VJP Media

Mendelssohn On Mull Celebrates 25 Years

Vicky — Sun, 19 May 2013 10:23:45 +0000

Mendelssohn on Mull Festival 1-6 July 2013

As a young man, the composer Felix Mendelssohn made a life changing journey through Scotland to Mull where he found inspiration to write one of his most famous pieces – The Hebrides Overture, Fingal’s Cave. Each year the Mendelssohn on Mull Festival, under the artistic directorship of Levon Chilingirian invites a small group of young professional musicians at the start of their careers to take part in an extraordinary week of discovery and performance. They are mentored by highly experienced players of chamber music, and perform to audiences in such diverse venues as the tiny Creich Church, which seats about 50 people, and the imposing grandeur of Duart Castle’s Great Hall.

This year the Mendelssohn on Mull Festival will be celebrating 25 years of incredible music making. For the Young Professionals taking part this is a vital opportunity to gain performance experience and hone their skills with the help of seasoned professionals in a relaxed and focussed environment:

How it Works

The idea is simple – to bring a new generation of musicians into contact with seasoned professional mentors in relaxed and stunning surroundings, away from the treadmill and stresses of the professional music circuit. The Young Professionals are divided into three groups which workshop repertoire with experienced mentors. They then perform a series of free concerts in venues across Mull, Iona and in Oban in stunning venues such as Glengorm Castle, Duart Castle, Salen Church and Iona Abbey.

Please note that because some of the venues are very popular, start times have been staggered to allow travel to another venue if capacity is reached. Concert goers at Glengorm and Duart Castles should arrive at least 30 minutes before the start of the performances. All Concerts are free of charge but an entrance fee is charged for access to Iona Abbey.

This year’s mentors are Levon Chilingirian, Gaby Lester, Susie Mészáros, Marcia Crayford and Stephen Orton

For further information about the festival, the venues and the Young Professionals taking part visit www.mendelssohnonmull.com

VJP Media selected for the 4CNW Creative Directory

Vicky — Tue, 14 May 2013 07:45:03 +0000

VJP Media has been selected as an approved supplier for the 4CNW Creative Directory, a unique European service innovation designed to address a diverse range of creative and business needs.

The Directory, launched on 20 June, will increase local creative industries access to the wider business environment and European marketplace, by profiling up to 150 creative businesses, filterable by location, type of service and other key tags, with a display page per company.

Scottish Brokers for the 4CNW project, Cultural Enterprise Office, manage a match making process between businesses who have submitted a challenge application to the 4CNW Talent fund in 2013 and approved suppliers.

www.creativestatenorthwest.com

Award Winning New Town Theatre Unveils 2013 Edinburgh Fringe Programme

Vicky — Tue, 14 May 2013 07:28:53 +0000

New Town Theatre unveils a programme of Fringe debuts and international performances. From 2 – 25 August Universal Quidem Ltd, a new partnership between Universal Arts and Quidem Productions, open the doors to ‘the most beautiful venue in the Festival’ – New Town Theatre a Freemasons’ Hall on George Street dating back to 1911.

Audiences are invited to enjoy world class artistes from across Europe and as far afield as Africa and America perform an eclectic mix of theatre, dance, music, comedy, circus and children’s shows on our two stages; Majestic and Mysterious, to which we add the historic Committee Room as a courtroom, as well as performances in the kitchen. In addition to an inside and outside bar, New Town Theatre is planning a crèche for the first time this year.

A line-up that truly has something for everyone, Universal Quidem Ltd proudly presents international star of stage and screen, Elizabeth McGovern, BBC Radio 2 legend Johnnie Walker, BAFTA nominated entertainer Richard Digance, film and TV favourites Steve Huison, Sue Cookson, Lucinda Curtis, Polly Highton and Britain’s third most performed playwright John Godber, joined by Fringe newcomers Ballet Central who performed at the 2012 Olympics, and Xara Vaughan a true chanteuse directed by Anita Dobson.

Visit www.newtownedfringe.com for more information or to book tickets.

