East Meets West: Close Encounters of a Cultural Kind

By Mateusz Jazdzewski

Sir Roger Norrington

This year’s Edinburgh International Festival deals with the meeting of two cultures – east and west. Elements of the programme, curated by Festival Director Jonathan Mills, could be viewed as challenging the tastes of audiences often perceived to be euro-centric. However sceptics may come across a surprising revelation – that western culture’s love of the east is not in fact a novelty but has been happening over hundreds of years.

The first encounters between European and Oriental cultures can be found in ancient Greece, when philosophy and art began to mingle its ideas with the heritage of conquered cultures such as Persia, Mesopotamia and Egypt. But the real flourishing in the fashion for orientalism took place in the 18^th and start of the 19^th centuries – a cultural phenomenon resulting from colonial expansion in the east. European travellers made grand tours to the Middle East, Africa, China and beyond and those artists now known as the Romantics began to focus their work on the unknown exoticism of the east.

Tomorrow’s Opening Concert sets the tone for the rest of the Festival with Robert Schumann’s Das Paradies und die Peri, performed by the Scottish Chamber Orchestra and conducted by Sir Roger Norrington. The oratorio is based on Thomas Moore’s tale Lalla-Rookh, the beautiful myth of the fallen angel Peri who tries to re-enter paradise by finding the gift held dearest by the gods. It is one of the brightest musical examples of 19^th century European orientalism, blending the European aesthetic with eastern poetry. So successful was the fusion of these factors that the piece became one of Schumann’s greatest successes.

Das Paradies und diePeri seems the perfect choice for the Festival 2011 Opening Concert, with the spellbinding music providing the soundtrack as we begin to consider relations between east and west and the changes they have experienced over the years and the centuries.

The piece was written at a time when Europe was expanding and often imposing its own rules and traditions on conquered lands, but for contemporary audiences it also reflects the desire of this year’s Festival programme to present the beliefs and achievements of other cultures with curiosity and respect. And the value of showcasing Asian art on the European stage can also be seen not only as artistic but political, as we reassess the role of our continent on the world stage. Through shared art and culture, 21^st-century Europe, and indeed the whole world, can promote and understand the shifting parameters of the global landscape.

Das Paradies und die Peri
Robert Schumann

Scottish Chamber Orchestra
Sir Roger Norrington Conductor
Edinburgh Festival Chorus

Tickets available from eif.co.uk/opening or 0131 473 2000

8 is the Magic Number!

By Emma Caldwell

The number 8 has been important in many cultures throughout history, but particularly in Asia. The Chinese believe it to be lucky because it sounds similar to their word for ‘wealth’ or ‘prosper’, and Chinese businessmen are known to request hotel rooms with 8 in the room number. There are 8 immortal deities celebrated by Taoists and these frequently appear in Chinese art and popular culture. In ancient Japan the number 8 was regarded as holy, and Buddhists follow the Eightfold path to enlightenment believing this to be the way to achieve self-awakening.

At this year’s Edinburgh International Festival the number 8 is taking on a special significance, as those aged 26 or under are being offered the chance to attend Festival performances for just £8. As part of an ongoing commitment to make the Festival accessible and affordable to younger people, tickets for selected productions will be available to purchase at The Hub and venue box offices for only £8 on the day of performance. This means you could indulge in world-class theatre, music, opera and dance for less than the cost of a round of drinks!

£8 performances will be listed online every day from 13 August – 3 September, so make checking eif.co.uk/8 part of your daily routine. To make sure you don’t miss out, follow the Festival on Facebook and Twitter to receive the latest offer updates, and keep an eye out for the EIF Street Team who will be distributing posters and flyers with a special QR code around the city. Scan the code to get the most recent offers direct to your smartphone.

Make 8 your lucky number this year and get the most out of Edinburgh International Festival 2011.

eif.co.uk/8

Heirlooms: Repository of Memory

Jain ladies, India, Gujarat: Image courtesy of Alicia Bruce

Textile artist Deirdre Nelson’s embroidery forms part of the Heirlooms exhibition at Dovecot Studios, part of the Edinburgh International Festival. She talks about the inspiration behind her work included the chance to explore the traditional Indian technique of Kantha first-hand on a visit to Kolkata...

I first travelled to India in 1989 as a young backpacker and returned full of inspiration and love for such a wonderful and exciting country. I planned and hoped to travel to India again so I felt very excited at the chance to return to Kolkata thanks to Dovecot Studios, the Crafts Council of West Bengal and the Edinburgh International Festival.

I was also extremely privileged to stay with Ruby Palchoudhuri of the Crafts Council of West Bengal and her family in Kolkata and be able to experience West Bengal life first-hand. My first visit to India was as an onlooker, but on my recent trip, I was lucky enough to live with a Bengali family and experience and learn about their lives first hand.

