> > Dear All, > > Sorry if you have already received this news but its importance necessitates > as many relevant people being infomed as possible. > > In the last two weeks, Glasgow City Council has announced to its staff at > Tramway that, pending the outcome of a capital lottery application to the > Scottish Arts Council, Scottish Ballet will relocate its entire operation > into the Tramway and Tramway 2, the unique large scale exhibition space, > will close in order to provide Scottish Ballet with a rehearsal > studio/workshop space. > > Needless to say there is a high level of concern being expressed not only > from the Visual Arts community but also from performance companies who have > used the exhibition space for large scale performance works. > > We need to gather together as many people nationally and internationally as > we can who will, when the moment comes, write to Glasgow City Council, > Scottish Arts Council, Scottish Ballet and the Scottish and UK press. I > would be grateful if you could identify and/or contact people to let them > know of this development and let the following people know who they are: > > toby webster [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Francis McKee [EMAIL PROTECTED] > and myself [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > I have attached a briefing document and chronology of Tramway exhibitions > since 1990 to give you an idea of what would be lost. > > Many thanks > > Seona Reid > > Tramway 2 Briefing paper > > Proposal > > Glasgow City Council is proposing that Tramway 2, the unique large scale > exhibition space on the ground floor, is given to Scottish Ballet on a > permanent basis as a rehearsal studio. Scottish Ballet will move its entire > operation into Tramway and a capital lottery application is being submitted > to the Scottish Arts Council for an October deadline to support the > conversion of disused Tramway stables into office and other accommodation > for the Company. The current performance activity in Tramway 1 and the > workshop activity in the stables will continue unchanged. Only the visual > arts space is proposed for this fundamental change of purpose. The Tramway > staff were informed of this last week. > > There has been no consultation about this and the proposal is at odds with > Glasgow City Council�s own visual arts strategy published in January 2001 > which was the subject of consultation. That document identifies the future > of Tramway as part of a �citywide contemporary art strategy for emerging, > mid-career and established artists� That document goes on to describe > Tramway in the following terms: > > �The unique scale and architecture of Tramway allows for exhibitions of work > which could not be shown in, or created specifically for, any other venue in > Scotland and the UK� > > Tramway, although suffering recently from a lack of financial commitment > from Glasgow City Council, remains one of the most important visual arts > spaces in the UK and recognised to be so by major artists and curators > across the world. It is the biggest visual arts space outside London and > one of few in the UK where artists can make international careers. To close > it would fundamentally diminish the City as an international centre for the > visual arts and at a time when Glasgow's visual arts community is > acknowledged to be so dynamic and successful. Glasgow is acknowledged to be > one of the most important cities in Europe for the production of art and > Tramway is an essential and irreplaceable element within that visual arts > ecology. > > Scottish Ballet is �Scottish Opera/ Scottish Ballet� � legally one company > with one board. The Chief Executive is Christopher Barron and the Ballet > Director is Ashley Page. Ashley Page has been appointed to regenerate the > ballet company after a period of decline in artistic standards and has > re-shaped the Company over the last year during which time the company has > not performed. It makes its debut performance at Tramway 1 on October 2, > 2003. > Arguments Against What is Proposed > > Summary: > > � Glasgow (and Scotland) has an international reputation of the highest > order for contemporary visual arts. > � Tramway 2 is a key part of the visual arts ecology- does not only exhibit > but also commissions. > � It is the only space in Scotland where both locally based and > international artists can work on a monumental scale. > � It has launched careers of major Scottish based artists now working > internationally and has brought international artists to Scottish audiences > � It attracts international curators to work in Glasgow > � It attracts major press and media coverage which enhances Glasgow�s > reputation as a cultural and creative city. > � Since Tramway's re-launch in June 2000, the venue has presented 13 major > exhibitions presenting the work of over 100 artists of international > standing. These exhibitions have often shown work by artists who have not > exhibited previously in the UK and, in many cases, have presented new work > which was specifically produced for exhibition at Tramway. > � Tramway is unique and irreplaceable. A dance rehearsal space just needs to > be large, warm and with a sprung wooden floor � it could be anywhere. > > > > Highlights of the programme at Tramway between 1990 and 1999 when Tramway > underwent capital development with an SAC Capital Lottery grant: > > Andy Goldsworthy Snowballs in Summer > David Mach Here to Stay > Bruce McLean Vertical Balcony > Temperamenti Contemporary Art from Northern Italy > New North New Art from the North of Britain > Tony Cragg Solo show > Read My Lips New York Aids Polemic > Douglas Gordon 24 Hour Psycho > Alfredo Jaar (un)framed > Christian Boltanski Lost Property > Christine Borland From Life > Julian Opie Imagine you are Walking > Trust International show including Marina Abramovitch and Ulay, Maria > Eichorn, Willy Doherty, Stan Douglas etc > Stephanie Smith > and Edward Stewart Solo Show > Alan Sekula Fish Story > Jason Bowman Untitled (The Diary of Anne Frank) > Yoshiko Kamikura Interior/After Shooting > Marina Abramovitch Performances 1976-1988 > > Highlights of the international programme at Tramway since re- launch in > 2000: > > The group exhibition Mirror's Edge - Tramway was the only UK venue for the > Show and the only venue in Scotland that was able to house a wide range of > work (including large scale sculptural work, installations and projections) > by 27 > leading international artists. The show was curated by Okwui Enwezor: an > international curator responsible for Documenta in 2002 (major art event > in Kassel every 2 years). This exhibition brought new work, some > produced at Tramway specifically for the space, by leading international > artists such as Thomas Hirschhorn, Steve McQueen and Thomas Demand. > > Exhibition with Pierre Huyghe and Philippe Parreno: these > French artists had not shown in the UK outside London until this 2000 > exhibition. A new work was produced. Both artists are amongst the most > critically acclaimed artists of their generation: in 2001, for example, > Huyghe represented France at the Venice Biennale > > Only Scottish showing of 336 Pek - amazing video work by Portuguese artist > Joao Penalva - again, represented Portugal at 2001 Biennale - shows > worldwide. > > The solo exhibition of Swiss artist Pipilotti Rist in 2001 included a > commission for > new work for Tramway 2. This was the artist�s first solo exhibition in the > UK for several years. > > �When I first approached her gallery in Zurich I was told that she receives > on average up to 50 invitations for shows worldwide a week - she agreed to > do this exhibition as she knew of Tramway's reputation and wanted to work in > the space.� Alexia Holt > > Greyscale/CMYK: group show profiling work of artists from the Nordic > countries - 40 artists showing in Tramway 2 within an architecture designed > specifically for the space by international architectural company > > Cave, by the Finnish artist Salla Tykka in 2002/2003. Tramway commissioned > The third and final film in a trilogy of works, the first of which was > internationally praised following exhibition at the Venice Biennale in 2001 > > Tramway's 'international pulling power' extends beyond the artists. It has > been able to attract leading international curators to produce shows for > Tramway - Enwezor, Andrew Renton and Ami Barak - Ami Barak is organising a > major show with 30 international artists for April 2004; he currently works > as the man responsible for contemporary art projects in Paris. He agreed to > do this show as, for him, Tramway is a 'mythical space' . When such > individuals visit Tramway they also make contacts here, see the work > produced by Glasgow artists etc. > > Tramway plays a vital role in terms of international exchange > > Highlights of work by Scottish artists at Tramway 2- launching international > careers: > > The programme has also focused on the presentation of work by emerging, > young Scottish artists which is shown in an international context. By > positioning > such work in an international context, the profile of these artists is > raised, > dialogue with artists from other cultures and backgrounds is facilitated and > the international quality of work by local artists is highlighted. > > Since June 2000,over 50 Scottish artists have shown at Tramway. Many artists > were offered commissions to produce new work. Both the Project Room Gallery > and Tramway 2 are used for these shows. The importance of many of these > commissions to the future careers of the artists cannot be underestimated : > it is widely acknowledged that 24 Hour Psycho consolidated Douglas Gordon's > practice to date and presented his work on an ambitious platform - it was > his first solo show and a launch pad for a future international career. > Christine Borland, Jackie Donachie, Roddy Buchanan all had their first solo > shows here. In this vein, recent Exhibitions in Tramway 2 such as HK, by > Joanne Tatham and Tom O'Sullivan, and a solo Show with Martin Boyce, have > served a similar function. HK led to a solo show at Cubitt Gallery in > London and participation in Zenomap at this year's Venice Biennale; Martin's > exhibition at Tramway is about to be shown at the Lyon Biennale. > > Tramway is currently the only venue in Glasgow that has consistently offered > commissions for the production of new work to artists as a key element of > its artistic policy. > > Partnership with Glasgow School of Art, is also unmatched: it stages the MFA > Degree Show; offers commissions to recent graduates of both BA and MFA > courses; works with the School of Fine Art on the development and > realisation of the GFT Friday Morning lectures; provides studio and > residency space to post-graduate students. > > Tramway is the only venue in Glasgow to offer residencies to artists (over > the summer months): this year, 4 