Largo set to host first arts week

A new arts festival in Lower Largo featuring a mix of local and leading performers and artists, begins this week.
David Mach is just one the big names who will be at Largo Arts Week. Pic: Walter Neilson.David Mach is just one the big names who will be at Largo Arts Week. Pic: Walter Neilson.
David Mach is just one the big names who will be at Largo Arts Week. Pic: Walter Neilson.

The first Largo Arts Week starts on Friday, with 37 artists exhibiting their work in 20 venues throughout Lower Largo, all open to the public during the week-long event.

Sculptor David Mach and comedian Phill Jupitus are among the big names who will be at the festival.

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Other acts appearing include folk legend Rab Noakes, Skids frontman Richard Jobson, award-winning poet Hollie McNish, singer Mairi Campbell, former Scots Makar Liz Lochhead, folk musician James Yorkston, opera singer Charlotte Whittle, songwriter Dan Wilson of Withered Hand and up-and-coming musician Hamish Hawk.

The week has been the brainchild of local artists Dougi McMillan and Andrew Stenson.

Dougi said: ”We’ve been bowled over by the response of artists and the local community. Some of the bigger events are now sold out but tickets are still available for a number of gigs and events.

“However, people don’t need tickets to view the art and a real attraction will be the ability to visit 20 different galleries and studios within a fifteen-minute walk from one end of the village to the other.

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“We have some wonderful artists and performers taking part, featuring art, music, talks and family events.”

The focal events space for the festival will be the former St David’s Church in the village, transformed into an arts hub for the week, which will host a number of gigs as well as being a hub for a number of exhibiting artists.

As well as the arts and crafts on show, there will be two evenings of music, poetry and talk, gigs from some of Scotland’s most talent up-and-coming bands and musicians, workshops on creative writing, and all-day street food fair, family and children events, painting competitions, storytelling events and walks.

This year also the marks the 300th anniversary of the publication of Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe. Artist Roger Palmer will be giving a talk in the local library following his recent exhibition which examined the blurring of facts between Alexander Selkirk and Crusoe.

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