The first recipients of the Scottish Government’s new Expanded Festivals Fund have been announced today, marking a major step in widening support for Scotland’s festivals, and strengthening opportunities for artists and audiences across the country.
Creative Scotland has awarded £1,994,000 of funding to 28 festivals in the first tranche of support for the new Expanded Festivals Fund.
Designed to enable innovation in programming and showcase Scottish and Scotland-based artists and practitioners, it supports festivals in expanding their international and domestic reach and profile and creating opportunities for skills or sector development.
This initial round spans a wide range of artforms and locations, extending activity far beyond Edinburgh and Glasgow to communities from Orkney to the Borders, Argyll to Aberdeen, and Dumfries & Galloway to Highlands, reflecting the breadth and ambition of Scotland’s festival sector and the transformative potential of this new investment.
Supported projects represent significant investment into opportunities for artists and creative professionals which will broaden cultural offerings for audiences, including new and innovative festival programming, international collaborations, touring opportunities and talent development programmes.
Culture Secretary Angus Robertsonsaid: “Scotland has a wealth of outstanding festivals across the country which lie at the heart of our culture sector and national life.
“Our festivals’ ambitions and creativity provide focal points for activity and an invaluable platform for artists and performers to showcase their work. They also provide hundreds of millions of pounds to the economy and support a pipeline of jobs and businesses.
“The Expanded Festivals Fund forms part of the Scottish Government’s ongoing commitment to provide an additional £100 million more annually for culture funding by 2028-29. I am heartened to see this fund support incredible projects across Scotland which will increase participation in creative pursuits and ensure festivals can commission and collaborate on new and exciting works.”
Paul Burns, Interim Director of Arts and Engagementat Creative Scotland said: “Scotland’s festivals are a vibrant celebration of our creativity and culture, recognised and enjoyed by local communities and people from around the world.
“The Expanded Festivals Fund is a new opportunity to profile incredible creative work in every corner of the country and support other areas vital to our festivals’ ongoing success.
“The supported projects reflect the full range of our festivals’ work – including sector and talent development, international collaboration, and the development of new projects with specific groups and communities in their areas.”
The list of awards up to £100,000, for programmes of activity taking place between 1 May 2026 and 30 April 2028, can be found on the Creative Scotland website (see below).
In Edinburgh, there’s funding for the HIDDEN DOOR (£57,000) and PUSH THE BOAT OUT (£71,000) festivals.
Recipients of awards of up to £200,000 will be published in May 2026.
SCOTLAND’S CULTURE HUSTINGS 2026will be the only chance to hear all the main political parties set out their values and vision for Scotland’s cultural future at this critical moment.
The event is chaired by Halla Mohieddeen and features:
Angus Robertson, Scottish National Party
Euan Davidson, Scottish Liberal Democrats
Malcolm Offord, Reform UK Scotland
Murdo Fraser, Scottish Conservative and Unionist Party
theSpaceUK has announced the first wave of shows on sale for the 2026 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, offering an early snapshot of a programme rooted in bold new writing, distinctive solo performance and genre-spanning cabaret and musicals.
Elsa Jean McTaggart marks 15 years of touring with #SHORN, a music-led theatre piece that combines original songs and spoken reflections, performed with long-time collaborator Gary Lister. Triple Lutz Productions’ Dear Michelle Kwan is a darkly comic coming-of-age story set inside a hyper-competitive figure skating rink, where teenage rituals, obsession, and girlhood collide.
Solo storytelling features prominently. In A Cat in a Box, Tom Nemec delivers an autobiographical play exploring love, trauma and recovery within a dysfunctional family, while Raising Cain Productions’ award-winning thriller The Night Ali Died reconstructs a single catastrophic evening through multiple perspectives.
Julie Flower returns following a five-star Fringe run with Grandma’s Shop, a multi-character solo show blending family history, subculture and community, set in a Sheffield second-hand clothes shop in the late 1980s.
