What's On Scotland 18-25 Feb: Paisley Book Festival & more
Paisley Book Festival returns to the West of Scotland this week with many bookish delights. Meanwhile, Los Bitchos bring their floor-thumping music to Stereo and a masquerade arrives in Summerhall.
For the bookish crowd, the return of Paisley Book Festival in person will be a welcome treat. Having kicked off proceedings yesterday, the ten-day long programme continues until 26 February, with enough author events, panels, and workshops to keep all bibliophiles happy.
Highlights from the programme include a panel with new Scottish Poet Makar Kathleen Jamie in conversation with Nicola Sturgeon; an exploration of the written word and performance with Hannah Lavery and Dean Atta; and an eye-opening investigation of the role Scotland played in slavery.
And for those who can't make it to Paisley, there's an impressive hybrid programme: Raman Mundair and Raymond Antrobus talk about double language and poetry, while Nana Darkoa Sekyiamah and storyteller Mara Menzies discuss the former's book The Sex Lives of African Women. Browse the full programme here. Image: Jess Orr.
Say It Out Loud
DCA, Dundee. 24 Feb, 6:30pm
Part of OutFest, a festival of creativity celebrating LGBTQ+ history month, this blend of crafting and activism is a wonderful, hands-on way of channelling radical community change. Bring your favourite messages and slogans and dig into the DCA’s range of colourful textile, sewing, and printmaking materials to craft your own banners, posters and tote bags. Image: DCA.
Los Bitchos
Stereo, Glasgow. 18 Feb, 7pm
Drawing on a diverse range of musical backgrounds, from Argentine cumbia and Anatolian rock to Scandinavian pop and British punk, Los Bitchos' subversive girl band are a riotous good time. Following the highly anticipated release of their debut album, the four women head to Stereo's basement this week for a noisy, eclectic, and plain joyful live show. Image: Tom Mitchell.
Club Sylkie: SHERELLE
Sneaky Pete's, Edinburgh. 24 Feb, 11pm
Edinburgh’s club night for queer women, gender minorities, and their pals welcomes NTS resident and Hooversound boss SHERELLE. Blending jungle and pounding drum and bass, their sessions are always exhilarating, trancelike, and incredibly sweaty. Image: SHERELLE/Sneaky Pete's.
ADVERTISEMENT | A Midsummer Night's Dream
Theatre Royal, Glasgow + Festival Theatre, Edinburgh. 22-26 Feb + 1-5 Mar
Pure theatrical magic! Book now for A Midsummer Night’s Dream
Join Scottish Opera in Glasgow and Edinburgh, as director Dominic Hill brings Britten’s operatic reimagining of Shakespeare’s timeless comedy to life. Audiences can expect flying, juggling and incredible singing from the amazingly talented cast. Under 26? You can experience A Midsummer Night’s Dream with its slick comedy and magical setting for just £10. Though the price be but little, the experience will be fierce…
Moorcroft
Tron Theatre, Glasgow. Until 5 Mar
Kicking off Tron Theatre's Spring/Summer season is Moorcroft by Renfrew-born actor, writer and director Eilidh Loan. Following a group of men trying to make peace with the regrets of their lives, Loan's play is an acute and devastating exploration of working class masculinity. Image: Joe Connolly and Jamhot.
ADVERTISEMENT | Sonica Festival
Various venues, Glasgow. 10-20 Mar
Cryptic’s cutting-edge audio-visual festival, Sonica returns from 10 - 20 March at venues throughout Glasgow. Presenting exceptional international artists alongside homegrown talent with 200 events featuring over 85 artists from 10 countries. Highlights include Roly Porter, MFO, Anne Martin, Gavin Bryars, RSNO, Alba G. Corral, Ela Orleans, Alex Smoke, Kathy Hinde, Auclair, Robbie Thomson, and Sing The Gloaming with vocals from Aidan Moffat, Hanna Tuuliki, SHHE and more.
Chorus
Arusha Gallery, Edinburgh. 18 Feb-13 Mar
12 artists, including Mohammad Barrangi, Chantal Powell, and Vivien McDermid, craft a series of creative responses to ideas of rhythm, harmony, and sound. The resulting exhibition spans sculpture and painting, and is at turns disquieting and soothing, ephemeral and tangible. Image: Chantal Powell/Arusha Gallery.
The Films of Patrick Wang
Glasgow Film Theatre, Glasgow. 19 Feb-1 Mar
Four films by acclaimed American independent filmmaker come to Glasgow Film Theatre: A Bread Factory Parts I & II, In The Family and The Grief of Others (featuring West Side Story's Mike Faist). Wonderfully offbeat, their melancholy is perfectly balanced by Wang's signature warmth. Image: Grasshopper Film.
ADVERTISEMENT | Bongo's Bingo
O2 Academy Edinburgh, Edinburgh. 15 Apr, 6pm
The award-winning Bongo’s Bingo has already sold out its two debut shows in Edinburgh and Friday 15th April has got just a few tickets left for the O2 Academy. Bongo’s Bingo combines the much-loved quaint pastime of bingo with a mesmeric live show, crazy antics and wonderful prizes which have created the most talked about night out in the country at the UK’s original bingo rave phenomenon.
Mediterraneo: Carnevale 2022
Summerhall, Edinburgh. 19 Feb, 8:30pm
Mediterraneo and Nothing Ever Happens Here present Carnevale 2022, a heady masquerade night featuring live performances from The Badwills, TuFlamenco, and Los Cumbiatones. Tickets include a mask, or bring your own (the more lavish the better) for a wee discount. Image: Summerhall.