TRADFEST – A Family Feast of Culture in the Festival City

Vicky — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 12:49:57 +0000

Edinburgh’s first TRADFEST runs until Monday 6 May 2013 and families across Edinburgh and the surrounding areas can still enjoy music, song, storytelling, dance, crafts and folk drama.

Falling at the traditional start of summer, TradFest brings Scotland’s arts of tradition into the heart of the Festival capital. Organised by the TRACS (Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland) and the Scottish Storytelling Centre, TradFest embraces all the folk arts, combining authentic sources with contemporary edge, passion and flair.

Hear the storytellers of the future at the second annual Young Storyteller award, Telling Tales: Under 16s Storytelling Competition. Additional family friendly events include Tiny Tales, The Singing Street and The Prom on the Prom in Portobello.

TradFest Edinburgh · Dùn Èideann heralds a new season for the folk arts, join us for a feast of quality performances across the Festival capital of the world.

Tickets for TradFest are still available now from Scottish Storytelling Centre Box Office 0131 556 9579 www.scottishstorytellingcentre.co.uk

sound Festival & Red Note commission set for first ever UK New Music Biennale

Vicky — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 12:45:25 +0000

The partnership between sound, Scotland’s leading New Music festival, Woodend Barn and the acclaimed Red Note Ensemble continues in a new commission from composer Stephen Montague, which is to be part of the UK’s first ever New Music Biennale.

Montague will write a new children’s work for 6 musicians and narrator based on tales sent in by children from different countries across the Commonwealth, which will be rewritten by award-winning playwright Zinnie Harris. The work will be premiered at Woodend Barn in Banchory (Aberdeenshire) in June 2014, followed by further performances at the South Bank Centre in London and in Glasgow as part of the 2014 Commonwealth Games celebrations.

The work will also be broadcast by BBC Radio 3 and recorded by NMC Records. The children’s stories will be sourced through one of Scotland’s major development charities, SCIAF’s, international partners. The commission was one of twenty announced by the PRS for Music Foundation at London’s South Bank Centre.

www.rednoteensemble.com

Scotland’s events and festivals industry formally given a voice

Vicky — Tue, 30 Apr 2013 11:16:27 +0000

A new trade organisation, the Scottish Events & Festivals Association (SEFA), formally launches on 16 May.

Pledging to provide leadership and representation for the organisers, promoters and suppliers involved in the £5.6 billion* events and tourism industry in Scotland.

With the tourism and events industry identified as a core component of the Scottish Governments economic strategy, SEFA will act as an advocate for its members, ensuring that their views are heard on key issues and policy impacting the industry. A key aim of SEFA will be to facilitate the safe and successful delivery of events and to provide a sustainable platform for businesses.

For further information, and to register interest in joining SEFA, please visit www.sefa.org.uk

Catch the Magic

Vicky — Wed, 24 Apr 2013 07:18:52 +0000

As the fourth Edinburgh International Magic Festival casts its spell across the Capital, from 28 June – 5 July 2013, audiences are invited to immerse themselves in the surreal magical world between fact and fiction.

Breath-taking illusions and awe inspiring magic from performers across Europe and as far afield as Australia will once again take you to the fun fringes of reality. Classic meets close-up, mindreading defies illusion, cabaret clashes with comedy and levitation renders the impossible possible.

The Magic and Variety Gala Show transforms the beautiful Royal Lyceum Theatre into world of unreality where the finest award winning magicians from around the world are joined by a dragon, a dule of doves and the world’s first magic performing Chihuahua! The Great Lafayette Award makes its third appearance; this year’s recipient is anyone’s guess in what bodes to be a superb evening of contemporary, cutting edge magic.

For more information and to book your tickets visit www.magicfest.co.uk

MagicFest Director Kevin McMahon performs at Shakespeare’s Globe

Vicky — Thu, 18 Apr 2013 17:34:02 +0000

On Sunday 21 April, Shakespeare’s Globe will celebrate Shakespeare’s Birthday with an eclectic evening of magical and musical performance.