Dark ensemble work is represented by Minotaur Theatre Company’s And The Little One Said, a late-90s-set black comedy in which a summer holiday unravels into violence and moral collapse. Political satire arrives in January 6th The Musical, where two aspiring performers attempt to sing and dance their way out of alleged involvement in the US Capitol insurrection.
From Italy, Action Theatre presents Democrazy, a physical-theatre, mask-led examination of populism and dictatorship, dedicated to Alexei Navalny.
The first on-sale announcement also includes cabaret and musical theatre. Canada’s The Cheesecake Burlesque Revue, winners of Best Large Group at the 2024 Burlesque Hall of Fame Awards, celebrate 20 years with a body-positive variety spectacular. Vocal trio The Sundaes return with Diva Las Vegas, a short-run cabaret celebrating iconic divas, while Thank You for the Muesli offers an ABBA-inspired musical comedy with pun-heavy exuberance.
Musical theatre highlights include Music & Murder By…, a darkly comic new musical set at a writers’ retreat that turns fatal, and Spraywatch: A Beautiful Rescue, an unauthorised 90s-inspired seaside musical comedy from Low Fat Productions.
I Made You a Mixtape by Response Theatre Company is a movement-led dance theatre piece set at a 1990s dorm party, using popular music to explore friendship, identity and memory, with each performance shaped live in response to sound.
The festival’s FULL programme including workshops, folk films, and storytelling will be announced on Tuesday 17 March, thanks to support from the National Lottery through Creative Scotland and the William Grant Foundation.
Opening this year’s festival at Potterrow, is multi-award winning, trad music powerhouse RURA (below)performing tunes from their 15-year-long repertoire; and Scottish newcomers Astro Bloc (Eryn Rae, Paul Jennings, Éadaoin Ní Mhaicín, Gillie Ó Flaherty) playing an exhilarating mix of tunes that push boundaries to create a thrilling new sound.
Also headlining is ‘velvet-vocalist’ Kim Carnie; The Furrow Collective, (Lucy Farrell, Rachel Newton, Emily Portman, Alasdair Roberts) playing contemporary versions of folk songs against a Cantastoria of visuals on a moving scroll; RANT (Anna Massie, Lauren MacColl, Bethany Reid, Gillian Frame) playing a mix of all-time favourites and tunes from their brand new album; and the Brian Molley Quartet celebrating the Scottish roots of jazz.
Additionally, acclaimed singer, composer and live-looping artist GANNA Gryniva presents her new album UTOPIA which mixes Ukrainian folk tunes, with Peruvian grooves, jazz-tinged arrangements and electronic soundscapes.
Finally, closing this year’s packed festival is Scottish supergroup Session A9 (Charlie McKerron, Kevin Henderson, Gordon Gunn, Adam Sutherland, Marc Clement, Brian McAlpine, David ‘Chimp’ Robertson) – an unmissable gig by a group reputed to be one of the best live bands in Scotland.
Other must-sees include:
• Séamus and Caoimhe, beautiful blood harmony, dexterous instrumentals and energetic Irish dancing, all from two incredibly talented young people.
• The Complete Recordings of Hezekiah Procter, a vaudeville act from the 1920s looking back on the beginnings of country music, with Montreal based songwriter Li’l Andy taking on the fictional persona of “Hezekiah Procter”, a long-lost legend of old-time music. This piece is accompanied by musicians from Sheesham and Lotus & ‘Son, who combine harmony vocals, fiddles, banjos, and sousaphone.
• This year’s festival commission is A’ Chiad Litir (The First Letter) led by captivating singer songwriter Josie Duncan from the Isle of Lewis.
• The festival Spotlight event which gives a platform to new artists each year. Bands for 2026 include: Curlew, Dauntless and old-time fiddle and banjo duo Jeri Foreman and Ruth Eliza.
Music highlights from this year’s early evening programme which kicks off at 6.30pm each night include:
• Fiddle player Laura Jane Wilkie and folk guitarist Ian Carr
• Master of the melodeon Tim Edey
• The Nexus Project featuring Bede Patterson who explores contemporary and ancient Highland Bagpipes. With creative and experimental contributions from Dean Garrity, Ewan Johnston, and Roan Anderson.
