What's On Scotland 12-19 Jan: Celtic Connections & more
Celtic Connections kicks off next week until February for a range of folk, trad and world music performances. Elsewhere, Jekyll and Hyde opens at the Lyceum and Michelle Williams Gamaker's film continues at the DCA
We can’t quite explain it but winter is the season for folk: it’s frosty, the world looks like a fairy tale, fiddles just sound better. Perfect timing, then, for Celtic Connections, Glasgow’s weeks-long festival dedicated to folk, trad, and world music, which kicks off next week in venues across Glasgow from 18 Jan-4 Feb.
There’s an abundance of concerts, workshops, and late night sessions throughout the city, from intimate venues such as The Hug and Pint to Glasgow's magnificent Royal Concert Hall. Some of our favourites include the likes of Julie Fowlis, RURA and Raveloe, as well as appearances from The Skinny faves Acolyte and Rachel Sermanni. Tickets for individual events can be found on the website.
Bodies in Motion
Stereo, Glasgow. 12 Jan, 11pm
It’s tempting to spend January on your sofa waiting for it to be over, but we promise you will feel better if you move around a little bit. Ideal timing then, for Bodies in Motion: there’s house, acid, techno and electro from DJs Joey Name & Rufus, BLEEN and Moventia (VJ). Image: Courtesy of Stereo.
Jekyll and Hyde
Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh. 13-27 Jan
Robert Louis Stevenson’s Gothic classic is brought to life in this darkly comic one-person play written by Gary McNair. Turning the well-trodden story on its head, Jekyll and Hyde collapses the gap between its “two” protagonists, exploring the depths of one man’s psyche. Image: Mihaela Bodlovic.
The Cineskinny Film Club
Various venues, Edinburgh + Glasgow. 16-17 Jan, 7pm
The first of this year's Cineskinny film club is a classic: I Hired a Contract Killer, the 1990 English-language debut from Finnish director Aki Kaurismäki, whose gorgeous film Fallen Leaves came out late last year. Tickets are sold out online but there are always free ones available on the door. Image: MUBI.
Fokus: Films from Germany
Various venues, Scotland. 9-31 Jan
A festival dedicated to the best of German-language cinema, curated by the Goethe Institut and with screenings across Scotland, highlights from this year's Fokus include Christian Petzold’s Afire, Maria Schrader’s I’m Your Man, and Tom Tykwer’s hallucinatory Run Lola Run. Image: Schramm Films.
↪ Michelle Williams Gamaker: Our Mountains are Painted on Glass
DCA: Dundee Contemporary Arts, Dundee. Until 24 Mar
Michelle Williams Gamaker's major solo exhibition premieres her newly commissioned film Thieves, which takes inspiration from the 1924 and 1940 films The Thief of Bagdad to explore ideas of race, representation and identity. Image: Jo Underhill.
→ Kites in solidarity with Palestine
Dar Al-Arqam Mosque, Edinburgh. 14 Jan, 1:30pm
Join Palestinian collective Sumud for a kite making session in solidarity with Palestine. Together with FamiliesForPalestine, they'll be holding a workshop in memory of the Gazan poet Refaat Alareer.
→ Headset's Gay Garage
Sneaky Pete's, Edinburgh. 12 Jan, 11pm
Queer party Headset returns to Sneaky Pete's with a gorgeous run of club, techno, garage and club edits. Heading up the night is Glasgow's own DJ Greenman, resident of Stay Fresh, Sunday Dub Club, and i-AM.