Tag: Creative Scotland

Creative Scotland’s Open Fund: Sign the petition!

1500 folk signed already! “We are the people of Scotland. We live and work here. We value the arts and the artists who make it.”

Please sign and share if you live in Scotland and value the arts:

http://bit.ly/4dyphen

Independent producer Mairi Robinson’s letter reads:

Open Letter to Scottish Government, on the closing of Creative Scotland’s Open Fund for Individuals

Listen to this letter here: https://on.soundcloud.com/3zuSaySKzEnftzJL8 

We, the undersigned, are artists, arts workers, and/or audience members from across Scotland. We are the people of Scotland. We live and work here. We value the arts and the artists who make it.

We are writing to you about the closure of Creative Scotland’s Open Fund for Individuals, due to the Scottish Government being unable to confirm the release of £6.6 million of funding from the Grant-in-Aid budget. This decision shocks and deeply concerns us, and places the future of the arts in Scotland at risk.  

The Open Fund for Individuals is the cornerstone of the arts in Scotland. It is the only fund of its kind to support artists to lead projects, develop their practice, support their professional development and collaborate with other artists and/or communities.

One grant awarded to an individual provides meaningful employment, creative development, allows space for artistic risk and experimentation. Many of these grants support multiple artists and arts workers through paid job opportunities. Grants for individuals can also support organisations through the filling of theatres, galleries and music festivals. 

One grant can kickstart or extend a career, allow an artist to present their work to the public, develop a new stream of income, develop their entrepreneurial and business skills. Take artworks to market and present for Scottish audiences, leading to international tours and commercial successes. They provide a training ground for the arts leaders of tomorrow, allowing artists to skill up through experience of running their own projects and developing new networks.    

One grant can place artists in schools, in care homes, working 1-to-1 with folk who do not like a crowd, or with whole communities at a time, and bring a multitude of positive personal, social and wellbeing benefits. It can reduce isolation and bring people together. It can inspire and delight. It can help people find their voice, and see their experiences and stories represented. 

The Open Fund for Individuals has an enormous impact. It is a lifeline for artists and arts workers. Beyond the individual grants and their benefits, its existence also means an enormous amount to people across Scotland, because it supports people who are not independently wealthy to be artists. It tells us that we have a right to creativity and the arts, a right to joy and wellbeing, and a right to emotion and expression. 

Without the fund, the future is bleak, and bleakest for those who are isolated and marginalised by income, geography, race, class, age, faith, caring responsibilities, gender, sex, sexuality, or disability. Those who do not have savings to fall back on, family support to sustain them, or who have to work harder to bring their work to audiences are at risk of being unable to sustain a career in the arts. The loss of these talents and perspectives in the arts leaves us all poorer.

The arts in Scotland contribute £5bn annually to the economy but they are now at breaking point. We cannot continue without direct support for our artists, arts workers & self employed people. The damage to the arts caused by the closure of the fund is immediate and long lasting. Cut it now, and it could take a generation to build back.

We urge you to fund the reopening of the Open Fund for Individuals as a matter of urgency. We ask that you provide clear guidance on the in-year and future annual budgets so that the arts in Scotland can begin to plan, develop ideas, build upon past successes and deliver a vibrant future for us all.   

[Please sign with your first name, last name and postcode at the bottom of the document]

[If you’re having trouble accessing this document, please email mharirobinson@gmail.com with your name and post code and I will add you in] 

YOU CAN ADD YOUR NAME TO THE PETITION HERE:

http://bit.ly/4dyphen

Traverse Theatre statement on closure of the Open Fund

The Scottish theatre community is in need of support more than ever in light of the cuts to arts funding. Gareth Nicholls, Artistic Director of the Traverse, said last night:

“We at the Traverse wanted to use our platform to the world on the final day of the festival to make you aware of this, and of the significant impact funding cuts are having on our nation’s artists and theatres.

“New work in Scotland doesn’t come from nothing. And one of the key ways this has been achieved is through an open fund where an individual artist can ask for money when their idea is but a seed.

