The Year of Young People 2018

SCOTTISH YOUTH THEATRE

There will be programs and festivals to celebrate young people's voices this year.

I attend Celtic Connections festival every January in Glasgow and enjoy the diverse mix of cultures and music. One of the most interesting aspects is the platform the festival offers young emerging talent –

*The young musicians who drew attentions this year –  Talisk, Siobhan Miller, Siobhan Wilson, Friel Sisters,  Rura, Alasdair Roberts, Kathryn Joseph, Misha Macpherson. Elephant sessions, Saltfishforty.I have also been reading of the backward looking Brexit nonsense – young people did not vote for these poorer futures – 16 and17 years olds were not allowed to vote in the 2016 referendum.

It’s a tough world for young people these days. Many have no prospects of ever owning their own home or ever having a pension. I worry many are distracted by online game playing too! MEANWHILE many pensioners spend their massive drop downs on holidays and renovating homes. The UK depends on this false London housing bubble that will surely burst.

With Brexit there are very serious issues over the Northern Ireland border and Scottish rights. I read of a British/Irish Convention which sat 10 years ago, which addressed questions such as the Irish language. There is talk of holding another convention over the question of a hard border. Westminster purposes an electronic border but is this really workable?

My first thought was - bring in the teenagers, students, twenty year olds to discuss what kind of future they want. There is far too much emphasis on what the old want, and it is not their futures.

This could most certainly is not be about out dated empire building or 300 year old European religious wars. Many young people are very angry and their futures are being neglected by selfish baby boomers and their large drop downs.   

Our links to Europe – There are the great European literary traditions from Greece to Rome, to the Renaissance through the Reformations. 

The latest Brexit is that May wants to leave the EU customs union and single market – in order to join a new EU customs non -frictionless trade arrangement where the UK can make their own rules on certain things and abide by the EU rules on others? First we’re in Europe with Opt Outs now out of Europe with Opt Ins! What’s really going on. Scotland never voted for this foolish Brexit, it makes me angry and sad. 

 SAVE SCOTTISH YOUTH THEATRE - http://scottishyouththeatre.org/support-us/

Apparently the significant Scottish Youth theatre is to loose its funding., in the Year of Young People. 

‘We need to remind ourselves that,  as Europe is a whole (and still, in it progressive mutilation an disfigurement, the organism out of which any world harmony must develop) so European literature is a whole, the several members of which cannot flourish, if the same blood-stream does not circulate throughout the whole body.

The blood-stream of European literature is Latin and Greek – not as the systems of circulation, but a one, for it is through Rome that our parentage in Greece must be traced.’   TS Eliot lecture to Virgil society 1944

  

Irelands Road to Freedom

Act of Union between Ireland and England 1801.

Easter Rising 1916, Irish Free State.

Thirty Years of Troubles Northern Ireland with a great deal of violence  - 1960s – 1990s.

Northern Irish Peace Agreement - (1998) - The Good Friday Agreement Belfast April 1998. (Comhaontú Aoine an Chéasta) –  Northern Ireland system of devolved government is based on the agreement - created a number of institutions between Northern Ireland and Ireland - and between the Ireland and the UK.  
It was clear to me, having Irish parents, that during the Brexit debates that no attention was paid to the Irish dilemma over the EU customs and trading union. Just like Scotland, Ireland was a mere after thought. No one in Ireland wants a return to a hard border – there are always nutters on either side just looking for an excuse. Why should Ireland give up its peace and prosperity? Ireland is crucially split on ancient religious grounds

Scotland too has opposite needs to England – our farming is mostly hill rather than arable; our fishing rather than cars is a major concern; we want to welcome young immigrant workers to grow our economy and support an older population; Scotland wants to pursue progressive socialist policies to work for a more socially inclusive nation – where England wants to be a low regulated, low wage economy like a new Singapore. (which is unacceptable for the EU).

AND on a personal note. My parents were from Co Down and Belfast and I visited there every summer from Scotland. I understand the deep divisions and problems there (unlike many London politicians). These divisions will not be easily healed. And I feel extremely angry at the thought that some feel a hard border is an answer there – just because of this crazy Brexit. Brexit is about looking backward.  While my husband's father came form Kilkenny in southern Ireland.

A hundred years ago Ireland embraced its rich heritage and culture – and developed its own identity again. Many had to die so Ireland could achieve self government. I hope Scotland can achieve this dream too – peacefully and through informed debate for a healthier partnership with its larger partner England. Scotland is often an after thought. 

England has pursued a policy of over-centralised government for more than a century, particularly during the wars and then complains of too many immigrants! By contrast European parliament encourages healthy regionalization and encouraging regional language. Why is wanting more local government against the national interest? In fact the UK is the most lop-sided geographically unbalanced major country in the world!

The great poet WB Yeats, was persuaded to write on the old Irish  songs, heritage and ballads, at the same time he lived in London and was before this part of the Anglo-Irish group who dominated Irish politics.

After the hangings of the Irish rebels in the Easter rising Yeats wrote -

his poem 'Easter 1916' 

I write it out in a verse -

MacDonagh and MacBride

And Connolly and Pearse

Now and in time to be,

Wherever green is worn,

Are changed, changed utterly: (YB Yeats)

The Northern Ireland peace process is often considered to cover the events leading up to the 1994 Provisional Irish Republican Army ( IRA) ceasefire and the end of the violence Troubles, and the Good Friday Agreement 1998.

Issues relating to Sovereignty, civil and cultural rights, decommissioning of weapons, justice and policing. The agreement was approved by voters across the island of Ireland in two referendums held on 22 May 1998. The British-Irish Agreement came into force on 2 December 1999.  The DUP (Democratic Unionist Party) was the only major political group in Northern Ireland to oppose the Good Friday Agreement.

