Fidra is set to help Edinburgh pupils reduce anxiety levels and will be on hand to help around the upcoming exam period
Therapy dogs in schools are working wonders across Scotland – not least at Fettes College.
The Edinburgh school recently introduced its first four-legged member of staff, who took up a new role at the beginning of the summer term to help improve student wellbeing and reduce anxiety levels.
Two-year-old Fidra is no stranger to Fettes College, having grown up with over 50 girls in the school’s College West Boarding House. She recently qualified as a therapy dog after being assessed by Therapet®, which is run by Canine Concern Scotland Trust.
Therapet® is a voluntary service that allows assessed and registered dogs and owners to provide pet therapy to places including hospitals, care homes, hospices, and schools. Studies have shown that therapy dogs help humans to release endorphins – the happy hormone – and so can reduce stress and anxiety levels.
As well as providing emotional support, therapy dogs also help schoolchildren build confidence with activities like reading and speaking in front of their classmates.
Mel Hughes, Chief Executive Officer, Canine Concern Scotland:“Our Therapets® have been supporting people around Scotland for 36 years, so the benefits of human and animal interaction are not new and can be positively lifechanging.
“Central to the visits is the wellbeing of each Therapet® and we have strict policies in place to ensure that our Therapets® do not become over-tired or stressed, particularly in busy school environments.
“Fidra has a unique knowledge and love of the school, and we’re looking forward to hearing how her visits progress and the benefit that the school community receives from these visits.”
Sue Bruce, Head of Wellbeing at Fettes College, said:“Research has shown the endless benefits of therapy animals in educational settings. Dogs are excellent listeners, which is a huge help when it comes to building up confidence in young people.”
Fidra will support students in both Fettes’ Prep and Senior school. As well as helping teach students about caring for animals, Fidra will be available for walks in Fettes’ grounds, and will also be on hand in the medical centre and in the classroom to provide support.
Fettes College student, Isla H, said: “Fidra is an enthusiastic and loveable dog, so I’m never scared to go up and play with her.
“She always looks like she has a little smile on her face, and she is so welcoming.”
Sue continued:“With her calming presence and affectionate nature, we’re sure Fidra will serve as a valuable resource in promoting emotional wellness among students and staff, provided her favourite treat – sausages – are in abundance.”
Greyfriars Bobby needs no introduction. He’s one of the most recognizable figures in Scottish history and probably one of the most famous dogs in the world. Yet despite a wealth of literature, and a Disney film, there remain open questions about who exactly this little dog was (writes JAKOB ASSARSSON).
Speaking strictly from the photographic record, there are two dogs purported to be Greyfriars Bobby. One, often named Greyfriars Bobby the First, appears in at least five photographs, taken by Edinburgh publisher Walter Greenoak Patterson around 1867. The other, Greyfriars Bobby the Second, appears in a single photograph of unknown date and origin.
Before we continue, we must sadly put Greyfriars Bobby the Second to bed. In the cold light of day, a single photograph of a Skye terrier, with “Grayfriars [sic] Bobby” written on it, is not enough to suppose, as some have, that there was a second dog. Photographs are frequently mislabeled.
On the balance of probability, we have no choice but to conclude that Greyfriars Bobby the Second was no Greyfriars Bobby at all, but a Greyfriars Red Herring. Consequently, we must dismiss the hypothesis that Greyfriars Bobby the First died and was replaced prior to 1872 – the “two dog” theory.
That so famous a dog could have been replaced by one of a different breed without raising any eyebrows already stretches the bounds of credulity. Perhaps most importantly, it means that Bobby was, probably, neither a purebred Skye terrier, nor a Dandie Dinmont, although they will forever remain an integral part of the legend of Greyfriars Bobby.
So who was Greyfriars Bobby the First? If you visit Bobby’s display at the Museum of Edinburgh, you will see the three images known prior to 2010.
One shows Bobby with the family of John Traill, another with the family’s children, and one by himself, the Museum’s cabinet card-sized copy addressed to John Traill from WG Patterson.
John Traill ran an establishment at 6 Greyfriars Place, at different times described as a coffee house, refreshment rooms, or a restaurant, always with Temperance added to signify that no alcohol was sold.
Today, it is part of Alandas Gelato, with nothing but a neon sign reading “where the magic happens” to signify its historical ties to Bobby.
