on the Western Front and Henri Barbusse’s Under Fire as source material, this was a shocking, emotional and political view from both sides of the line. 

For those who said that the referendum was too close to allow that perspective, NToS also produced the Yes, No, Don’t Know Show, a series of short pieces curated by David Greig and the late and much-missed Dave MacLennan, which was vibrant and humorous. 

Celtic Connections was referendum-lite. Rebel Musics saw Dick Gaughan and Dave Swarbrick  explore the connections between reggae and Scottish music, the Roaming Roots Review’s look at West Coast US music sparkled and the powerful Imelda May rocked out.

Fraser Speirs on the moothy. Rab Noakes on Guitar

Glasgow’s MayDay Cabaret delivered a sell-out concert for the second year in the city’s Oran Mor, with stand-out performances from Bruce Morton and Rab Noakes.

Pro-Yes productions dominated the Edinburgh Festival fringe. Much was poor but David Hayman (pictured) in a A Pitiless Storm rose above the herd. Bravely, Phil Differ’s MacBraveheart had a pop at all sides and crackled with language gags, while Mark Thomas’s history of betrayal, Cuckooed, delivered a thoughtful story. 

 

We lost both 7:84/Wildcat/Play, Pie & Pint founder Dave MacLennan and politician Tony Benn this

The late, and much-missed Dave Maclennan

year. With typical Glasgow resolve, both became the subjects of excellent celebratory concerts, with a galaxy of stars marking the passing of two major talents.

Film of the year for me must go to Pride, the story of the LGBT community and their support for the striking miners in 1984-5. Although flawed by the failure to recognise the politics of a main character — Mark Ashton became general secretary of the Young Communist League — it still highlighted the strong links built between different communities under attack. 

Also heartening was the increasing use of cultural events by campaigns. A series of workers’ films is planned by a local GMB branch and  a range of talks and films was staged by Hope Not Hate in Glasgow around the anti-racist St Andrews Day rally. And of course the Morning Star’s own Our Class, Our Culture series continued its success.

Battleship painter; work-in cartoonist; villa caretaker; film set artist - and now author!

This is the text of a press release that I planned to send out yesterday. Unfortunately, due to BT's decision that this process was 'suspicious activity' on my email account, the day was spent being passed from call centre to call centre, rather than productive work! It also means I'm shut out of emailing anything out for 48 hours. I'm putting this on the blog, rather than it going to waste. Thanks BT!

It’s a long way from Yarrow’s shipyard on the Clyde, to Hollywood. It’s even longer from painting battleship hulls to starring at a author event at this weekend’s Aye Write! festival, but both of these have been done by Bob Starrett.

Bob's Book!

Now 74, Bob - who first came to prominence as the official cartoonist to the 1971-2 UCS work-in - is about to launch his first book of stories and essays, as well as some new cartoons, on Sunday at the Glasgow festival.

The book covers much of his working life, both in the shipyards where he features many larger than life characters, and as a set painter in the London and Hollywood film industry where the film workers - for all the fame of their industry - come across as slightly less than their own estimation!

Bob says “The book is about and for all the guys and gals I worked alongside, who kept baying foremen off my back so I could think creatively! It’s a celebration of all that’s good from my working life.”

Bob himself is quick to point out that none of the stars and directors he has worked with, can hold a candle to UCS leaders like Jimmy Reid and Jimmy Airlie. “Reid and Airlie in full flight were superb.” Bob says now. “I could listen to Airlie over and over again, and Reid never let you down in his analysis. I’ve yet to meet a director or producer to stand alongside them.”

After the successful work-in stopped the mass closure of shipbuilding on the Upper Clyde, Bob left the yards in 1979.

Bob worked on this film in 1985

Following a journey, during which he spent two years ‘minding a palace’ in Italy, he went to art school and eventually ended up working as a painter on films - working with stars like Daniel Day Lewis, Gary Oldman and Jim Broadbent. 

