Rowan Tree Theatre Company, which pioneered the arts scene in the Scottish Borders when it was founded by Judy Steel, John Nichol and Janice Parker in 1987, has decided to close.

The company toured village halls and small theatres in the Scottish Borders and Dumfries and Galloway and made regular appearances at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe as well as performing in South Africa and Canada.

Judy Steel said: "I want to thank everyone who was ever involved with the company for the support they gave me over the years. Nobody could have asked for more moral and practical help, which allowed the fruition over the years of small masterpieces such as Willie Wastle, Fishtales, Wandering Willie's Tale, Confessions of a Justified Sinner, Hermiston, The Ragged Lion, The Journey of Jeannie Deans, Sins of the Father and The Lasses, O.

"All of these were productions of totally new work (some based on classic Scots texts by Burns, Scott and Hogg) and all were well reviewed and received, the last-named receiving a prestigious CATS award for the best music during 2009."

The company's final project will be Spoon, by Duncan Kidd, the winner of the second playwriting competition.

rowantreetheatrecompany.co.uk

Simple Minds have announced that they will play three UK arena shows in November this year, including a date in Glasgow. Band founders Jim Kerr (pictured) and Charlie Burchill are joined by drummer Mel Gaynor, keyboardist Andy Gillespie, bassist Ged Grimes, and backing vocalists Sarah Brown and Catherine AD (also on additional keys & guitars).

Last year the band played to 130,000 people in the UK, the most ever in one year. The band will play the SSE Hydro on November 28 as well as gigs in London and Leeds.

Tickets go on sale on April 24.

simpleminds.com

A newly formed spoken word collective will present a series of solo shows at the Summerhall venue in Edinburgh this summer.

Shift/ is a new group made up of seven Scottish-based spoken word artists - Harry Giles, Rachel Amey, Sam Small, Jenny Lindsay, Bram E Gieben, Rachel McCrum and Ali Maloney.

At this year's Fringe festival in August, the collective will present "unique and original shows devised by each member, with an unabashed blurring of the lines between poetry and performance, theatre and spoken word."

Shift/ was founded by Rachel McCrum and Bram Gieben in late Autumn 2014.

shiftword.com