We’ve Earned the Right to be Free

In the first of a brand new series here’s Citizen Smart with a specially Bella commissioned song. If the independence movement was looking for an anthem, we could do a Continue reading →

Scottish Album of the Year

No Fuzzy Friday today because, er, nobody’s sent anything in , and because we were up all night laughing our asses off at Nigel Farage. So instead of Top Tips Continue reading →

Carrying the Fire

By Dougie Strang May 2013 has seen carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere reach concentrations at or above 400ppm. The first time this has been so for over 3 million Continue reading →

The Framing of the Scottish Independence Debate: A Tale of Two Referenda

By Gerry Hassan Two independence campaigns are now running in the UK: one on Scottish independence; the other which has become more public in the last week, on the UK’s Continue reading →

Meme Warfare, Occupy and Indy Scotland

Micah White on Adbusters, Meme Warfare and Occupy tactics … worth listening to for the indy movement. Key issues: don’t confuse the social media campaign with THE movement, it is Continue reading →

Raw Data

Raw Data by Jake Fried 2013. Hand-drawn animation with ink, gouache, white-out and coffee. More at inkwood.net

Zombie Nation

Here’s a film by Adam Curtis ‘The Living Dead’ – about how Britain thrives on fictional notions of the past. It’s a powerful reminder of why it’s an irredeemable state. Continue reading →

Bella on the Pop Cop’s Indie Indy Survey

With just 500 days until Scotland’s independence referendum takes place on September 18, 2014, The Pop Cop asked 40 musicians from the Scottish music scene the same question that will Continue reading →

The Future is a Hut

By Andy Wightman Sometimes life is sweet. People think good thoughts. Folk are inspired to imagine and drive forward a happier, more contented society where we live good lives in Continue reading →

Five Books to Save Scotland

By Christopher Silver No one reads books anymore. The idea that literature will play a key role in the coming months of debate and argument seems lamentably laughable. Take for Continue reading →

From the Province of the Cat 15: Messages from the Underworld

Hermes, Pandora or Prometheus? In Search of a Future for Scottish playwrighting by George Gunn It was lunchtime on Monday 8th of April 2013 and I had just emerged from Continue reading →

Why It’s (Still) Kicking Off Everywhere

By Paul Mason Two years on from the Arab Spring, I’m clearer about what it was that it inaugurated: it is a revolution. In some ways it parallels the revolutions Continue reading →

Reclaiming a creative Scotland?

by Johnny Gailey Presentation to Creative Scotland at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, Isle of Skye,  23 April, 2013. Feasgar math. Many thanks to Kenneth and Pat for inviting me to speak, here Continue reading →

Air Cuan Dubh Drilseach

by Paul F Cockburn During the last few decades the global success of “tartan noir” has overshadowed the significant contribution made by Scotland’s writers to the weird and fantastique. Except Continue reading →

State of Donation

By Mike Small The No campaign’s credibility was left in tatters this morning after the National Collective responded by attempts to bully and intimidate them, saying: “We stand by our Continue reading →

Odyssey

The first of a new series highlighting innovation and new talent in Scotland today, by Rebecca Nada-Rajah On a foggy evening on London Road I sit for a coffee with Continue reading →

The Holy Show – A Neu! Reekie! special

For the last two and a half years I’ve been helping organise a series of leftfield cultural gatherings under the Neu! Reekie! banner.  Neu! Reekie! is usually based in Edinburgh’s Continue reading →

The Patriot Prime Minister

Margaret Thatcher: symbol of liberty and strength. Changed Britain and the world for the better. May she rest in peace. – Rupert Murdoch ‏@rupertmurdoch By Mike Small As we enter Continue reading →

Fuzzy Friday – Our Top 5 for Easter

Five things to do this weekend … our Friday culture guide. It’s been baltic. Time to warm toes on the fire of new music. 1. First up, the Burd recommends Continue reading →

Not a New Media but

By Mike Small What are we to make of the collapsing media structures and models? I am arguing for some new systems and maybe it’s time to set out how Continue reading →

Top 10 Unionist Myths – DEBUNKED – BANNED then RE-DEBUNKED

This is a simple video that lays out some basic arguments about the political debate. It’s been banned by the No campaign and taken off You Tube. Are these really Continue reading →

Real Freedom Sounds Like Many Voices

… freedom of the press is only one freedom and it does not offer blanket immunity to the media to trample over other fundamental rights…

Better Together Top 10

This from our friends over at the National Collective … Top Ten better Together Blunders The UK Government warned Scots they would be £1 worse off (yes, a whole £1) Continue reading →

The Canary in the Coal Mine, from Our Man in Lamancha (Scot. Bords: la.mank.ka)

By Johnny Gailey Forgive me Creative Scotland; I don’t think I will be able to make any of your open sessions where I have the opportunity to “help inform the Continue reading →

VIDEO: Alan Bissett talk on identity, feminism, and the so-called Scottish cringe

Author Alan Bissett gives a short but wide-ranging talk that ranges over feminism, playing Andrea Dworkin on stage (aye!) and Scottish identity; including film, cultural colonisation and the so-called Scottish Continue reading →

Performing Tam o’ Shanter

by Kevin Williamson The lure and challenge of performing Tam o’ Shanter was far too enticing to  ignore. It’s the biggie, the epic masterpiece, all 224 lines of it, that Continue reading →

People Powered Future

Imagine Scotland as a Hub of Democratic Innovation, a Scotland where Everyone has A Say!

Finding Scottish Art

No country can afford to have its culture devalued in this way, no culture can afford to be defined as ‘out of history’.

The Intransigence of British Nationalism

By Scott Lavery Symbols of British cultural identity were constantly displayed during the Olympics, the Diamond Jubilee and throughout 2012. Alongside the fluttering Union Jacks, the inconvenient signs of economic Continue reading →

Something For The Weekend? Our Fuzzy Friday Top 5

1. GO WILD IN THE COUNTRY (FORTINGALL) Strictly speaking our Fuzzy Friday feature is about events in Scotland that Bella thinks worthy of flagging up to our perpetually curious, open-minded Continue reading →