On 21 November 2019, Belmont Filmhouse will host a special screening of Charlotte Prodger’s new major single channel video work commissioned and promoted by Scotland + Venice for the 58th International Art Exhibition – La Biennale di Venezia.

In a first for the Scotland + Venice partners this newly commissioned work will be touring Scotland at the same time as it is being presented to audiences in Venice.

Raymah Tariq from Belmont Filmhouse programming team said: “Belmont Filmhouse were delighted to have been approached by Cove Park to be one of the initial venues to screen Charlotte Prodger’s work for the Scotland + Venice partnership. Our organisation is committed to screening content that is inspiring and innovative and we firmly feel that Prodger’s work is aligned with these values. Not only are we thrilled to be able to support one of Britain’s most engaging artists, we are also happy to learn that the work is inspired in part by Aberdeenshire’s landscape, which we feel will be well received and resonate deeply with our audiences.”

The screening is part of a tour that brings Prodger’s new film to seven cinemas and art centres across Scotland's west coast, highlands and islands at the same time as it is presented in Venice.

The UK premiere screening will take place at The Tower Digital Arts Centre (Helensburgh, Argyll & Bute) on 27 June 2019, and will end in Aberdeen at Belmont Filmhouse on 21 November. Tickets will be available in early June 2019. 

Commissioned by Scotland + Venice, this new work builds upon Prodger’s sustained exploration of subjectivity, self-determination, and queerness. It is the last in a trilogy of videos that began with Stoneymollan Trail (2015) followed by BRIDGIT (2016) for which she was awarded the 2018 Turner Prize. The work has been curated by Linsey Young in partnership with Alexia Holt of Cove Park, Scotland’s international artists’ residency centre, where the work was developed. Through her work Prodger explores the experience of wilderness, the presence and effect of the natural world on memory and emotion and reflects upon ways in which queer bodies might understand and be understood in this space.

Amanda Catto, Chair of the Scotland + Venice partnership, and Head of Visual Arts at Creative Scotland commented: “Scotland + Venice is delighted to be presenting Prodger’s new film to communities across Scotland, with additional funding support from Screen Scotland, Art Fund and Outset Scotland. People who come to the tour will be able to enjoy the film at the same time that it is being premiered in Venice, creating a significant opportunity to reach out to new audiences here. This initiative also brings Charlotte’s work closer to the rural locations and landscapes that have informed her thinking and practice, making this a unique series of screenings and a very special experience for those who attend.”

On behalf of the project’s curatorial team, Alexia Holt, Associate Director of Cove Park, commented: “Cove Park is based in Argyll and Bute and we are delighted to have this opportunity to present Prodger’s work in our own region. The tour will travel to rural venues in areas that have a particular meaning and resonance for the artist; the screening in Aberdeen will link the programme to the region in which Charlotte grew up and the event in Glasgow will connect the tour to the city in which she now lives and works. The tour will also involve young artists and curators involved in the Professional Development Programme, providing an opportunity for these individuals to present Prodger’s work in their own home regions. We look forward to working with all the cinemas and venues taking part in the tour over the next seven months.”

Dates of the full Scottish tour:

• Thursday 27 June: The Tower Digital Arts Centre, Helensburgh, Argyll & Bute
• Wednesday 3 July: Glasgow Film Theatre
• Thursday 25 July: Campbeltown Picture House, Argyll & Bute
• Thursday 22 August: Aros Community Cultural Centre, Skye
• Friday 27 September: An Lanntair, Isle of Lewis
• Thursday 24 October: Mareel – Shetland Arts Centre, Shetland
• Thursday 21 November: Belmont Filmhouse, Aberdeen - tickets available early June 2019

The UK premiere on Thursday 27 June at The Tower Digital Arts Centre will coincide with the launch of a limited edition print by Prodger. Each screening will include a short trailer documenting the project development made by Connolly Clark Film and will be followed by a talk with the curators and participants involved in the Professional Development Programme.

The Dutch arts organisation, If I Can’t Dance, I Don’t Want To Be Part of Your Revolution, who are supporting the production of Prodger’s video work, will lead on a subsequent international tour to the Stedelijk Museum Amsterdam and Mercer Union Toronto in early 2020.

Tickets for the screening at Belmont Filmhouse will be available in early June 2019.