Following his involvement providing much of the artwork for the 40^th Anniversary of the UCS Work-in in 2011, he started to show some of the organisers some of his stories. Stephen Wright from FairPley said that everyone who saw them was impressed. “Indeed we thought they were so good, we asked David Hayman to read some as part of the 40^th Anniversary Concert at Celtic Connections.” said Stephen. “And we put another in the concert programme. Talking to others made it clear that we should put these together in a book.”

The book will be launched on Sunday. It has been recommended by writer James Kelman, UCS supporter and politician Tony Benn, and actor Bill Paterson. a foreword has been written by Sir Alex Ferguson - himself a shipyard worker who has gone on to other work! David Hayman will read some extracts and Arthur Johnstone will be singing!

Bob’s Aye Write! event is at 1.30pm on Sunday in Glasgow’s Mitchell Library. Tickets are available from the Mitchell, or from the AyeWrite! website - www.ayewrite.com. 

Keep your culture on your left

After an enforced absence due to a family bereavement, the Captain leaps back into bloggery with news of some imminent cultural milestones, notice of another radical edge to next years Celtic Connections and a little nudge to radical groups and organisations to begin preparations for MayDay next year.

David Hayman marks the legacy of Bill Speirs

David Hayman

Later this week, on Thursday 29 November, the second annual Bill Speirs Foundation lecture is being given by Director and Actor (and good friend of Bill), David Hayman. This lecture is entitled Activate Your Humanity and Change the World. 

It is being hosted in the Deeprose Theatre (Room A005, Govan Mbeki Building) of Glasgow Caledonian University from 5.30pm. It will take the form of a lecture, followed by Q&A with David. There will be light refreshments afterwards, appropriately enough in the Govan Mbeki Garden Cafe! 

Entry is free, but ticketed, and a collection for the foundation will be taken. Tickets from http://billspeirs.eventbrite.com/. Any questions please contact Jaki Speirs on +44 (0)141 273-1610 or email jaki.speirs@gcu.ac.uk. 

This is the second in what is planned to be a series of annual events, marking the social, political, cultural and international legacy of former STUC General Secretary, Scottish Labour executive member, International campaigner, and 7:84 Theatre Company Director, Bill Speirs. It promises to be a great evening!

The Morning Star of Scotland

Another interesting event in the campaign to grow the left in Scotland is the launch of the Scottish edition of the Morning Star on Saturday 1 December at the STUC from 7.30 - 10.30pm. The Morning Star, as many on the left are aware, is the only left-wing daily paper in the UK. It is owned - not by multinational media empires, or even porn kings, but by its readers, like me, through a Co-operative (the People’s Press Printing Co-op). 

In recent years its sales here have been declining greatly, as the paper (along with other small-circulation dailies) has been refused access to a late night flight delivering the papers to Scotland. The lack of same-day availability has proved almost fatal, and led to a spiral of decline both in circulation and in coverage of Scottish issues

However, some of you may have started to notice it appearing on shelves in your local newsagents. Not only that, but these papers were currently dated! This is due to the Star management having taken two bold steps. Firstly, setting up a second printing source in Oldham, to ensure that the paper intended for Scotland and the North of England can access transport to these areas in time to get to us for the relevant day, and secondly appointing both a reporter on the staff with responsibility for Scotland (Rory MacKinnon) And a local journalist - the talented Malcolm Burns - who is keeping his eye on the scene in Scotland.

The Co-op funeralcare brass band

The event on Saturday is a Scottish Edition launch event. The St Andrew’s Weekend celebration is a mixture of speeches and musical celebration being organised jointly with the Scottish Co-operative Party. Again, it is a free event, but there will be a collection for the Star. Speakers are Richard Bagley (Editor of the Morning Star); Mary Lockhart (President of the Scottish Co-operative Party); Richard Leonard, (Political officer of the GMB), and Pat Rafferty, (Scottish Secretary of Unite the union). This part will be chaired by Agnes Tomie, (President of the STUC). 