“The open fund is the incubator for Scottish work, but Creative Scotland has been forced to close the fund at 2pm on Friday. It will be closed indefinitely, due to the Scottish Government being unable to confirm funding for its delivery.

“Many on our stages, and whose work you’ve enjoyed at the festivals, have been dependent upon it, alongside wider arts subsidy. It is a fund that helps build careers and craft to get an idea off the ground, and which helps places like the Traverse keep our theatres alive with bold new ideas.

“If you enjoy seeing Scottish work right here in Scotland, then please continue to support the artists who make the powerful work that appears our stages.”

Further information can be found at www.campaignforthearts.org

Creative Scotland: Open Fund to Close

HUGE BLOW TO CULTURE AND CREATIVE SECTOR

Creative Scotland has taken the difficult decision to close the Open Fund for Individuals to new applications due to the Scottish Government being unable to confirm release of £6.6m in Grant-in-Aid budget in the current financial year, 2024-25.

The Fund will close to new applications from 2pm on Friday 30th August 2024.

Creative Scotland planned to apply £3m of the £6.6m budget to support the Open Fund for Individuals in 2024-25, alongside £3m of National Lottery income.

Without confirmation of release of this budget, Creative Scotland does not have enough funds available to support all the funding routes that we currently provide, as set out in our Annual Plan for 2024-25.

All currently submitted Open Fund for Individuals applications will be processed as per the published Guidance. The National Lottery Open Fund for Organisations remains open.

Iain Munro, CEO of Creative Scotland said: “The level of uncertainty regarding the provision of Grant-in-Aid budgets from the Scottish Government is creating critical problems for the ongoing support we can provide to Scotland’s culture sector.

“This decision to close the Open Fund for Individuals is not one we would have wanted to take but is unavoidable without the funding from the Scottish Government being available.

“Like everyone working in Scotland’s culture and creative sector, we understand the extreme pressures on public finances but want to see longer term budget certainty from the Scottish Government, including the additional £100m announced in October 2023, details of which have yet to emerge.”

Scottish contemporary dance headlines prestigious international showcase

Katherina Radeva’s life-affirming performance piece, 40/40, has been specially selected to showcase at the world’s most prestigious international contemporary dance industry gathering, internationale tanzmesse nrw, taking place in Dusseldorf from 28 – 31 August.

The critically acclaimed 40/40 from Two Destination Language (a collaboration between Katherina & Alister Lownie) is one of a small number of full-length, tour-ready productions invited from across the world (and the only one from the UK from 900 proposals) for the event’s revered Performance programme.

Designed to showcase the latest ‘originality of movement and choreographic practice, relevant topics and aesthetics, a wide geographic spread, and a diversity of backgrounds’, the Programme is keenly anticipated by international artists, promoters and programmers.

Described as ‘dancing joy in defiance of convention’, in 40/40, Katherina celebrates her 40 years as a woman, a migrant and an artist.

Katherina says: “The production is the result of 40 years of joy, migrancy and hardship, laughter and tears, super tunes and super moves.”

Audiences are invited to ‘join the middle-aged woman revolution by dancing, claiming and reclaiming the beautiful, glorious and messy complexities of womanhood. From the little girl dancing at her parents’ student parties, to the teenage rhythm gymnast who was body-shamed, to the creative who refuses to be categorised, 40/40 comprises all the joys and sorrows of 40 years.’

Katherina added: “40/40 is a work which pushes at so many boundaries with humour and joy and for us it is a real privilege to be a part of the current dialogues and critical thinking in dance.”

40/40 received research and development funding from The National Lottery through Creative Scotland and support from Tramway Glasgow and Dance Base Scotland.

Alongside 40/40, Scotland-based artist, Dr Aby Watson has been selected to present their work Back and Forth and Forth and Back – a new work in development as part of the event’s Insights programme.

