I've just been reading the pamphlet for the Purbeck Film Festival and yet again they seem to have an excellent range of films in an excellent array of venues.
In Swanage they are using the Catholic Hall, the Look Out and California Barn, then there's Studland Village Hall, Langton, Worth etc.
What about the Mowlem?
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Posted by Anonymous to swanage view at 10/08/2006 12:57:37 PM
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Runs from 13 - 28 October - More info, see: http://www.purbeckfilm.org.uk/
(I gather the reason they don't show films at the Mowlem during the Purbeck Film Festival is because the Mowlem want to charge so much the festival organisers can't afford to put on specialist films. So much for a charitable institution providing a service for the community!)
The film festival is yet again showing a very wide range of films, many of which would otherwise not have a public showing in the district.
From what I have seen of the programme there is something that should interest most people and the tickets, compared to the prices at the multiplexes, seem to be quite reasonable.
I know television screens are getting bigger and DVDs cheaper, but there really is nothing like seeing a film on the large screen it was made to be screened on.
It is a pity that the Mowlem, which should be a major venue for such events, doesn't take part.
It is, perhaps, something the trustees might be asked about.
But in a sense, it's their loss isn't it, the more the Mowlem is bypassed, the less interesting it will be as a venue and the more likely is its decline as a public arts venue.
Big up to the last comment.
But it's rather sad when Swanage's main entertainment complex (!) is not involved.
By heresay it's nothing to do with the film festival, which leaves one conclusion.
In fact, very sad.
Nothing to do with the Film Festival, the Folk Festival, the Blues Festival, the Carnival...
Has anyone ever seen an 18 film at the Mowlem?
and Poole arts centre opens its doors to it but isn't even in Purbeck
These comments add up and with unanimity to a terrible indictment of the Mowlem and its management committee!
Surely these individuals can be shamed into at least answering the charges against them. Perhaps the Mayor should put pressure upon them to resign and hand over to younger or more dynamic representatives? They have clearly failed in their duties and responsibilities. Perhaps we could prevail upon the Ombudsman to intervene to reverse this outrageous waste of resources and abuse of answerability to the citizens of Swanage, which has gone on far too long.
The Mowlem appears to make a steady enough profit - £20,000 or so a year - according to the figures available to the public from the charity commission.
Over the seven years currently on show - the financial years 1998 to 2005 - the Mowlem income appears to have been £1,099,919 and the expenditure £957,183.
A surplus over the seven years of £142,736.
Its objects are quite clearly listed as:
"Library and reading room for the benefit of the inhabitants of Swanage and in particular for use for meetings, lectures and classes
or for other forms of recreation and leisure time occupation with the object of providing further education and improving the conditions of life for the said inhabitants."
So do they breach the terms of their Covenants?
This gets very tricky, but I understand that the Mowlem has to raise enough money to cover its running costsfrom the rent it charges to the shops.
Outside of that it's pretty free to do what it wants.
The Mowlem began as a working men's institute. The local boys made good gave it a very nice building and set up a committee to run it. As working men no longer use institutes to improve themselves that leaves the committee looking after the building so unfortunately they have never had to bring themselves into the modern world. Why the charity commission don't ask how on earth it is still finding working men to improve I don't know. Perhaps they are still living in the nineteenth century as well.
I'm good at research, but don't have a legal brain. Anyone feel like analysing this?
http://www.charity-commission.gov.uk/publications/cc47.asp
13. Other types of complaints that we will not take up fall broadly into the following three categories.
Cases where the complaint is about policies pursued or actions taken by the trustees within the law and the provisions of the charity's governing document. Such decisions are for trustees to take (and justify), and they have very wide freedom to do so. The Commission does not have discretion to overrule a charity's decision, validly taken within its powers, on the grounds that others take a different view, however strongly held. Deciding policy is a key part of trustees' freedoms and responsibilities, and may include:
resolving differences of opinion over spiritual or doctrinal matters within religious or other belief-based charities;
deciding how community facilities (such as a school, community centre or playing field) are used;
deciding applications for (or removals from) membership where the proper procedures have been complied with;
deciding how to consult users, user groups or supporter groups about decisions and policies of the charity they use or support ; and
the terms and conditions of occupancy or use of charity land, and (provided that legal and constitutional requirements are met) its disposal.
Oh well.
Which means the trustees are entitled to sit there for ever waiting for some quarrymen or fishermen to turn up to have their minds improved.
At 4:19 PM, Anonymous said...
Look, this Mowlem business... it's a lost cause, why go on whining about it? Carry on as if it wasn't there. Be creative, if you've got a song to sing, sing it; a painting to paint, paint it; a sculpture to sculpt, sculpt it.
But stop bleating about the Mowlem!
Let's have suggestions about what to do in Swanage WITHOUT the Mowlem - look at the Film Festival, they get on without it. Look at the Blues and Folk Festivals, they get on without it. Look at the Carnival, they get on without it. Look at the Jazz Festival, they use only the Committee Room.
So stop whining about the Mowlem, as if it's stopping everybody, it's not!
It's just your excuse not to do what you could do, if you didn't have an excuse!
I've been reading the Swanage Community Plan and here's a quote:
Working with Mowlem Trustees and Town Council to change terms of Trust to engage community in supporting Mowlem development.
How about that then.
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