"Tell us what you think!"

(Caption)
The voice of the community- Jane Menzies, a Senior Manager with Stirling Council, listens to some of our views.


Afteryears of neglect, where Stirling Council only gave minimal financial support to the cultural sector, the new regime have decided to seek out people’s views.
 
Well, you can understand that some of us who have been involved for a long time in the local arts scene viewed this public meeting with a certain degree of cynicism.


Would it be just another talking shop?
 
We all know the problems: lack of communication between all the arts organisations, lack of financial investment, the cultural “black hole” of Stirling because of the close proximity of Glasgow and Edinburgh which acts like a magnet for young people.
 
Yet despite all this there is a vibrant artistic scene operating under the official cultural radar- Forth Valley Open Studios is one example.
 
We are now in our sixth year- without a penny of public support from Stirling Council.


Keith Bruce, Arts editor of The Herald once described it as the single biggest cultural event in central Scotland.  This year we will have over 140 artists opening their studios to the public for ten days in June and this will be supported by three pop up art exhibitions.
 
Just think how much bigger this could be if we had some financial support….