Edinburgh Festival Day 2: Festival Eye
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.RICHARD DEMARCO, the impresario, marked the opening of the Festival by setting fire to a model of his face. He explained the effigy-burning as an act of defiance: 'I've had my face burnt by the arts funding bodies every summer here for the last 26 years, so this year I thought I'd do it for real.'
The match-wood mask was a gift from sculptor David Mach. The charred head remains will be exhibited in one of a row of shops in Blackfriars Street which have been lent to Demarco by Edinburgh council for the Festival period.
'This is an Arts Council-free zone,' said Demarco, whose Arts Council grant was withdrawn four years ago. 'Everything else in this Festival is contaminated. The arts in Britain have caught the Arts Council's disease of complacency. I decided that a little cleansing with fire was in order. I invite the Arts Council to follow suit.'
Demarco has also issued a dinner invitation to Brian McMaster, the director of the Edinburgh Festival, to discuss the rejuvenation of the Scottish arts. The invitation is the end product of years spent badgering the authorities. Demarco, 74, is soon leaving Edinburgh to become Professor of European Cultural Studies at Kingston University, and his summers will be spent with impoverished Eastern European artists at the Alamassy Palace, Budapest. Tom Morris
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments