What the ScotPop Music Exhibition Centre will include and funding
When I first spoke to the museum about Rip It Up I was keen to know how they would define Scottish pop music as that would be a definition I would have to live by too. I was relieved to hear that dance and folk would not be covered as that was also my feeling. There would be plenty of artists that would cross into the Scottish pop arena but as a genre both could easily have their own exhibitions.
As it turned out Rip It Up made a nod to dance with Optimo and the Fini Tribe which looked like the token gesture we had discussed not occurring. A band like the Shamen certainly crossed over and as with the folk artists the museum included if it is in the context of Scottish pop then they do fit the criteria. You can tell what a minefield it is when in the four BBC radio programmes that accompany Rip It Up dance gets a whole show and folk is barely mentioned.
ScotPop MEC will have a lot more input from photographers, journalists and the magazines of the time. Venues, clubs and shops were also so important to the scene in any decade and of course artwork from the record covers to the t-shirts, badges and posters were an integral part of defining a band on top of their music. All of this will be covered extensively and material has already been sourced.
Anybody who follows on social media will already have an idea of what I mean and what has already been sourced. It was great to see the Rezillos costumes they wore on Top of the Pops, some interesting guitars and awards but generally I think we would look to have less of that than the museum.
I even have access to live recordings that have never been heard and I need to work out how they can be used. The help from all involved from the sixties onwards has been fantastic and I have offers of professional help to both create and promote the exhibition.
Which brings us to funding. One of the regular suggestions just recently has been that I should set up a GoFundMe page. I have in fact done that already some time ago but as I suspected while help in kind has been tremendous the raising of hard cash is another matter entirely and unless I keep banging on about the page it is quickly forgotten.
I have funded all the work so far myself with a little cash help from others and much skilled help from professionals who very kindly work unpaid. Now really is crunch time where what is needed is money and a location as everything else is in place. Whenever you see funds being raised in the arts normally less than 10% actually comes from the general public with most coming from big donors and grants. More on that another time. For now those who wish to support can do so using the link below. Many thanks to those who have done so already and the many others who have helped in other ways.