Ross arts group issues fresh blood SOS
A ROSS-SHIRE arts society with an uncanny ear for talent is launching a new season with an appeal for fresh blood to help it through tough times.
Invergordon Arts Society, which has down the years brought world famous musicians to the Easter Ross town, will next week stage an extraordinary general meeting in a bid to bolster its future.
The loss of three valued committee members and a dwindling audience has prompted the meeting, set to take place at Invergordon Arts Centre on Friday, September 21.
Now embarked on its 46th season, IAS dates back to October 1965 when a group of like-minded people got together under the chairmanship of Ewen Stewart to promote interest in classical music.
It was set up with the aim of enriching the cultural life of the community and to promote an understanding and appreciation of the fine arts. Over the past four decades it has brought drama, opera, classical concerts and art exhibitions to the area, including sell-out concerts by the likes of Evelyn Glennie and appearances by leading pianists such as Leon McCawley and Steven Osborne.
Chairman Peter Cheyne said: “We have a long list of amazing artists, some who came before they became famous and others who were already famous.
“Amongst speakers, we had packed houses for Tom Weir, Richard Baker and Chay Blyth, to mention a few.
“We like to think that often we started artists off on some illustrious careers, so you could say that Invergordon and district have been fortunate to hear artists before they became unaffordable.”
When it has a full committee, Mr Cheyne said the society runs smoothly with everyone sharing the workload. But he conceded: “The average age is far too high and we are beginning to lose committee members due to age or moving out of the area.
“Replacing them with younger people is proving very difficult. So at this moment we are four members short which is putting a strain on everyone.
“The audience numbers are falling each year and the average age just goes up. This is happening despite a very varied programme each year with amazing talented young artists.”
While acknowledging that many of the uplifting performances put on by IAS provide a cultural boost in tough economic times, he admitted that for young families feeling the squeeze “it’s the arts that will probably be made to suffer”.
He said: “There is a huge amount of entertainment competing for an audience and then of course there is TV.”
But Mr Cheyne added: “It is not all doom and gloom. The society is in a very healthy state financially and even managed to show a working profit last year.
“Also last year, we organised a musical workshop in Park Primary School where our evening artists spent the afternoon with all the pupils, about 180 of them. It was a great success. This year we have an artist doing a workshop in Invergordon Academy.
“This is going to demonstrate how computer technology is moving into music. This artist has had a glowing review having performed at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe.
“We are trying to appeal to the pupils and this, I hope, will begin to interest the parents and make them realise what they have on their doorstep and what they have been missing.”
Looking back at the origins of the society, he said most of the early subscribers were people with small businesses in Invergordon — grocers, butchers and farmers.
He said: “Where are they now? I’m afraid supermarkets and big business have destroyed most of these small concerns and we are now all the losers.”
The EGM, to which all are welcome, will be held in Invergordon Arts Centre on Friday, September 21 at 7.30pm. Anyone wanting to find out more can contact Mr Cheyne on 01862 842267.
