The Skinny Current Issue

Somehow this is our 250th issue… Normally we would be planning more of a song and dance around a milestone issue but, you know, given the circumstances… other things have taken priority. Survival, etc.

We have used this as an opportunity to look around for some signs that optimism is possible in the apparently relentless squeeze on society in general, and specifically in our area of expertise, the arts in Scotland. The good news is, there are some.

Hen Hoose Collective have just launched their Safety Certification Scheme, which aims to address frequently identified issues in the music industry through free training for venues and workplaces. And SMIA are presenting their Roadmap, a vision for a stronger, fairer and more sustainable Scottish music industry including not just artists but the people and businesses essential to the overall infrastructure of a thriving creative economy. They each offer us an insight into their processes, motivations, and hopes for impact.

Speaking of a thriving creative economy, we return to the theme of our own place within it with a piece on the role of cultural journalism in sharing, amplifying, and critiquing the arts of the nation – we talk to our peers and creative industry figures to consider what the future of print journalism could look like.

Projects supporting the development of early career artists are innately optimistic for the future. We take a look at the latest iteration of Collective gallery’s programme of emergent talent support, Time & Space, featuring Gianni Esporas, Hetal Chudasama, Abi Lewis and Huss Al-Chokhdar. We also meet the artist who received The Skinny Award at RSA New Contemporaries earlier this year, Ruthella Dafnis. As she prepares for her first solo exhibition at Summerhall, she shares a little about her deeply personal practice exploring homelessness, addiction and care experience. You will also find her imagery on our poster in the centre spread, ready to pull out and put on your wall.

Since 2018, Fair Saturday have been pulling together events celebrating community and creativity while supporting charities across Scotland. Happening on the day after ‘Black Friday’ (the recently imported American buying frenzy, not to be confused with the Scottish pre-Christmas drinking frenzy), it exists in direct opposition to hyper-consumerism, and aims to nurture culture, society and place.

We have some words from Scotland’s Makar Peter Mackay, who explores Scotland’s history of multilingualism ahead of his event at poetry festival Push the Boat Out. Intersections talks to the people behind the Instagram account Stop AI Data Centres Scotland about how we can oppose these environmentally disastrous hyperscale centres – there’s a march in Edinburgh on 14 November; find out more @stopaidatacentres.scot.

Film meets Romanian director Cristian Mungiu to talk about escaping our cultural and societal bubbles in his new film Fjord. We also talk to director Bassam Tariq alongside stars John Cho and talented newcomer Adia to learn more about Your Mother Your Mother Your Mother, a heartfelt family drama and a kickass hitman movie. Clubs meets KILIMANJARO ahead of his Art School night to learn more about his new EP THE ASCENSION (INKAWAMI), while Theatre finds out more about Arika’s Episode 12, arriving in Tramway this month.

We close with The Skinny on… Q Manivannan, MSP and award-winning writer, who shares some insights into their background and motivations, as well as hopeful thoughts for the future.

- Rosamund West