Bobby would visit and be fed at 6 Greyfriars Place, as he would visit other local homes and businesses in-between stints in Greyfriars Kirkyard. As time went on, the Traill family’s role evolved to something like carers or owners, and it is for this reason they were photographed with the famous pooch.
What is rather remarkable is that since 2010, three entirely new photos have come to light. Mine is the latest and the reason for this article.
In 2010, a Flickr user posted an Edinburgh carte-de-visite photo of a small terrier in a cemetery. It was quickly pointed out that the photographer, WG Patterson, the graveyard setting, and the general appearance of the dog, suggested it might well be Greyfriar’s Bobby.
Having compared the photograph to the location of John Gray’s grave in Greyfriars Kirkyard, and the subsequently discovered photos of Bobby, I am confident that not only is this indeed Greyfriars Bobby, but Bobby at the famous graveside he may have mourned at.
In 2022, another carte-de-visite of unknown ownership but with a remarkable resemblance to the renowned canine began to circulate in the media. Fresh on its heels, I discovered a further carte-de-visite in 2023. For the first time, we can assemble all of these photos together and gain a better understanding of Bobby.
One of the first conclusions we can draw (yes, pun intended!) is that the previously-known solo portrait is not a photograph, but a traced illustration of the photo I discovered, with some minor changes. Another is that being intended for commercial sale, the images were probably taken in order of saleability until the final, illustrated image was chosen for sale to the public.
Resembling the most strongly a traditional Victorian studio portrait, it is likely that the Traill family was photographed first. However, the inclusion of a family that not all intended customers would have been familiar with, and Bobby looking away from the camera in one photo and blurry-faced in the other, probably necessitated additional photos.
From here it may have been decided that instead of with his current caretaker family, Bobby might be photographed at the famous graveside of John Gray, the man who may have been his former owner.
With no further known photos in this Kirkyard series, we can hazard a guess that Bobby may not have been particularly cooperative in terms of adopting a mourning pose when prompted. We can also see from the shallow depth of field that the studio camera had been adjusted for a shorter exposure, probably to maximize chances of keeping a moving dog in focus.
Inability to secure a photo of Bobby suitably reposed may have led Patterson back to the studio, where Bobby was placed, by himself, on an ornamental pedestal. One photo shows his claws, in another they are absent – the photo with claws must have been taken first.
Perhaps they were trimmed to soften Bobby’s appearance. His coat, too, is brushed. In my photo, an alert, sitting Bobby, claws hidden and coat smooth, finally has his face in focus.
For the first time, we can truly look Bobby in the face. He is unquestionably a terrier cross, resembling no breed in particular. He has teeth. He looks quite happy.
So why was this relatively good photo made into an illustration for sale?
Here, examining the minor changes is revealing. Bobby’s right ear is lowered. His teeth are hidden. His eyes are made to gaze upward, his entire demeanor taking on an air of mournfulness.
His body, made blurry by the shallow depth of field, is brought into sharp focus. Finally, Patterson had his sellable image of a sad Greyfriars Bobby.
The rest is history.
PICTURED (TOP) = Friends of Dalry Cemetery volunteer Lani Knott with the newly unveiled photograph of Greyfriars Bobby in Greyfriars Kirk
THE Prime Minister has unveiled a package of welfare reform measures to tackle the unprecedented rise in economic inactivity and ensure the benefits system is ‘better targeted at those who need it most’.
PM to announce plans to overhaul benefits system to ensure people who are fit to work aren’t left behind on benefits
Fit note system to be reviewed after 11 million fit notes issued last year with 94% written off as unfit to work
Comes amid unprecedented rise in inactivity due to long term sickness with latest figures showing almost a third of working age adults are inactive
The Prime Minister’s new plan for welfare will end Britain’s “sick note culture”, which has resulted in a significant rise in people being unnecessarily written off work and parked on welfare.
It comes amid concerns that the fit note system has opened the floodgates for millions of people to be written off work and into welfare without getting the right support and treatment they might need to help them stay in work.
Data recently published by the NHS shows almost 11 million fit notes were issued last year, with an overwhelming 94% of those signed “not fit for work”. A large proportion of these are repeat fit notes which are issued without any advice, resulting in a missed opportunity to help people get the appropriate support they may need to remain in work.
To address this, the Prime Minister yesterday announced a review of the fit note system to stop people being written off as “not fit for work” by default and instead design a new system where each fit note conversation focuses on what people can do with the right support in place, rather than what they can’t do.
