Scott Antony Appreciation Page

19/05/2025

“We must act now to ensure that the next generation of creators reflects the full spectrum of our society, not just a narrow wealthy and privileged slice of it.” - Orphy Robinson MBE

Sign our open letter to the Secretary of State for Education ➡️ https://tinyurl.com/MakeSpaceForTheArts

19/05/2025

“The arts represent knowledge and skills that are central to the intellectual and emotional development of young people.” - Dr Kadiatu Kanneh-Mason

Sign our open letter to the Secretary of State for Education ➡️ https://tinyurl.com/MakeSpaceForTheArts

07/05/2025

GLOUCESTERS BARGE SEMINGTON 1986. DIRECTOR SCOTT ANTONY : FOUNDER DAVID WILKIE.
Throughout its innovative creative decade of existence The Barge Semington administered by the Gloucester Arts Trust / Courtyard Arts Trust. presented cutting edge music , with a broad scope. Everything from traditional and contemporary folk to innovative contemporary bands like Apple mosaic. Here are are photos of the band ' Kiss the Blade ' which drew packed audiences in 1986

23/10/2024

The Oysterband performed to packed audiences at Gloucesters Barge semington in the 1980s. Under the Arts Directorship of Scott Antony and Founder of the Trust David Wilkie . Now decades later they have continued their popularity tbrough their creative unique music.

Oysterband and June Tabor: Canterbury.

25/05/2024

Credric was the Artistic painter of the Barge Semington and was in the forefront of community arts in Gloucestershire from the 1960s through to the 1980s .Since his passing a few years ago he still remains largely unrecognised by Gloucester City and its City Council for his record of achievement

12/12/2023

GLOUCESTERS DECADE OF PIONEERING ARTS AND ENTERTAINMENT 1977-87 : THE COURTYARD ARTS TRUST ? GLOUCESTER ARTS.
From its inception under David Wilkin Gloucester's Barge Semington unique non institutional , sometimes unconventional and progressive creative format made it an artistic social hub attracting a broad range of audiences according to the programmed event. All promoted through its professionally printed arts programme. David Wilkin's created Folk music and song nights promoted to attract a broad audience which included tourist visitors and those who had not normally attended a Folk music evening mixing with those known as the folkies ( fans of folk music ). Such evenings would include established and emerging bands and singers, performing traditional local and national music and song and even the occasional improvised material. There was also space for the odd performing poet. One singer of traditional English and Welsh Folk songs also composed his own lyrics and music, Malcolm Britain. Who ultimately recorded his work on an LP, then performed for periods in Spain.
Whilst young people whose entertainment options had declined with the closure of Saturday morning cinema , could for some at least f be entertained by and involved in performing theatre provided by Dr Fosters Traveling Theatre. For the very young the companies puppet shows were highly popular.
Under the Directorship of Scott Antony the venue further developed its creativity with music band nights often performing a range of new and original material resembling the Tv's Old Grey Whistle Test in a Cavern club atmosphere. It also programmed a variety of workshops in drama dance, personal development, co-operative enterprise development, The distinctive bands that performed included Apple Mosaic , the Oyster Band, Maxwell Street, among others who achieved notoriety and even cut records.
Once a month the Trust would program a Saturday night 'Happy Parrot ' cabaret of singers, musicians , magicians, comedians, performing poetry, to packed audiences.
SEE PREVIOUS FILM POSTING : ' Gloucester City Docks : Barge Semington. Photo Roundup' by scrolling back.

12/12/2023

COMMUNITY ARTS AS A STRATEGY FOR ARTS DEVELOPMENT : SCOTT ANTONY DIRECTOR GLOUCESTER ARTS TRUST

A proposal of Scott Antony's in the co written City Arts strategy was to have a City wide community arts worker to stimulate , engage with and enhance communities through arts projects. Although its conceivable the City Council perceived the project as recreational arts , community arts in its fullest philosophy is about the democratic expression of arts and culture, stimulating and empowering peoples creative talents and engendering a real sense of community. As explained more fully in the illustrated book ' Culture Democracy and the Right to make Art.
Following the appointment of the arts worker , Scott founded a community print workshop managed by one of Gloucestershire's foremost contemporary arts who had decorated the Barge Semington, Credric Titcombe. Then Scott was also associated with the establishment of a Community Scrap store to provide scrap materials useful to community groups and educational initiatives
A principle of community arts is also about equipping and empowering peoples creative talents. To this end Scott Antony additionally inputted into the arts component of a local Vocational Training imitative. ( TVEI ).

