Arches LIVE

Arches LIVE! is an institution, having shifted in the past few years from a radical theatre extravangza to a radical performance fortnight. With 28 local artists, including the all-conquering Nic Green and the veteran Ian Smith in solo mode, Arches Live! is both a first step for young artists and a celebration of Scottish based live art.

The themes of this year's edition are suitably broad: Green checks out the relationship between place and identity, Ugly Pup consider the process of aging while a certain Skinny Performance editor exposes his eccentric vision of performance criticism.

Jackie Wylie, whose uncompromising vision has led to The Arches championing small scale and local performance explained the festival's ethos: “There is no doubt that we are living in uncertain times and many of the artists at this year’s Arches Live are determined to ask difficult questions," she comments. "For me, what is exciting is their refusal to provide definitive answers. Rather, the festival opens up a space for conversation, ignites new debate and creates sparks of dynamic dialogue."

It is not only content that is diverse and questioning: jumping from drama into music are Iain Campbell's he's NOT_WITH (Music installation), Lawrence Crawford’s Coma features Joel Stone from west coast rockers band Shitdisco. Visual art arrives with Inbox, while the latest generation of RSAMD and Glasgow University graduates cross boundaries without even noticing.

An introduction to Scotland's underground theatre and an exampler of how curation can be a performance in itself, Arches Live! is a more focused Fringe to Glasgow's ongoing theatre festival. [Phil Gatt]