WHAT’S THE STORY?

AIDS, vivisection, persistent colonial perceptions and Indian independence are all covered in an eclectic programme of arts in Glasgow this autumn.

Contemporary visual art, performance and film will bring the subjects to life from September until December at Tramway, which is supported by Glasgow City Council and Creative Scotland.

Two of the shows are being staged as part of the India@UK2017 festival — Daksha Sheth Dance Company’s Sari, and Inter-rupted, a high-octane fusion of the ancient art of Kathak with 21st century sound, rhythm and light from maverick dance maker Aditi Mangaldas. Sari is about the material and origins of the sari in an evening of live music, aerial choreography and circus skills.

“It’s the 70th anniversary of Indian independence and these two shows are both amazing,” said Tim Nunn, Tramway’s dance curator. “They’re really beautiful and a wonderful blend of the new and traditional.

“There is a new cultural language developing in India which is very exciting as a lot of cultural mores are being challenged,” added Nunn. “Environmental protests and human rights protests are finding their way into the arts and there is lots of social commentary in literature and the arts which is very exciting.

“We’re very happy to have a good international showing this season and our exhibition attendances are also going through the roof.”

WHAT ELSE IS ON?

HIGHLIGHTS include Beat by Glasgow-based rising star Stuart Middleton, which is an adapted version of his recent solo exhibition at ICA London.

“He’s almost cannibalised his own work from that show and reworked it for Tramway,” said Claire Jackson, curator of Tramway’s visual arts. “A lot of his work alludes to environments like prison spaces that define movement and the way in which they organise and control bodies. His work also relates to livestock management and modern agriculture.”

Dead material is animated while structures that once contained bodies stand drained and useless. A stop-frame animation shows an undernourished dog prowling around in a white cell which suggests the white-washed austerity of vivisection laboratories, euthanasia clinics and art galleries.

Tramway is also showing the premiere of I Hear the Image Moving, the culmination of a series of creative workshops exploring the media portrayal and public perceptions of refugees and asylum seekers by a multi-artform group led by Tramway and the Scottish Refugee Council. The performance will be accompanied by an exhibition.

Two of Scotland’s foremost performing groups — theatre company Vanishing Point and string orchestra Scottish Ensemble — present a co-production that sets Arvo Pärt’s spiritual and mesmeric Tabula Rasa in a theatrical context, exploring the care of patients during their final days.

ANY OTHER HIGHLIGHTS?

RECEIVING its European premiere is Heaven by Brazilian artist Luiz Roque. Set 100 years after the discovery of AIDS, the film depicts a world gripped by a new viral epidemic and reflects on the stigmatising rhetoric of anti-AIDS campaigns in the 1980s

“It is a lush cinematic production using sci-fi as a device to reflect on quite current issues such as those affecting the transsexual community — which is pretty urgent considering what is happening in Trump’s America,” said Jackson. “The cast is composed entirely of transsexual actresses as this new epidemic hits mainly the transsexual community struggling against health problems and public oppression.”

Canadian artist Megan Rooney presents Others Got Wings for Flying, a sculptural installation and performance as part of a major new Tramway co-commission, curated by Louise Briggs for independent on and offline publisher and producer MAP. Rooney’s work includes painting, performance, written and spoken word, sculpture and installation. The commission and exhibition will conclude with a performance which is being presented by Rooney at Cove Park in September.

IS THERE MORE?

FOLLOWING her acclaimed one-woman performance, VOID, Mele Broomes directs and choreographs a new work, Grin, presented by Project X in association with Various Dance Artists (V/DA). A spectacle of sound and visuals, Grin inverts the continuing colonial narratives of black bodies and Caribbean dance styles being solely exotic and hyper-sexualised. It is a celebratory performance with the audience invited to take part in the carnival.

Project X will also present a one day symposium and programme of performances on September 22.

The Scottish premiere of Brighton-based choreographer, performer and stage designer Theo Clinkard’s This Bright Field is presented in two parts. Part one provides audiences with an intimate on-stage encounter with Clinkard’s dancers before part two takes to the full stage on a cinematic scale, building to a climax of visual and emotional power. This is a Tramway co-commission, featuring music performed live by James Keane.

A new body of work inspired in part by Charlie Chaplin’s political comedy Modern Times, Amanda Ross-Ho’s installation takes the form of a factory floor dedicated to the production of oversized garments. Ross-Ho’s surreal, theatrical environment subverts notions of time, labour and economy. It was commissioned by Bonner Kunstverein, Germany and Vleeshall, Middleburg.

WHAT ABOUT WORKSHOPS?

TRAMWAY’S annual Artists’ Moving Image Festival (AMIF) presented in partnership with LUX Scotland, also returns for its sixth edition, programmed by writer and lecturer Laura Guy and artist Cara Tolmie.

For audiences who want to explore the season’s shows in more depth, or are inspired by them to create their own work, Tramway’s popular Take Part programme will once again offer a wide range of creative activities for people of all ages and all abilities. Take Part includes workshops, talks, creative drop in sessions, a Family Day and much more.

“With its new season, Tramway presents a fascinating mix of work which will entertain and inspire, breaks new ground and lays important foundations for the future by providing a world-class platform for Scottish and international artists to present new work,” said Councillor David McDonald, chair of Glasgow Life and deputy leader of Glasgow City Council. “The programme also builds on existing creative dialogues with leading cultural organisations and with the local community, of which Tramway is such an important part.”

Jackson pointed out that numbers attending Tramway are steadily increasing as more people engage with exhibitions and the contemporary arts in Scotland. “It’s a very exciting season and very diverse with everything from performance to film to sculpture,” she said. “There is truly something for everybody.”