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Creative Scotland Award to premiere in Capital of Culture

A project which began as an inspiration by trumpeter Mark O’Keeffe will become a reality when it is performed as a finished production this month in Cork as the city celebrates its year as European Capital of Culture.

Inspired by the heralding of seven angels in the Book of Revelation, Apocalypse is a multi-art form collaboration with Scotland’s Theatre Cryptic which has been developed as a result of Mark receiving a £30,000 Creative Scotland Award in 2003. The finished work has since been commissioned by Cork 2005.

Apocalypse is a forty five minute performance combining live music and electronics, real time video, movement and lighting. Technology plays an important role in the overall concept with all visuals being created during the performance which are captured by two live camera operators. However, it is Mark O’Keeffe’s extraordinary trumpet playing that is the focus of the work.

Scottish Arts Council Director Graham Berry said ‘Apocalypse is just the latest in a long line of Creative Scotland Award success stories. The Awards allow artists to develop their skills and realise creative ideas for us all to enjoy. I am delighted that Apocalypse will be representing Scottish arts in Cork.

This production is an excellent example of collaborative work between Scotland’s leading artists crossing the boundaries of artform and genre. It is this kind of working which the Creative Scotland Awards hope to encourage and enable. I wish Mark and the Theatre Cryptic team every success in Cork.’

CSA winner Mark O’Keeffe said 'Apocalypse is a performance showcasing seven visionary tableaux that take the audience on a personal journey exploring how the world could end.

The project has taken me on a personal and professional journey and because of the initial impetus of the Creative Scotland Awards, I have been enabled to progress to a higher plateau of performance as a trumpet player.’

Notes to editors

1. The Scottish Arts Council (www.scottisharts.org.uk) champions and sustains the arts for Scotland, investing over £60 million from Scottish Executive and National Lottery funding to support and develop artistic excellence and creativity throughout Scotland.
2. The Scottish Arts Council Creative Scotland Awards, funded through the National Lottery, support the nation’s leading artists to experiment and realise imaginative ideas in a major creative project. Up to ten recipients each receive £30,000 to develop their project. So far over 70 of Scotland’s leading artists have received the award. For more information on the Scottish Arts Council Creative Scotland Awards visit www.creativescotland.org.uk
3. Mark O’Keeffe was born in County Cork, where he began his musical studies as a pianist at the age of seven, later developing a love of the trumpet. He is now Principal Trumpet and soloist with the BBC Symphony Orchestra and is based in Glasgow. He was a Creative Scotland Award recipient in 2003.
4. Apocalypse will be performed at the Everyman Palace Theatre, Cork from 14, 15 and 16 April 2005. For more information visit www.cork2005.ie.
5. Along with Theatre Cryptic a number of other Scottish productions will be performing in Cork throughout 2005. These include Grid Iron theatre company and the Scottish-Irish collaboration ‘An Leabhar Mór: The Great Book of Gaelic’ for more information visit www.cork2005.ie.