Save UTG... more!

This is cut and paste from Dave Officer's heartfelt email - but we share his sentiments 100% - so I don't think he'd mind the direct copy!

Ok after a week of fairly outrageous propaganda from the City Square camp and Aberdeen Journals, the petition to Save Union Terrace Gardens is still outperforming the rival City Square petition.

Please if you want some information on the current situation go to: http://www.comparethesquare.com and read Fraser Denholm from I Heart UTG's blog at: http://fraserdenholm.blogspot.com/2010/02/real-architectural-blight.html

Most importantly we need signatures, so please please please sign the petition: http://www.gopetition.com/petitions/save-the-new-contemporary-art-centre-in-union-terrace-gardens.html

If you haven't already taken part then please also take a moment to register your view on the city square consultation: http://www.thecitysquareproject.com/

if you're against it then just scroll straight to the end and select 'no' as your answer where it asks if you support City Square.

If you could please forward this onto as many people as you can and try and persuade friends, family and co-workers to sign that would be amazing. The only way to get compromise is to persuade Sir Ian and ACSEF that his 'vision' of destroying the gardens forever is not what the people of Aberdeen want.

I'm really sorry to keep harping on about it, and I know people are getting fed up hearing about it but all we have is our ability to shout. ACSEF and City Square have millions and almost £300,000 of public money to spend on persuading people to say yes to it, plus the chairmen of some of the areas biggest companies putting pressure on their employees and business partners to support the square. There's more of us though and we can shout louder! This will decide the future of our city for generations and we need to have our voices heard. We can't be bullied into letting them create real estate on our last city centre green space.

We've been told City Square will bring jobs and prosperity but everytime we've asked one simple question, how? It's never been answered.

Thanks folks

Save UTG (Union Terrace Gardens) Aberdeen

There's a bit of a stooshy going on in Aberdeen at the moment. Some people want an elegant, world class arts centre that will re-energise and invigorate the sadly dilapidated Union Terrace Gardens (to the cost of £13 million pounds - 75% of the funding is in place from many sources).

Some people want to concrete over the 6 acre site and "create a civic square to be proud of" - yes, Aberdeen's only central green space (without dead people in it!) has been earmarked to be turned into something we can't describe - as there are no solid plans for it yes - just artists impressions of slabbed expanses, unreal mature trees etc.

There are some people who don't want anything - and are happy to not have any progress in re-vitalising the gardens - a real travesty!

We are obviously on the side of the Arts Centre - after all, Aberdeen is woefully under provided with artistic venues (per capita) - not quite the same can be said for Oil related business ventures! - no wonder people think the Arts don't contribute "financially" to our economy (not that that is even a valid point, as life doesn't always have to be about profit and money and spend spend spend!).

Anyway - make up your own mind - check out the comparison site www.comparethesquare.com on the "facts" that we do know - after all - the ACSEF plans are still being visioneered and consulted on - as opposed to the PVA plans that got full planning permission and were about to be built last summer (2009) - until ACSEF & Sir Ian decided to put the breaks on that one.

TFAW featured on the Kiosque website

The fantastic website "the Kiosque" has featured our last typeface about union terrace gardens and ACSEF's plans to concrete over them (but not concrete over them, according to their publicity).

We thank the Kiosque for the support and help, and for being an upstanding organ (!) in the Aberdeen City & Shire's cultural front.

To see the article, please visit : www.thekiosque.com/2009/12/10/arts-type-casting-in-union-terrace/

I <3 UTG exhibition

The first in a series of I ♥ UTG campaign awareness events;
"insert".

An exhibition of local artists coming together to help raise awareness for the problems facing Union Terrace Gardens & Aberdeen’s new Arts Centre.

All works based upon the theme “heart” and will be on sale for £20 per artwork to raise funds for the I ♥ UTG campaign.

Gilla Brooker
Alicia Bruce
Libby Day
Fraser Denholm
Jim Ewen
Jo Gannon
Katie Guthrie
Eva Merz
William Moulding
Gabrielle Reith
Stuart Simpson
Anita Stewart
Philip Thompson
Sarah J Tingle

and more to be confirmed……..

So come spend the evening with Project Slogan & I ♥ UTG and help us create a better, greener and brighter future for out city.