The Hot 100 2018: 40–31
Julie Lin MacLeod, Mele Broomes and Nightwave are among our favourite cultural contributors this year
Without a doubt, 2018 has been a year of incredible female activism and empowerment. From #MeToo and Time's Up to the centenary of the 1918 Representation of the People Act, which gave some women the vote, the various events of this year have renewed and reinvigorated the fight for gender equality. With this in mind, this year's Hot 100 is all about celebrating the women in Scotland that are making a sizeable splash with their many accomplishments, innovations and creative endeavours across arts and culture. In the words of Beyoncé, 'who run the world?'…
40 Heir of the Cursed
As well as being a phenomenal musician and performer, Beldina Odenyo Onassis was recently announced as one of eight recipients of a funded residency as part of the National Theatre of Scotland's starter programme and has been in the process of developing a new idea for a full theatre / gig piece. (AQ)
39 Meghan Tyler
A gifted actor, Meghan Tyler displayed considerable comic abilities and pathos in the recent production of Pride and Prejudice* (*sort of), and wrote the magnificent, biting political satire The Persians for A Play, A Pie and A Pint. More recently, her autobiographical work, Medicine, ran to critical acclaim in London. (LI)
38 Claire Askew
A prize-winning poet and novelist, Claire Askew brought us a new kind of crime story in 2018. All the Hidden Truths is a taut and thoughtful look at toxic masculinity, public tragedy and the women left picking up the pieces. (LM)
37 Tracyanne Campbell
The former frontwoman of Camera Obscura launched her first musical project since the death of fellow bandmate and friend Carey Lander. The project is a collaboration with Crybaby's Danny Coughlan and the pair released a self-titled album in May to critical praise. (KG)
36 Soundfestival
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Led by director Fiona Robertson, the Aberdeen-based festival of new music showcases a variety of innovative music, including world-class musicians, family events, talks and workshops. The 2018 festival featured works by more than 50 female composers, with illustrious names such as Sally Beamish, Thea Musgrave and Anna Meredith alongside emerging composers. (AQ)
35 Lu Kemp
At Perth's revamped theatre, Kemp's artistic direction has been a cunning mix of the classic, the best of touring theatre, and some mighty new commissions that have marked the venue as a centre of creative excellence and imagination. (GKV)
34 Cathie Boyd
Boyd's international ambitions have continued to expand since founding Glasgow's Theatre Cryptic in 1994 with a mission to ravish the senses. Now known as Cryptic, the company these days focuses on Sonica, a bi-annual festival and year-round global touring programme where sound, vision and big-time sensuality abound. (NC)
33 Julie Lin MacLeod
It's been a busy few years for MacLeod: MasterChef quarter-finalist in 2014, cookery shows on STV, plus her Street Kitchen at Glasgow's pop-up hotspots. More recently, Kopitiam, her first permanent restaurant, impressed with a modern take on Malaysian hawker-style dishes. (JT)
32 Mele Broomes
Along with her compatriots in V/DA and Project X, Glasgow-based performer, choreographer and director Mele Broomes champions dance by the African diaspora. As a woman of colour, she gave JG Ballard's Concrete Island a whole new edge in her stunning Fringe show, Void. (KA)
31 Nightwave
The Glasgow-based DJ and vocal advocate for women in DJing continues to enjoy an impressively diverse career. This year, her Nightrave party celebrated its fifth birthday at La Cheetah, her 'Sanctuary' EP appeared on Fool's Gold, she remixed Django Django, and brought a Producergirls workshop to Glasgow's SWG3. (DP)