National Review of Live Art @ The Arches, 11-15 Feb

Having taken a few years to explore Tramway, the National Review of Live Art has returned to The Arches. A five-day-long celebration of the cutting edge, the NRLA is the place to discover the most daring performers and difficult ideas that can hardly be expressed in words. Guided by indefatigable and amiable host Ian Smith, the NRLA invites professional and newcomers to expand their perceptions of what can be performed.

The best way to enjoy the National Review is to pick a day at random, take a friend and see as much as possible. This guarantees a mixture of the profound and the silly, the trite and the moving. Then repair to the bar and discuss the highlights, and get into the questions posed by the event. What is art? Did I really want to see that? Why can nobody agree on what makes this good or that terrible? Is there any easy way to talk about live art?

Live art is a fluid category, encompassing anything from choreography through to installation spaces. This year, Raimund Hoghe subverts dance, while Third Angel, a company who have worked with the RSAMD and created full-length dramas, present a ritual for two people. Fan favourite Franco B returns for anyone who is not squeamish and Billy Cowie, who recently ‘toured’ Scotland with a 3D video dance, unveils his new piece – onto the ceiling.

The NRLA heralds the new year of radical performance, kicking off the New Territories 2009 programme. A jamboree of old stars and young hopefuls, it is undeniably unique and intense.