Firstsite, originally known at the Visual Arts Facility, or Vaf, will officially open on Sunday, September 25 with an exhibition called Camulodunum, celebrating the town’s heritage.
With the opening less than three months away, Colchester Council’s Tory commerce spokesman Will Quince urged the Lib Dem MP – one of the centre’s most vocal critics – to endorse it.
And just why should he do this?
With the final bill for the project set to be in the region of £25million and millions more likely to be spent running it, Mr Quince said it was crucial Firstsite was a success.
Crucial for
whom?
He added: “I would like to put a challenge to Bob Russell to get behind this, support it and let’s make it work.
“He is the MP for the town and it’s his job to promote the town. We have to put the politics aside and make it work.
“If we do that, we will have an incredible asset for the town. It’s a stunning building.”
The amount of money spent on it so far certainly stunned me…
However, Mr Russell declined to take up Mr Quince’s invitation, arguing nobody would suddenly decide to visit the venue just because he turned around and recommended it.
Quite!
He said: “People will make up their own minds.
“I value the judgement and intelligence of the people of Colchester to decide for themselves what leisure activities they decide to go to.”
I think I quite like Mr Russell.
“He is the MP for the town and it’s his job to promote the town" ...
ReplyDeleteI always thought that "promoting" a Town was a matter for the Local Authority & its elected Members ..
Surely, the job of an MP (for which they are more than generously compensated) .. is to represent the wishes of their constituents in Parliament ? ..
Someone needs to explain reality to Mr Quince
They could save themselves some money by adopting the latest art invention from California:
ReplyDelete"Fox News has the non-story:
[Actor] James Franco is now an artist. But you can’t see his work.
His work is completely invisible.
Along with Brainard and Delia Carey, the art duo known as Praxis, Franco has helped the Museum Of Non-Visible Art, MONA open its doors.
But its pretty empty inside.
Described as “an extravaganza of imagination,” the different pieces of invisible art are on sale from $20 to $10,000. Buyers receive a plaque in the mail describing the art, but no physical work itself.
“You are not buying a visible piece of art; you are buying the title and description card for the imagined artwork” the website stresses.
From those rascals at 'I Hate The Media', bless their cotton socks:
http://www.ihatethemedia.com/liberals-elevated-doing-nothing-to-an-art-form
As the good captain of the haddock says, the job of an MP is usually to do with representing his constituents in the mother of parliaments.
ReplyDeleteI'm also not sure how the local MP answering a silly 'challenge' enables the pretty warehouse to 'work'
While the said MP ponders his duties, I am sure the assorted lemons who regard the success of art (and with it the burden of running an arts centre) as 'crucial' will be those who either will end up with egg on face from any failure, or can feast on the gravy train if it works out for them.
(I think that's enough food metaphors for now and though I avoided any reference to quince, you get my point)
What's the betting the airy-fairy Mr Quince is a complete "Fruit" ?
ReplyDeleteWhat he really fears is that anyone with an ounce of common dog, will probably walk straight past the place .. meaning he's in severe danger of having to find a proper job ..
When I mentioned to a fellow Colchester resident that I had just read a blog post on that gold coloured eyesore, she new exactly what I was talking about
ReplyDelete" judgement and intelligence of the people of Colchester "
ReplyDeleteWords not commonly juxtaposed with the word 'Colchester' methinks....
"I always thought that "promoting" a Town was a matter for the Local Authority & its elected Members .."
ReplyDeleteMe too.
"They could save themselves some money by adopting the latest art invention from California"
Oh, good grief! Talk about 'Emperor's New Clothes'...
"...and though I avoided any reference to quince, you get my point)"
:D
"When I mentioned to a fellow Colchester resident that I had just read a blog post on that gold coloured eyesore, she new exactly what I was talking about"
I must take a trip there and see this eyesore for myself...
The reasons for Quine's winces are becoming clearer after a bit of googling.
ReplyDeleteThe original estimate of the costs was £13million, rising to £25million in 2010, now risen further to £28million now. The building was supposed to be finished in 2007 but builders and glaziers walked off the job, contractors were sued and the present mess was guaranteed.
Someone is going to come in for a lot of stick when this white elephant fails!