News round-up / Funding for local projects, ballet to visit isles, restorative justice seminar
A PUBLIC vote awarded almost £25,000 to five local organisations on Saturday to run projects related to community justice.
The Shetland Community Justice Partnership invited the public to vote for five out of 10 local organisations to receive up to £5,000 in funding.
The cash will be used to help prevent offending behaviour or improve outcomes for those affected by crime in Shetland and offenders.
Some 260 people came along to vote at Islesburgh Community Centre in Lerwick. The five winning organisations were: Shetland Rape Crisis (£5,000), Advocacy Shetland (£5,000), Dogs Against Drugs (£5,000), Moving On Employment Project (£5,000) and Shetland Women’s Aid (£4,928).
Each will use the funds to deliver their planned activity in Shetland within the next 12 months.
Councillor Alastair Cooper said: “We’re really pleased with the turn-out for the public vote on Saturday that demonstrates the support for community justice work in Shetland.
“I’d like to congratulate the five organisations who will receive funding towards their projects that will help to make a positive difference to the quality of life in Shetland. I’d also like thank to all the organisations involved for their hard work to prepare and put forward their projects for this community vote.”
The other projects in the running for funding were Space2Face (Help or Harm), Space2Face (Made to make amends), Shetland Community Bike Project, Shetland Comedy with ALICE Theatre Project and OPEN, which recruits and trains young people aged 16-25 to become “peer educators”.
SCOTTISH Ballet is taking its version of a big ballet, dubbed Wee Hansel and Gretel, on a nationwide tour which will stop off at the Garrison Theatre in Lerwick.
Following a “pilot run” in November 2018, Scottish Ballet will be performing across Scotland, including the Highlands and Islands and will be visiting some “new cities” for the first time to celebrate its 50th anniversary year.
The company said it was “delighted” to continue its partnership with Loganair as official airline sponsor for the tour.
According to Scottish Ballet, the specially adapted 50-minute show is the “perfect way for young children aged three to eight years and their families to discover the magic of ballet”.
Originally choreographed by Scottish Ballet’s artistic director Christopher Hampson in 2013, dancers will perform the well-known fairytale alongside talented students from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland.
With set and costumes designed by Gary Harris, Wee Hansel & Gretel will be performed to the music of Engelbert Humperdinck, recorded live by the Scottish Ballet Orchestra, making it a colourful interpretation of the Grimm brothers’ famous fairytale.
Performances will be adapted by keeping the auditorium lighting on and slightly modifying the content of the production.
Chief executive and artistic director of Scottish Ballet Christopher Hampson said: “This ballet is close to my heart, so I am delighted to share this specially adapted show with young children across Scotland. It is full of dancing and storytelling, plucky characters and a happy ending – perfect for experiencing the magic of live performance.”
Loganair commercial director Kay Ryan said: “Our partnership with Scottish Ballet on their Highland Fling tour last year was an undoubted success, and this latest sponsorship further emphasises Loganair’s commitment to supporting the local communities we serve in the Highlands and Islands by helping to deliver thrilling live performances from Scotland’s national dance company.”
THE LATEST free seminar on restorative justice is to be held on 29 March at Islesburgh Community Centre and will look at making Shetland a pioneer island community in the field.
In what is the sixth in the ‘Unpacking’ series of annual seminars held in Lerwick, Estelle Zinsstag, from the Leuven Institute of Criminology in Belgium, and Graham Goulden of Cultivating Minds UK will be joined by Alyson Halcrow, of Relationships Scotland-Shetland and Space2face Shetland and Clair Aldington, also of Space2face Shetland.
The day-long seminar, which will be chaired by Isles MP Alastair Carmichael – unless Brexit intervenes – will explore restorative approaches to gender violence, the Bystander Approach to bullying and how to become a restorative community.
The seminar is hosted by the Space2face Restorative Justice Arts organisation and Relationships Scotland-Shetland in association with Shetland Community Justice Partnership and SSCHAIR (Survivors of Sexual Child Hood Abuse Information and Resources).
Halcrow said: “This year’s seminar is the sixth in our annual ‘Unpacking’ series which we started in 2013 in order to explore topics relating to restorative ways of working.
“‘Unpacking Restorative Shetland’ follows the success of our seminars on apology, forgiveness, justice and the importance of everyday encounters.
“Feedback we received after last year’s event was that people wanted another seminar with more interaction and defined outcomes which we hope we’ve achieved in this year’s programme.”
The Unpacking seminars explore working in conflict resolution and restorative justice, both of which are important in a small community like Shetland.
Zinsstag’s opening presentation will be about the potential for restorative approaches to the emotive and complex subject of sexual violence, using case studies and findings from a recent European research project she led.
Goulden, a former police officer, has pioneered the Bystander Approach to conflict, enabling people to intervene safely in situations, rather than walking by.
Halcrow and Aldington will explore the concept of restorative communities using examples from the UK and around the world and pose the challenge of becoming ‘Restorative Shetland’ what they believe would be the first restorative island community in the world.
Other topics to be covered will include bullying in the workplace and community. Workshop presenters from local groups such as Rape Crisis, SSCHAIR and SIC staff are also involved.
The one day seminar, Unpacking A Restorative Shetland, will be held at Islesburgh Community Centre on Wednesday 27 March. It is a free event and open to all, but booking is essential. Contact space2faceshetland@gmail.com.
Become a member of Shetland News
Shetland News is asking its many readers to consider paying for membership to get additional features and services: -
- Remove non-local ads;
- Bookmark posts to read later;
- Exclusive curated weekly newsletter;
- Hide membership messages;
- Comments open for discussion.
If you appreciate what we do and feel strongly about impartial local journalism, then please become a member of Shetland News by either making a single payment, or setting up a monthly, quarterly or yearly subscription.
Already a member? Sign in to hide this message.
