Watch the video here
MCF 2021 "ENCRUSTATION"
WHO ARE WE AND WHAT DO WE DO?
THE MERCHANT CITY FESTIVAL TEAM IS CURRENTLY DESIGNING THE CONTENT FOR THIS YEAR’S LAUNCH PARTY AND THIS WILL CREATE PERFORMANCE PIECES, GIANT ARTWORKS AND SCULPTURES, STUNNING COSTUMES AND LOTS MORE ENGAGING AND EXCITING WORK TO SHARE WITH THE PUBLIC LATER IN THE YEAR. OUR EXISTING TEAM CONSISTS OF VISUAL ARTISTS, CHOREOGRAPHERS, MAKE-UP ARTISTS, PERFORMERS, CIRCUS ARTISTS AND PROP-MAKERS. WE ARE LOOKING FOR PEOPLE TO JOIN US ON THIS CO-PRODUCTION AND TO MAKE A REAL CONTRIBUTION TO ONE OF THE CITY’S MOST HIGH PROFILE, SUMMER EVENTS. YOU CAN SEE ELEMENTS OF EARLIER MERCHANT CITY FESTIVAL PROJECTS BY CLICKING ON THE PICTURE FRAME TO THE LEFT AND CLICKING NEXT ON THE "MERCHANT CITY FESTIVAL" ICON
WHO CAN TAKE PART?
THERE IS NO COST TO TAKE PART AND WE ARE PARTICULARLY INTERESTED IN HEARING FROM PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN, OR HAVE CONNECTIONS TO THE FOLLOWING AREAS IN GLASGOW
- ANDERSTON
- CALTON
- GORBALS
- BRIDGETON
- SIGHTHILL
- TOWNHEAD
THE 2021 THEME: “ENCRUSTATION”
BUILDING ON THE SUCCESS OF OUR MASK THEME LAST YEAR, THIS YEAR WE ARE LOOKING AT "ENCRUSTATION". THIS IS A THEME IN BAROQUE ART THAT ORIGINATES IN THE PRACTICE OF DECORATING PLAIN SPACES AND OBJECTS WITH EXTRAVAGANT DETAILS THAT, OVER TIME, TRANSFORM THEM INTO PLACES AND ITEMS OF WONDER. WE HAVE ALREADY CREATED SOME OF THE SCULPTURAL PROPS AND COSTUMES. PHASE #1 HAS BEEN COMPLETED AND WE ARE NOW PREPARING FOR PHASE #2
PRACTICALITIES
DUE TO THE PANDEMIC RESTRICTIONS, WE WILL BE CONDUCTING ALL OF THE EARLY CO-DESIGN WORK THROUGH ONLINE PLATFORMS AND THIS MEANS THAT THERE WILL BE A LIMIT ON THE NUMBERS OF CO-DESIGNERS THAT WE CAN ENGAGE WITH AT THE MOMENT. FOR THIS REASON, WE HAVE SO FAR BEEN RECRUITING PEOPLE WHO HAVE AN INTEREST IN THE ARTS AND THEY HAVE BEEN CREATING AND DESIGNING NEW MATERIAL THROUGHOUT THE WINTER AND SPRING OF 2021 AND WILL POTENTIALLY CONTINUE TO BE INVOLVED IN THE WORK RIGHT THROUGH TO THE FESTIVAL IN JULY. IF YOU THINK THIS COULD BE FOR YOU (OR FOR PEOPLE THAT YOU KNOW) THEN GET IN TOUCH ON THE EMAIL ADDRESSES AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE
SOME OF THE SKILLS AREAS THAT WE HAVE SUPPORTED IN PHASE #1 SO FAR
- COSTUME DESIGN - CREATING WEARABLES
- CREATING NEW MUSIC
- DESIGNING AND MAKING LARGE PROPS AND OTHER ARTWORKS
PHASE #2 - FURTHER CO-DESIGN APRIL TO JULY 2021
PHASE #1 (FEBRUARY - MARCH 2021) HAS PRODUCED SOME GREAT MATERIAL. WE NOW HAVE A BODY OF MUSICAL WORK AND SOME VISUAL ARTS CONTENT IN THE FORM OF DESIGNS FOR WEARABLES AND COSTUMES AND ALSO, A NEW 3-D, BAROQUE-STYLED STREET PROP THAT WILL BE REVEALED LATER
THE PRODUCTION TEAM IS NOW SEEKING EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST FROM INDIVIDUALS WHO’D LIKE TO WORK ALONGSIDE AERIAL EDGE ARTISTS TO CO-DESIGN THE PERFORMANCE ELEMENTS, TAKING INSPIRATION FROM THE EMERGING VISUAL AND MUSICAL DESIGN, WHICH FORMS A RICH SOURCE OF STARTING POINTS FOR CREATION. WE WILL DRAW UPON YOUR OWN AREAS OF ARTISTIC INTEREST AND SUPPORT YOU TO DEVELOP IDEAS AROUND CIRCUS, DRAMATIC AND PHYSICAL PERFORMANCE THAT WILL EVENTUALLY ANIMATE THE SCULPTURAL AND WEARABLE DESIGN AS ALL ASPECTS BEGIN TO FORM A SKELETON STRUCTURE OF KEY MOMENTS, INTERACTIONS AND IMAGES OF THE PERFORMERS. WE ENCOURAGE THOSE WHO ARE ABLE TO WORK INDEPENDENTLY AND COLLABORATE WITH, AND BE SUPPORTED BY, THE ARTISTS ON CREATING A FRAMEWORK FOR THE OVERALL CHOREOGRAPHY, ENLIVENING AND TRANSFORMATION OF THE SPACES IN THE MERCHANT CITY
WHAT NEXT?
GET IN TOUCH WITH NOEL OR RACHEL USING THE E-MAIL ADDRESSES HERE
GENERAL INTEREST
merchantfest@bridgemanarts.co.uk
PHASE #2 (CIRCUS/ PERFORMANCE) SPECIFIC INTEREST
rachel@aerialedge.co.uk
AND LET US KNOW WHAT ACTIVITIES YOU ARE INTERESTED IN