• Multi-award-winning harp and percussion duo Eleanor Dunsdon and Gregor Black.
• Deiseil: Dancing in Time – a powerful exploration of the revival of stepdance told through fiddle, feet, Gaelic song and story. Directed by Gerry Mulgrew, with dancing by Alison Carlyle and music by Amy Geddes. This 5-star show premiered during the Edinburgh Fringe in 2025.
Other early evening trad/folk bands programmed for 2026, that are making waves on the international scene include:
• Old-time stringband The Onlies a collective of Gen Z folkies originally from Seattle.
• String trio Northern Resonance who take Scandinavian music in a new direction with their mix of explosive rhythms and grand chamber-like arrangements. They play viola, Nyckelharpa and Hardanger fiddle.
• Rajasthani folk trio SAZ whose repertoire encompasses centuries-old folk music, passed down the generations.
• Banjo-playing singer-songwriter from Montreal Kaïa Kater. Her music reflects ties to the Canadian folk music scene, her college years spent in West Virginia, and growing up in Grenada.
In addition, we will be celebrating World Play A Strathspey Day on Saturday 2 May with Laura Jane Wilkie, Madeleine Stewart, Sam Mabbett and Angus Lyon; and enjoying an afternoon performance of Isla Ratcliff’s reimagining of Vivaldi’s four seasons.
Douglas Robertson and Jane-Ann Purdy, co-producers of Edinburgh Tradfest said: “It’s such a tonic for a dreich February to look forward to the warmth of May and such a dazzling line up of trad and traditionally-inspired music at Edinburgh Tradfest.
“We have carefully curated a programme that has something for everyone. Included are the very best musicians from Scotland who are currently carrying our traditions forward in myriad exciting ways.
“We are also delighted to be welcoming a wide variety of touring musicians from Ireland, India, Sweden, Ukraine, Canada and the United States. Whether you love song, tunes or beats, jazz influences, classical inspiration or a straight ahead Strathspey, we have you covered.”
Participating Musician Josie Duncan who is leading this year’s special commission said: “It’s a total honour to be creating this year’s special commission. As artists, we’re often involved in a wide range of musical projects, so having the time and space to slow down and create something entirely new feels incredibly special.
“I feel very lucky to be exploring the powerful work of Marie Maitland and to be working alongside historian Ashley Douglas who has brought this work to light.”
Participating musician and co-programmer Laura Jane Wilkie said: “Tradfest is a wonderful exhibition of the quality in folk and traditional music in all its glorious cultures and subcultures.
“It is an inclusive and beautifully curated festival and heralds the transition from spring to summer in the capital city. Delighted to be a part of it.”
Edinburgh Tradfest 2026 will run from Friday 1 May – Monday 11 May.
Full programme announced on Tuesday 17 March 2026.
For tickets and more information visit edinburghtradfest.com
Marking Muriel Spark’s Birthday on 1 February 2026
A new production of David Harrower’s adaptation of Muriel Spark’s classic novel The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie is set to tour Scotland in 2026
The production is directed by Vicky Featherstone and features Gayle Rankin as Jean Brodie
To mark the birthday of author Muriel Spark on 1 February, new images will be released of Gayle Rankin, in the iconic role of Jean Brodie, shot by renowned photographer Rankin.
A National Theatre of Scotland Production
Presented in partnership with The Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh and in association with Pitlochry Festival Theatre
The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie
Adapted by David Harrower from the novel by Muriel Spark
Directed by Vicky Featherstone
Featuring Gayle Rankin as Jean Brodie
Touring Scotland from 02 October to 07 November 2026.
Previews and opening at The Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh before touring to The Citizens Theatre, Glasgow; His Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdeen and Pitlochry Festival Theatre.
Opening performance at The Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh on 9 October 2026.