Commissioned by Unlimited, with funding from Creative Scotland and support from The Work Room, The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and Level Centre, Aby’s emerging piece is an immersive, experimental choreography of rhythm, repetition and sensorial play that centres neurodivergent adult audiences, with the performance embodying Aby’s innovative practice research in neuroqueer choreography.

Ahead of the gathering, Aby says: “I hope to connect with delegates who share my values with radical access and inclusion, and make connections with producers, venues, festivals, and other artists to support the development of my work, whilst experiencing exciting international dance work to nourish myself creatively.”

In addition to the artists who will be performing, The Work Room (supported by The National Lottery through Creative Scotland) is supporting a delegation of independent dance artists and choreographers from across Scotland to attend including Mark Bleakley, Mele Broomes, Salma Faraji, Bridie Gane, Dorine Mugisha, Skye Reynolds and Kathryn Spence.

For full information about our delegates, take a look at our dedicated Tanzmesse 2024 webpages on the Creative Scotland website.

Anita Clark, Director at The Work Room said: “International collaboration and exchange expands our perspective and understanding.

“Through the Dance from Scotland presence at International Tanzmesse nrw 2024, dance artists from Scotland will have the opportunity to meet with peers from across the world and develop vital international connections to further their work.”

Paul Burns, Interim Director of Arts at Creative Scotland said: “We are excited to be spotlighting the incredible talents of Scottish artists at this most important of international platforms for contemporary dance and performance.

“Scotland rightly has a strong reputation for both showcasing and creating world-class dance, with Scottish companies regularly touring the globe, or welcoming exceptional international artists to our shores.

“The event has an unparalleled potential to support delegations from Scotland to develop their networks and unlock a range of international opportunities.”

Scotland hosts global cultural leaders for festival hub of international exchange

The Momentum Delegate Programme kicks off in Edinburgh today, Wednesday 7 August, acting as a central hub from the world-leading Festival City to connect key cultural players from across the world with the wider Scottish and international cultural sector.  

Every August during the Edinburgh Festivals the capital of Scotland becomes a global celebration of culture and creativity, with citizens of the city and the country joined by artists and audiences from all over the world. 

At Momentum, a cohort of producers, government agencies, funders, stakeholders and programmers from invited countries will join a tailored programme of networking and meetings with creative practitioners, policymakers and educators in Scotland.

The collaborations established will enable long-term relationships, platforming Scotland and its artists and art organisations on the world stage and further cementing Scotland’s international cultural reputation.  

Led by Festivals Edinburgh, in partnership with Creative Scotland and British Council Scotland, with additional support from City of Edinburgh Council and Event Scotland, the hub will open its doors from Creative Scotland’s Edinburgh headquarters at Waverley Gate. 

On behalf of Momentum partners, Julia Amour, Director of Festivals Edinburgh said: “The Edinburgh Festivals are distinctively Scottish yet profoundly international, and we’re delighted to welcome cultural representatives from around the globe to our Momentum programme, where we will help them build relationships with our festivals and the wider Scottish cultural sector.” 

The 36 delegates arriving are from Viet Nam, Sweden, South Korea, the MENA region (Middle East & North Africa), Türkiye, Mexico and Poland – as well as two artform delegations for Literature and Visual Arts. Information on each area, its delegates and sessions are available on the Momentum website.  

Since 2011, Momentum has brought over 700 international delegates to Edinburgh during the buzz of the city’s August festivals. These have contributed to multiple collaborations, most recently:  

Scottish Dance Theatre (SDT) connected with Ciało/Umysł, an international contemporary dance festival in Warsaw, developed from a meeting set up by the Momentum team last year. After the initial introduction, with support from the Momentum follow-up fund, SDT Artistic Director Joan Clevillé visited Poland for Ciało’s dance platform.   

SDT’s Senior Producer, Robyn Jancovich-Brown said: “The visit enabled SDT to get a sense of the scene, visit venues, make more connections in the area, and, critically, really understand the cultural and political context in which the artists and organisations are working.