As part of this, the government will consider shifting the responsibility for issuing the fit note away from already stretched GPs, towards specialist work and health professionals who have the dedicated time and expertise to provide an objective assessment of someone’s ability to work and the tailored support they may need.
A call for evidence will be published later today to seek responses from a diverse range of perspectives, including those with lived experiences, healthcare professionals and employers, both on how the current process works and how it can better support people with health conditions to start, stay, and succeed in work.
The Prime Minister said: “We don’t just need to change the sick note, we need to change the sick note culture so the default becomes what work you can do – not what you can’t.
“Building on the pilots we’ve already started we’re going to design a new system where people have easy and rapid access to specialised work and health support to help them back to work from the very first Fit Note conversation.
“We’re also going to test shifting the responsibility for assessment from GPs and giving it to specialist work and health professionals who have the dedicated time to provide an objective assessment of someone’s ability to work and the tailored support they need to do so.”
Setting out his vision for a “new welfare settlement for Britain”, the Prime Minister outlined the new challenges that have emerged since the pandemic particularly the unprecedented rise in inactivity and how the government plans to tackle them.
Before the pandemic, we had the second lowest inactivity rate in the G7, lower than France, Germany, Italy, USA and Canada. But since the pandemic, a significant number of working aged people have become inactive due to long term sickness which has in large part been driven by mental health conditions.
Latest figures from the Office for National Statistics suggest there are currently 2.8 million people who are ‘economically inactive’ due to long-term sickness, a near-record high. Of those inactive due to long term sickness at the start of last year, 53% reported that they had depression, bad nerves or anxiety.
This is also driving an unsustainable increase in welfare spending as more people claiming disability benefits are now assessed as having anxiety or depression as their main condition.
Since the pandemic, total spending on working age disability and ill-health benefits increased by almost two-thirds from £42.3 billion to £69 billion and we now spend more on these benefits than our core schools’ budget or on policing.
The fit note process is often the first step to someone falling out of work and acts as a gateway towards some ill health and disability benefit assessments. There is also clear evidence that the longer someone is out of work, the lower the likelihood that they return to work – further exacerbating the rise in inactivity.
The Prime Minister made the case that we need to be more ambitious about how we help people, particularly with mental health conditions, back into work and ensure they are not left behind on the benefits system.
The Prime Minister added: “We should see it as a sign of progress that people can talk openly about mental health conditions in a way that only a few years ago would’ve been unthinkable, and I will never dismiss or downplay the illnesses people have.
“But just as it would be wrong to dismiss this growing trend, so it would be wrong merely to sit back and accept it because it’s too hard; or too controversial; or for fear of causing offence. Doing so, would let down many of the people our welfare system was designed to help.
“Because if you believe as I do, that work gives you the chance not just to earn but to contribute, to belong, to overcome feelings of loneliness and social isolation and if you believe, as I do, the growing body of evidence that good work can actually improve mental and physical health…
“…then it becomes clear: we need to be more ambitious about helping people back to work and more honest about the risk of over-medicalising the everyday challenges and worries of life.”
Yesterday’s fit note review builds on the significant steps the UK Government has taken so far to break down barriers to work and tackle inactivity.
This includes through our £2.5 billion Back to Work Plan which is already helping over a million people, including those with mental health conditions, break down barriers to work by expanding access to mental health services and putting an additional 384,000 people through NHS Talking Therapies.
The new WorkWell pilot is also being rolled out and will support almost 60,000 long-term sick or disabled people to start, stay and succeed in work once it has gone live in approximately 15 areas across England.
The WorkWell services provides a single, joined-up assessment and gateway into local employment support services, to help people manage their health conditions and get back to work sooner. This is part of an ambitious programme to support disabled people and people with health conditions to start, stay and succeed in work.
DWP are also testing reforms of the fit note process to integrate it more closely with WorkWell, enabling the people who need it to have a work and health conversation, with a single, joined-up assessment and gateway into local employment support services.
It will also complement the role of Occupational Health in ensuring employers understand and benefit from more expert work and health support to retain and support those in work.
The fit note call for evidence is part of five key reforms the Prime Minister outlined in his speech to put work at the heart of welfare and modernise the welfare system to ensure it is fit for the future.
We have all heard of celebrity doppelgangers, but is your lookalike from 300 years ago? This National Lookalike Day (20th April), The York and Edinburgh Dungeon are on the hunt for people who resemble some of the most infamous rogues from each city’s darkest historical tales.