National Theatre of Scotland in partnership with The Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh and in association with Pitlochry Festival Theatre is bringing one of Scotland’s most iconic and enduring Scottish literary characters to the stage, in a brand-new production of The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie. This production will mark 60 years since the premiere of the original stage version.
Adapted for the stage by acclaimed Scottish playwright David Harrower from Muriel Spark’s much-loved novel, The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie is directed by Vicky Featherstone and features Gayle Rankin making her National Theatre of Scotland debut as the charismatic Jean Brodie.
To mark Muriel Spark’s birthday, born in Edinburgh on 1 February,1918, National Theatre of Scotland is releasing newly commissioned images to promote this new production. The photos were captured by Rankin in his studio in London.
Gayle Rankin, photographed by Rankin.
Born in Edinburgh in 1918, Muriel Spark he wrote 22 novels including The Driver’s Seat, Memento Mori and The Girls of Slender Means with The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie being the best known of her works.
First published in the New Yorker and reissued in volume form in 1961, the novel is set in Edinburgh in 1936 with the central character based in part on a teacher at Muriel Spark’s Edinburgh school, James Gillespie’s School for Girls. The novel was subsequently adapted for stage, film and television.
Gayle Rankin is a Tony Award-nominated Scottish performer well known for her role as Sheila the She-Wolf in the hit Netflix series GLOW. Gayle recently finished a run on Broadway as Sally Bowles opposite Eddie Redmayne in the award-winning production of Cabaret (Tony nominated).
Other TV credits include House of the Dragon and Perry Mason (HBO). Film includes Alex Garland’s Men, Amazon’s Blow the Man Down, Bad Things and The Greatest Showman. New York theatre credits include Sam Gold’s Hamlet and Phyllida Lloyd’s The Taming of the Shrew.
Gayle Rankin said: “Working with the legendary photographer Rankin was an incredible experience.
His deep curiosity as an artist, alongside Vicky Featherstone and me, helped crack open the earliest beginnings of our Jean Brodie—approaching her not just as an icon, a myth or character, but as a real woman for our time. We were thrilled to start this journey with Rankin’s lens on her.”
Rankin is a British photographer, publisher, and film director.
Best known for work that is on the cultural cusp and leading future trends, he has produced rule-breaking campaigns for brands such as Rolls Royce, Unilever, L’Oreal, Lego, and Samsonite; creating wide reaching projects for charities including Women’s Aid and Macmillan; and shooting music videos for the likes of Miley Cyrus, Rita Ora and Kelis.
As a photographer Rankin’s portfolio ranges from portraiture to documentary. He has shot The Rolling Stones, David Bowie, Kate Moss, Kendall Jenner and Zendaya to name only a few. In 2023 Rankin photographed King Charles III to mark the monarch’s 75th Birthday for The Big Issue magazine.
As a publisher, Rankin co-founded the seminal magazine Dazed & Confused with Jefferson Hack in 1990 and has since published the likes of AnOther and AnOther Man, alongside over 40 books, and the fashion and culture publication Hunger. His photography has been published everywhere from his own publications to Elle, Vogue, Esquire, GQ, Rolling Stone, and Wonderland, and exhibited in galleries globally, including MoMA, New York, and the Victoria & Albert Museum, London.
Gayle Rankin, photographed by Rankin
Rankin said: “It was a thrill and a privilege to be invited to capture the extraordinary Gayle Rankin in the iconic role of the dangerous but alluring Jean Brodie. Her power as an actor brought an electric theatricality to the shoot as can be seen in the final images.
“It was fantastic to collaborate with the National Theatre of Scotland on this production, which I hope I can get to see later this year.”
ABOUT THE PRODUCTION
‘Give me a girl at an impressionable age, and she is mine for life’
At the Marcia Blaine School for Girls, junior-school teacher Miss Jean Brodie is, famously, in her prime.
Each year, Brodie selects her ‘set’. The crème de la crème of girls whom she will shape through art and politics, stories of sexual liberation and titillating glimpses of the women they could become. In return, she demands utter loyalty from them all.
