Festivals can go one of two ways. They can be a bloated, expensive attempt to cash in a particular art form, or they can be lovingly designed to present a comprehensive, if idiosyncratic, study of the works.
Of course, there are other possibilities, but now that Scotland has become the Festival Nation, it's time to recognise the programmer as an artist. And the best festivals show the gentle hand of the programmer in the way that the individual shows have been selected.
Scotland has never been short on visionary programmers: back in the day, Steve Slater compared announcing the season at Tramway as being a bit like releasing a new album, and the work of Nikki Millican made New Territories an annually intriguing feast of experimental theatre. The growth of Celtic Connections over two decades can be put done to some cunning selections - emphasising the connection rather than the strictly celtic - and Morag Deyes' DanceBase seasons in August are always a provocative and enchanting mixture.
Manipulate has built a steady presence, first of all from Dundee, then Edinburgh and now across Scotland and into England, thanks to Puppet Animation Scotland's determination. Still facing a public opinion of puppetry as a minor art form, it juxtaposes film, including the CGI mockumentary Big Man Japan and performance to maintain a festival that is equal parts primer for contemporary visual theatre and celebration of the cutting edge. Simon Hart, artistic director, is clearly a man inspired by the potential of object manipulation, and the inclusion of potentially controversial topics (Schicklgruber alias Adolf Hitler) is balanced by reinventions of classic fairy-tales (To The End of Love) and all-ages magic (Paper Cinema's Odyssey).
Unlike the Fringe, manipulate has a clear mission: to celebrate contemporary visual theatre. Arika, who have evolved from experimental music festivals into experimental festivals, are even more preoccupied with the way that art provokes conversation, setting gigs next to discussion sessions. Much of Celtic Connections passes beneath the radar, as it offers opportunities to play and learn musical styles next to the grand shows. Yet the focus of all three festivals makes them healthy, dynamic and unique. They stand out from the crowded market.
A strong festival programmer ensures that each performance relates to others: when Svend Brown books minimal, he invites a performer or composer to hang out for the weekend, and lets them make a selection. Manipulate might appear to have a broad range of styles and content (Chris Sullivan's Consuming Spirits delves into human secrets through experimental animation, while A Wild Growling Happiness has larger than life puppets and childhood dreams), but the belief in the power of the performed image is consistent.
There is a danger that any organisation can slap the title "festival" on unrelated events in an attempt to fool the market (one lap-dance bar advertised "a festival of erotic dancing" during the Fringe a few years back, before the Festival of Erotic Arts made a more sustained and serious programme): but the true spirit of a festival goes back to a unity of intention. Entertainment is important, but the connection between the events, the possibility to explore an art form, to learn and laugh, is the mark of great curation.
No comments :
Post a Comment