Guardian Culture Professionals Network

If you work amongst, or hope to join the culture professions, then the Guardian Culture Professionals Network is a useful way of getting news of interesting developments in your own or related fields.

'Whittaker' recently received their latest posting, which summarises the Network's most popular postings of 2013.  Retrospective postings do tend to smack of 'what we've done', rather than current events and trends, but this one is still valuable, if only to show you the kind of postings you could expect if you signed up to receive notifications.

So, here it is - the Guardian Culture Professionals Network 'best of 2013'. 
And looking ahead into 2014, here's their latest posting.

See what you think.

Christopher Gough composition for The Unreality of Durham Exhibition

Christopher Gough of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland has composed the music to accompany an exhibition currently running at Durham World Heritage Site Visitor Centre.  The exhibition lasts the whole of December 2013.

From the University of Durham Alumni Newsletter:-

The Unreality of Durham exhibition
Durham graduate James Croshill-Mills (Zoology, Van Mildert, 2013) will hold an exhibition of a series of illustrations titled 'The Unreality of Durham' in the World Heritage Site Centre on Palace Green. The exhibition will be displayed from the 1st to 31st December. Music composed for the exhibition by Christopher Gough from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland will be played.

Details of the exhibition here.

Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland - and St Andrew's Day

TRAC TRAC TRAC TRAC TRAC TRAC TRAC

'Whittaker' was all set to tell you about the St Andrew's Day events in the Scottish Storytelling Centre this week, when we realised that the Scottish Storytelling Centre has a shiny new website that deserves a fanfare all of its own.

Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland

The Scottish Storytelling Centre can now be found online at Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland.  This encompasses traditional music, storytelling, and traditional dance - a combination that truly is a marriage made in heaven! We'll let the website speak for itself:-

"Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland (TRACS) was established in 2012 to bring together Scotland's performance traditions - storytelling, music and dance - under a new umbrella. TRACS aims to encourage collaboration between these three art forms, share resources for effective promotion of Traditional Arts activities and to develop partnerships with other organisations that can benefit from our resources. Read more ..."

Here are the three main headings on the new website:-

• Scottish Storytelling Centre http://www.tracscotland.org/scottish-storytelling-centre
• Traditional Music http://www.tracscotland.org/tracs/traditional-music
• Traditional Dance http://www.tracscotland.org/tracs/traditional-dance

30th November 2013 - St Andrew's Day events

This is the link to St Andrew's Day events in the Scottish Storytelling Centre in Edinburgh.

Part Time Music Library Job in London

Whittaker has heard about this opportunity, which might interest someone looking to make a career in music librarianship:-

"Part-time job opportunity in London

 

Community and Youth Music Library

 

Would you like to manage a library of printed music located in Crouch End, London N8?   We need a part-time (10 hours a week) administrator to manage, with assistance from volunteers, the Community & Youth Music Library, a national resource of orchestral and vocal printed classical music which is loaned to orchestras, wind bands and choirs throughout the UK.   The full catalogue is located at the library website (www.cymlibrary.org.uk)

 

Applicants should have experience of managing or working in a music library. 

 

Terms: 10 hours per week (ideally on Tuesdays and Fridays) for at least 46 weeks a year, self employed, £15 per hour.

 

For an application pack please email cymlibrary@gmail.com. giving your name and full address.

 

Final date for returned applications is September 6 2013

Interviews will be on Friday September 27 2013  

For more information about the Library go to www.cymlibrary.org.uk"

Graduating Students Stride into Employment in Glasgow

In today's Evening Times (Saturday 6 July 2013), City Unis among UKs Best for Graduates Finding Jobs

Glasgow and Strathclyde, the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and Glasgow School of Art all have enviably high employment statistics.  Glasgow Caledonian (GCU) tops them all - and they all give Oxford and Cambridge a run for their money!

Great news!

Holiday Reading?

If you want to get ahead in your studies next year, don't forget to take one or two texts away with you - for a rainy day!  

Our library catalogue - http://prism.talis.com/rcs/

Musica Scotica Sat 27 April 2013 (Edinburgh)

Researching Scottish music - any aspect of it? The Musica Scotica annual conference is in Edinburgh this year, hosted by the Open University in Scotland.  We have a great bunch of speakers and a very varied programme covering many different angles.

