Rig-Mareel-Marole.

Hi Kids!

This post is a bit of a rant so strap yersells in!

We learned even before we arrived in Shetland that the hot talking point was a proposed building called Mareel. So many voices were vociferous and noisy in their opposition with some councilors talking about battles and war. Even after the building was given the go ahead in a close called democratic election, people were calling for recounts and how they were avowed to overturn the decision. Words were said. One Shetlandic journalist suggested that the cost in postage of letters to The Shetland Times on the subject could have paid for the building.

“Wow”, I thought, “What kind of building could invoke such hue and cry? A maximum security prison? A nuclear waste refinery? An Al Qaeeda training ground or some other equally dangerous and unhealthy institution?

“It’s a cinema.”

“What?”

“It’s a cinema and theatre complex with a rehearsal room.”

“ Like a picturehouse?”

“Yes.”
”Where people sit silently in the dark sharing a bon huer with a touching story or a rollocking rollercoaster ride with the latest blockbuster?”

“Yes.”

“And a concert hall with a state of the art sound system for musicians to touch and inspire the soul?”

“Yes.”

“And a rehearsal room with a sprung floor for wee lassies to go to dance class and couples in their thirties go to do salsa?

“Yes.”

“???”

Here's an artists impression.

The opposition is baffling. Okay, so I’ve only just got here and I don’t know the history and the ins and outs and so on, but should that matter? Am I perhaps in a better position to register the bizarre nature of the debate.?

“We don’t need it,” say some. We have The Garrison Theatre. Yes, while The Garrison does serve the community well, with theatre, music and film, it is in the end an unlicensed ex drill-hall showing a few movies every now and again. Is this enough? Why deny yourself the pleasure of a room designed for the very purpose of film and music? And a world class concert hall would attract world class artists.

“We can’t afford it,” is the other one. Well you know what? I can’t really afford to take my wife to Rome next summer but the idea is so attractive that I am determined to make it happen. And, actually, if we stopped eating such expensive dinners at restaurants and booking premium cabins instead of standard on the Northlink ferries we probably could afford it.

The language of opposition used is also very bizarre. It takes the tone of people who are not just speaking out against something they don’t think will work, but of people personally violated and ridiculed, desperate to get back at someone, when in reality they were, very simply, voted against.

Perhaps, as someone who works in the arts industry I am rather biased. And with the current facilities in Shetland, yes, we can put on concerts, films, plays etc, to entertain and enlighten the public who seek it. But the prospect of what we could give you with the right equipment is very exciting. The talent and the enthusiasm are already here so give us the tools and we’ll finish the job. You will not be disappointed.

I do sincerely hope that when Mareel is built and up and running that the naysayers will allow themselves to enjoy it.

Here's their space. Watch the promo: http://www.myspace.com/mareelshetland

Ta for listening.x.