SVEN! Come to manipulate 2015

Werner has even arranged his transport to the traverse

Sven Werner first came to Glasgow's attention through Cryptic and his Tales of Magical Realism: most recently he took his peep-show performance around the stations of Scotland, evoking the magic of train travel as a finale to Homecoming Year. His distinctive fusion of film, music, storytelling and intelligent, immersive live performance makes him a hard artist to categorise, but an easy one to enjoy.

Given Werner's enthusiasms for the visual, he's bound to come across to manipulate 2015, but he'll need some help selecting which events he'd enjoy. Luckily, I'll stop at nothing to ensure that he has a good time. These suggestions, of course, would also stand for anyone who enjoys the tainted nostalgia and sinister journeys that Werner plots.

Mr Carmen (Theatre Akhe)
In some ways, it's too easy to recommend Akhe; they have been regular visitors to Scotland over the past decade, and their approach to theatre (they call it architecture) highlights the importance of scenography, as the set becomes a character in their productions. Mr Carmen has the vigorous energy associated with Russian experimental theatre, a surreal atmosphere and a play-off between the two performers and their constantly evolving set.

Power and Puppets (Claire Lamond)
Lamond shares three of her own works and a selection of animations that have inspired her. Politics is at the heart of these shorts, but expressed in an intimate and personal way.

Autumn Portraits (Sandglass)
It's melancholic, it's bunraku puppetry (the type with the men in black), it has five connected vignettes, it asks big questions about the nature of aging. What's not to love?

Oppressed Creatures (Ulo Pikkov)
Animation fun from one of Estonia's favourite animators; dark humour and surreal worlds, with some bonus shorts from Poland.