Part of the Words on Monday Series
Curated by Poet in the City
A major St Andrews Day celebration of Robert Burns, Scotland's most famous poet, marking the 250th anniversary of his birth in 1759. A champion of Scottish language and leading figure in the Romantic movement, Robert Burns has become a cultural icon all over the world. This fantasticevent will feature leading Scottish poets Jackie Kay and Liz Lochhead and Burns biographer James Fairbairn, with vibrant vocal harmony settings of songs which Burns wrote and collected by award-winning Scottish folk singers, Annie Grace, Corrina Hewat and Karine Polwart.
Jackie Kay, acclaimed Scottish poet and novelist, a passionate admirer of Burns and his poetry. Her latest collection of poetry, Darling: New and Selected Poems was published in 2007. In 2006 she was awarded an MBE for services to literature.
Liz Lochhead, distinguished Scottish poet and playwright and performer. Her latest collection of poetry, The Colour of Black and White: Poems 1984-2003 was published in 2003, and her latest play, a new romantic comedy entitled Good Things came out in 2006.
Grace, Hewat, Polwart emerged from a oneoff Burns concert at Glasgow's international Celtic Connections Festival in 2005. Their Burns repertoire celebrates not only his enduring lyrical love songs but also the irreverent, the witty and the international aspects of his writing.
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To mark its Robert Burns 250th Anniversary Celebration, Kings Place and Poet In The City have teamed up with The Scottish Tartans Authority (www.tartansauthority.com) to launch a search for a tartan for London.
The competition is open to Londoners of all ages (and design abilities!). What will be the inspiration for your design: the blue of the Thames, the green of Regent's Park, or the grey of The Gherkin?!
Some tips for designing your London tartan:
- Your tartan can have a minimum of two colours and a maximum of six
- Your tartan should have a mixture of broad bands and narrow lines
- Before you even start on your design, think of the story behind it. What do the colours signify that relates to London?
- Does the number of lines mean anything - is there a design element in it connected with London or any notable modern or historical London figure or man-made structure?
- It is possible to base your design on a traditional Scottish clan tartan, changing the colours and proportions to make it your own
- Think about incorporating design elements from other relevant geometrical designs such as flags or well known logos.
On St Andrew's Day, a special online ‘Croft Weaver tartan designer' application will be made available on the Scottish Tartans Authority website (check back here for updates). However, in the interim period, Londoners are welcome to email designs as an attachment, with a 200-300 word explanation of the thinking behind their design, to londontartan@kingsplace.co.uk
The shortlist of designs will be announced at the close of year (Hogmanay), with the winner announced on Burns Night (January 25th 2010). The final design, in association with The Scottish Tartans Authority, will then be registered with the Tartan Register in Edinburgh.
For more information on the search for a tartan for London, please contact ruby@deliberate-pr.com 020 8732 8876
Choose where you would like to sit. Use our seating plan to choose your price and seat.
Date: Monday 30 November
Time: 19:00
Venue: Hall One
Please note that online booking closes 90 minutes prior to the start of the performance.
