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AROUND TOWN It’s more out of town than around town but here at List Towers we’re very inclusive. So congrats to the Orkney Venus, which has made it into the top three in the Best Archaeological Discovery category, in the 2010 British Archaeological Awards. The 5,000 year old figurine was discovered last summer by archaeologists working on the Historic Scotland excavation at the Links of Noltland, on Westray, and boasts the only known Neolithic carving of a human form to have been found in Scotland.

Closer to home, Glasgow’s never been one to hide its light under a bushel when it comes to all things festival. Case in point the Merchant City Festival which, to remind those of you who were expecting it in September, has moved to a new summer slot between 22–25 Jul. See www.merchantcity festival.com for more.

M U S I C T in the Park have strived for environmental responsibility in recent years and this year they take a step further with new incentive Citizen T. Binning your litter, taking home your tent and looking out for your friends and fellow campers are all part of their manifesto for positive community action at Balado this July. If you fancy being involved, visit www.tinthepark.co.uk for more info.

THEATRE Theatre fans certainly don’t have to walk 500 miles to enjoy the return of Dundee Rep 8 THE LIST 24 Jun–8 Jul 2010

Theatre’s award-winning musical Sunshine on Leith, based on the songs of The Proclaimers. Telling the tale of two Scotsmen who leave the army and return home to their families in Leith, the show will return to the King’s Theatre, Glasgow from Tue 28 Sep–Sat 2 Oct, with The Lord of the Rings actor Billy Boyd as Davy. Elsewhere, Dundee Rep was one of the big winners at this year’s CATS award. The Elephant Man was successful in three of the 10 categories including Best Director for Jemima Levick. Kevin Lennon took Best Male Performance for his role as John Merrick in the same play, while Alex Lowde and Colin Grenfell were presented with the award for Best Design. VISUAL ART Alastair Salvesen Travel Scholarship winner Geoff Uglow showcases his wares at the Royal Scottish Academy next month, from Fri 2 Jul–Sun 1 Aug. Having won the £10,000 prize, Uglow set off on a journey around the Scottish coastline following in the footsteps of the 19th century painter William Daniell. And finally, in keeping with all things awards-like, former chart- topper Steven Lindsay, who found fame as the lead singer of Glasgow-based band, The Big Dish has been chosen as one of four finalists for The Aspect prize, Scotland’s answer to the Turner Prize. He joins Adam Kennedy, whose brother Paul Kennedy was shortlisted for last year’s prize, Rowena Comrie, who recently completed a 20ft map of Scotland for the BBC painted on tarmac, and Frances Law, a Kirriemuir-based artist who won the Scottish National Art Prize in 2008.

Visit www.list.co.uk for daily arts & entertainment news ARTS AND CULTURE NEWS COVERED IN TWO MINUTES

Channel Hopper

Dispatches from the sofa, with Brian Donaldson

Imagine The Wire hadn’t been created through years of painstaking research and sweat- filled toil by David Simon. Imagine, instead, that Jerry CSI/Cold Case Bruckheimer had ordered every writer he had ever known (dead or alive) to come up with a shiny ‘new’ cop show that needed to be delivered after a very long and extremely liquid lunch. But not before he had injected them with a serum which brought on a state of consciousness staggeringly close to the onset of dementia. Five hours later they would have nailed the pilot episode of Southland (More4, Thu 1 Jul, 10pm).

‘I’m not saying it. You read that line . . .’

Although the big name in the glossy credits for this shocker is not in fact Bruckheimer, but John Wells, the exec producer who is clearly so distraught about the demise of his finest ever project, ER, that he can’t see the wood for the tears. How bad is Southland? Really, really bad. It’s riddled with cornball clichés (a ball rolling into the gutter signifies the abduction of the child who had previously been throwing it against a garage door), improbabilities (why would an undercover vice cop risk her identity being blown by leaning into a squad car to plant a kiss on the cheek of a knucklehead officer?) and dialogue so pig- awful that printing any of it here would result in this page melting. So, do we really need a new ‘gritty’ American cop show? Like a hole in the head.