Festivals notices
Featuring news and information about festivals and related activities, in Scotland and around the world. Be sure to check the International area of our website for more opportunities.
The 3 Harbours Arts Festival
Africa In Motion 2008 - Call for submissions
Center Of Huntley Festival
Theatre Methods 2008 - call for Creative Presentations
Community Arts Festival Brochure Launched
Prestonpans, Cockenzie and Port Seton, three very picturesque harbours, join together each year to stage the 3 harbours arts festival. Now in its third year you can experience a very unique journey between these harbours and en-route you will be able to see artwork in a variety of interesting and unusual venues. From private homes to community buildings from shop windows to swimming pools, not forgetting fish shops, artists studios, churches, museums, garages and schools. One off events will feature talks, workshops, ceilidhs, dance, drama and concerts from individuals, organisations and groups.
The inspiration for the festival came from the wonderful array of art, which flourishes in East Lothian and is borne out of the enthusiasm of local creative people and their talents. This exciting creativity is diverse and covers painting, drawing, sculpture, music, drama, dance, writing, art installations and so much more.
This years cultural extravaganza will run over ten days from Friday 30 May until Sunday 08 June and will feature a host of eye catching visual and cultural artistic marvels. Last years festival saw more than 2000 participants and 140 venues taking part with a footfall of over 18,000 people contributing to the increase in tourism and awareness of our beautiful coastline.
To open the festival, Tasmin Little, famous violinist, will serenade the lit chimneys with music from her latest album “The Naked Violin”. This will take place on Friday 30th May.
For further information please take a look at the 3 Harbours Arts Festival website.
Africa in Motion festival launches new short film competition for emerging African filmmakers. The Africa in Motion film festival (AiM), which takes place annually in October at Edinburgh Filmhouse, is officially inviting African filmmakers to submit short films for a new AiM competition. In order to target the competition specifically towards young and emerging African talent, filmmakers who enter a film for consideration must not have completed a feature-length film previously. Films entered must have been completed in 2005 or after, and must be no longer than 30 minutes.
The competition winner will be selected from a shortlist of films and will be announced at an awards ceremony at the third successive Africa in Motion festival in October 2008. The winner will have the opportunity for their film to be screened at AiM 2008 as well as the chance to win a significant cash prize. A selection of other short films specially commended by our competition jury will also be screened as part of a short film showcase at AiM 2008.
The deadline for competition submissions is 31 May 2008, and following from this a shortlist of films will be selected by an AiM viewing committee. The shortlist will be announced in July 2008. These films will then be viewed by all jury panel members, who will make a collective decision as to the prizewinners, based on a point scoring system that will take into account the relative merits of each of the short listed films.
For further information please visit Africa In Motion website for full submission guidelines and to download an entry form or email AiM festival director Lizelle Bisschoff.
Music, Dance and Food festival celebrating life and work of Ronald Center.
Ronald Center (Composer, born 1913) was the youngest of a distinguished musical family. At the age of 30, Center settled in Huntly, where he remained until his death thirty years later in 1973. During this time he taught music at the Gordon Schools and then devoted himself to private tuition and composition. Many of his piano compositions and songs were performed on the BBC Home Service in the Modern Scottish Composer’s series. His work was played by the Scottish Orchestra and other works were publicly performed and broadcast to acclaim. As a composer he wrote for voice, solo instruments, strings and full orchestra. Together with his wife Evelyn, herself a notable soprano, he formed a great musical partnership. Since Center’s death his music has been very little performed. However, his work has never ceased to be admired within the music profession and efforts are now being made to bring his compositions to a wider audience. During 2008 Deveron Arts is hosting a multi-facetted programme with two acclaimed musicians to research and bring alive the work of Huntly’s composer.
Other performers include Emily White a violinist and trombonist who has performed extensively across the UK and internationally. She is in Huntly for a four months residency to research the provenance of the town’s composer, which includes the world premier and first recording of Center’s string quartets. Dr Sally Garden a Scottish mezzo-soprano, author and concert promoter. She has a lively career featuring both international and cross-discipline collaborative work. The festival will launch her SongStream ‘Secret Center’ – exploring Center’s 10 surviving art songs and 26 Song arrangements.
A limited edition Center of Huntly rare 10-year-old single malt Scotch Whisky has been specially created to commemorate this event and the composer Ronald Center. Price £40 per bottle available at Duncan Taylor, Gordon Street, Huntly. Tel 01466 794055 or email Duncan Taylor.
Town Center Music for Streetfights by Garry Williams, a mobile sound system offering a late night sound track for the streets of Huntly. Friday and Saturday 10pm-2am £10 (£5 conc) full concert festival programme. Booking recommended. Tickets from Brander Library.
The festival runs from 2 - 3 May 2008 at various venues across Huntley. For further details please visit the Devorn Arts website or send them an email.
Call for Creative Presentations - 7 - 13 July 2008
Theatre Methods 2008 in an international festival exploring the bridge between traditional and contemporary performing arts. Held in Malpils, Latvia, the event will unite performers from across the globe, including actors, directors, dancers, choreographers, teachers, playwrights, designers and theatre critics.
They are currently accepting applications for creative presentations – such as workshops/masterclasses, works in progress, performance fragments, lectures and any other demonstrations. For more details, go to the Theatre Methods website.
The second '3 Harbours Arts Festival' has been launched. Based in the East Lothian towns of Prestonpans, Cockenzie and Port Seton, the festival celebrates the wonderful array of arts and crafts the three communities has to offer. Featuring visual arts, music, drama, trails and literature, the festival takes place in 140 venues, including peoples homes, community halls, harbours and windows.
Spectacular lighting installations will play a huge part in their visual arts programme this year, with the three communities linked by a two mile long series of illuminations. The 32 page full colour brochure is out now. For full details please visit the 3 Harbours Arts Festival website. |