Kantha comprises of the simplest stitch in the language of embroidery - the running stitch. It is the way in which this stitch is used, in different arrangements, that forms the complex vocabulary of this technique. Originally it was used to join layers of old saris, to make quilts. It was also used as a means of self-expression by both urban and rural women in Bengal, incorporating imagery from everyday life.

On a visit to The Gurusaday Museum, a unique national treasure of Indian folk and tribal arts, I was particularly drawn to the small kanthas, traditionally used to wrap everyday objects, and I spent time studying the imagery and intricate stitching.

Being able to see both historic and contemporary examples of kantha gave me a rich resource to build on for my work for Heirlooms.  In creating new work I was very interested to create contemporary work which referenced traditional aspects of Kantha as well as images from our everyday lives.

I have made a series of kanthas for current everyday objects including mobile phones and laptop computers. Imagery has been gathered from photography, video and drawings by pupils from St John Vianny School in Edinburgh with whom I worked on a series of workshops with the Edinburgh International Festival.

Photographs, video and memories from my trip are posted on my blog at durjani.tumblr.com.

The Heirlooms exhibition runs from 4 August – 4 September at Dovecot Studios, 10 Infirmary Street, Edinburgh.

www.eif.co.uk/heirlooms

www.dovecotstudios.com

Become part of the IN crowd at the Edinburgh International Festival

By Emma Caldwell

For three weeks every August, the Edinburgh International Festival offers the chance to experience some of the best music, opera, theatre, dance and visual art that the world has to offer. This year’s Festival is bringing the diverse cultures of Asia to Scotland’s capital city, with offerings from China, Japan, India, Korea and Vietnam. By becoming part of the IN crowd, you could enjoy the Festival in style by gaining access to special offers, discounts and experiences that money just can’t buy.

Launched in 2010, IN provides festival fans in their 20s and 30s with unique opportunities to attend performances, VIP parties and a year round programme of special events. Fancy getting an insight into what goes on behind the scenes at a Festival production? IN gives members the chance to hear world famous directors, performers and artists talk about their work. Want to get up close to Festival productions? Then you could get an exclusive tour of theatre sets and backstage areas not normally open to the general public. There are also 50% ticket discounts on a range of Festival performances, meaning you can see world-class productions for bargain prices.

At the launch party for this year’s IN events, guests were given the rare opportunity to step on to the stage at the Festival Theatre, Edinburgh, with DJ Brian D’Souza entertaining the crowd. The INsiders were treated to drinks and previews of Festival performances, giving them the chance to experience this year’s Festival programme up close.

IN members can look forward to a variety of VIP events and offers during the Festival and all year round. From 12 August INsiders will be able to attend exclusive drinks receptions, tour the sets of world-class productions and gain access to private Platinum Lounges at selected Festival performances.

Annual membership to IN costs just £25, so if you want to get the most out of the Edinburgh International Festival 2011 – join the IN crowd and get INvolved! For more details or to join online visit eif.co.uk/insider.

Edinburgh International Festival
12 August – 4 September
www.eif.co.uk

Dovecot Studios visit Kolkata

by Naomi Robertson

I am a Master Weaver at Dovecot Studios and in February 2011 Deirdre Nelson & I visited Kolkata as part of collaboration with the Crafts Council of West Bengal (CCWB) and the Edinburgh International Festival. Our host in Kolkata was Ruby Palchoudhuri, Director of the CCWB, a great host who gave us a real taste of India through textiles, art, food, architecture, entertainment and even a family wedding!

I had imagined that India would inspire me in a colourful way but have come home more inspired by the wonderful patterns and design I saw. Not only in weaving, embroidery and saris (our favourite phrase being “nice sari”) but also in the metal-work on windows, carvings on temples, even pavement designs!

We were taken to visit many different textile projects during our stay including Jamdani weavers in Kalna and Fulia, both projects set up by the CCWB to preserve the traditional weaving techniques of the area. In the village of Kalna we visited a weaving and cotton spinning studio where the most beautiful, fine delicate cloth was being woven. In Fulia, a slightly more commercial setup where as well as beautiful cloth for saris and scarves they also dyed the cotton.

Visiting Jute weavers in Santiniketan was also very interesting, rugs in all colours and sizes, woven by women, in contrast to the other studios.

Kantha embroidery at the Kantha Centre in Kolkata was another very inspiring visit. Kantha quilts are handed down among families and were traditionally embroidered on old Saris, using the coloured threads from the sari borders as the embroidery thread. They often depict everyday images and happenings and use quite naïve imagery, interlaced with lots of decorative borders. These days at the Kantha centre (another CCWB project) the women use new cloth and embroidery thread. Quilts can take a year to make and be shared by more than one embroiderer.

