10 months ago
Simon Turtle
As the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games and Festival 2014 celebrations come to an end on 3 August, many summer festival programmes in Edinburgh will only just be beginning and include Commonwealth themed work as the Cultural Programme continues beyond Games Time. As part of Culture 2014, world leading and new artists will bring fantastic shows and exhibitions to Edinburgh’s stages and galleries.
Treats in store include the Commonwealth Jazz Orchestra, starring a great blend of Commonwealth musicians and Scottish artists at the Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival.
The Edinburgh International Book Festival will present a unique promenade piece, Letters Home, in collaboration with leading Scottish theatre company Grid Iron – the first time such an ambitious theatre production has been presented at the book festival.
The Edinburgh Mela has commissioned a spectacular collaboration between rising world music star Soumik Datta and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra. The King of Ghosts – inspired by Oscar-winning director Satyajit Ray’s 1969 arthouse film Gupi Gayen Bagha Bayen – combines rich orchestral textures with Indian folk rhythms and electronic beats to accompany projected scenes from the film, creating a magical atmosphere.
Edinburgh Art Festival, in partnership with the City of Edinburgh Council, presents a major international exhibition over four floors of the City Art Centre and at off-site locations around the city. ‘Where do I end and you begin’ features work by over 20 contemporary artists, selected by five curators from Commonwealth countries.
The Edinburgh International Festival presents a season of South African work from major international artists to celebrate the 20th anniversary of the first democratic elections. Handspring Puppet Company presents Ubu and the Truth Commission, artist Brett Bailey’s Exhibit B brings a thought-provoking installation confronting audiences with questions around racism and colonial history, and dancers from The Royal Ballet and Rambert join Ladysmith Black Mambazo for the world premiere of Inala, a muscular and beautiful Zulu ballet.
Significant seasons of work by South African and New Zealand artists at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe are also on the horizon this summer, when the Commonwealth celebrations continue beyond Games Time.
Search for more events which are part of the Culture 2014 programme.