“We’re now talking about next steps and exploring plans for an artistic exchange programme in autumn 2025, in which Scottish and Polish dancers will be able to work together.” 

Stanza Poetry Festival Artistic Director Ryan Van Winkle met Manuela Moser from the Cúirt International Festival of Literature from Ireland at Momentum 2023. 

Ryan said: “Initially Manuela and I had some great chats just about being new in our roles and the challenges of directing festivals. We stayed in touch, sharing ideas about poets and writers, and then agreed to partner on a grant application.

“That enabled us to have an extra event at Stanza last year, in collaboration with Cúirt International Festival of Literature, called Companion Planting. An artist and an author visited from Ireland to talk about strategies of support and examined ‘care’ within collaborative artistic working practices.

“This was a perfect fit with Stanza’s theme last year. It’s rare to see a project happen that fast; I felt lucky to encounter Manuela, and get something going so quickly.”  

International exchange funding for Scottish creative organisations

Creative Scotland and partners* have confirmed continued funding of a unique International cultural exchange programme, to a total of £730,000 over two years. 

Celebrating social arts practice by supporting the development of new and existing partnerships between Germany and the UK, Cultural Bridge was established in 2021 as an innovative investment partnership between all UK arts councils and leading German cultural institutions.   

So far Cultural Bridge has supported 35 partnerships and over 70 organisations committed to exchanging and collaborating on artistic practices that explore themes faced by communities in both countries.  

The fund supports organisations working across various themes and artforms including youth work, inclusion, health and wellbeing, socio-political, rural and environment-based arts. 

By enabling new and existing connections, Cultural Bridge supports a growing network of organisations committed to sharing expertise and skills, exchanging ideas and collaborating on artistic practices and projects that explore themes and issues faced by communities across both countries. 

Feminism and Migrant activism from Stellar Quines and Mpower explores socially engaged and co-created work with young women with refugee and migration experiences from Berlin and Fife. The Invisible City from Tortoise in a Nutshell and TheaterGrueneSosse engages young people from both cities to come together to learn, share and discover the similarities and differences in their local communities and artistic practices.  

Tortoise in a Nutshell and TheaterGrueneSosse are partnered on their project The Invisible City. They said: “Cultural bridge will enable us to partner with like-minded artists to produce outstanding art for people of all ages. It is so important to be able to go into a process like this with time, space and openness, which the program will provide.  

“Together, Theatergruenesosse and Tortoise in a Nutshell will explore the invisible cities and perspectives in the places that surround us. The funding allows us to collaborate and bring together young people from both Frankfurt and Edinburgh to learn and share with one another and discover the similarities and differences in our local communities and artistic practices.” 

The programme launched in 2021 and has supported 35 new and existing partnerships through 42 awards, benefitting 73 organisations and providing opportunities to 591 artists and cultural practitioners across the UK and Germany. Nine of these partnerships through ten awards were from Scotland.  

To date, Cultural Bridge has awarded £662,000 in grants and has today confirmed a commitment to two further funding rounds of £360,000 and £370,000 respectively, totalling £730,000.  

Cultural Bridge is supported by The National Lottery through Creative Scotland.

 

Dana MacLeod, Executive Director of Arts, Communities and Inclusion of Creative Scotland said: “Creative Scotland’s continued commitment to the Cultural Bridge programme is another example of our important work with the four UK nations’ arts councils to strengthen and deepen international links.  

“The impactful partnership with Fonds Soziokultur, the British Council and the Goethe Institut in London supports exchange between socially engaged artists and creative practitioners across Scotland, England, Northern Ireland and Wales, and our close neighbour Germany. This opens doors to nuanced and thought-provoking connections between the local communities with which they work.” 

Creative Scotland announces latest round of Open Fund awards

Across Scotland, 54 culture projects have received £1,245,021 from The National Lottery in the latest round of Creative Scotland’s Open Fund awards. 

This round of awards spans a wide range of exciting projects from all genres, including a selection of musical projects taking direct inspiration from Scotland’s unique culture and landscapes.  

