Dear UK Mudcatters (and beyond),

Our club is moving in another direction, aside from music (because no buggar comes). We are linking up with a newly formed arts group in the town and organising the town's Fringe festival next year (this year was the town's first festival, never mind Fringe) and hoping to promote 'The Arts' throughout the year.

I believe we should also aim to have 'environmental' and 'ethnic minority inclusion' policies. Which basically means I have to write them. I know about the work of the Commonground organisation (www.commonground.org.uk) who link the environment and the arts - does anybody know of any more similar UK organisations that might give me a clue?

In a nutshell basically, no buggar comes to our club, apart from outter town musicians, because we've had over 100 years of solid Conservative local government which has repressed and steered the entire (now 100,000) town population away from creative or individualistic thinking. (and thus anybody with any get-and-go has got up and gone). Geographically isolated, today's generation know nothing of 'the arts' and believe the sum of a good time is drinking vast quantities and then vomiting, urinating and vandalising their way home. Strangely enough :) even the Conservative council are getting twitchy and us ol' 'hippies' are starting to realise it's okay to come out of the closet and get creative. It's a big task - especially as nothing like this has ever been attempted before (well, it has and it has been institutionally and collectively frowned upon).

Any ideas are VERY WELCOME!

Thanks,Hille.