THE SCOTTISH Ensemble is to stage Pause, a series of evenings of live music, debate and discussion.

Pause will blend live musical performance with "provocations, conversation and debate."

Music will include works by Philip Glass, Biber, and Caroline Shaw and the events will be staged in Dundee, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Edinburgh from September 11 to 14.

Guest speakers will include neuroscientist Dr Guido Orgs, as well as Dr Richard Holloway who will be at the event in Edinburgh only on 14 September.

Artistic Director Jonathan Morton and violinist Daniel Pioro will also sharethoughts from a musician’s perspective.

Events in Dundee and Glasgow take place in non-concert venues.

In Dundee, SE will be performing at West Ward Works, a former DC Thomson warehouse.

In Glasgow, SE will be at Glasgow Science Centre.

The concert tour will also be enhanced by a series of ‘pausing with music’ workshops, run in collaboration with cancer charity Maggie’s.

www.scottishensemble.co.uk

CRAFT Scotland has appointed a new director, Irene Kernan.

Ms Kernan has recently completed 15 years as the Director of Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop (ESW).

Ms Kernan said: "I have followed the strong resurgence in craft for a number of years, both in my professional practice and personally.

"I am interested in how new networks, business models or collaborations could support the sustainability of the sector, and how new technologies could further develop opportunities for makers.

"Seeing how positively audiences respond to work which has its origins in craft opens up interesting possibilities for engagement and education and for identifying evolving markets."

Catherine Holden, Chair of the Craft Scotland Board, said: "We are delighted to welcome Irene Kernan to the Craft Scotland team. She brings a wealth of skills, knowledge, contacts and experience to the role which will be of huge benefit to makers at all stages of their careers and help us expand audiences and the market for craft."

She succeeds the current Director, Fiona Logue, who is leaving Craft Scotland after five years.

ESW also has a new director, Laura Simpson, who is joining the institution from Hospitalfield.

www.craftscotland.org

THE new season of contemporary dance and performance at Glasgow's Tramway venue has been announced.

Artists appearing include Beijing-based Living Dance Studio, Irish contemporary dancer Colin Dunne, the Estonian National Ballet, Neon Dance; and artists including Joel Brown, Eve Mutso, and Aby Watson performing at Tramway’s Unlimited Festival.

The artists will be part of the programme from September to December 2018.

Red is a new documentary performance from Living Dance Studio, is inspired by The Red Detachment of Women - a ballet premiered in China in 1964 and described as "one of the works forming the official cultural canon during the Cultural Revolution."

Founded in 1994 by choreographer Wen Hui and filmmaker Wu Wenguang, the Living Dance Studio was China's first independent dance-theatre company.

This will be their Scottish debut.

To celebrate the shared centenary in 2018 of the Republic of Estonia and Estonian National Ballet, Estonian choreographers Eve Mutso, Toomas Edur and Tiit Helimets present three short ballets - Echo, Silent Monologues and Time - performed by the Estonian National Ballet in a Triple Bill on 16 and 17 November.

A contemporary dance programme on 13 and 14 November featuring work by Estonian choreographers, Sigrid Savi, Mart Kangro and Karl Saks, will also be presented.

The Estonian performances take place as part of Estonia Now – a series of visual art, film, contemporary dance and performances presented in Glasgow this November to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the Republic of Estonia.

www.tramway.org