We took a trip to a small village outside Kolkata called Bauria, which specializes in Zari embroidery, heavily beaded and sequined cloth usually used for wedding Saris. Even the pavements sparkled in the sun, covered in tiny sequins!

My brief on return from Kolkata has been to respond to my visit to India by producing a piece of work to be included in the contemporary side of the ‘Heirlooms’ exhibition. The design of the tapestry which I am in the process of weaving has been loosely based around a Kantha quilt format. I am using lots of decorative borders and weaving techniques drawn from both cloth weaving and tapestry to achieve the patterns. I have kept my imagery simple, depicting the people, transport, animals, insects, temples and villages seen on my journey.

See images from this trip and drawings from Naomi's sketchbook inspired by Kolkata on Flickr.

Heirlooms is presented by Edinburgh International Festival in partnership with Dovecot Studios.

Thursday 4 August - Sunday 4 September
Dovecot Studios, Infirmary Street, Edinburgh
Open daily 10.30am-5.30pm
Free

www.eif.co.uk/heirlooms

Working for EIF: Jo Michel, Ticket Services Manager

Can you give a brief overview of your role at EIF?
I am the Ticket Services Manager at Hub Tickets which looks after all the ticketing requirements for the Edinburgh International Festival as well as other festivals and events throughout the year.

How long have you worked for the Festival?
I joined the Festival team in June 2008, so 2011 will be my fourth International Festival.

What are the best and most challenging parts of your job?
I love the variety in what I do. I work with all the different departments within EIF to co-ordinate their needs, but I also get to deal directly with many of the performing companies to look after their ticketing. I never know what each day will bring.

What do you do on a day to day basis?
Most days it’s a mix of making sure the ticketing staff have information on all the events on sale, speaking to festival and event organisers, building event information into the ticketing system, checking online and phone sales are correct and of course reporting on sales figures.

What did you do before joining the Festival?
I’ve been involved in ticketing for many years, mostly in Australia. I have worked with Sydney Theatre Company and other smaller theatre companies, large scale ticketing agencies, the Adelaide Fringe and other festivals.

What do you get up to outside of work?
I enjoy seeing films and theatre so tend to try and see something each week.

Which events are you most looking forward to at the Festival 2011?
One Thousand and One Nights, Chanticleer, Re-Triptych and The Peony Pavilion.

Asia Launch Adventure - Episode One

In her first dispatch from the Festival 2011 Asian launch tour, Susie Burnet's head is spinning in India

What a whirlwind! Jonathan and I are travelling around Asia at the moment launching this year’s programme from India to Korea! And most places in between.

With a packed schedule we are relying on the airlines to play ball. An inauspicious start when KLM cancelled my flight out of Amsterdam to Delhi. Aaaargh! Luckily, another route was found via Dubai and I arrived with, hmmm…. about 10 minutes to spare before my first meeting in Delhi. Why do I get the feeling we’re going to be kept on our toes?

So, our media meetings and events kicked off in Delhi on Wednesday. Hosted by the British Council there we had a super afternoon of interviews with very smart journalists from the Times of India, Mail Today, Indian Express and The Asian Age/Deccan Chronicle. We met with Tarun Tejpal who travels to Edinburgh in August to take part in our series of talks and who also runs political news magazine Tehelka, most likely getting ready to reveal another scam in the Indian system. We had a really interesting discussion around the changing world and India today. Off to read some of his books now.

Director of British Council India, Rob Lynes hosted us in the evening where we met people from across Delhi media and cultural life in a celebration of the Indian artists coming to the Festival this year and where we had an opportunity to spread the word about Edinburgh in August. They all say they are coming! Let’s hope so.

Thursday saw another couple of quick meetings, a dash to the parliament building to record a TV interview for arts show In Transit with Sohaila Kapur and then off to the airport for the dash to Mumbai. Landed. Made it to the hotel. Eventually. Dumped our bags, brushed our teeth and then off again to a reception hosted by the British Deputy High Commissioner Peter Beckingham and Sam Harvey, Head of British Council West India. Met a whole room full of interesting people from Mumbai, was invited to film studios, festivals and the hippest clubs in town. What a fantastic city! So much colour and vitality about it. Spread the word again. More people finding a way to come to Edinburgh in August!

Friday saw us talking to journalists from various papers local and national, and a magazine or two - a great line-up and lovely, energetic and curious people. A couple of photo shoots for Jonathan on Marine Drive, or the Queen’s Necklace to the amusement of the residents. A big thank you to the British Council who helped line all that up for us.

And in all too brief a time, we were off to the airport. Destination Jakarta. I’ll leave you with what has become a very familiar sight – Jonathan in an airport lounge. More anon.