Date: Saturday 27 April

Fee:  

Full Day to include lunch, morning and afternoon tea/coffee:  £40 

Full Day (as above) Student Rate: £30                        

Morning or afternoon session to include tea/coffee, but not lunch:  £15

The registration form is available, at:-   

http://www.musicascotica.org.uk/conferences.shtml

Another call for scores (Twinkle, twinkle little star)

Read more about this proposed publication on the Scottish Music Centre website here.

"This is a call to composers around the world to submit their entries for consideration. From the entries received, 100 will be selected for publication."  More ...

Composition competition - www.Violas2014.com

 Aged 18-40?

Composer?

Viola player?

'Whittaker' received details of a composition competition, today.  The challenge is to write a piece for viola, and submit the score by 16 December 2013.

Visit the website:- http://www.violas2014.com/

Byre Theatre, St Andrews, could reopen soon

Phil Miller reports in the Herald today (1 Feb 2013) that there are hopes the Byre Theatre could reopen soon.  Read it here ...

Last weekend, things didn't look so good:-

• Byre Theatre announces closure
• BBC News
• The Scotsman announces this news.
• SAVE THE BYRE THEATRE - Petition site 
• SAVE THE BYRE THEATRE - Change.org (more signatures to date)
• SAVE THE BYRE THEATRE - on Twitter
• SAVE THE BYRE THEATRE - on Facebook

Cambridge Early Music Summer Schools 2013

20th Anniversary

Cambridge Early Music Summer Schools

 

4-11 August, The Parley of Instruments

11-17 August, Philip Thorby and Friends

Whittaker received a batch of leaflets in the post today.  You'll find all the details on the Cambridge Early Music website, www.CambridgeEarlyMusic.org.

Burns in Song - a Feast of Singing

There's a Robert Burns event at the Scottish Storytelling Centre in Edinburgh this Friday:- 

Burns in Song - A Feast of Singing 

Friday 18th January 2-5pm (Scottish Storytelling Centre, 43-45 High Street, Edinburgh, EH1 1SR).  Details here.

All Celts Together

We've been looking at Ireland's The Gathering website.  If you have Irish ancestry or connections, you can check an interactive map to see where events are taking place.

Why not try it out for yourself?  (Then get out the bodran, fiddle, flute or harp, and head for the Emerald Isle during 2013 ...)

• http://www.thegatheringireland.com/
• Twitter @GatheringIRL

First The Year of Homecoming, and now The Gathering

We had our Scottish Year of Homecoming in 2009, and it was so successful that it's being repeated in 2014 (http://www.homecomingscotland.com/)

But before that, let's help our Celtic cousins celebrate in Ireland, where 2013 marks The Gathering.  Same concept. There's an interesting piece in the Irish Times by Felicity Hayes-McCoy today, reflecting on this event. 

If you enjoy Felicity's writing, I might add that she is the author of The House on an Irish Hillside, and writes about cultural Celtic traditions - I commend the book to anyone interested in this subject.

• The Gathering, Ireland, 2013 
• Homecoming Scotland, 2014

Whittaker Christmas Greetings!

The Whittaker Library at the 

Royal Conservatoire of Scotland

Christmas Closure

We close at 2 pm today, Friday 21 December 2012. 

Whittaker Be

The Library reopens on Thursday 3 January 2013.  

• We shall be open 9-5 Thursday 3 and Friday 4 January.  
• We're open on Saturday 5 January between the usual 10-4.

Helpful leaflet for late returners:- How to renew your library loans online.  (You'll need to login to your staff/student Moodle and Mahara account to access this leaflet.)

Start planning for the Edinburgh International Festival now!

9 August - 1 September 2013.  (Whittaker thought you'd like to be reminded that summer will come again!)

Edinburgh International Festival website

International Composition Prize: Isang Yun (Korea) 2013

Whittaker has just received notification of an international composition prize:-

Isang Yun International Composition Prize 2013

28 September 2013 - click on the link to find out more.

Organ festival in Magdeburg, Germany

11-18 May 2013

For more details, visit http://www.ritter-orgelwettbewerb.de/index_d.html

Musicians born or resident in Kirklees Metropolitan area?

If you're from Huddersfield, Dewsbury or Batley, there's a music competition just for you:-

Kirklees Young Musician of the Year

2013 Contest (22 February)

 Huge prizes - check it out!  Closing date 31 December 2012.