Whether your husband looks like a Dick (Turpin, to be precise) or your mother-in-law is a bit of a witch, The Dungeons is asking people to nominate their friends, family or (un)loved ones who remind them of the region’s most infamous historical villains.
Whether they are ‘lit’ like Guy Fawkes, have the look of the plague or still dress like they were born in the 19th century if you know someone who looks like a modern-day villain, all you need to do is head to The York or Edinburgh Dungeon Facebook page and submit your photo to the ‘National Lookalikes’ post on Saturday 20th April.
The most ‘orrible lookalike selected by each attraction will get their hands on a fun yet frightening freebie, which includes four free tickets to The Dungeons to see if they have what it takes to come face to face with their historical doppelganger and survive to tell the tale…
Mark Mattinson, General Manager of The York Dungeon, said: “The Dungeons are renowned for bringing historical characters to life, but now we’re on the lookout for someone who looks like they could fit in among our infamous rogues.
“Submit their photo for a chance to win entry for a group of four, so they can come face to face with their spine-tingling lookalike. If you know a modern-day Dick (Turpin, obviously) we want to hear from you!”
For further information and to book a visit to The York or Edinburgh Dungeon, please visit the website here: https://www.thedungeons.com/
Cineworld, the UK’s leading cinema chain, is to celebrate the acclaimed British director Danny Boyle from May 7th to May 28th with a limited time big screen re-release of four of the Scottish director’s classic titles.
Tickets go on sale from today for these iconic movies that defined Danny Boyle’s career – a rare chance for fans to experience these classics on the big screen, just as they were meant to be seen, all for the affordable price of £5 per ticket.
Exclusive to Cineworld, the films showing nationwide during Danny Boyle Season will be:
May 7: Sunshine – Futuristic sci-fi thriller penned by Alex Garland returns to the big screen starring Cilian Murphy and Chris Evans.
May 14: Shallow Grave – Celebrate the 30th anniversary of Boyle’s dark comic debut feature featuring Ewan McGregor and Christopher Eccleston.
May 21: 28 Days Later – The legendary British zombie movie returns to the big screen. Take in the deserted streets of London and the journey into the unknown…
May 28: Trainspotting – Choose Life. Choose Trainspotting as the iconic gritty cult classic gets a 4K Restoration and will be screened nationwide on May 28th
Stuart Crane, VP of Film Cineworld Group: “Danny Boyle is undeniably one of Britain’s greatest directors, and we’re thrilled to bring back a selection of his most memorable titles to the big screen for only £5.
“Whether you’re eager to relive the mesmerizing sci-fi journey of Sunshine, experiencing the adrenaline-pumping thrills of 28 Days Later for the first time, or indulging in the visually stunning 4k restoration of Trainspotting, there’s a cinematic delight for every taste in this tribute to Danny Boyle.”
Don’t miss this unique opportunity to experience Boyle’s cinematic classics on the big screen and join us in celebrating Danny Boyle Season this May. For tickets and showtimes, please visit cineworld.com or the Cineworld app.
Dozens of much loved pubs across Scotland in serious danger of pulling their last pint, warns GMB Union
Almost 50 Stonegate pubs across Scotland could close after the company issued a profit warning.
As GMB predicted earlier this year – and despite private equity owner TDR’s assurances to a parliamentary select committee in January – Stonegate says there is no guarantee it can continue as a going concern, as it struggles to refinance a £2.2bn debt mountain.
Stonegate is one of the largest pub companies in the UK, with more than 4,500 pubs and more than 19,000 workers, including brands like Slug and Lettuce, Yates and Walkabout.
The chain has 45 pubs across Scotland
GMB has written to Lian Byrne MP, chair of the Business and Trade Select Committee, asking him to recall TDR bosses in light of the profit warning.
Nadine Houghton, GMB National Officer, said: “TDR bosses are private equity gamblers- playing fast and loose with people’s jobs and lives.
“When their risky ventures go wrong, they swan off to their next project, leaving workers and communities to pick up the pieces.
“Now, dozens of much loved pubs across Scotland are in serious danger of pulling their last pint.
Diverse aged group of people reading books together
Fort Kinnaird has partnered with Musselburgh Library to launch a free book club that will bring the community together over the joy of reading.
The club will be hosted at the centre by the Musselburgh Library Team, with participants encouraged to bring along the book they’re currently reading or favourite novel to discuss and take inspiration from others.
