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News

Sense Scotland receives UNESCO recognition
On the 11 June around three hundred disabled and non disabled participants traveled to Glasgow to take part in 'Good Vibrations', a day of musical workshops, recognising TouchBase, Sense Scotland’s flagship centre as a UNESCO Creative City of Music arts and music venue. The event was jointly launched by The Scottish Minister for culture and external affairs Fiona Hyslop MSP and UNESCO Scotland chair Joanne Orr.

UNESCO’s recent EFA (Education for All) Global Monitoring report estimates around 150 million children in the world with disabilities continue to be excluded from society due to the stigmas attached to disability. Recognition by The UK National Commission for UNESCO through work with UNESCO Scotland supports our vision in society where children and adults with disabilities can enjoy full creative expression as artists, as well as share unique contributions to the artistic and cultural development of our nations.

Sense Scotland is considered to be one of the leading disability arts organisations that utilises the arts with people who have communication support needs because of deafblindness, sensory impairment, learning and physical disabilities. We hope this recognition will allow the work of Sense Scotland, through its local, national and international partnerships, will continue to support UNESCO’s work in promoting the sharing of ideas across boundaries.

With Scotland being the only country in the world that has two UNESCO Creative cities, Sense Scotland will be developing longer term partnerships with UNESCO Scotland and already plans are underway to contribute to a cross cities UNESCO Creative Cities programme. This is an ideal opportunity to raise the profile of not only artists and musicians supported by Sense Scotland but also The Helen Keller International Award, which is open to deafblind artists, disabled and non disabled artists across art forms. Last year 120 artists submitted artworks from 9 different countries from across the world.
Through profile programmes such as Good Vibrations and The Helen Keller International Award, artists with complex disabilities have opportunities to use creative approaches as a tool for communication. As well as providing the wider community an insight to the unique ways that deafblind and disabled people experience the world, participation in the arts helps to challenge the stigmas attached to disability, contributing to the social, learning and cultural development of our nations.

The 9th Helen Keller International Award will be launched at the Listen 2 Me conference in the Czech Republic July 2010.
For more information www.sensescotland.org.uk
The Helen Keller programme encourages artists to submit artworks that challenge perceptions to deafblindness and sensory impairments.

FOURTH GLASGOW AMERICANA FESTIVAL LINE UP CONFIRMED
The fourth Glasgow Americana Festival line-up will feature numerous acts at various venues over five days, starting on the 6th October.
Grammy-nominated Tift Merritt, Eilen Jewel, Gurf Morlix, Girlyman, Kevin Welch and Frazey Ford from The Be Good Tanyas are among those heading to the city for the highly popular festival that has become a firm favourite on Scotland’s music festival map.

Tift Merritt has a growing fan base that admires the intimate story telling in her songs and her June 1 release “See You On The Moon” was included in Paste magazine’s 25 most eagerly anticipated albums of the summer.

Eilen Jewell, who is a rising star in a new generation of roots musicians, made her Scottish debut in Glasgow last October and sparked off glowing reviews. She has a folk base but is equally at home with the blues, rockabilly and even garage rock.

Gurf Morlix, the Americana Music Association’s Instrumentalist of the Year for 2009, is a top-drawer songwriter and solo artiste while the likes of Lucinda Williams, Ray Wylie Hubbard and Mary Gauthier have all benefited from his expertise as producer.

Girlyman, who have never toured in the UK before, clocked up a biggest selling album accolade on CD Baby recently with current release “Everything’s Easy.” The Independent Music Award winners have enlisted JJ Jones, formerly drummer with Po’Girl, who played the festival last year, for their visit.

Frazey Ford, well known as one third of Canadian all-girl band, The Be Good Tanyas is a welcome addition to the line-up. She has a solo album “Obadiah” due for release next month.

Log cabin dweller from Texas, Kevin Welch, whose latest CD "A Patch Of Blue Sky," is highly rated, pipped only by the likes of Steve Earle, Robert Plant/Alison Krauss to top music awards in recent years.

“I am pleased these first-class, well-respected and hugely admired artistes have agreed to come to Glasgow for the 4th Americana Festival,” said promoter, Kevin Morris of The Fallen Angels Club.

“They join a roll call of great names who have graced the Festival since we started like Mary Gauthier, The Wailin’ Jennys, Robbie Fulks, The Handsome Family and many more.

“We are staging the Festival in October for the first time, it is running over five days for the first time, we have more acts than ever before and we’ve attracted a class line-up that will satisfy the tastes of all roots music fans.

“Previous festivals have generated positive responses and I’m sure this will be the same. The Festival will be a musical boost before we head into the dark days of winter.” Hopefully with continued support from the Scottish Arts Council and Glasgow City Council Glasgow Americana will grow year on year.

The Preservationists
Formed in October 2009 from an idea mooted with the late George Penman The Preservationists have concerns about the continuation of the older genres of Jazz music. They recognised that there are only a few bands in Glasgow left who play Dixieland, New Orleans & Traditional music.

The Preservationists have an abundance of musical experience, of playing and of promoting and their senior band (which celebrated its 50th  anniversary in 2009) has been resident on Saturday afternoons at King Tuts Wah Wah Hut for almost two years.

Aims & Objectives

• To maintain, continue and further the playing of Traditional/Dixieland/Smallband Swing music.
• To bring together the city's different generations of musicians.
• To organise and present a weekly/monthly performance.
• To further recognise and present the music to younger audiences..
• To showcase new talent.
• To widen and enrich the cultural experiences available to the community.
• To compliment and develop the concept of Informal Surroundings.
• To break down barriers - musically, stylistically and socially.
• To bring interaction between age groups through music.                                   

To find out more please contact: preservationists@hotmail.co.uk

New programme, new July dates for Glasgow’s acclaimed Merchant City Festival

The countdown is on to Glasgow’s ninth Merchant City Festival, which today launches an exciting new programme of events, including several world and UK premieres of both national and international acts.

Following the recent announcement of its new summer dates (22 – 25 July), the 2010 Merchant City Festival promises to be the biggest and best yet with a programme encompassing theatre, music, food, outdoor performance, visual arts, dance and fashion across a wide range of venues. 

Councillor Gordon Matheson, Chair of Merchant City Festival and Leader of Glasgow City Council, said: “Anyone who has attended or participated in the Merchant City Festival in previous years can vouch for the fact that it’s a fantastic, cultural experience – and, with our new summer dates coming into play, it’s sure to be the most enjoyable one yet. Each year we build and expand upon the year before, ensuring the programming stays fresh, innovative and exciting – and above all else, unique to Glasgow.

Festival highlights include exclusive impromptu musical performances unique to Glasgow as well as MCF playing host to the first festival developed by Glasgow-based arts project group, CONFLUX, which will present SURGE at the Merchant City Festival, incorporating physical theatre, street arts and circus acts.

Councillor Matheson continued: “The Merchant City Festival plays a crucial role in highlighting the Merchant City area as an important ‘hub’ for the artistic and creative industries, and with a programme of outstandingly talented acts ranging from visual arts to music choose from, it’s clear that 2010 will be no exception.”

To download your copy of the new Merchant City Festival programme and for further information, log onto www.merchantcityfestival.com