Clydevalley.net - The cultural 'home page' for the Clydevalley
Music, art, writing, theatre, dance and craft are not add-on 'extras'
but are vital expressions of the health of any society. As Yann
Martell puts it, in the final sentence of his introduction to 'Life of
Pi' 'If we citizens do not support our artists, then we sacrifice our
imagination on the altar of crude reality and we end up believing in
nothing and having worthless dreams' Or, more recently, from David
(Lord) Puttnam "one measure of any community wishing to regard itself
as truly civilised is the quality and depth of its artistic
achievement". The Clyde Valley has a strong cultural identity and it
is rich in cultural talent, professional and amateur. Especially in
rural areas, folk tend to work in isolation and have relatively
limited opportunities for self-publicity. This website is intended to
celebrate their work and to help share it. It is hoped, also, to make
it easier for people to find out what's going on - a concert, an
exhibition or a group to join - and about how to contact those
involved in these activities. There are several fine websites in the
valley of the River Clyde but there's a place for one which is totally
focused on local culture. Visitors can look at the Showcase and
enjoy the featured works therein. No quality decisions are made
regarding artistic 'merit' but the aim is to present all that is
received on a 'first come first served' basis and within certain size
and layout limitations imposed by technical and financial resources.
This site receives no financial support from governments in
Brussels, London, Edinburgh, Lanark or Hamilton or from any of the
quangos and agencies attached thereto. The Clyde valley is as much
an attitude of mind as a well-defined geographical area. It covers
approximately the area south of Hamilton, stretching down the River
Clyde to Abington, swinging round by Strathaven and Lesmahagow in the
west, and Broughton and Carnwath in the east. The website does not try
to exclude the larger towns but it mainly targets those living and
working in the more rural areas, because the larger towns and cities
are already well catered for. But there are no firm boundary lines.
Clydevalley.net will serve its purpose well only if it is truly
representative of all the cultural activity of the area. There are
more people and groups out there and the site aims to add them to its
listings gradually. You can contact us by email at
don@clydevalley.net or joanne@clydevalley.net