Witty, seductive and swirling in contradictions, Brodie’s mythical ability to invent her own truths and manipulate her girls ultimately leads her to risk everything.
In an adaptation by David Harrower, which sharpens the knives of Spark’s extraordinary work, and with a cast led by Gayle Rankin (Sally Bowles in Cabaret on Broadway, and TV’s Glow & House of The Dragon and The Greatest Showman), this visceral production takes a head-on look at the enduring moral fascination with such a beguiling and dangerous character.
“The crème de la crème of Brodie adaptations”
The Theatre Times on The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, Donmar Warehouse, 2018
This is the first time that David Harrower’s adaptation of The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie has been performed in Scotland, having been originally staged at the Donmar Warehouse in 2018 to critical acclaim.
The original 1966 London stage adaptation was by Jay Presson Allen (Marnie, Cabaret). Scottish productions include Pitlochry Festival Theatre in 1985 and 2009 and at The Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh in 2003.
Gayle Rankin played one of the schoolgirls in The Lyceum production and this 2026 production marks her homecoming to Scotland’s stages.
Vicky Featherstone, director, said “20 years after we made our first tentative steps towards what a National Theatre for Scotland could be, I am honoured to be part of this year’s celebrations, with what is undoubtably one of the most iconic characters and stories ever written.
“It is testament to Spark that this story penned in 1961 Edinburgh, feels as sharp, as shocking, as thrilling, as alive as it did on publication and is an incredible opportunity to exalt the exceptional theatre artists and celebrate Scottish audience’s unbridled passion for theatre that gave us the courage to begin all those years ago.”
David Harrower is an Olivier Award-winning and Tony-nominated Scottish playwright and screenwriter. Plays include Blackbird (Olivier Award for Best New Play and Tony nominated), Knives in Hens, Kill the Old, Torture Their Young (Traverse Theatre), Six Characters in Search of an Author, 365, Calum’s Road (National Theatre of Scotland). Film & TV work includes Una, Outlaw King, Lockerbie: A Search for the Truth and the forthcoming The Day of the Jackal Season 2.
Vicky Featherstone was the founding Artistic Director of the National Theatre of Scotland, and she returns to direct The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie with the company, following a decade as Artistic Director of London’s Royal Court Theatre. Theatre credits include: Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour, Enquirer (National Theatre of Scotland); Shoe Lady, The Glow (Royal Court); The Outrun (Royal Lyceum Theatre for Edinburgh International Festival 2024). Her production of Krapp’s Last Tape with Stephen Rea recently played in NYC following an earlier presentation at Barbican, London and Pavilion Theatre, Dublin in 2025.
Touring in 2026 to The Royal Lyceum Theatre, Edinburgh (Previews Fri 2, Mon 5-Thu 8 October) Fri 9 October to Sun 18 October; The Citizens Theatre, Glasgow Wed 21October to Sat 24 October; His Majesty’s Theatre, Aberdeen Thu 29 October to Sat 31 October; Pitlochry Festival Theatre Wed 4 November to Sat 7 November 2026.
The Traditional Arts and Culture Fund, previously known as Tasgadh, will open for applications at 10am today (19 January 2026).
The fund, administered by TRACS (Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland), offers small grants of up to £1,200 to artists, community groups, and grassroots organisations working across Scotland’s traditional music, song, storytelling, dance, crafts, indigenous languages, and wider intangible heritage.
TRACS won the Creative Scotland tender to administer the fund in October last year, with traditional crafts included for the first time as a new addition to the fund.
In 2026, the total fund available is £43k and applications for the first round close on Monday 16 February, with a second round of funding due to open on 6 April and close on 4 May. Awards of up to £1,200 are available (an increase of 20% on previous years), enabling around 18 applicants in each round to be funded the maximum amount.
Applications can be submitted in Gaelic, Scots, and English language. All applicants are required to demonstrate a positive track record in and/or professional commitment to one or more traditional artforms, and awards are decided by a panel of traditional arts and craft specialists.
