The hot shots: New Scottish talent for 2009

Published on Friday 2 January 2009 18:47

They are already making waves, and we predict that before 2009 is out they will have made an indelible mark on Scotland's cultural scene. Fiona Leith reveals…

THE NEXT... KT TUNSTALL

PEARL AND THE PUPPETS

What do Sir Elton John, the Sugababes and producer Stephen Street have in common? Scotland's latest pop/folk female singer-songwriter, Katie Sutherland, front woman of new band Pearl and the Puppets.

The Kirkintilloch-born singer has signed to major label Warner with drummer Blair McMillan, guitarist Gordon Turner and bass player Scott Clark, and hence has partied with labelmate Sir Elton rather than sticking her head in the study books. The band have supported the Sugababes, as well as performing at last year's Connect festival, and now Sutherland is looking to release her Stephen (the Smiths, Blur, the Cranberries and Kaiser Chiefs) Street-produced album in 2009.

Their song, 'Because I Do', has already been picked up and used by Vodaphone for its TV campaign in Australia and New Zealand, and with a voice which moves from the softness of Carole King to the more Celtic passions of the Cranberries' Dolores O'Riordan, the success of the likes of KT Tunstall and Amy MacDonald is surely only a single release or two away.

www.myspace.com/pearlandthepuppets

THE NEXT… KEVIN MacDONALD(S)

FINLAY PRETSELL AND ADRIAN McDOWALL

The directing and producing pair from Edinburgh College of Art's Scottish Documentary Institute have been steadily stocking up their mantelpieces with awards since their inventive short film about Craig MacLean of the Scottish cycling team, Standing Start, was nominated for the Best Newcomer at the Grierson Awards.

Pretsell also worked on the short films Butterfly and The Truth About Tooth, both of which were nominated for a Scottish Bafta in 2006 and 2007.

Their latest effort, Ma Bar, won Best Short Film at November's Scottish Baftas, and has been selected for Robert Redford's prestigious Sundance film festival, which runs from January 15.

Ma Bar is a documentary about 73-year-old Scottish weightlifter Bill McFadyen (inset) and his attempt to retain his Masters IV World championship throne. McDowall has a feature film in development and is currently signed up to direct episodes of Taggart.

www.docscene.org/ma-bar.html

THE NEXT… EDITH BOWMAN

LAURA MARKS

Female Scottish TV presenters take their fair share of the pie, whether it's Kirsty Wark, Lorraine Kelly, Jenni Falconer or the aforementioned Bowman.

With a father who was a tour manager for the likes of Celine Dion, Frank Sinatra, BB King and Nina Simone, and now heads up production for BBC Scotland, Laura Marks has a good mentor for her evolving career in showbusiness.

Formerly a singer with El Presidente, Marks co-presented BBC Scotland's coverage of last year's T in the Park with Bowman, and her punky approach led to her appearing as part of STV's Hogmanay coverage of George Square events last week.

She is currently presenting Channel 4's microsite style show, Bite, in which she and a group of fellow twentysomethings investigate the latest trends for themselves, and with ambitions of her own chat show in the style of Graham Norton's, 2009 may just be the year the 22-year-old gets her chance to put her aspirations into action.

www.channel4.com/entertainment/tv/microsites/B/bite/index.jsp

THE NEXT… JONATHAN SAUNDERS

ANTHONY MacDONALD

If you've ogled Scottish Ballet's costumes in recent years – and we're talking more haute couture than tutus and pointe shoes – you'll know all about MacDonald (inset). His partnership with company director Ashley Page has brought us some of the most memorable designs on the Scottish stage in recent years. Consider the Thirties elegance of Pennies From Heaven or the outrageous kitsch in the trilogy of Christmas ballets conceived by Page and MacDonald – The Nutcracker, Cinderella and Sleeping Beauty.

MacDonald's look is very British, very ostentatious, very Vivienne Westwood, so it's no surprise the award-winning designer will next partner up with the equally over-the-top Rufus Wainwright, right, at Manchester's International Festival. He will be designing Prima Donna, the singer's debut opera, and we reckon it could prove one of the great pairings of 2009.

THE NEXT… VICKY FEATHERSTONE

JACKIE WYLIE

The new artistic director of Glasgow's Arches Theatre will oversee the relaunch of the Arches in-house theatre production this autumn, bringing back the heart of experimental theatre in the west. As the youngest serving artistic director of a major Scottish venue, Wylie has a lot to live up to as she steers the venue into the future after the departure of founder Andy Arnold.

Having been the creative force behind the venue's Scratch programme, which encouraged new work to be tried out, and overseeing the arts programme for the past few years, the 28-year-old is a brave and potentially radical appointment, which should prove vital for Scotland's new artists and visiting companies.

With the National Theatre of Scotland showcasing the cream of established talent, Wylie's enthusiasm for new work and new relationships between art forms should keep the grassroots healthy.

www.thearches.co.uk