NEWS
For more news go to LIST.CO.UK /NEWS
ANNOUNCEMENTS, LINE-UPS AND OPINION
EDINBURGH FESTIVALS: NUMBER CRUNCHING
Ticket sales and audience numbers are out for this year’s Edinburgh festivals: and it’s a mixed bag
Top of the heap is Summerhall (above), which has announced a massive 22% increase in ticket sales for its Fringe shows, from 36,000 in 2013 to over 44,000 this year. There were only six more shows this year compared with 2013 (96 in 2014, 90 in 2013), although the venue expanded into new spaces within its huge structure, including Paines Plough’s well-received Roundabout which took up residence in the courtyard. The Edinburgh International
Festival broke the £3m income mark for the i rst time, taking £3.15m, with 80% of all available tickets issued in Jonathan Mills’s i nal year as director. He commented: ‘The true measure of success is the audience’s experience, and we’ve received so much great feedback.’
The Fringe overall continued its seemingly unstoppable expansion, with almost 50,000 performances of over 3000 shows, seeing a 12% increase in ticket sales to take it over the 2 million mark for the i rst time in its 67-year history: an estimated 2.18 million tickets were sold.
The Pleasance reported similar results as 2013, however. Artistic director Anthony Alderson commented: ‘On ticket numbers we are the same as last year: a great 30th birthday for Pleasance.’
It was a similar case with the Edinburgh International Book Festival, which announced ticket sales matching 2013 i gures, and sales in its Charlotte Square bookshops also equalling those of last year. Festival director Nick Barley focused on the festival’s debates in referendum year, saying: ‘The atmosphere among audiences has ranged from exuberant to deeply thoughtful, with a real sense that Scotland is on the cusp of an epoch-dei ning decision.’
18 Sep–16 Oct 2014 THE LIST 7
drama to be screened on BBC Alba from Tuesday 23 September. Bannan, which translates as The Ties that Bind, follows the fortunes of a young woman who returns to Skye after leaving eight years previously, and was i lmed entirely on the island. It has already attracted interest from international broadcasters, and Young commented that he felt audiences were no longer put off by subtitled shows.
M E R C U RY N O M I N AT I O N F O R YO U N G FAT H E R S
12 Dead by Edinburgh’s Young Fathers is among the albums nominated for the 2014 Barclaycard Mercury Music Prize. The hip-hop trio won the Scottish Album of the Year award in June for their second album, Tape Two, and they’re up against fellow nominees including Damon Albarn, Bombay Bicycle Club and Anna Calvi for the Mercury. The winner will be announced on 29 October.
M U S I C I N D U S T RY DAY I N G L A S G OW A day-long Glasgow event aims to give young people hands-on experience of music industry careers. The Big Music Project Live, a collaboration between Capital FM, the BPI and charity UK Youth, takes place on 21 September at the Arches, and features live music, industry speakers and advice on work opportunities for young people aged 14 to 24. Tickets are free; more info at thebigmusicproject.co.uk
S O U N D F E S T I VA L L AU N C H E D
to
traditional music Fresh approaches form the theme for the sound festival of new music’s tenth anniversary, which brings performers from Norway, France, Turkey, India and Argentina to collaborate with Scottish musicians in and around Aberdeen. Highlights of its programme, just announced, include Scottish percussionist Colin Currie performing a brand new piece by Norwegian composer Rolf Wallin; Breton bagpiper Erwan Keravec collaborating with Sri Lankan-born classical cellist Rohan de Saram; and electronic music featuring Turkish harpist Sirin Pancaroglu (pictured). The festival runs from 23 October to 10 November. More details at sound-scotland.co.uk
KIDS’ BOOK AWARD SHORTLIST ANNOUNCED Pirates, witches and giant robot chickens are the among on subjects the Scottish C h i l d r e n ’ s Book Awards, s h o r t l i s t , which pits Precious and the Mystery of the Missing Lion by renowned author Alexander McCall Smith against Attack of the Giant Robot Chickens by newcomer (and almost namesake) Alex McCall. Voting closes on 6 February 2015, with the winners announced on 4 March 2015. More at scottishbooktrust.com
GA E L I C D RAM A FO R B BC A L BA The man behind The Inbetweeners, Chris Young, has unveiled his new project: a Gaelic-language