Musical backing is being provided by the award-winning, Co-operative Funeralcare band, with some soloists also playing with prominent Scottish musician and composer, Eddie McGuire. Young performer, Marc Livingstone and evergreen singer Arthur Johnstone will complete the bill. For further information foster631@btinternet.com.

See you at both of these!!

Match This!

If you can’t get to Glasgow Caley on Thursday, and are in the Hamilton Area, you could do worse than to get yourself down to Hamilton Town House Library for 7.00pm. In a promising new library project, UNISON’s South Lanarkshire Branch and the local Leisure & Culture Trust are hosting an event with author Louise Raw. 

She will be promoting her new book, Strike a Light, telling how the women workers at Bryant and May in London's east end sparked the rise of new unionism and helped to build the modern trade union movement. 

Celtic Connections maintains its political cutting edge

It is good to see that the new programme for Celtic Connections, maintains the welcome radical edge started in last years festival. While a more detailed listing will come later, the return of Tony Benn, with a preview of his biographical film Will and Testament, 

particularly as he is joined by Comedian Mark Thomas to chair a Q&A afterwards, and with Scotland’s folk ‘royalty’ (though they wouldn’t thank you for that description), Sheena Wellington  and Arthur Johnstone, looks like a major highlight.

Sheena Wellington. The folk singers' folk singer

Arthur will also sing in Songs of Struggle. A collective series that emerged out of last year’s UCS Anniversary concerts. More detail later, but again a highlight of the programme. Concerts that also look good, include Red Cydeside, with Dave Swarbrick, and Scots in the Spanish Civil War, curated by Ian Macalman. More later!!

Prepare for MayDay

Finally, the potential for much of this cultural energy to re-emerge around next year’s MayDay celebrations in Scotland, looks hopeful. An early approach to a number of organisations from the Glasgow Friends of MayDay has started them preparing to stage events. 

The GFoMD also plan to build on last years successful MayDay programme, and in particular, are looking for bids from Trades Union Council’s outside Glasgow to see if we can’t develop the successful Concert into a short ‘tour’ around MayDay. Why not check what your TUC or campaigning group has planned, and get in touch with GFoMD via FairPley @ 0141 418 0562 or swright@fairpley.com or chrisbartter@btinternet.com 

Unique Filmshow latest to mark Clyde Work-in Anniversary

Cinema Action film one of the mass meetings

Campaigning against the closure of a service? Looking to highlight what your job means to your local community? Why not come and have a look at how a successful campaign was waged forty years ago?

A unique opportunity is coming up for people in and around Glasgow to see contemporary accounts of the legendary UCS work-in. A radical film collective - Cinema Action - were the only film crew allowed into the yards during the work-in. They produced two unique films of the work-in. One - UCS 1 -is a short account of the  campaign to build the campaign in the community, while in Class Struggle - Film from the Clyde, the whole work-in is filmed from the point of view of the workers.

Both of these films, along with a short film produced by the STUC to mark the 40th Anniversary. are being shown at Glasgow's Mitchell Theatre over three days, from Wednesday March 21 - Friday March 23. An added attraction is the presence at each of the showings of Ann Guedes, one of the film collective who made these films. She is over from Lisbon to take part in panel discussions after every showing. Other panelists will include historian, Dr Chik Collins, STUC president, Mike Kirby and Actor and Director David Hayman.

The programme is as follows: Weds 21, 1.00pm - UCS 1 and STUC film. Tickets £5; Thurs 22, 7.30pm - UCS1 and STUC film. Tickets £6; Fri 23, 7.30pm Class Struggle - Film from the Clyde. Tickets £7.50.
The suggestion is that Wednesday will be aimed primarily at schools and colleges, Thursday at TU and labour movement activists,  and Friday at the public, but no-one will be corralled into any particular showing. Tickets are available from www.glasgowconcerthalls.com, and more details of all the events taking place as part of the 40th Anniversary are on the website at http://ucsat40.blogspot.com.