Video game director Kyle Banks has received funding for the composition of two modern renditions of Robert Burns’ song, My Heart’s in the Highlands, composed by Jon Konsolakis and with vocals performed by four-time BBC Alba Scots Trad Music Awards’ Scots Singer of the Year award winner, Siobhan Miller. 

The tracks will be released worldwide on all streaming platforms and featured on the soundtrack of Farewell North, a new Edinburgh-produced video game exploring the Orkney islands, available on 15 August. The game, named after the song, draws focus on Scotland’s rich culture and landscapes as your character embarks on a mental and physical journey to restore colour to the islands and her world. 

Director Kyle Banks commented: “With the support of the Open Fund we have the opportunity to take a beloved song segment from our game, Farewell North, and compose a pair of full-length singles for our audience to enjoy as a standalone piece of art.

“As a small team this is something that would not have been a viable option for us without this funding and it’s allowed us to share our love of Scotland worldwide.” 

Composer Ruta Vitkauskaite is collaborating with Founder and Director of the Illuminate Women’s Music Project Angela Slater to bring the project series to Scotland. Founded in 2017, Illuminate is a commissioning and touring series celebrating the creativity of women both as composers and performers.

Illuminate will tour newly commissioned works by diverse Scottish composers with each piece inspired by Scottish folklore reimagined through a contemporary music lens.  

Angela Slater and Ruta Vitkauskaite, photography by Ilmė Vyšniauskaitė and Adam Whittaker PR Gloo

Ruta Vitkauskaite says: “We are absolutely delighted to receive funding from Creative Scotland’s Open Fund. The support will allow us to introduce the Illuminate Women’s Music concert series to Scotland for the very first time, bringing some of the most vibrant female musical talents to audiences across Scotland.” 

The series will see concerts, workshops and talks taking place in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Dundee, Linlithgow, Kinlochard and onwards to Vilnius, Lithuania, providing creators with international exposure.

The first public in-person concert be held on Thursday 12 December at The Old Hairdresser’s in Glasgow and tickets will be available on the Illuminate Women’s Music website. 

Musician and composer Kate Young will release her second studio album, Umbelliferæ: A Musical Journey Through Plantlore in September 2024, accompanied by UK-wide album launch tour.

Originally commissioned by Celtic Connections, the album features a repertoire of songs inspired by Scotland’s natural heritage, with special focus on plant lore and traditional remedies made from native plants. The music is arranged for string quintet, double bass, harp and percussion.  

Kate Young photography by Somhairle MacDonald PR Gloo

Kate Young commented: “This is the release project of an album inspired by the world of traditional plant lore and medicinal uses from around the UK, which looks to spread awareness about such dying traditions through music.

“We look forward to taking this string quintet performance to a number of venues this Autumn.”  

For full tour details please visit Kate Young’s website.  

Further awards in this round of the Open Fund include: 

The full list of awards in this round of the Open Fund can be found on our website. 

Paul Burns, Interim Director of Arts at Creative Scotland commented: “Exploring the rich landscapes and vibrant cultural heritage of Scotland provides immense value to our communities.

“The latest initiatives supported by our Open Fund will offer invaluable opportunities for people across the country to engage with Scotland’s unique culture, made possible with the support of the National Lottery.” 

Starcatchers take award-winning Little Top show to France

Starcatchers, Scotland’s arts and early years organisation based in Wester Hailes, have travelled to France this week to present their acclaimed co-production with SUPERFAN, “Little Top” at Les p’tites tommettes festival in Creil, France. 

The show launches the Scottish showcase for the British Council’s UK-France, ‘Together We Imagine’, Spotlight on Culture, which is building artistic collaborations and celebrating the cultural links between the UK and France throughout this year.

Set in a specially designed ‘little top’ circus tent the show is designed to create a magical first circus experience for babies aged 0-18 months. At a time in their development when young children are discovering their own physicality, and the pleasures and perils of gravity, Little Top invites babies to experience all the fun of the circus.

