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Around Town
Kirstin Innes rounds up the most exciting events of this year’s Merchant City Festival
Street life A s ever, this year’s Merchant City Festival is a really good showcase for the quirks and foibles of one of Glasgow’s most interesting
quarters. Here’s our guide to the best events. Shopping The Merchant City is well known for its glossy designer shops, many of which will be showcased on Ingram Street Shopping Day (Sat 24 Jul, 10am–6pm) with special instore events and a festival fashion trail, but there are also a number of excellent vintage shops in the area, and a special vintagey, crafty, burlesquey fair, Ooh La La, inside the amazing Britannia Panopticon Music Hall on Trongate (Fri 23 Jul, noon–9pm). Make sure to check out the Brunswick Street fashion show on Saturday, as well as the afterparty, DJed by the rather awesomely/ridiculously named Der Supermax Lovemachine. Culture As the Merchant City is home to some of the UK’s best galleries, such as Transmission and the Modern Institute, as well as the Tron Theatre and aforementioned Britannia Panopticon, it can make a fair claim to being one of the city’s cultural hubs. Alongside the usual programme of street theatre, this year Dance House will be taking on the Trongate for their Dance Jukebox (Sat 24 Jul, 1–4pm), in which their in-house dancers take on styles and songs suggested by the public. More free dance at The Briggait Opening: the former fishmarket has been converted into a beautiful set of artists’ studios and
there will be dance performances all over the huge building throughout Saturday and Sunday. Just as excitingly, award-winning composer Gareth Williams has composed a site-specific mini-opera for Babbity Bowster bar. Scottish Opera will be performing it on Sat 24 at 2.30 and 4.30pm and Sun 25 Jul at 2.30pm. Food Most of the restaurants in the area will be doing some sort of special festival menu, but there are also three street closures for open-air food markets between Friday and Sunday: a French Market on Candleriggs, and Italian Market on Wilson Street and a Scottish Market on King Street. Around the Merchant City There are also a number of events aimed at getting people to fall back in love with the area again. You can take guided tours of the (currently under threat) Ramshorn Theatre on Saturday between 10am–4pm; while on Saturday and Sunday pick up a rickshaw from Walkabout on Renfrew Street, plug in the headphones and be taken on a private guided tour of the hidden parts of the city with the Rickshaw Whispers scheme (Sat 24 Jul, 1.30–7pm; Sun 25 Jul, 12.30–7pm). Finally, we love the idea of drag king and performer Dianne Torr’s Drift Merchant tour, a walking tour with no set route, that could go anywhere. Meet at 60 Candleriggs. Thu 22–Sun 25 Jul. For full listings, see www.merchantcityfestival.com
www.list.co.uk/aroundtown Hitlist COUSINS, CONFLUX & CHALLENGES*
✽✽ Inspirations at NLS: Mark Cousins The writer (pictured), filmmaker, former director of the Edinburgh International Film Festival and friend of Tilda Swinton discusses the writers and filmmakers who have shaped his creative life. National Library of Scotland, Edinburgh, Thu 29 Jul, 6pm. ✽✽ The Surge Grande Parade: Conflux Maximus See picture, page 32. Buchanan Street, Glasgow, Fri 23 Jul, 5pm. ✽✽ Made in the Shade Summertime Hop Top notch fair of local indie crafters and designers makes its second visit to Edinburgh. Roxy Art House, Edinburgh, Sat 24 Jul, 10.30am–5pm. ✽✽ Glasswalking Challenge Walk barefoot across broken glass? Anyone else think these fundraisers are going to end in tears? Anyway, help to raise funds for the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland. Minimum sponsorship of £150 for those wanting to take part, and spectators welcome. Edinburgh Zoo, Fri 30 Jul, 6.30–9.30pm. ✽✽ Holyrood Park Fun Dog Show The annual waggiest tail competition ruffs around again and our hearts melt a little. In your face, Crufts! Holyrood Park, Edinburgh, Sun 1 Aug, 11am–3pm. ✽✽ Bratchy and The Wee Man’s Comedy Pub Quiz The Wee Man, YouTube superhero, and his brother in comedy and blood, Bratchy, present their monthly pub quiz with a difference. The Arches, Glasgow, Thu 5 Aug, 8pm. 22 Jul–5 Aug 2010 THE LIST 31