Ultimately between Scotland and England - a good partnership for trade, security, environment. and defence.. rather than control from Westminster

The European countries are committed firstly to Peace and Prosperity – any other consideration is secondary. Ireland exemplifies and tells us the real UK conflict. Also that harmful over centralization in the south east.

Why should Peace and Prosperity be sacrificed by Scotland, the EU or Ireland just to suit some backward looking Tory politicians we have not voted for?

Brexit threat to Scottish Musicians

The weak pound is having a negative effect on major Scottish arts and music festivals, such as Celtic Connections and Edinburgh International festival. Musicians, particularly folk, jazz, and classical depend on collaborating and touring across Europe. Fashion and the arts and design also thrive on these European collaborations. Scottish musicians are campaigning for exemptions for musicians for ease of travel across Europe.

The Scottish duo The Proclaimers are warning that Brexit could be catastrophic to Scotland’s major festivals and also for touring musicians. http://www.heraldscotland.com/Fringe_no_more

Brexiteers claim Britain will now instead look ‘Globally’ to china, Australia, US – while maintaining links to Europe. I’ve no idea what they mean. Scotland’s links to Europe run much deeper, plus Europe is a closer trading partner than these far flung trading partners.

RATHER than "Bathgate no more" and "Linwood no more" we could soon be singing "Fringe no more" and "Celtic Connections no more".  The Proclaimers - famed for their anthem 'Letter from America' - are among a host of Scottish music stars who are warning that Brexit risks devastating Scottish culture. A new campaign by the Musicians' Union is warning that Brexit that will usher an era "disastrous" decline for Scotland's flagship cultural festivals.

Iconic events such as Glasgow's Celtic connections and the Edinburgh International Festival face being devastated by restrictions on European musicians visiting the UK after Brexit, campaigners say. There are also concerns that the careers of Scottish musicians will be damaged by the limits put on them in terms of working across continental Europe.

Fiona Hyslop, SNP Culture secretary at The Lorient Interceltic Festival 2017 in France spoke of how freedom of movement within the EU is fundamental to Scotland’s culture. Scotland was the ‘country of honour’ with a sold-out programme, to highlight the important contributions from the EU in developing the Scottish cultural sector) “European cultural collaboration is central to Scotland’s open international cultural outlook and EU membership is a very important modern dimensi‎on to this.

Lisardo Lombardia, Director of Festival Interceltique de Lorient:  "When the festival was born in 1971, Europe was only a project in construction. This festival has made a choice: to build bridges and not walls. The festival has always welcomed Scotland and it has been one of the festival’s most faithful supporters. The free circulation of culture and ideas, particularly for artists and works of art, has helped Scotland develop its strong reputation in arts, music and creativity and become a major country for European culture.  We want that to continue in the future.

“Despite the anxiety caused by Brexit, we will continue to support the free circulation of cultures and ideas, in particular for artists and works of art. This is what has helped Scotland develop such a strong reputation in arts, music and creativity. It has helped Scotland to become a major country for European culture." 

(PS  Why will Europe give Britain as good a trading deal as members of the EU? Its ridiculous. Yet Brexiteers want their cake and eat it too. They believe the EU will offer free trade with no strings attached and not agreeing to EU regulations!?  Scotland is run by incompetents.

They have truly messed up running Scotland’s oil and gas industry too – not simply mismanaged but screwed up.  Why does Scotland sleep walk into this noose as if we have no other choices?  It is really possible that those in Scotland might do a much much better job running our own resources!! Yes really!)

Either the UK joins EFTA - not likely as UK economy too big – or we crash out with nothing.

Our European past

‘If you prick us, we’ll bleed Europe, the world.”

Excellent article by Scottish writer AL Kennedy who writes in the Bella Caledonia magazine June 2017. http://bellacaledonia.org.uk/2017/06/04/nowhere-land/

 ‘after Brexit we will rely on Europe for moral and intellectual support. And be eager for the new, travel and different voices.

With Holywood movies it may appear in recent times that there is a big American influence here, but when we dig deeper we find our connections and heritage to Europe – Scotland has a long centuries old history of trade, travel and connections to Europe – France, Italy, Netherlands, Spain, Poland Germany and more.

She writes, “First we are human, Brexit will leave us trapped on a apparently increasingly racist island with faltering press freedom and crumbling press reliability, adrift in a shrinking culture enthusiastically rejecting real-world knowledge of all kinds.”

She claims that "Europe is already viewing us as a failing state and as somewhere whose writers need support. They are supporting dissident voices in the UK. It is so important to protect our acceptance of diversity."

‘The post-war efforts to unify Europe were aimed at reversing any drive towards violent ignorance, silence and fear. We have evidence from all of nowhere that this drive always begins in the suppression of diverse voices, words, creativity, books, vitality. We must protect our diversity.”

She quotes, Homers Odyssey – “Muse sing the man of long experience tried

Who, fertile in resources, wandered wide.” 
The Odyssey is a book of polices, war, bloodshed, foolishness, wisdom, mercy, love – and at long last  - home.

“And that speaking of these things allows us to stay morally, imaginatively and literally alive."

The opposite of a free, open society is what once threatened Europe’s peace.

We’ve had a rise of populism – that one voice might speak for all -

“In the end, only one voice is permitted and that voice will only speak of entitlement, threat and hate.’

And so we really have to welcome divergence and diversity.

For anyone following RR Martin’s Game of Thrones – it’s a story of betrayals, ignorance, loyalty, faith, diversity, travel, dictatorship, magic, hope, violence, war, hatred, love, companionship, intellect, strength, morality, weakness – and the game of politics. Who wins?

It’s certainly not the one who is unable to learn….

There are often no right or wrongs, only shades of grey.