“Sensuous, imaginative and sumptuously visual, an extraordinary and innovative company.”

THE TIMES

Established in 1994, Cryptic is Scotland’s internationally renowned home of audiovisual art and experimentation. Founded by Cathie Boyd, and based in Glasgow but with a global reach, Cryptic presents and promotes the most dynamic talents of today and tomorrow as they explore new dimensions in live music, visual and sonic arts and performance, and the weird and wild areas where these disciplines intersect and cross over.

Whether traditional live gigs, audiovisual nights, automated performances or groundbreaking digital experiences, Cryptic events always dazzle the senses, stimulate thought and provoke conversation. Cryptic artists and projects transform existing spaces from theatres to defunct factories, as well as immersing audiences in virtual environments; they make use of traditional musical instrumentation and projection techniques as much as state-of-the-art new technologies that point to the sonic art of the future.

To date, Cryptic has programmed 2,000 + artists, whose work has been seen by over 1.2 million people in 32 countries. 2024 will see Cryptic celebrating three decades of ‘ravishing the senses’. In its most ambitious year of events yet, it will bring even more of the best of audiovisual art to audiences across the world.

Cryptic Artists- Developing and promoting artists

Cryptic acts as a mentor, producer and promoter for a number of selected artists, giving them space and time to develop their creative and artistic practice. Utilising the wealth of Cryptic’s experience and expertise, this programme provides professional, artistic and practical support to help artists explore and excel.

Cryptic Artists was established in 2011 to nurture and develop the next generation of talent and since then, Cryptic Artists have been commissioned to make 39 works which have toured across the UK and internationally to 61 cities, reaching an audience of over 900,650. 

Current Cryptic Artists are Kathy Hinde, Sonia Killmann, Heather Lander, Ela Orleans, Su Shaw, Alex Smoke and Robbie Thomson.

Cryptic Nights- Stay curious...

Recognizing the need for a regular, supportive platform for emerging Scottish artists with fresh ideas, Cryptic launched Cryptic Nights in 2009 and have to date, presented over 318 artists in partnership with the Centre for Contemporary Arts (CCA) in Glasgow.

Crossing creative boundaries with live music, visual and sonic art, film and new media, Cryptic Nights presents a selection of the highest quality emerging talent to inspire, invigorate and excite audiences across the UK.

Highlights have included: Anna Meredith, Raydale Dower, New Media Scotland and Oliver Coates.

Sonica – Sonic art for the visually minded

A celebration of visual sonic art, Cryptic’s renowned festival showcased 200 events by over 85 artists from 12 countries

Sonica Glasgow is an 11-day biennial festival, dedicated to world class visual sonic arts, presenting exceptional international artists alongside UK talent city-wide.

Launched at Tramway in 2012, Sonica  has presented more than 1, 180 events in diverse venues around the city and further afield, reaching over 206,180 people.

In 2020, the festival won an Outdoor Media Award and in 2018, received the Scottish Award for New Music in Creative Programming.