Launching in Caffè Nero on Thursday 25th April, from 10am – 11am, the book club will meet on the last Thursday of every month. Booking is not required, and a free hot drink will be available for all attendees of the first session.
The new book club coincides with the relaunch of the centre’s popular book swap, which saw over 300 books exchanged by the community last year.
This year, in addition to the ‘Little Library’ of children’s books in the play area to exchange for free, there will also be a dedicated area for novels for all ages to swap in Caffè Nero. Both book swaps will be available from Thursday 25th April onwards.
Liam Smith, centre director at Fort Kinnaird, said: “From our long-term partnership with the National Literacy Trust, we know how important access to books and reading is for children, not only for literacy development but also mental wellbeing – which is why we launched our book swap initiative last year.
“But we know reading is equally valuable to adults and it’s brilliant to be able to take our support even further with the launch of the book club, bringing the local community together to socialise and chat over a good book, or several!
“A special thank you goes to Musselburgh Library and Caffè Nero for providing their expertise and a venue.”
Wilma Porteous, community librarian at Musselburgh Library, said: “We are so passionate about the benefits of reading, both for wellbeing and education, and were delighted when Fort Kinnaird approached us to work on this book club together.
“Whether you’re into thrilling crime novels or prefer a literary classic, the book club is the perfect excuse to while away an hour with fellow readers.”
A campaign to deter adults buying alcohol for children aims to build on its success when it is relaunched this summer.
The ‘It’ll Cost You’ initiative has run nationally across Scotland for the last two years and will continue in 2024. Evaluations of the previous campaigns have shown a steady increase in awareness about the implications of supplying alcohol to minors, but it remains a serious issue with 18 detections being made during the course of the 2023 campaign.
It is an offence in Scotland for an adult to buy or attempt to buy alcohol for someone who is under the age of 18. This is known as proxy purchase and can result in a fine, imprisonment or both.
The ‘It’ll Cost You!’ campaign is a collaboration between Police Scotland, the Scottish Alcohol Industry Partnership and Community Alcohol Partnerships and aims to raise awareness of the damaging effects and criminal nature of buying alcohol for under 18s.
This year’s campaign will run from 1 July to 12 August across Scotland.
Superintendent Joanne McEwan, Police Scotland, said:“This campaign showcases the benefits of key partners working together to inform the public of dangers associated with underage drinking, as well as the criminal consequences for supplying those under 18 with alcohol.”
Luke McGarty, Chair of the SAIP Campaigns Group and Head of Policy and Public Affairs, Scottish Grocers Federation, said:“Proxy purchasing is not an easy crime to detect.
“Retailers are essentially the first line of defence and reducing underage drinking and anti-social behaviour linked to alcohol is one we support and ties in with SGF’s position of promoting responsible community retailing.
“We look forward to continuing to work with our partners on the campaign again this year.”
Grahame Clarke, Community Alcohol Partnership Coordinator said:“The campaign gives us an opportunity to carry the ‘It’ll Cost You’ resources and messaging in local communities, highlighting the dangers of buying alcohol for young people.
“We look forward to working with Police Scotland and the Police Scotland Youth Volunteers to make sure that this messaging is carried through all our engagement activity this summer.”
Siobhian Brown MSP, Minister for Victims and Community Safety, said:“I welcome the return of a campaign that successfully illustrates the value of strong collaboration and regular engagement between partners, which help to deliver shared aims to help reduce underage drinking and anti-social behaviour in our communities.”
SOWING THE SEEDS OF INTERNATIONAL TRADITIONAL DANCE
There’s just one week to go before the Pomegranates Festival of International Traditional Dance (25-30 April) kicks off at the Scottish Storytelling Centre and various venues across Edinburgh.
Tickets for all events are going fast and are available on a Pay What You Can basis.
The Pomegranates Festival, supported by Creative Scotland’s Traditional Dance Target Fund, celebrates Scottish traditional dance and diverse traditional dance practised by cultural migrant communities across Scotland.
The idea for the name of the festival comes from the second line of the Beatles song ‘Something’ (1969) written by George Harrison. The word pomegranate was only used as a temporary filler by Harrison before he settled on the final lyrics.
For the festival this idea of pomegranates being a filler before settling on the final creation, came to stand for their process of workshopping, trying and teaching – all elements that remain hidden from the public eye, but culminate in unmissable creations.