Rhona Matheson, CEO of Starcatchers, is delighted to bring Little Top to France: “Little Top will transport you to a playful, joyous, upside down, topsy-turvy world where people can fly, patterns fill the air, and anything is possible.

“We are excited to present our award-winning show, a co-production with SUPERFAN, at Festival Premières Rencontres.”

The festival appearance strengthens Starcatchers’ partnership with French arts company Compagnie ACTA, following their recent Erasmus+ collaboration exploring topics around artistic awakening in early childhood.

The two organisations have already collaborated to share research findings and exchange best practices in arts for early years. Starcatchers and Compagnie ACTA presented research at PREMIERES RENCONTRES festival 2024’s European Forum in March. The Early Childhood Principles were developed by Starcatchers, Compagnie ACTA, 2turvenhoog and LaSala Teatre.

Rhona Matheson continues: “We are very grateful to the British Council’s UK-France Spotlight Fund for this invaluable opportunity to strengthen our international connections.

“It’s a huge privilege to showcase Scottish work on this platform as we deepen our understanding of what artistic experiences can mean for very young audiences.”

Starcatchers is one of six Scottish-based awardees to receive over £100,000 in funding from the Spotlight on Culture Fund programme, funded with partners including Creative Scotland and the National Lottery.

Their festival presentation is part of a wider celebration of UK-France cultural partnerships happening throughout 2024, coinciding with major events like the Paris 2024 Olympics.

Norah Campbell, Head of Arts, British Council Scotland added: “What a wonderful opportunity for very young children to experience the magic of physical theatre for the first time. An excellent example of how through cultural exchange, artists can come together to share groundbreaking research and performance.

“We’re proud to help bring this innovative work to France, a fabulous start to the UK-France Cultural spotlight activity for this year.

“All the projects are now helping to maintain vital links between Scotland and France, and creatives across both countries are coming together to connect, collaborate and form lasting relationships.”

Rein project funding withdrawn

Statement from Creative Scotland on Rein:

Following a review of the application, assessment, and contractual agreement regarding the project Rein, Creative Scotland has made the decision to withdraw support for this project and will be seeking recovery of funding paid in respect of this award to date.

What has emerged in the latest phase of the project represents a breach of the conditions of funding award, as the nature of the project has changed.  

The central role that ‘non-simulated’ (i.e real) sex acts now play in the project, marks a significant change to the nature of the work presented in the original application which was assessed for funding. This significant change to the nature of the work has been evidenced in the most recent announcement on the project’s website, without the agreement of Creative Scotland.

Creative Scotland makes in the region of 2,000 funding awards each year. We support artists and projects across all art-forms, some of which are challenging in content, and push creative and social boundaries.

However, Creative Scotland has important responsibilities to the public for the appropriate use of public funding, and, as recipients of that public funding, award recipients also have legal responsibilities as reflected in their funding contract.

The project was awarded £84,555 through the Open Fund for Individuals on 29 January 2024 following an application, assessment, and panel decision process.

Creative Scotland’s contract for the Open Fund states that:

  • No changes may be made to a project without Creative Scotland’s prior written permission
  • Award recipients must start, complete and carry out the project as set out in their application. If the project is varied or the timeline does not meet the dates set out in the application, or as agreed between Creative Scotland and the award recipient in writing, Creative Scotland reserves the right to withdraw the offer of funding, and;
  • Should an award recipient wish to issue a press release or make any public announcements regarding their or Creative Scotland’s involvement in the project, the award recipient must seek Creative Scotland’s prior written approval.

The above conditions apply to all recipients of funding through our Open Fund. Failure by an award recipient to comply with the conditions of the funding award entitles Creative Scotland to require repayment of any funding received by that recipient.

Creative Scotland is the public body that supports culture and creativity across all parts of Scotland, distributing funding provided by the Scottish Government and The National Lottery.

Further information at creativescotland.com.