TRACS won the Creative Scotland tender to administer the fund in October last year, with traditional crafts included for the first time as a new addition to the fund.
In 2026, the total fund available is £43k and applications for the first round close on Monday 16 February, with a second round of funding due to open on 6 April and close on 4 May. Awards of up to £1,200 are available (an increase of 20% on previous years), enabling around 18 applicants in each round to be funded the maximum amount.
Applications can be submitted in Gaelic, Scots, and English language. All applicants are required to demonstrate a positive track record in and/or professional commitment to one or more traditional artforms, and awards are decided by a panel of traditional arts and craft specialists.
Funding is available for the creation, performance, touring, and showcasing of traditional arts and crafts in Scotland, and for professional development and learning projects.
Previous successful projects include music classes and workshops, dance development and collaborations, composition of new music, tours, personal development projects, internships, and festivals.
Previous applicants who received awards of between £250 and £1,000 include Sangstream Scots Folk Choir celebrating the heritage of Midlothian miners in song; puirt à beul workshops for Dundee Gaelic Choir; Cabraich Community Arts’ weekly song and story cèilidhs in Stornoway; storytelling development at Glenesk Folk Museum with the Grampian Association of Storytellers; and the creation of new work in Scottish stepdance by Deiseil Airson Dannsa.
Steve Byrne CEO of TRACS said: “We are delighted to have been appointed as the new administrators of this important fund.
“Being able to provide support to artists and organisations at all stages of their development is essential to ensuring that Scotland has a buoyant traditional arts community, and experience shows that a nimble small grants programme like this can make a huge difference to grassroots activity.
“We look forward to announcing the successful applicants in due course.”
Catriona Hawksworth, Traditional Arts Officer at Creative Scotland said: “The newly redeveloped Traditional Arts and Culture Fund will directly benefit the tradition-bearers and communities upholding Scotland’s many traditions, and we’re delighted that the fund will support traditionalcrafts for the first time, alongside traditional music, storytelling and dance.
“With increased funding, more traditional artists and practitioners will be able to boost their offerings within their local communities thanks to National Lottery funding. TRACS are expertly placed as a custodian of this crucial funding as champions of Scottish traditions with their invaluable knowledge and networks.”
Helen Voce, panellist representing Traditional Craft said: “The Fund’s recognition of traditional crafts for the first time is welcomed and timely.
“A supporter of craftspeople in Scotland, including as a volunteer Regional Coordinator of Scottish members of Heritage Crafts,I know the Fund will make a difference to the practice of experienced and emerging practitioners alike.
“It arrives following a year that saw a number of traditional crafts practised in Scotland listed as endangered (e.g. Shinty Caman Making) and critically endangered (e.g. Highlands & Islands Thatching) on theRed List of Heritage Crafts 2025.
“And, as communities are poised to submit traditional craft practices to the Crafts Inventory of Living Heritage following the UK’s ratification of the UNESCO Convention for the Safeguarding of the Intangible Cultural Heritage.”
The Traditional Arts and Culture Fund is administered by TRACS (Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland), with support from The National Lottery through Creative Scotland.
More information on the fund and a video guide to completing the application form is available at www.tracscotland.org/traditional-arts-and-culture-fund/
Submissions for Global Ink 2026, Edinburgh International Book Festival’s flagship international forum for Festival Directors, are now open. Taking place in Edinburgh from 17–19 August 2026, as part of the wider Book Festival programme (15–30 August), Global Ink 2026 will unite leaders from twenty international festivals for three days of dynamic roundtables, networking, and sector-leading events, showcasing the breadth and diversity of Scotland’s cultural sector.
With a core focus on increasing the presence of Scottish writers and artists in festival programmes around the world, Global Ink 2026 builds on the Book Festival’s four decades of commitment to international exchange and collaboration.
Supported by the Scottish Government and Creative Scotland through the Festivals EXPO Fund, the forum is designed to foster new partnerships and enduring connections between Scotland and the global festival community.
