Culture Minister Coming to The Pans

The Courier was first to break the story!

It is indeed true. The third visit to Prestonpans by Scotland's Ministers of Culture takes place on July 23rd. Linda Fabiani MSP, who has lately crossed swords with the Arts Festival over not-Listing the Auld Fowler's HQ, is coming to the town to see just what Burriss Bursary Winners get up to in the arts, and to make the new awards for 2008/ 2009.



The Minister will see an Exhibition of paintings by all four past winners and members of the Prestoungrange Art Classes - one hundred works in fact to celebrate The Goth's Centenary 1908/ 2008. In particular she will also see the sculpture by Gardener Molloy, the 2006/ 2008 Burriss Bursary Winner, and multimedia exhibitions from Shona McMillan and Carol Melrose.

Three New Bursary Winners for 2008/ 2009 to be Announced

Burriss Bursaries and the associated Lord Novar and Sir John Ross Bursaries were initially made to painters, but they now also embrace sculpture and photography. For 2008/ 2009 they will focus on more theatre, more singing and more music in The Pans. The Arts Festival Trustees are determined to take them across all the arts in town.

Poetry has already been greatly encouraged by the Poet Laureate John Lindsay and in the evening [after the Minister's visit] the Festival has convened a McGonagall Very Bad Poetry Supper - with 'a' McGonagall himself in attendance to urge the bad poets along. And textiles already beckons in the form of the planned Prestonpans Tapestry telling the story of the '45 from Eriksay and Glenfinnan to Victory in Prestonpans and the immediate celebratory aftermath in Edinburgh. [It's due to be 1' longer than William The Conqueror's tapstry at Bayeux!]

There's a Warm Welcome for All with an interest in the Arts - from 4pm July 23rd at The Goth

Everyone is welcome but lobbying of the Minister about the Auld Fowler's HQ is absolutely not on the day's agenda. Entrance is free throughout and so is the McGonagall Buffet Supper eaten in reverse order provided each table creates its very own bad poetry to the selected theme - The Ruin of Auld Fowler's. The table with the 'Very Very Worst' Poem gets its Bar Bill refunded up to £25.