When Frankenstein’s Monster collides with a self-driving car

Man-made monsters and utopian visions of the future enhanced by thinking machines are coming together in the week ahead. The Big Bang arts, literature and science festival in Wigtown, Scotland’s National Book Town, runs from 2-4 February and promises inspiring talks by leading scientists and authors, plus comedy, music, film, cabaret, food and drink. Among…

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Big Burns Supper opens with a bang

Le Haggis cast

The opening weekend of the Big Burns Supper has been a storming success with comedian Bill Bailey, singer-songwriter Dougie MacLean and the festival’s Scottish cabaret company Le Haggis reeling in huge crowds. The seventh edition of the event runs from 18 to 28 January, with a heady mixture of cabaret, comedy, music and entertainment taking…

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TV stars will tour in new Scottish stage comedy

Two Scottish theatre companies are collaborating in new musical comedy which is touring the country. Grid Iron and Stellar Quines theatre companies come together to create Bingo!, a new musical comedy empowering women, writes Stacey Wylie. Starring both stage and screen names including Louise McCarthy from ScotSquad and Two Doors Down, Wendy Seagar, Barbara Rafferty…

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A Picasso and school pupils’ art will all be under the one roof

The creative work of Advanced Higher Art and Design students is to go on show at an arts centre. The work of pupils from Dumfries and Galloway will be displayed at Gracefield Arts Centre in Gallery 2 between Saturday, 13 January, and 17 February. Following on from last year’s success, which showcased the work of…

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Work gets underway on ÂŁ5.7million creative arts hub

Plans to create a ÂŁ5.7million arts hub in the Highlands have been welcomed. Members of the arts community are delighted by the news of the start of a project to give the Highlands its first creative hub as a ‘game-changer’. The initial ÂŁ1.2 million project is the first phase of a wider ÂŁ5.7 million scheme…

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Theatres throw their doors open with relaxed performances for all

The Festival City Theatres Trust once again expands its programme of relaxed performances for all. The trust runs both the Festival and King’s Theatres in Edinburgh are two of Scotland’s best-loved and most prestigious theatres. They are delighted to present its fullest ever programme of performances that embrace a relaxed approach that makes the performances…

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Impressive former police station in a quiet conservation village

A former village police house in the Borders is for sale. Beech House, formerly the village Police House, is an attractive detached four bedroom family home, enjoying a prime woodland edge location within the pretty conservation village of Swinton, presented to the market by Hastings Legal. Dating from 1890 and listed as of historic interest…

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Arts and sculpture trails are being brought to life

Inspirational work will begin soon to bring heritage and arts sculpture trails to life. Trails and Tales is set to open in East Dunbartonshire in March, writes Olivia Dobson. The arts and heritage learning programme is being created by the East Dunbartonshire Leisure and Culture Trust (EDLC), the programme unites artists groups and residents to…

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Children given inspiration as they remember the sacrifices of World War I

Edinburgh Castle in partnership with WW100 hosted an event that aimed to inspire and inform children prior to the charity’s 2017/2018 arts, poetry and song competition. Never Such Innocence was held on 7 December, with many Scottish schools and children’s groups in attendance, hosted by Major-General Riddell-Webster, the event discussed the roles of the Scottish Women’s Hospitals efforts…

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Dutch master’s work coming to Scotland for major exhibition

Works by Rembrandt, Emil Nolde and Toulouse-Lautrec are coming to Scottish galleries in 2018. Britain’s love affair with one of history’s greatest artists, the multi-faceted career of the German Expressionist Emil Nolde and the extraordinary ambition of Jenny Saville’s monumental paintings will be among the subjects explored in the National Galleries of Scotland’s programme of…

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