Dialogue between opponents could resolve dispute

A SPIRIT of compromise is in the air over the proposal that Scottish Ballet takes up residence in Glasgow's Tramway. It is exactly a month since The Herald first reported both the existence of the plan and the groundswell of opposition from supporters of the venue's present function as a contemporary visual arts space. The chief executive of Scottish Opera and Ballet, Chris Barron, told our arts correspondent yesterday that he had been shocked and surprised by the reaction of the visual arts community. He, and the new artistic director of the dance company, Ashley Page, must also have been dismayed to have artistic achievements once again overshadowed by a political row. The opera company had just completed its first Glasgow Ring Cycle for 30 years and was poised to give sell-out performances at The Lowry in Salford (where, once again, it was cheered to the rafters). More pertinently, Page's radically revised corps was about to relaunch with a tour showcasing the mix of classical technique and modern sensibility typified in his own choreography, and a great deal hinged on him restoring Scottish Ballet's credibility.

The fact that critics have been virtually unanimous in praise has now, of course, been partially obscured by the fog of war over the future of Tramway 2. Barron estimates the cost of Scottish Ballet taking up residence at Tramway at £8m. The intention is to create a "dance hub" in Glasgow, a facility the city undoubtedly lacks. While Edinburgh has built Malcolm Fraser's award-winning Dancebase in the Grassmarket and Dundee will have both The Space at Dundee College, home of the Scottish School of Contemporary Dance, and the new studio for Scottish Dance Theatre, Scotland's largest city lags behind. Although there is a question of how many dedicated dance facilities one small nation needs, it is a laudable dream. While the repurposing of Tramway would be at a cost to some, it would be a benefit to others, and the chief executive is keen to maintain a dialogue with the visual-arts sector to see if some exhibition space can continue on the site.

However, more money would have to be found. Much of the £8m is for the creation of a new rehearsal room for the dancers, the gallery space at the heart of the controversy being designated for set-building and storage. The lesson of this saga is that open consultation between the landlord, Glasgow City Council, Scottish Ballet, and the visual arts community should have started this process. There is merit in Scottish Ballet's proposals but why should they have been at the visual arts community's expense – the loss of an important exhibition space? The seeming secrecy with which the plan was hatched has also, understandably, caused hackles to rise among the visual arts lobby. Hopefully, there will now be a compromise allowing dance and visual arts to inhabit the same centre, but whether the price can be justified is an issue that must wait new costings. We hope it can.
Dialogue between opponents could resolve dispute

original article : http://www.theherald.co.uk/features/2716.html