MagicFest Director Kevin McMahon and Magic School’s Gary James will join a sparkling line-up of performers including The Magic Numbers, whose debut album was shortlisted for the Mercury Prize and whose recent single ‘All I Believe In’ was featured on the Twilight: New Moon soundtrack, headlining the event. Multi-talented singer/songwriter/actor/poet Johnny Flynn joins magician/comedian Piff the Magic Dragon, illusionists Barry and Stuart and Chris Cox, ‘the mind-reader who can’t read minds’.

The Globe will also be hosting its usual afternoon of family events that same day, throwing open its doors for a birthday celebration inspired by Prospero, Shakespeare’s greatest magician. There will be bubbling cauldrons, card trickery and magical masterclasses, ahead of the official opening of our 2013 ‘Season of Plenty’ with The Tempest on Tuesday 23 April.

MagicFest Director Wins Magic Circle ‘Sonny Day Close-Up Competition’

Vicky — Wed, 20 Mar 2013 06:48:53 +0000

MagicFest’s Kevin McMahon was named the winner last night at The Edinburgh Magic Circle’s annual ‘Sonny Day Close-Up Magic Competition’.

Kevin trained with Penn and Teller in Las Vegas during his appearance on Channel 4′s ‘Faking It’ which saw him fool Paul Daniels on national television. Now one of the UK’s most successful magicians, he is also the Artistic Director of The Edinburgh International Magic Festival which casts its spell across the Capital once again this summer.

Performing his trademark modern, mind-blowing form of magic, as well as a few sleights by the late great Scottish magician John Ramsey, Kevin became the 19^th winner of the trophy. Money appeared and disappeared into thin air, before a French themed finale to the song ‘La Vie En Rose’ (Louis Armstrong) when a coin was transformed into rose petals! Past winners include Doctor Peter Lamont, Paul Wilson (BBC Real Hustle), Lewis Barlow and Professor Richard Wiseman.

Held at Myreside Pavillion, the competition is named after Sonny Day, a former member of the Edinburgh Magic Circle. It is now an annual competition and has been going since 1990.

Edinburgh’s Oldest and Newest Festival

Vicky — Fri, 15 Mar 2013 08:14:34 +0000

A Feast of Culture in the Festival City
TradFest
24th April to 6th May 2013

A vibrant celebration of folk arts is the newest addition to Edinburgh’s Festival calendar. Music, song, dance, craft, storytelling, environmental events and folk drama are all included.

TradFest Edinburgh •Dùn Èideann digs deep into the city’s history with Beltane and the Mayday plays. But it also rides the radical edge with contemporary songs of struggle and protest. From earliest times the people of Edinburgh marked the start of summer with hilltop fires and silent dawns. Harvesting fresh boughs they then danced and performed street plays about mythical heroes such as Robin of the greenwood.

TradFest re-animates ancient traditions and equally, TradFest artists are catalysts for creative change. Harnessing new ideas to old sources, the TradFest programme has been shaped by partner artists and co-curators including Alasdair Roberts , Sandy Brechin, Fred Freeman, Wendy Welch, Karine Polwart, Dave Francis, Simon Thoumire, Hamish Moore, Dannsa, Cruinn, Northern Streams, Andy Cannon, David Campbell and Edinburgh Folk Club. From Para Handy send up, to Irish immigration, masked mummers, Gaelic Edinburgh and Mayday protests across Europe, TradFest stirs a strong creative brew.

TradFest Edinburgh Dùn Èideann is supported by Edinburgh City Council as a next stage development from the former Ceilidh Culture promotion. The Source-Sruth curated programme is supported by Creative Scotland’s Traditional Arts Commissioning Fund.

For this pilot year, the Festival is managed by the Scottish Storytelling Centre on behalf of TRACS (Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland). TRACS brings together the Traditional Music Forum, the Scottish Storytelling Forum, and the Traditions of Dance Forum, in a shared ambition to renew Scotland’s traditional arts for the twenty-first century. TradFest Edinburgh•Dùn Èideann heralds a wave of Festivals and Feisean across Scotland, showcasing the best of Scottish arts through until the autumn.

http://www.scottishstorytellingcentre.co.uk/tradfest/tradfest.asp