Tag: Largo Arts Week

Largo Arts Week

Sixty artists open their doors for summer festival in Fife’s “Robinson Crusoe” village of Lower Largo

LARGO Arts Week kicks off tomorrow (Saturday 15 July) with sixty artists opening their studios to the public as the centrepiece of the arts, music and food festival in the Fife coastal village.

Now in its fourth year, Largo Arts Week runs from Saturday July 15 to Sunday July 23 and will feature an array of arts and crafts by artists, sculptors and makers exhibiting in 37 open studios in the villages of Lower Largo, Upper Largo and Lundin Links.

Famous as the birthplace of Alexander Selkirk, the man who inspired the story of Robinson Crusoe, Lower Largo has in recent years become a creative hub for a range of artists inspired by its coast and countryside.

As well as the open studios, music and food will feature strongly in the Arts Week with free evening gigs at local hotels and food trucks offering gourmet street food.

Community café and venue The Aurrie in Lower Largo is also staging a week-long programme including the return of comedian and broadcaster Fred McAulay (sold out) and popular children’s musical group, Artie’s Singing Kettle.

Largo Arts Week director Dougi McMillan said: “It’s gearing up to be a tremendous week with so many talented artists opening their studios and bands playing live every night in local hotels.”

Free evening entertainment will be offered by The Upper Largo Hotel and Crusoe Hotel featuring popular Fife bands Passing Sages, Best Dressed Blues Band, Rewind and Astral Suns along with new faces including Sleekit and many more.

The festival closes with a return of the Omar Afif and the Gnawa Trance Fusion band whose blend of Moroccan folk, jazz and blues will sound out in an open-air gig against the backdrop of historic Largo pier.

Full details of the Largo Arts Week programme can be accessed on the festival’s website – www.largoartsweek.com

Sixty artists open their doors for summer festival in Fife’s “Robinson Crusoe” village of Lower Largo

SIXTY artists are gearing up to open their studios to the public as Largo Arts Week returns for its fourth year in the Fife village of Lower Largo and surrounding communities.

Running from Saturday, July 15 – Sunday, July 23, the festival will feature an array of arts and crafts by artists, sculptors and makers exhibiting in 37 open studios in the villages of Lower Largo, Upper Largo and Lundin Links.

Famous as the birthplace of Alexander Selkirk, the man who inspired the story of Robinson Crusoe, Lower Largo has in recent years become a creative hub for a range of artists inspired by its coast and countryside.

As well as the open studios, music and food will feature strongly in the Arts Week with free evening gigs at local hotels and food trucks offering gourmet street food.

Community café and venue The Aurrie in Lower Largo is also staging a week-long programme including the return of comedian and broadcaster Fred McAulay and popular children’s musical group, Artie’s Singing Kettle.

One of the prominent local artists opening his studio to the public is sculptor Alan Faulds (above), whose eclectic structures are dotted throughout Lower Largo, including the “Largo Obelisk” atop the village’s former red telephone box.

Largo Arts Week director Dougi McMillan said: “Over the last four years, the festival has gone from strength to strength, and we are delighted that 60 artists will be exhibiting their work this year, demonstrating the depth of creativity in the community.

“With bands playing live every night in local hotels and food trucks overlooking the beach at Largo Bay, we’re looking forward to a real summer celebration and carnival atmosphere.”

Free evening entertainment will be offered by The Upper Largo Hotel and Crusoe Hotel featuring popular Fife bands Passing Sages, Best Dressed Blues Band, Rewind and Astral Suns along with new faces including Sleekit and many more.

The festival closes with a return of the Omar Afif and the Gnawa Trance Fusion band (above) whose blend of Moroccan folk, jazz and blues will sound out in an open-air gig against the backdrop of the historic Largo pier.

Full details of the Largo Arts Week programme can be accessed on the festival’s website – www.largoartsweek.com

Largo Arts Week returns to Fife’s ‘Robinson Crusoe’ village

MORE than sixty artists will open their studios to visitors as Largo Arts Week kicks off on Saturday July 16 in Fife’s “Robinson Crusoe” village of Lower Largo.

The festival combines art, concerts, free gigs and talks with renowned crime novelists Sir Ian Rankin and Val McDermid each featuring in “an audience with” session.

The third annual Largo Arts Week – www.largoartsweek.com – runs from Saturday July 16 – Sunday July 24 and will also feature appearances by folk music legend Rab Noakes, Americana R&B guitarist Brooks Williams, international sculptor David Mach, singer and broadcaster Richard Jobson and children’s illustrator Jill Calder.

A total of 66 artists – nearly double the number who participated in the festival’s inaugural year in 2019 – will be exhibiting in 36 homes and studios, which will be open to the public throughout the week.

Lower Largo is famous as the birthplace of Alexander Selkirk, the man who inspired the story of Daniel Defoe’s Robinson Crusoe. 

Val McDermid and Ian Rankin will take part in “an audience with” events in the village’s Crusoe Hotel, being interviewed by Skids frontman and broadcaster Richard Jobson, who also hails from Fife.

The Crusoe Hotel will be the main ‘hub’ for the Festival with the Upper Largo Hotel and community café The Aurrie as other key venues.

Festival director Andrew Stenson said: “It’s shaping up to be a fantastic week of art and music and we hope there is something for everyone in the programme with the combination of internationally-known artists and writers along with local artistic talent.”

Key highlights of the festival include:

  • Scots folk music legend Rab Noakes, who is making his third appearance at the Arts Week, will join Georgia-born guitarist and Americana songwriter Brooks Williams in a gig at community venue, The Aurrie.
  • Internationally recognised opera singer, soprano Charlotte Whittle, will also give a recital at the community venue.
  • Award winning illustrator and calligrapher Jill Calder, whose work has featured in children’s picture books, huge hospital murals and global advertising campaigns, will be stage a Children’s Workshop at the Community Library.
  • Lower Largo’s harbour, next to its historic pier, will be the location for an open-air free concert for the community on Friday 22nd July, featuring a retro 80’s band.
  • Local bands Astral Suns, Longway, The Passing Stages and The Best Dressed Blues Band will be playing in a series of free gigs at the Upper Largo Hotel.

Full details can be found on the festival’s website, www.largoartsweek.com

Largo Arts Week cancelled

Organisers of Largo Arts Week have announced the cancellation of this year’s event due to the coronavirus pandemic.

The inaugural festival was staged last July in the Fife coastal village and hailed as a major success, attracting more than 2,500 visitors and 36 artists.

Organisers had held off making a final decision on this year’s festival following the lockdown in March but, after consulting the community, have now reluctantly decided to cancel the week-long festival.

Largo Arts Week chair Dougi McMillan said: “As lockdown proceeded, we realised that there were many challenges to the event going ahead this summer during the Covid 19 situation.

“The most important point around the event is the safety of the community and their continued engagement and support for the arts week.

“We decided to conduct our own survey of artists and the community and, after receiving more than 160 responses, there was a clear view that reluctantly we should cancel this year’s event.

“I’d like to thank everyone for taking time to give us their views and we will now start planning to reinstate Largo Arts Week in the summer of 2021. Of course, we are all disappointed, but the safety of the community must come first and I am sure everyone will look forward to next year’s event.”

The inaugural Largo Arts Week featured a stellar line-up of acts, with highlights including sell-out performances from comedian Phil Jupitus and world-renowned sculptor David Mach, 36 artists exhibiting their work in 38 venues across the village and a hugely popular programme of creative workshops, family events and painting competitions.

Dougi McMillan added: “The inaugural Largo Arts Week had a fantastic reception and we will be back in 2021.”