Robert Livingston, HI-Arts Director

Our behind-the-scenes look into the lives of arts people in the Highlands and Islands continues as ROBERT LIVINGSTON, Director of arts development agency, HI~Arts, records his hectic May 2003.

May 2

To Huntly (outside my usual territory) to chair a seminar for Deveron Arts linked to their ‘Empty Shop’ public art project.  Amazed to find over 60 people turning out for two hours on a Friday evening for a very lively, positive and well-informed debate on the role of the arts in relation to community development, tourism, etc.  Being presented with a side of smoked Greenland halibut by the Danish artist Eva Merz was an unexpected bonus!
 

May 6

To Edinburgh, to talk to our sponsors, Scottish Gas, about possible additional support for our proposed ‘second generation’ mobile cinema, and then to an evening planning meeting about Live Music Now! Scotland—I’m a member of the Scottish advisory panel.  Food and drink are clearly conducive to producing good ideas, and so many interesting proposals are brought forward that we all agree that it’s essential that Carol Main, the excellent LMN Scotland Director, needs to become fulltime to implement them all!
 

May 8

Meeting up in Forres with Nick Fearne, Moray’s Arts Development Officer, and his enthusiastic team.  It’s remarkable how completely the situation for the arts in Moray has been turned around in so short a time.  Lots of scope for collaborative work with HI~Arts.  In the evening, to Eden Court Theatre to see ABC Dance Company’s version of Hamlet, which turns out to be a truly unique occasion—the dancer playing Hamlet fell ill that morning, and no less than three other members of the cast dance different sections of the role in his place! A mesmerising evening.
 

May 12

Our little meeting room is full to the limits for the Steering Group for the ArtsPlay project, which is now past the half-way mark of its two year progress.  It’s been a constant delight to work with the many umbrella groups who support the child care sector:  their enthusiasm for, and commitment to involving the arts in their work has been an inspiration for all of us.
 

May 15

Another full house in our meeting room—thank goodness we put in a smaller table!—this time to ‘brainstorm’ on the draft of the report which we’ve commissioned into possible developments for writers in the Highlands and Islands. Combining an Edinburgh based company—Jenny Brown Associates—with a locally based writer—Moira Forsyth—has clearly paid off in getting the widest possible response from writers—over 140 questionnaires returned!
 

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