NEWS
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ANNOUNCEMENTS, LINEUPS AND OPINION ‘Aggregation’ Chun Kwang Young
S U M M E R H A L L A R T I ST I C D I R EC TO R H E A D S S O U T H Rupert Thomson, Summerhall’s artistic director since 2011, is to leave the innovative Edinburgh arts venue to become senior programmer for performance and dance at London’s Southbank Centre. He’s credited with establishing Summerhall as one of the city’s most important Fringe venues in just four years, as well as programming events outside the festival. He leaves in April, but has already programmed Summerhall’s performances for the 2015 Fringe, which will be announced in early June.
E D I N B U R G H A R T F E ST I VA L P R O G R A M M E A N N O U N C E D Picasso, Lichtenstein, Escher, David Bailey, Toby Paterson and kennardphillipps are among the artists featured in the 2015 Edinburgh Art Festival, it’s been revealed. Charles Avery and Marvin Gaye Chetwynd have new commissions in unusual Edinburgh locations (yet to be announced), and there are solo shows from John Chamberlain, Phyllida Barlow, Chun Kwang Young (pictured) and Hanne Darboven. More at edinburghartfestival.com.
N EW F U N D I N G F O R A B E R D E E N ’S S O U N D F E ST I VA L The sound festival of contemporary music, based in and around Aberdeen, will receive £130,000 from Creative Scotland’s Open Fund. The
announcement by culture secretary Fiona Hyslop follows last year’s controversial decision not to award the acclaimed festival three-year funding, and will ensure events in 2015 and 2016. The news comes after criticism that Creative Scotland’s funding was weighted towards the central belt.
G R A H A M FAG E N TA K E S S O N I C C O L L A B O R AT I O N TO V E N I C E Glasgow-based artist Graham Fagen has revealed details of the work he will be taking to the prestigious Venice Biennale art festival from May to November 2015: a i ve-channel audio-visual installation in collaboration with composer Sally Beamish, classical string group the Scottish Ensemble, reggae singer Ghetto Priest and producer Adrian Sherwood, which will occupy four rooms of the city’s Palazzo Fontana. See interview, page 46.
D E M E N T I A F U N D I N G F O R E D I N B U R G H T H E AT R E S Edinburgh’s King’s Theatre and Festival Theatre have been awarded £320,000 from the Life Changes Trust to help them work towards becoming dementia-friendly venues. The funding from the Big Lottery Trust will be used to make the buildings safer and more welcoming for people with dementia, to programme shows specii cally for people affected by dementia, and to adapt existing theatre programmes to make them more dementia- friendly.
R S N O C E L E B R AT E S 1 25 Y E A R S The Royal Scottish National Orchestra has revealed details of its 125th anniversary season, including celebrations of Cole Porter and Prokoi ev, visits from former music directors, and a collection of large-scale choral music. In an early announcement from the Edinburgh International Film Festival, it’s also been revealed that the RSNO will play the live score to a special screening of Robert Zemeckis’ cult 80s i lm Back to the Future on Saturday 27 June. More at rsno.org.uk.
N EW G I G PA S S T R I A L F O R G L A S G OW University student Richard Freed is trialling a new pass which allows access to unlimited live gigs in Glasgow. Soundskape launches in April with a trial- period price of £10 allowing access to participating gigs throughout the month. More details on the new scheme are available at soundskape.co.uk.
AWA R D F O R G R E E N S H OWS AT T H E E D I N B U R G H F R I N G E Applications are open for the 2015 Fringe Sustainable Practice Award, which sets out to celebrate the greenest and most sustainable shows at the Fringe. Applications close on Friday 24 July, with the shortlist revealed in The List on Wednesday 5 August, and the winner announced on Friday 28 August. More details are at sustainablepractice.org/fringe
2 Apr–4 Jun 2015 THE LIST 13