2015 HIGHLIGHTS
P H O T O © K A R O L N A W E B B
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VISUAL ART BOOKS
STAGE
▲ GLASGOW OPEN HOUSE The i rst Glasgow Open House took place in 2014 and showed the works of more than 80 emerging and established artists (including Kornelia Klokk’s Glamorous Sun, pictured) in 32 venues including l ats, gardens, sheds and community centres. The programme for 2015 is set to expand to include more music, dance and performance events, and a series of ‘Art Walks’, workshops and outreach projects. • Various venues, Glasgow, Fri 1–Tue 5 May.
▲ SCOTLAND + VENICE In 2015 Graham Fagen will represent Scotland at the world’s biggest visual art event: the Venice Biennale. His solo presentation, supported by Hospitali eld Arts, will be located in a 16th-century palace on the banks of the Grand Canal. • Palazzo Fontana, Venice, Sat 9 May–Sun 22 Nov. ▲ HIDDEN DOOR FESTIVAL The organisers at Hidden Door Festival have a knack for seeking out unusual spaces in Edinburgh and transforming them into eclectic pop-up arts venues i lled with work by emerging artists. In 2015, they will occupy the old street lighting depot located just off the Grassmarket in Edinburgh’s Old Town. • King’s Stables Road, Edinburgh, Fri 22–Sat 30 May.
▲ EDINBURGH ANNUALE Every year the Embassy Gallery organises a city-wide celebration of the grassroots arts scene in Edinburgh. Determined to foster the spirit of collaboration and innovation, they seek out proposals for group shows in new and unexpected locations. • Various venues, Edinburgh, Fri 5–Sun 21 Jun. ▲ TURNER PRIZE 2015 With four Scottish artists winning the prize since 2009 – including Duncan Campbell in 2014 – it has developed i rm ties to our art scene. Next year, the Turner Prize exhibition travels to Scotland for the very i rst time. • Tramway, Glasgow, Thu 1 Oct–Jan 2016.
▲ POEMS – IAIN BANKS AND KEN MACLEOD Iain Banks’ death in 2013 has left a tangible absence in the world of Scottish books, so this new volume of poetry will be welcomed by fans. They have been collected by his friend Ken MacLeod and published alongside some of MacLeod’s own poems. • Published in Feb by Little, Brown. ▲ THE GRACEKEEPERS – KIRSTY LOGAN Logan’s i rst work, The Rental Heart and Other Fairy Tales, attracted a slew of award nominations this year. So there’s plenty of anticipation ahead of her debut novel, a fairytale-like story of two girls who meet in a world where the sea has l ooded the earth. • Published in May by Harvill Secker.
▲ PRIDE AND PREJUDICE – CURTIS SITTENFELD The i rst three instalments of the Austen Project – Joanna Trollope’s Sense and Sensibility, Val McDermid’s Northanger Abbey and Alexander McCall Smith’s Emma – have left fans of Jane Austen with much to say, and little of it good. So what will they make of Sittenfeld’s take on her most famous novel? • Published in Aug by the Borough Press.
▲ THE RACKET – JOHN GREEN All we know about this one is what Goodreads tells us: that Green’s new novel is called The Racket and the estimated release date will be 31 December 2015. But that’s enough to send The Fault in Our Stars author’s fanbase into a frenzy of excitement. • Published in Dec by Pufi n, says goodreads.com
▲ THE WINDS OF WINTER – GEORGE RR MARTIN OK, it’s a long shot, but the sixth novel in the series A Song of Ice and Fire by George RR Martin (pictured) – on which HBO’s popular Game of Thrones is based – is supposed to be released sometime between 2015 and 2017. So there’s still the ghost of a chance we’ll see it in the next 12 months. • Published in 2015 by Harper Voyager, we hope.
(Rachael Cloughton) (Yasmin Sulaiman)
▲ MANIPULATE Weaving together puppetry, visual theatre and dance, Manipulate’s vision is international, experimental and accessible. Kicking off with Edinburgh Festival hit Maria addolorata, it also features the likes of Ramesh Meyyappan’s poetic, puppet-based Madame Butterl y. (Lorna Irvine) • Traverse Theatre, Edinburgh, Sat 31 Jan–Sat 7 Feb. ▲ THE SLAB BOYS As part of the celebrations of the Citizens’ 70 years in the Gorbals, David Hayman directs a revival of John Byrne’s The Slab Boys. Designed by Byrne himself, the 1978 classic is regarded as one of the most important moments in Scottish theatre, with its raw representation of working-class youth. (Gareth K Vile) • Citizens Theatre, Glasgow, Thu 12 Feb–Sat 7 Mar.
▲ GLASGOW INTERNATIONAL COMEDY FESTIVAL ‘Bigger and better than ever before’ is one of those overly used straplines, but it’s perfectly apt in this case. Among the household names appearing are Dylan Moran, Susan Calman and Jimmy Carr, while rising stars such as Ellie Taylor and Harry Garrison will be looking to make waves. (Brian Donaldson) • Various venues, Glasgow, Thu 12–Sun 29 Mar.
▲ CIRQUE ELOIZE: CIRKOPOLIS With modern circus fast becoming the theatrical equivalent of Starbucks, we expect troupes to serve up something a little different. Montreal-based Cirque Éloize does just that. Juggling, aerial, trapeze, acrobatics and contortionism all feature in Cirkopolis – but so too do stunning visuals. (Kelly Apter) • Festival Theatre, Edinburgh, Wed 1–Sat 4 Apr. ▲ KEVIN BRIDGES Once upon a time, the Clydebank comic might have wondered where his next gig was coming from. This year, he’s able to announce extra shows a year in advance at venues with Arena in their titles. (BD) • SSE Hydro, Glasgow, Mon 21–Sat 26 Sep, Thu 1– Mon 5 Oct, Wed 11, Tue 17 & Wed 18 Nov; Edinburgh Playhouse, Wed 14–Sun 18 Oct.
11 Dec 2014–5 Feb 2015 THE LIST 43