This year, these unmissable creations include:
A newly-devised showing ofElegies, (27 Apr, 7pm) which premiered during the Scottish International Storytelling Festival 2023.
This performance, which weaves together dance theatre, spoken word and live music, is a dance adaptation of the poetry book Elegies for the Dead in Cyrenaica (1948) by Hamish Henderson(1919-2002), a soldier-poet, singer-songwriter and scholar-folk revivalist of Scotland.
Set in a dancehall and a desert during the Second World War, the new production is centred around new ensemble choreography by George Adams which embodies ceilidh, jive, swing and lindy hop, accompanied by Henderson’s poems read by spoken word artists Morag Anderson and Stephen Watt, and live music and vocals from multi-instrumentalist Cera Impala.
The Festival Finaleon International Dance Day (29 April 7.30pm) which will include a new dance piece created by festival choreographer-in-residence Jonzi D and performed by 20 Edinburgh-based traditional dancers.
Jonzi D is a MC, dancer, spoken word artist and widely recognised for his influence on the development of the UK British hip hop dance and theatre scene.
The piece will be accompanied by newly-commissioned poetry by Perth-based poet Jim Mackintoshwho will also be launching his new book of poetry We are Migrant at the event, and poems by BBC broadcaster Ian McMillan read by Jonzi D. There will also be a screening of a new film by contemporary visual artist and human rights activist Mare Tralla who has been artist-in-residence at this year’s festival.
Plus, there are tours of Edinburgh’s Old and New Town’s dance history (27 April 11am & 2pm), looking at the city’s dance tales and the under-recognised female dance teachers of the past, with writer and storyteller Donald Smith and dance historian Alena Shmakova; a special Lindy Hop ceilidh session led by the festival musicians-in-residence Castle Rock Jazz Band (27 April 8.30pm); a talk by Ruediger Hess, President of Europeade who will give an overview of the history of Europeade (25 April, 11am) which is the largest festival of folk dance and music held in a different European country each year, whilst on an initial visit to Scotland to explore the possibility of various cities hosting the 61st edition in 2026; and a Family Day on Sunday 28 April 10am to 2pm featuring shows for and by wee ones and a family ceilidh called by Caroline Brockbank of CeilidhKids.
Jim Mackintosh, poet-in-residence at this year’s Pomegranates Festival said:
to share the creative space
of the Pomegranate
to be one with such an array of talent,
to learn and empower, to embrace the rhythm
of words and dance woven with laughter
and the energy of youth
to pin my imagination
to the floor which
holds us to the union of our purpose
is a precious gift:
the gift that is the Pomegranate Festival
Pomegranate Festival co-producers Wendy Timmons and Iliyana Nedkova said:“We are delighted that this year’s festival is packed with over 25 events representing the diversity and wealth of traditional dance at our shores, as well as the intrinsic connection of Scottish and world trad dance with live music, poetry, film, heritage crafts, fashion and storytelling.
“We are very proud that for the third year now Pomegranates is serving a cocktail of fascinating movement to audiences and participants from Scotland, as well as worldwide via our festival livestreams.
“So looking forward to sharing this long weekend featuring over 100 trad dance artists, musicians and creatives as they take over our stages, screens and spaces.
“Spring has sprung and so have the seedlings of the ruby seeds and sequins of traditional dance from all corners of the world – all practised in Scotland by first and second generation of cultural migrants – from the Scottish Gaelic singing and step dancing to Ukrainian folk dancing, from Lindy Hop to Hip Hop.”
Vanessa Boyd, Interim Head of Dance at Creative Scotlandcommented: “The upcoming Pomegranates Festival in the capital promises a vibrant gathering of artists uniting to celebrate and present a diverse tapestry of Scottish traditional dance alongside traditional dance from migrant communities and various cultures.
“What makes this festival truly exceptional is the breadth of the programming provided by Traditional Dance Forum of Scotland which will enable many more people the opportunity to experience and engage with a strong mix of traditional dance from Scotland and around the world.”
The Pomegranates Festival will run from Thursday 25 April to Tuesday 30 April 2024 and is Scotland’s annual festival of international traditional dance.
Initiated and curated by Traditional DanceForum of Scotland it is presented and produced in partnership with Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland, Moray House School of Education and Sport, University of Edinburgh, Edinburgh City Libraries, Dance Base and the Scottish Storytelling Centre.