12/12/2023

A VISION FOR THE ARTS IN GLOUCESTER : GLOUCESTERS COURTYARD ARTS / GLOUCESTER ARTS TRUST
The appointment of Scott Antony in the early 1980's as Arts Director of the then Courtyard Arts Trust which changed its name to Gloucester Arts , created a broader range of arts activities and engagement with the City and County Councils to stimulate arts policies and practice. Scott Antony and Phillip Cooke the City Councils Leisure Services Officer wrote an arts strategy proposing use of the Cities Guildhall as an arts and cultural centre, the setting up of a City Arts Forum to encourage the development of the arts in the City, which included encouraging and stimulating creative and cultural enterprises and to stage a City Arts Conference which Scott and Gloucester Arts would assist in organising,
The City Councils discussion o the arts strategy had a mixed reception with two Councillors claiming that creative and cultural enterprises only offer low wage, non unionised mickey mouse jobs.
In fact this is a stereo type image of a broad economic sector that both then and now is a significant part of the economy. The Council voted to change the Guildhall into an arts and cultural centre, which subsequently hosted the Arts Conference, and set up the public arts forum. Scott Antony and Gloucester Arts initially played a leading role in the arts forum.
The photo article references the Gloucester Docks regeneration discussions which Scott Antony contributed to including assisting in staging a Docks exhibition at a nearby disused warehouse.
See previous posting 'An Arts Barge in Gloucester Docks '

11/12/2023

THE BARGE SEMINGTON GLOUCESTER ARTS / COURTYARD ARTS TRUST FEATURED ON TELEVISION
The arts venue was featured on Tv both regionally and nationally during the 1970/ 80s period of David Wilkins Directorship and during the Directorship of Scott Antony in the 1980's. The photo features a still photo of the presenter of BBC West's A Day Out which filmed clips of a Dr Fosters Children's puppet show performed inside the Barge.
Another program about Gloucester Docks featuring and filmed from the Barge Semington is featured in a previous posting. See a previous posting ' An Arts Barge in Gloucester Docks '.
Whilst the nationally broadcast ITV Sunday program 'Stars on Sunday ' featured an Opera Singer and separately Harry Secombe singing outside the Barge Semington.
The venue also featured on the cover of Gloucester Cities Tourism booklet.

11/12/2023

GLOUCESTERSHIRES ICONIC ARTS CENTRE : THE BARGE SEMINGTON 1977 - 87
In October of this year the Gloucestershire Echo carried a feature on the fondly remembered and highly successful floating arts Centre. Which Scott Antony joined as Director in the 1980's.
It was founded by an arts pioneer David Wilkin and his Courtyard Arts Trust. He innovated an arts concept which would create a unique and nationally distinctive arts venue providing performance space for traditional and contemporary folk singers and musicians, and an exciting venue for young people to experience theatre and puppet shows through the ever popular Dr Fosters Traveling Theatre.
The venue itself an historic converted cargo barge with seating in its hull with a refreshments / drinks bar at one end and performance space at the other developed such a reputation it attracted the attention soon after its opening of the BBC program A Day Out ( produced by BBC West ). A program clip was available for viewing on the BBC site until recently when it was archived.
The Barge was creatively decorated and had a picture of Gloucester City Cathedral by a leading artist in Gloucestershire CredricTitcombe. It was a floating arts centre that was also a work of art.
The picture features David Wilkin being acknowledged by Rank Xerox and presentation of a painting of the barge sponsored by Rank Xerox.

13/09/2023

THE GLOUCESTER PLAYWAGON PROJECT : FOUNDED AND MANAGED BY GLOUCESTER ARTS / COURTYARD ARTS TRUST UNDER THE DIRECTORSHIP OF SCOTT ANTONY
The Gloucester Play Wagon project was an additional children's activity project to add to the variety of children's creative activities provided through the arts trust Scott Antony was Director of in the 1980's. Scott conceived and founded the project.
Composed of a variety of soft shaped construction blocks and soft base it give youngsters the freedom to create their own play areas. Testing their imagination, mutual co operation and creative ideas the ongoing forms and outcomes varied according to time and place. The shapes could construct various structures and platforms, whilst a slightly mote complicated range of materials could create a child's mobile vehicle which could be pushed around . It gained popularity at children's and community festivals, it also regularly visited children's play schemes and was a play scheme at its popular base inside the floating Barge Semington. See the previous posting on this project ' Creative Children's Play the Courtyard Arts Trust Play wagon ' by scrolling back,