As the Merchant City Festival hits Glasgow, Kirstin lnnes talks to director Neil Butler and takes a tour through the packed programme
e‘re not short ol lcxlnalx in Scotland.
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\tn L‘llllk‘i‘ lt;t\c‘ l‘c‘g‘llll [H lL'L'l like Htlt‘ ol those Strip the \Villoux that happen at particularl) drunken ceilidhs. \\het‘e )ou'rc hulleted relentlcxxl} hetueen cultural e\ent\ and celclu'atiom ol' merflhing l'roni science and \e\ttalit} to cheese. Don't catch _\our hreath inst _\et. though late September means it‘s the turn ol. the .\lerchant ('it} l'extixal. \xhich cramx more than lell e\ettt\ into St) \enues. oxer lour da_\\ in a compact area ol‘ the cit}.
.r\rti\tic director \eil Butler. \xho also runs the anmtal perl‘ormance art ramm} Big in l'alkirk. l\ responsible l'or at least a small part ol this di//,\tn:_' o\ei'—\attn'ation. ‘\\'hen I took oxer the lexti\a| lottt' )L‘Lll‘S ago. I reall} wanted it to represent e\er_\thing that‘s most e\citing and \ihrant ahout Scottish culture. and \then )on think about it. there isn‘t reall} another big textual that takes in the sheer hreadth ol our artistic and cultural acti\it.\.’ he Mt)» "l'here'x Izdinhurgh. ol' course. hut that's an international lexti\al. and the hinge isn't curated. ('eltic ('otinections is another hig one. hut it's entirel} locuxed on music.‘
I suggest the West land l'esti\al. another celehration ol a (ilasgou district. hut Butler tlUL'Slld see the \ltttllat'ille\. "'l'lte \Vexl l‘.lltl l'extnal is a hrilliant e\pre\\ion ol’ the cttltural lil'e ol that area. 'l'here's a \er} strong communit} l’eel to their programme. and the} tend to pull acts \\l[ll strong local appeal. hecattse it‘s lundamentall} a residential area. Our ambitions are tllll'c‘l’c‘lll.‘
Although the terin “Merchant ('it}’ is last hecoming (ila\gt)\\ shorthand lor the gloss}. costl} shops and st} le hars jllxl otl' Ingram Street. and lot' a certain t_\pe ol \tell-heeled lixing. the area itsell' takes in the sweep ol' roads l’rom (ieorge Square and Queen Street. the Na} ed ends ol' .-\rg_\le Street around the 'l‘ron. and all the \c‘ll//_\ and e\citing galleries and music \enue» round ('andleriggs and King Street. Trying to encapsulate all (it that in a l‘our-da_\ textual that alm tilllh l‘or national and international relexance might seem a daunting task. hut Butler l'ountl his inspiration u ithin that mottled patelmork‘.
’Historicall}. this area Used to he the centre ol