THE VERY WORST NEWS UNIVERSITY CLOSING THE RAMSHORN

THE VERY WORST NEWS

UNIVERSITY CLOSING THE RAMSHORN

 

With public funding being reduced and different priorities in the University, the University proposes to close the Ramshorn at the end of July.  We are not alone in this – they will be pulling out of all Cultural Activities – closing Music and the Collins Gallery as well (the Collins a bit later). Everyone still in post will be losing their jobs – that includes Sylvia. The Proposal comes from the Director of Marketing / Professional Services (the area we are in).

There have been two versions of the Proposal to date – the second one arrived Tuesday morning.  Both papers contain misconceptions (lies), by way of supporting the claim that the Ramshorn was not needed. The second paper places more emphasis on the University's strategy, saying there is no place for us in that, and that the money spent on Cultural Activities should be spent on core activities.  There is a suggestion that the University 'will work with Strathclyde Theatre Group (which is an independent entity) to ascertain whether the Group can become self-sustaining.'

The Proposal is in a very brief period of consultation (ending on 21 April) and will go to Court for the meeting of 6 May. Sylvia Jamieson is responding to the paper assuch as the only member of staff here still in post.

CAMPAIGN ACTION

Please sign our online petition, and encourage everyone you know to do so as well.

http://www.petitiononline.co.uk/petition/save-the-ramshorn-theatre-glasgow-from-closure/2684

WE ALSO STILL HAVE A FACEBOOK SAVE THE RAMSHORN SITE – JUST GOOGLE TO FIND IT.

However, it would still help if everyone possible wrote in to the Convenor of Court to say why the Ramshorn and STG are important. Since part of their argument is that STG has nothing to do with the University, it would really help if Strathclyde students and ex-students wrote in. Please send copies of your letters to Sylvia. If you want to write to the papers as well, please do!

Fraser Livingston

Convenor of Court

University of Strathclyde

16 Richmond Street

Glasgow G1 1XQ

 

The other thing you can do, since we are in a pre-election period, is to contact your MPs, MEPs, Councillors and candidates for posts asking for their support. If there are hustings, go to them and raise the issue. Glasgow is supposed to be a City if Culture, but the University is going directly against this vision. It has always had, as a strand of its mission, the desire to enhance what is available to the citizens of Glasgow. It no longer seems to care about this. It does say there will be a Cultural Affairs Strategy set up, but is the best way to achieve a programme/ broaden access to culture and arts, to remove the culture/arts infrastructure and its supporting professional expertise?

 

To find your local Glasgow councilor:

http://www.glasgow.gov.uk/gcccorpsite/Application/Councillor

To find your Westminster MP:

http;//findyourmp.parliament.uk

To find your MSP:

http://scottish.parliament.uk/msp/membersPages/mspaddresspostcodefinder.htm

To join the Facebook Save the Ramshorn Campaign:

http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=94958067731

 

Candidates in the upcoming election: you will be receiving their handouts through your letterboxes – that will give you all their contact details.

The current paper states that because the University is at the heart of such a culturally rich city, and there are 'many clubs and societies operating at an amateur or semi-professional level in the city' there is no need to provide cultural activities in the way that has been done. Nothing in the paper shows any understanding of the unique nature of STG.

Please write to the Newspapers as well – the more people write, the longer the story will stay in the public eye.