please don't shy away dear joe-X-2... the cyber playground can be a bullying place of sort please clarify your point.. if you are employed in the arts/culture employment sector up here then surely u know there's currently more to it than a 3-yr wait for a new build i agree that we can't let one-building solely take responsibility for arts in aberdeen, the points i referred to earlier are really saying that many avenues are already happening and in place... hence this development can only make progress more prolific we have a world-leading school of art and other wonderful educational outlets.. independent galleries + studios popping up at an increasing rate.. the new build can only aid confidence in these establishments + their submission rates but for the good of the people let us have a centre-piece that makes the arts accessible to all and strike down the negative spreaders (some that i unfortunately read in letters to the P+J while the new vision was going through planning)... this is a chance for aberdeen to grow from within the oil industry peg think on this: an average of 14 people use union terrace gdns, our only central green lung, each day... scores more, maybe 10/20/30 times as many folk drink a ground-hogged pint, or 2, in exodus or revolution on any given night.. culturally taking us backwards - no offence to the musicians who play but those locations but the averageness on show (and right around town) is hardly inspiring for social activities within our boundaries so let us quaff the grapes of italy under the stars of a northern light, while engrossed in the cultured output of the marvelous youth.. and be proud (pass my hankey uncle monty)