Defiling Rain
The University of Edinburgh Art Collection and LUX Scotland present a special two-day screening by Jamie Crewe at Tramway as part of Glasgow International 2026, accompanied by a unique live event featuring Crewe and a musical ensemble.
Jamie Crewe’s ‘Defiling Rain’ is a collection of short audio-visual vignettes which take the opinionated animals and personified weather of medieval fables and abandon them in a city struck by disaster. Each vignette is a song, with music performed by a small ensemble of musicians and a variety of vocalists, and lyrics describing fraught and fantastical scenarios. They are fables with the tails lopped off or the heads removed.
Using a diverse range of cinematic techniques including animation, puppetry, and collage, Jamie’s stories without morals are richly illustrated and screened in an endlessly randomised order. Authority has fled or been overturned, the materials of commentary and instruction are deranged, and with their remains ‘Defiling Rain’ stages the awe, horror, and joy of disintegration.
Friday 12 – Saturday 13 June, 12 – 5pm
Tramway, T1
Free (drop-in, unticketed)
I Plied My Poesy — Words and Music Regarding “Defiling Rain” — Jamie Crewe and Band
‘I Plied My Poesy — Words and Music Regarding “Defiling Rain” — Jamie Crewe and Band’ is a unique live event concluding ‘Defiling Rain’ at Tramway. The event will feature songs played live, sketchbooks splayed open, and patter.
Saturday 13 June, 7 – 8pm
Tramway, T1
Free (ticketed)
Accessibility
- ‘Defiling Rain’ is presented with captions.
- ‘I Plied my Poesy’ is presented with live captions by Louisa McDaid.
A limited access fund is available to support attendance, which can be used for lack of funds, transport (for access or safety reasons) or the cost of childcare, carers or support workers. This fund will be administered on a first-come, first-served basis, so please get in touch as soon as you can. For further information about access please email Annie Crabtree (Project Manager) if there is anything you would like to discuss to support your participation, email hidden; JavaScript is required.
Content notes
‘Defiling Rain’ contains references to bodily and sexual functions and an image of an animal carcass
‘I Plied my Poesy’ contains adult language
- ‘Defiling Rain’ contains multiple and extended periods of flashing images
Defiling Rain
Between 2024 and 2026 the University of Edinburgh Art Collection and LUX Scotland have been working with Jamie Crewe to support the development of this ambitious new artwork, and have begun shaping an innovative production and partnership model.
The collaboration is supporting the artist with production, collection and dissemination of the multi-part artwork. The project begins to think through a series of research objectives and questions, including those focussed on what the impacts are of the partnership on the artist, and understanding what‘completion’ looks like for an episodic artwork.
This project builds on the ongoing relationship the Art Collection has with Crewe after working with her on the 2022 commission and acquisition of‘False Wife’ – an offline website and moving image work produced as part of UoE Legal academic Dr Chloë Kennedy’s AHRC Research Leader Fellowship on‘Identity Deception: A Critical History’. In addition, the Collection commissioned the corresponding publication‘False Wife Comments’ which acts a reflection on the moving image work, and an insight into Crewe’s research. Crewe was also the recipient of LUX Scotland’s Margaret Tait Commission in 2019, for which she made‘Ashley’, a semi-autobiographical rural horror film, and has since produced an online commission for LUX Scotland (an artist talk titled‘PEOPLE HAVE COME’, 2020). In 2023, Crewe led LUX Scotland’s Winter School in partnership with Hospitalfield, programming a residential weekend centred around‘False Wife’. Crewe’s work is also now distributed by the LUX Collection.
‘Defiling Rain’ is co-commissioned by the University of Edinburgh Art Collection in partnership with LUX Scotland, with a copy of the artwork joining the Art Collection upon completion.
The University of Edinburgh Art Collection has supported the first two years of this project, and LUX Scotland welcomes interest from national and international partners for future partnerships to support the next stages of the project.
The University of Edinburgh Art Collection
The University of Edinburgh Art Collection has been engaged with the practices of commissioning, purchasing and displaying the work of artists for nearly 350 years. Amounting to nearly 8,000 artworks spanning two millennia, the collections core function is the support and development of research and teaching across the institution.
Glasgow International
Glasgow International is Scotland’s biennial of contemporary art. Presented at locations across the city every two years, the festival is a globally-renowned platform for experiencing the vital work of artists and arts organisers active today.
Glasgow International Festival of Contemporary Art is part of and managed by Glasgow Life, a registered charity that delivers culture and sport on behalf of Glasgow City Council.
Image descriptions:
1. Against a blotted vibrant yellow and pink background, an illustration of various conjoining mythical beasts glowing and morphing behind bold, black stylised mediaeval text reading ‘Defiling Rain’ and other titles multiple times.
2. Two neon orange wolf-like shapes blur and pixelate, their blue and deep red after-images behind them fading into black background.
Closed Captions
'Defiling Rain' is presented with captions.
Live Captions 'I Plied my Posey' is presented with live captions by Louisa McDaid.
Access Fund To support with lack of funds, transport (for access or safety reasons) or the cost of childcare, carers or support workers. Details below.
Venue Access Learn More
Partners
‘Defiling Rain’ was commissioned by The University of Edinburgh Art Collection and LUX Scotland, and this is the debut presentation of the work, supported by Glasgow International and Tramway.
Part of Commissioning
LUX Scotland's commissions provide an opportunity for artists to create, develop or research new work.