ONE of Scotland's oldest sports is at the centre of a new show at the Inverness Museum and Art Gallery until mid-March.

Shinty is the inspiration for the show, the result of the The Throw Up 20.18 project organised by Highland Print Studio.

It commissioned four artists to work with designated shinty clubs during 2017 and into the 2018 season.

Each artist worked using various kinds of artistic endeavour including photography, linocut, screen printing, photogravure and knitting.

Working with Newtonmore Camanachd, artist Deirdre Nelson focussed on the community aspect of the game and the numbers involved in maintaining the club, both on and off the field.

Roddy Buchanan worked with Fort William Shinty Club and his work captures the moment players lock together in action on the field.

Cromarty artist John McNaught spent time with Skye Camanachd and ex-Lovat player and artist, Tom Smith from Lateral North worked alongside Beauly shinty club.

The exhibition will travel and be at the Aros Arts Centre, Portree in April before heading to Highland Folk Museum, Newtonmore and the Iona Gallery, Kingussie, both in June.

Alison McMenemy, director of the Highland Print Studio said: "The whole project has been great and a huge learning experience.

"Shinty is a unique sport, the level of commitment from the communities to running the clubs year on year is quite remarkable.

"The players dedication is also impressive, they play and train like professionals, maintaining a high level of skill and fitness whilst holding down a day job. "These guys are true athletes.”

www.highlandprintstudio.co.uk

EDINBURGH is to hold its first international harpsichord festival.

Harpsicgord en Fete is being organised by the Institut français d’Ecosse in partnership with St Cecilia’s Hall, The University of Edinburgh.

It will run from March 7 to 12, with French, Scottish and international artsits, with concerts, talks and workshops included.

The festival's opening concert, at St Cecilia's Hall, will be performed by Paolo Zanzu, an Italian harpsichordist.

He trained at the Conservatoire National Supérieur de Paris and after that at the Royal Academy of Music in London.

Since 2008, he has been working with Les Arts Florissants, beginning as continuo player before becoming William Christie's musical assistant, and in 2010, he won the third prize at the Bruges International Harpsichord Competition.

His programme will focus on the period from the late 17th century to the mid-18th century, featuring compositions by Bach, Babell, Handel, and Scarlatti.

www.ifecosse.org.uk

AN online game has been commissioned by the V&A Dundee for its new show.

Plaything, by Will Anderson, a filmmaker, and Niall Tessier-Lavigne, a game maker, will be part of the forthcoming game exhibition, Videogames: Design/Play/Disrupt, which runs from 20 April to 8 September 2019.

The game "explores character development and the idea of self in videogames."

The V&A Dundee said: "Plaything will be a joyous and intimate web-based game, with a blend of hand-crafted animation and interactive generative art, allowing you to create a small animated character in your browser."

Anderson said: "We want our game to be a kind, thoughtful and surprisingly emotional experience with a character you create, mixing generative art with character animation.

"We want everyone to have their very own Plaything, and maybe even have moving experience with them.

"We both went to see the Videogames exhibition at the V&A in London a few months ago and loved it, so to now be actually making a game in partnership with V&A Dundee is very exciting indeed."

Lavigne added: “Plaything is about a joyous and meditative relationship between you and a lovely wee thing of your creation, learning to live alongside each other.

"I feel incredibly lucky to be getting this sort of support from V&A Dundee to make something new with a close friend. If we can make something that even just one person can hold close to their heart, I'd be really happy.

"The new Videogames exhibition at V&A Dundee is really special to me because it looks at important issues in games and really respects the people behind all the work."

www.vam.ac.uk