[Gayle]

Originally Posted by Acrylic-bob

I did not accuse you of anything Gayle I merely asked, since you were unwilling to answer a simple question, what you had to hide. you drew those unfortunate conclusions entirely on your own.

I was not unwilling to answer your question. I had nothing to hide and have nothing to hide. In fact, I think you'll have to agree that I answer any direct question openly and honestly. Just because I took some time to answer did not mean that I was hiding anything, it was quite simply because I was busy and not on Accyweb for some time. You were away for over a year but we didn't go screaming for your head because you were doing other things. I agree that I am working for the council and so should be accountable, which is why I will continue to invite you to come along and see the work that is being done, to take part in steering group meetings and to generally work with us to ensure it is a success. I have nothing to hide.

Originally Posted by Acrylic-bob

I would have expected a lady of your calibre and education to understand that once she began taking the public penny she became, ipso facto, a public servant and as such is bound by generally understood behavioral conventions. For example: it is not generally held to be reasonable or polite to dismiss an enquiry by a member of the public with the line "I am very busy at the moment as it happens. I have an Arts Centre to open." one could almost hear the door slam as you swept off the forum.

I will reiterate, I am very busy because I am trying to open an Arts Centre at the moment. What I should be doing right now, instead of responding to you, is filling in the three funding application forms that are stacked up and the two events safety forms that need to be in by Tuesday.

Originally Posted by Acrylic-Bob

Further it is most definately not done to imply that a member of the public is, either directly or by association "pompous and arrogant". You might think it, but you may not say it.

If you choose to read anything in to my comments then that is of course, your perogative.

Originally Posted by Acrylic-Bob

But, then, we all say things in the heat of the moment that we later regret, I know I do.

I accept your apology.

Originally Posted by Acrylic-bob

I beg to differ on this point too, perhaps if you had stuck around with the fine artists instead of typesetters then you would understand that it is at precisely this point that the most illuminating discussions are held. It is a precious point where positions and proposals may be examined ruthlessly, tested to destruction and rebuilt. The argument for and against opposing hypotheses forms the whole basis of our culture and has done since the Greeks developed the use rhetoric, logic and oratory in the 5th century BC. I guess they do not teach too much about that sort of thing in "Graphics".

I found that the fine art students spent many hours discussing and debating issues but not actually 'doing' anything.

Originally Posted by Acrylic-bob

And you see this is what really worries me about all this civic arts centre malarky. It is the same thing that worried me about the Panopticon farrago and most of the stuff funded by the Arts Council come to that; it appears all surface and effect with little intellectual depth; in a word, superficial.

It appears to be more about the beurocracy of arts administration, focus groups, feasibility studies, reports on reports, evidence based outcomes and all the rest of the quangospeak gibberish.

I can't respond to this because I don't think there is anything that I can say that will convince you otherwise. I would love for you to come along and talk to me about it. Come to the meeting, be part of the steering group.

Originally Posted by Acrylic-bob

As I have said to you before Gayle , you cannot teach ART. You can teach skills but that is all you can do. Art will either happen or it will not, more often it will not and no amount of evidence based outcomes, funding seminars or wishful thinking will alter that simple fact.

You can teach ART, if you couldn't why would there be Art colleges in the first place? Are you saying you learnt nothing at university whilst doing your fine art degree?

You can teach history of art, mechanics of art, you can teach stage craft, you can teach music (remember, we're not just talking about visual art, we're talking about all genre of arts - film, drama, music etc). A great pianist does not become a great pianist without having first learnt how to use a piano.

Art does not just happen - yes, there has to be talent and ability, skill and learning but most of all, there has to opportunity. Some people have potential but because the tools aren't available or the opportunities aren't there for them they are unable to fulfill their potential. This is partly about creating the opportunities for the very talented and for creating enjoyable activities for the enthusiastic. You don't have to turn out a great artist or artiste for them to have enjoyed an artistic experience because Art needn't always be about the end product either, it can be about the process.

Finally, some art does not happen without organisation i.e. someone co-ordinating a drama club or someone co-ordinating a photography exhibition. Some of the Arts are not a solo pursuits and it does take someone who has the ability to present the opporunities to people for things to happen.