artists - one from new York - were given 3 > months in Stable 3. > > Performing space > > Tramway 2 was conceived as a flexible, public space and is used not only for > visual arts but also for large-scale performances which could not be housed > within Tramway 1. These have included over the years the following > companies: > > Brithgof > Cone Gatherers/Test Department > La Fura dels Baus > Fierce/Motionhouse > Boilerhouse > Stewart Laing > Grace Surman > Positive Profile > Arguments may be presented about the role of T2 not being realised and about > its low attendance figures. The international quality of the visual arts > programme speaks for itself, but the standing which Tramway has in the eyes > of the UK and international press and media is also a major ingredient in > promoting Glasgow as a creative city: > > The visual arts programme has maintained a high level of exposure in key > national, UK national and international press. Salla Tykka's show was given > a double page spread in the Guardian tabloid this year (notoriously > difficult to get the reviewer out of London). Tramway exhibitions are > covered in all the major art periodicals and have received consistently > excellent reviews. In a recent article in the Herald, on the arrival of the > Fruitmarket's new Director, it was noted that although the Fruitmarket was > perceived traditionally by some to be a 'jewel in the crown' of Scotland's > visual arts venues, it was in fact, Tramway and DCA that fulfilled this role > in terms of international work and quality of exhibitions. Given the > significant difference in the levels of funding and staffing between DCA and > Tramway, it is remarkable that this status has been maintained. The current > budget for visual arts programming is only �88,000 and reflects a sad lack > of commitment from the Glasgow City Council to Tramway as a leading edge > performance and visual arts centre. > > Attendance figures at Tramway 2 are not comparable with other large city > centre galleries but Tramway 2 suffers from a lack of investment in > marketing and programme. Nevertheless attendance figures are rising > steadily. Importantly, in 2002/2003 attendance figures to the visual arts > programme exceeded those for the performance programme by 2600 (8,476 and > 11,125 respectively ) which will continue to operate at Tramway. > > Partnerships and Funding: > > The visual arts programme brings a significant level of additional funding > to Tramway and international and national partnerships have been made since > 2000 with organisations such as The Henry Moore Foundation; The Embassy of > Switzerland; Pro Helvetia (Arts Council of Switzerland) The Hope Scott > Trust; Embassy of Israel; Goethe Institute; Danish Contemporary Arts > Foundation; Nordic Institute for Contemporary Arts; Alliance Francaise; AAFA > (French Arts Council); Embassy of Sweden; Italian Cultural Institute and so > on. All of these organisations have directly funded exhibitions at Tramway. > Many of their representatives have visited the city because of this link. > The programme is therefore endorsed by key international bodies and > Glasgow's profile is further strengthened internationally as a city for > contemporary art. > Public space � private space > > The plan is to turn a public space into a private space used for rehearsals. > > T2 was the shed for Glasgow�s trams and still retains that industrial feel. > Specifically, it still has the tramlines which are listed, as is Tramway as > a whole. Ballet rehearsal spaces need to be warm, clean and have space for > dance/jumps- but the volume of T2 is (one assumes) a bit more than is > necessary and would probably need to be divided. The pillars could not be > removed. To accommodate dance, however, the tramlines would have to be > covered up and sprung floor installed. Thus a piece of Glasgow�s heritage is > removed from public access. > > Scottish Ballet has been looking for new accommodation for some time - > starting with a proposal to develop the site at Eddington St (Dundas Vale) > beside the Scottish Opera storage and workshop space some years ago. This > apparently proved to be too expensive an option. Apparently, there is > enough space in the undeveloped areas within Tramway for Scottish Ballet to > have office, technical and studio space (for class). The use of T2 is to > provide them with a rehearsal space for full scale work, a facility they > have not had in the past. > Why Tramway? > > Scottish Ballet may need to move from its dilapidated building in West > Princes St but to squeeze out another (internationally renowned) artform and > replace it with rehearsal space is impossible to justify > > Ashley Page is charged with rescuing Scottish Ballet . He has ambition for > Scottish Ballet which must be applauded but as yet it is completely untried > and tested. The visual arts in Glasgow, on the other hand, are � here and > now - internationally recognised and Tramway is seen by curators, press, > artists and museum directors across the world as a unique and indispensable > showcase. > > There is only one Tramway 2. It is unique amongst contemporary art spaces in > Scotland. In contrast, it must be possible to find office, technical and > rehearsal space for Scottish Ballet elsewhere which does not demand the > closure of T2. > > > > > September 17 2002 > > > > > > ----------------- End Forwarded Message -----------------
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