Sharmanka Kinetic Theatre

14/06/2026

Step into the world of Sharmanka’s magical mechanics. Daily shows at the heart of Glasgow City. Book your tickets at www.ticketsource.co.uk/sharmanka

14/06/2026

Some of the recent comments from our visitor book. ❤️

06/06/2026

June's live music event at Sharmanka began in rather unexpected fashion. Host John Cavanagh welcomed musician Karen Cecilia to the stage and, moments after she introduced the evening with the words, "Let's play some music," the fire alarm sounded and the venue had to be evacuated.

Thankfully there was no fire, but our wonderfully patient audience and performers spent nearly an hour outside before being allowed back into the building. What followed proved more than worth the wait.

The packed house was treated to a captivating and deeply immersive evening of music, featuring an extraordinary collection of instruments, textures and collaborations. Karen Cecilia was joined by Rozan Vroman, Guillaume Subra and Wilson Cooper to present works inspired by the title 'Echoes of the Storm's Eye', creating a rich and evocative sound world that held the audience spellbound.

The programme presented three duo performances: theremin and piano, theremin and theremin, and finally theremin and guitar. Together, the four musicians delivered a memorable and unique concert that showcased an adventurous musical exploration.

To round off the evening, gallery director Sergey Jakovsky delighted the audience with a special presentation of Eduard Bersudsky's enchanting kinemats, providing a fitting finale to a truly unforgettable night.

Programmed by John Cavanagh / www.johncavanagh.co.uk
Photos by Robin Mitchell Photography.

28/05/2026

📣 JULY LIVE MUSIC EVENT
🗓️ Thursday 9th July 6:45pm
🎶 ALPHABET DUST

Listening to the new album Over Here, Asteroid by Alphabet Dust is a pleasure and a treat, like being swathed by distant melodies beamed in from a faraway radio station! It soon encouraged the idea that this music would make a great show amidst Eduard Bersudsky's marvellous mechanical sculptures.

Alphabet Dust is an ongoing project by Kenneth Brown, an electronic musician and sound designer based in Stirling. Blurring the boundary between music and noise, Alphabet Dust incorporates electronics, found sound and field recordings in soundscapes that emerge from a process that is more collage than planned composition. It's a rare occasion for a live solo performances to occur, so be sure to catch it as it may be a long time before another chance comes around.

This continues Sharmanka's 2026 Live Events Programme organised by John Cavanagh / www.johncavanagh.co.uk

Tickets are now available for Live Music Event - ALPHABET DUST at Sharmanka Kinetic Theatre, Glasgow on Thu 9 Jul 2026 at 6:45PM. Click the link for further information and to secure your tickets now!

25/05/2026

OLD FRIENDS
Eduard has recently visited a place of burial of one of the most important figures in Sharmanka’s history - sculptor, furniture maker and a poet - Tim Stead.

Eduard has carved this fantastic figure of Tim when he passed away. This carving was installed in the Wooplaw Forrest in the Scottish Borders, where Tim was laid to rest in 2000, shortly after the completion of their first and sadly the last collaborative project - The Millennium Clock Tower, now on permanent display at the National Museums of Scotland.

Tim and his wife Maggy have been an integral part of Sharmanka’s history and played a pivotal role in our move to Scotland. Tim was a fantastic artist, a poet, a unique furniture designer/maker and a re-forestation expert. But first and foremost Tim was a great friend.

Tim Stead Trust
National Museums Scotland

25/05/2026

Step into the world of Sharmanka’s Kinetic Magic. Weekly shows at the heart of Glasgow City. Book your tickets at www.ticketsource.co.uk/sharmanka

17/05/2026

Bersudsky’s kinetic sculptures - which we named kinemats - combine scrap metal, discarded household items, electrical motors and carved figures. They reflect Eduard's life in Russia and in Scotland, his experiences, influences and friends. They are arresting, serious, rich in myth and have a wicked sense of humour.

The name of our theatre, SHARMANKA, is Russian for ‘barrel organ’, a musical instrument used by street performers called ‘organ grinders’. In Russian culture, the image of the organ grinder represents circles of life, symbolising the repetition of the cycle: night turning into day, hardship followed by hope, darkness turning into light.

Eduard made quite a few organ grinders of different sizes, even though he’d never met one, as they were extinct in Soviet Russia. For Eduard, the organ grinder has become a symbol of the relentless cycles of life a human spirit must endure.
With no formal education or professional training in the arts, Eduard began carving wooden sculptures in his late twenties, working from his small room in a communal flat. He supported himself with menial jobs, which allowed him to avoid the control of communist ideology.

Eduard does not speak much English, nor does he talk much in Russian either. He would not - or maybe could not - explain what he is making or where his ideas come from. He does not believe it is him who made the kinemats but that they grew themselves from the pieces of junk and wood, daydreams and nightmares that have collected in his workshop. He simply offered them a helping hand into existence.

But stories are there, perhaps different ones for each of us and different ones for different days, as fluid and shifting as our moods, as unpredictable as the weather.

B&W Photo by Maureen Kinnear
Colour photo by Robin Mitchell Photography

17/05/2026

A small selection of the incredible photos by Robin Mitchell Photography recently taken in Sharmanka. Robin has been capturing our incredibly complex and vibrant world like no other for years, and never fails to amaze with the quality of his photographs. Absolute master of his craft. 😍

17/05/2026

We’re very proud to be recipients of this award. Thank you to all of our visitors for incredible feedback. Some of the latest reviews are included here too.❤️

17/05/2026

In Sharmanka we are big fans of pottery and ceramics, so want to share this beautiful creation by Anne Brown from Dumfries and Galloway. We have been enjoying Anne's gorgeous mugs in Sharmanka for many years, and were gutted when one of them was accidentally broken last year. When we got in touch with Anne, we learned that she's taking a break from her practice, but thankfully had a few of the mugs left and has kindly supplied this fantastic replacement. Anne said that she is thinking of picking up ceramics again, so if she does, we will certainly be promoting her work here! Meanwhile please enjoy this gorgeous hare. 😍