Scottish Ensemble: Scottish Creations – Thursday 26 May, 7pm (Mareel) - Scottish Ensemble celebrates the stories of Scotland in Scottish Creations. The evening begins with 45 minutes of Scottish music, the heart of which is a brand-new piece by Celtic harpist Aillie Robertson which explores some of the typical characters found in storytelling - be it hero, lover, villain or even trickster. Interspersed with her music you'll hear pieces from other distinctive voices of Scottish music: James MacMillan, Anna Meredith and more. In the interval, you'll be able to enjoy a pop-up exhibition featuring a mix of art and craftworks created by local artists from across Scotland. Including paintings, tapestry, textiles, photography, poetry, ceramics and more - all inspired by stories and the area in which they were created... To round off the evening rejoin Scottish Ensemble and local musicians as we let our hair down with another hour's session of relaxed traditional music, a joyous end to a night of discovery.
What if …?/Scotland: Ideas for a better place - 27 and 28 May 2022, 11am-8pm (Mareel Auditorium) - What does the future of our place look like? What if you could change it? Created by 7N Architects and commissioned by the Scotland+ Venice partnership, What if…?/Scotland showed just what can happen when designers and residents come together to plan a better future for the places they call home. Each of the 25 citizens were asked how they would like their places to be changed for the better with open questions like: “How will we live together?”, “What does the future of your place look like?”, and “What if you could change it?” This encouraged collaborative thinking between designers and communities. The designers used these as prompts to explore imaginative solutions to the challenges facing the community responding visually with an idea: a “What if…”. Presented will be the five proposals developed with Lerwick citizens and the film made by Bash Art Creative. Free entry (unticketed).
Artist Talk: Holly Veselka - Friday 27 May, 6.30pm (Mareel) - Shetland Arts is hosting a free and informal talk by visiting artist Holly Veselka on 27 May at 6.30pm in Mareel. Holly is a conceptual artist based in Texas and is currently taking part in the X-CHANGE residency, based at The Booth in Scalloway. Holly creates moving image work, digital archives and installations exploring humanity’s relationship with the natural world. She uses emerging technologies as both medium and subject to highlight the issues of land, biodiversity, and climate change. Holly has exhibited internationally and is Assistant Professor in the School of Art and Design at Texas State University. After several Covid delays Holly has finally been able to come to Shetland to carry out her research. Her project considers how global networks link disparate ecologies, using images recorded with emerging technologies to focus on global systems of energy production and climate action. Free entry (ticketed).
Peter and the Wolf On Tour – Sunday 29 May, 4-5pm (Mareel) - In their first performance in Shetland, Children’s Classic Concerts is delighted to present ‘Peter and the Wolf on Tour’. Their action-packed, interactive concert will showcase some of the best and silliest(!) musicians in Scotland. This unique theatrical concert presentation of the much-loved music by Prokofiev has been arranged for wind quintet, representing Peter and his four brave animal friends as they battle the sly wolf.
Young Musicians Sessions – Sunday 29 May 2-4pm (Mareel café bar) - Monthly young musicians sessions on a Sunday afternoon in the Mareel cafe bar, featuring the welcome return of Skelburn and High Level Hot Club and showcasing bright new emerging local talent! Sunday 29 May line-up: Scott Moncrieff, Da Langstrings, Vitamin D deficiency, Skelburn and High Level Hot Club. Free entry (unticketed).
Student Showcase- Wed 1 June (Mareel) - Shetland UHI music and film students present a showcase of work from their studies during the 21/22 academic year. An eclectic program aimed at all ages.
Tickets can be booked online by clicking on the event titles above or over the phone/in person at Mareel Tuesday – Sunday 10am – 9pm, 01595 745500.
Image: Holly Veselka, Shetland Cambo Oil 2, screenshot of 3d scan
