The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
One V&A for two Dundees
Some years before his present troubles, Alex Salmond was fond of regaling listeners with his vision for the future of Dundee. At the height of his powers as First Minister, he talked of crossing the Tay Road Bridge from Fife. On the left would be the new and resplendent V&A. On the right, the working port of Dundee – prospering through its role in decommissioning redundant North Sea oilfield structures while building wind turbines for the new renewables industry.
In September 2018, one part of what Mr Salmond foresaw has come to be. A week today, the spectacular V&A building will open. But, apparently, not everyone is jumping for joy. Among some, there is a distinct lack of belief in the project, as was exemplified by one native of the city I came across this year while I was compiling a news report for STV on the controversy surrounding the rather large building being erected on Site Six of Dundee’s Waterfront.
While I was standing in Union Street, the aforesaid gentleman rolled down his car window and shouted over to me: “What are you doing?”
“Filming that building people are saying is blocking off the V&A,” I replied.
“Blocking off what?”
“The V&A.”
“The what?”
Somewhat taken aback, I replied: “The big, new museum of design that’s going to open later this year. You must have heard of it.”
“Oh that,” he said dismissively. “That’s no’ for us.”
This exchange made me think about how much of a disconnect there is between the heady expectations of what the V&A will bring and some sections of the local community.
In a place where there’s no shortage of social problems, such as deep-rooted poverty and unenviable drugs deaths and suicide rates, it’s not surprising there is scepticism that the benefits will filter through to the less well off.
It’s been highlighted most recently by councillor Charlie Malone, who will not be taking up his invitation to the V&A opening in sympathy with those who are living in financial hardship.
This has raised the argument, once again, that there are two Dundees. One where the £1 billion Waterfront development is propelling the city towards sunny economic uplands and the other that remains embroiled in deprivation.
It might be instructive, then, to draw a comparison with the sentiments contained in the document supporting Dundee’s impressive, but ultimately unsuccessful, bid to become UK City of Culture 2017.
It spoke of the city choosing, from the 1980s, to invest in culture as a way of announcing its intention to redevelop. But it also emphasised the need to ensure people in deprived communities felt the benefits of using culture to help the city’s revival in a post-industrial era. That was reflected in the hundreds of bid ideas from local people about projects, performances, themes and events that could emerge. It can only be a good thing if that sort of local passion can be translated into supporting the V&A.
Outsiders are now looking on Dundee in a previously unheard of light. Endorsements have come from publications such as Vogue, The Wall Street Journal, Lonely Planet and GQ – a remarkable turnaround for the city’s reputation.
We await the hundreds of thousands of visitors who are said to be coming, pumping million of pounds into the local economy along the way. Let’s all hope they do because their arrival will be crucial to the success of the V&A and the city’s future prosperity. We can all do our bit to make sure that happens, even if it’s simply by welcoming tourists and talking the city up rather than putting it down. The V&A won’t solve all the city’s problems but it has to be a catalyst for positive economic development.
“Dundee wants this and Dundee needs it,” was the refrain about UK City of Culture status. Today, Dundee needs the V&A to be a success. Perhaps the man in Union Street can be persuaded it is for all of us.