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BEHIND CLOSED DOORS
For many weeks John Mackintosh Hall’s closed doors meant the venue was pretty much out of bounds, perhaps giving the impression to many that not a lot was going on and Gibraltar Cultural Services (GCS) staff were all at home resting, sitting or even lying back on their laurels... And what a misconception that would be! BY RICHARD CARTWRIGHT
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ovid-19 played its disruptive part, of course, but diversification took centre stage at GCS and heads were - in effect banged together to come up with alternatives. “We had to come up with ideas. Our main concern was those at home,” Head of Development and Education, Davina Barbara, told me. “We had a responsibility to help and come up with a plan and programmes were structured on a weekly basis.” The wonderful creation of the internet and online availability was one solution and any number of morning library story telling sessions held in small groups, live story reading from home with parents taking part also, music, arts and crafts, and theatre workshops involving GAMPA, focus on Gibraltar Archive and Fine Arts, videos of past exhibitions with much of it online and shown on other social GIBRALTAR MAGAZINE SEPTEMBER 2020
platforms got underway. “We also had Paulette Finlayson showing groups of school children around the Mario Finlayson National Gallery in the Town Hall which displays her dad’s and other Gibraltarian artists’ works...” The GEMA (sculptor Victor Quintanilla has an incredible display of his creative work
there), Fine Arts and Mario Finlayson National art galleries have certainly not been forgotten with exhibitions and and story competitions involving schools being organised. The JMH Library has had limited activity with children whilst staff have been taking advantage of the lockdown to re-organise part of the room, keeping Davina and her 55
