Does Scotland lack culture?
Scotland’s sole candidate to become European City of Culture 2008 has failed to make a final shortlist. Inverness and the Highlands were on a list of a dozen locations which has now been whittled down to just six by a 12-strong committee. Birmingham, Bristol, Cardiff, Liverpool, Newcastle/Gateshead and Oxford were unveiled as the contenders by the UK Culture Secretary, Tessa Jowell. The UK’s last City of Culture – Glasgow in 1990 – enjoyed a significant increase in tourism as a result of winning the title. We asked you what the exclusion of Scotland’s candidate said about the country’s culture? Are our art galleries, theatres and museums keeping up with the times and other parts of the UK? Does our “culture” send out the correct messages to potential visitors? Or are we just not very good at showcasing what Scotland has to offer? This is what you said. I think ‘culture’ is ridiculously overrated. I never go to the theatre or art galleries because I believe education is about learning f