Follow us on X, Facebook and Instagram. 

Learn more about the value of art and creativity in Scotland and join in at www.ourcreativevoice.scot

Tradfest 2024 headliners announced

Edinburgh Tradfest is delighted to announce the first of its headline acts for 2024

Opening this year’s Festival on Friday 3 May, thanks to support from the National Lottery through Creative Scotland, will be Daniel Docherty and Martyn MacDonald whose band VALTOS has taken the trad and electronic music world by storm.

Valtos’ music has been described by Folk Radio UK as “like nothing you’ve heard before,” blending influences from electronic and folk music.

Inspired by artists like Martyn Bennet, Peatbog Faeries, Odesza, Madeon, and Bicep, Valtos creates a unique and genre-defying sound. Their self-titled debut album, released in June 2022, drew inspiration from the breath-taking beauty of their home in Skye, infusing their recordings and live performances with a profound sense of place. The album achieved over 100,000 streams in its first few weeks alone.

Joining them onstage at the Queen’s Hall for an energetic and unforgettable live experience will be Lana Pheutan, Eilidh Cormack, and Euan McLaughlin, plus a host of special guests.

Valtos’ talent and innovation have garnered recognition, earning them the Up and Coming Artist of the Year award at The Scots Trad Awards 2022. Their dedication and boundary-pushing artistry continue to impress critics and fans alike.

Also playing over the Festival’s opening weekend is multi-award winning solo artist Martin Simpson (Saturday 4 May) who is renowned for his magnificent acoustic, finger-style guitar playing.  

At the very top of his game, Martin is without question a true master of his art. He is universally acclaimed as one of the finest ever acoustic and slide guitar players in the world. Martin is a remarkable storyteller, and a fine banjo-picker who performs traditional English folk songs, American folk and blues and his own compositions with rare subtlety, intensity and honesty. 

Martin Simpson “One of the virtuoso instrumentalists of the English music scene” ‘Sounds better than ever’ **** 4 Stars The Guardian – photo credit Geoff Trinder

Rounding off the opening weekend on Sunday 5 May will be fiddle trio The Nordic Fiddlers Bloc (Kevin Henderson (Fiddlers Bid), Olav Luksengård Mjelva and Anders Hall)– a solid gold Edinburgh Tradfest favourite, masterfully blending the traditions of Norway, Sweden and the Shetland Islandswith their unique rich sound – not to be missed!

In Traverse 2 also performing on the opening weekend will be LA-based singer-songwriter Alice Howe, and the multi-award-winning singer /harpist / composer Rachel Newton.

Finally, on Monday 13 May, one of Scotland’s best loved traditional music stars, Julie Fowlis will perform with her band at what will be the festival’s biggest ever closing concert at Edinburgh’s Assembly Rooms.

Julie Fowlis who will close this year’s festival on Monday 13 May at the Assembly Rooms. Photo credit Wild Soul Photography 

Douglas Robertson and Jane-Ann Purdy, co-producers of Edinburgh Tradfest said: “Every year we look to up our game at Edinburgh Tradfest so we are very excited to share not one but two BIG venue concerts for 2024.

“With Valtos and Special Guests at the Queen’s Hall to open and Julie Fowlis at the Assembly Rooms to close this year’s festival we know we are looking forward to a bumper year. Our opening weekend is also chock-full of superstars and gives a fine taster of what lies ahead for the rest of the programme. We can’t wait for it to start.”

Creative Scotland’s Head of Music, Alan Morrison commented: ““Spring has arrived early for music fans with news that Valtos, Martin Simpson, Julie Fowlis and The Nordic Fiddlers Bloc will soon be coming to the capital’s stages.

“In recent years, Tradfest has transformed Edinburgh’s festival calendar with a world-class programme that celebrates the rich past and exciting future of folk and traditional music. If the opening weekend is anything to go by, the 2024 edition is going to be one of the best yet.”

The full programme for this year’s Edinburgh Tradfest will be launched in March and will include an unmissable line-up of live music, talks, new commissions, and traditional storytelling thanks to continued support from Creative Scotland and the William Grant Foundation.

Edinburgh Tradfest 2024 will run from Friday 3 May – Monday 13 May.

For tickets and more information visit edinburghtradfest.com 

The Book Week Scotland adventure begins in Edinburgh

One Scot will find a voucher for a year’s worth of books in one of this year’s free Book Week Scotland books

Book Week Scotland begins today, Monday 13 November, with this year’s theme of ‘adventure’.

Book Week Scotland is a national annual celebration of books and reading, with events taking place in libraries and community venues across the country, delivered by Scottish Book Trust – the national charity changing lives with reading and writing.

People picking up a copy of this year’s free Book Week Scotland book, Adventure, may be lucky enough to find one of seven special silver tickets, celebrating Scottish Book Trust’s 25th anniversary, tucked inside the pages.

The silver tickets are redeemable for book tokens, with six worth £100 and one valid for a year’s worth of books (to a value of £500). The tickets have been sent across Scotland, so readers far and wide are in with a chance of discovering one.

The book has been published by Scottish Book Trust, featuring true stories from people across Scotland, including four from local Edinburgh writers Hazel Knox, Joanne Deegan Kerr, Jo Higgs and Nicole Carter. 

Adventure also features exclusive contributions from Len Pennie, Sumayya Usmani, current Scots Scriever Shane Strachan, Mae Diansangu, and Gaelic writers Alistair Paul and Seonaidh Charity. 70,000 copies of the book will be given out for free during Book Week Scotland through libraries and community spaces, and it is also available to order online alongside audio and ebook formats.

Highlights from Book Week Scotland 2023 include:

·         Writing Historical Fiction: Forgotten Voices at Typewronger Books – Monday 13 November, 7.30–8.30pm (free ticketed event)

·         Sara Sheridan: The Fair Botanists at Juniper Green Bowling Club – Tuesday 14 November, 6.30–7.30pm (free ticketed event)

·         The Pleasures of Reading with Val McDermid at Portobello Bookshop – Thursday 16 November, 7–8pm (free ticketed event and online livestream)

·         Football Journeys with a Bearded Genius: Nooruddean Choudry in conversation with Daniel Gray from Nutmeg Magazine at St John’s Scottish Episcopal Church – Saturday 18 November, 7–8.30pm (free ticketed event)

·         An exclusive story by Ambrose Parry, told in daily email instalments

·         The reading map of Scotland, where people can share what they’re reading during the week

Further details on the above, and more, can be found at bookweekscotland.com.

Marc Lambert, CEO of Scottish Book Trust, said: ‘Book Week Scotland is one of the highlights of Scotland’s literary calendars, with events for all ages and interests taking place across the nation.

“Despite the fact that Book Week Scotland is now operating on a shoestring budget due to repeated funding cuts, working with and through our fantastic partners across the country we have been able, even so, to offer an exciting and accessible programme of events at a local and national level.

“We could not do this without the support of the Scottish Library and Information Council, library services and the many other community partners we collaborate with. And this is vital, because developing a love of reading is a lifelong adventure which brings much pleasure and many benefits to the individual and the communities they live in.’

Pamela Tulloch, chief executive of the Scottish Library & Information Council said: ‘Book Week Scotland is an important opportunity to bring communities together to celebrate the power of reading which is why SLIC is proud to be a partner. 

“With a brilliant programme of events lined up in libraries across the country, there’s something for everyone.  We hope people will take this opportunity to rediscover all that local libraries have to offer.’

Head of Literature & Publishing at Creative Scotland, Alan Bett, said: ‘Book Week Scotland is a highlight in Scotland’s literary and cultural calendar which continues to provide joy by connecting the reading public with Scotland’s authors and their books.

“Featuring some of the biggest names in our literary scene, this year’s programme showcases homegrown talent and provides the space to empower writers and readers alike, across the country and within their own communities.’