EIBF has long pioneered international networks and collaboration between festivals, as a founding member of the Word Alliance, and committee member of the Global Alliance of Literature Festivals.
Programme Highlights
Global Ink Directors’ Sessions: Monday 17 August, featuring closed-door roundtables and sector panels.
Scottish Showcase Day: Tuesday 18 August, with curated public events and connection with Scottish talent.
Industry Brunch : Wednesday 19 August, open networking with the Scottish and UK literary sector.
Closing Night Ceilidh: A celebration of Scottish culture to conclude the forum.
Delegates arriving earlier in the week can also enjoy an Opening Party & Welcome Reception on Saturday 15 August, and Sunday 16 August’s Scottish Programme Highlight event.
EIBF is delighted to have support from the Scottish Government and Creative Scotland, as the national public body for the arts, with this event being made possible by the Festivals EXPO Fund.
Underlining the value being placed upon this event, Global Ink 2026 was announced by the Cabinet Secretary for Constitution, External Affairs and Culture, Angus Robertson during the 2025 Book Festival programme. We are currently working with the Scottish Government to shape joint opportunities involving delegates throughout this global forum.
Delegate Benefits
International Festival Directors selected for Global Ink 2026 will receive:
Guaranteed admission to a number of Book Festival events, with exclusive opportunities to meet leading Scottish writers.
Tailored networking sessions with key Scottish stakeholders across culture, policy, and business.
Access to a fully-catered Hospitality Area for industry professionals.
Invitations to special events, including the opening party, receptions, and partners’ dinner.
Confidential closed-door sessions for candid sector discussion and professional exchange.
Partner-rate accommodation for the duration of Global Ink 2026.
Who Should Apply
Applications are welcomed from Directors of book, multi-arts, or ideas festivals based outside the UK, particularly those keen to develop long-term partnerships with the Edinburgh International Book Festival and Scotland’s wider cultural sector.
Successful delegates will benefit from special rates at partner hotels for the duration of their stay.
A separate submissions process will open for UK-based Festival Directors in Spring 2026.
Key Dates
Call Opens: 4 December 2025
Application Deadline: 24 January 2026
Forum Dates: 17–19 August 2026 (with additional events on 15 and 16 August 2026 for early attendees)
Jenny Niven, Director of the Edinburgh International Book Festival, said:“Since 2024, our Global Ink programme has fostered strong international collaborations between the Edinburgh International Book Festival and other global literary festivals, which has seen new bridges built between countries and organisations, and a host of exciting new overseas opportunities open up to Scottish writers and thinkers.
“Building on decades of international collaboration at the EIBF,we’re thrilled to be able to expand on this work with our 2026 edition, thanks to the support of Scottish Government and Creative Scotland’s Festivals EXPO Fund, forging new pathways to global audiences for Scotland’s breadth of fantastic writers, both new and established, as well as learning from our many sister Festivals around the world.
“We look forward to welcoming them to Edinburgh next August.”
Culture Secretary Angus Robertson said:“The expansion of Global Ink shows how our increased funding for Scottish festivals is creating more lasting connections with leading book festivals around the world. In turn this creates more global opportunities for Scottish writers and publishers.
“Our commitment to increase culture funding, with an additional £4m a year for Scotland’s festivals, will have an impact in many different ways, including an even more influential role for Edinburgh International Book Festival and a richer experience for its audiences.”
Aldi’s first-ever Great Scottish Supper brings pipers, poetry and haggis to Scottish primary schools
Aldi Scotland is giving primary school pupils in Edinburgh the chance to enjoy a truly traditional Burns Supper, complete with all the trimmings, including a bagpiper.
The UK’s Cheapest Supermarket 2024 is set to host its first-ever Great Scottish Supper, with one primary school class winning an unforgettable Robert Burns celebration.
As one of the country’s biggest supporters of Scottish food and drink, Aldi Scotland is encouraging the next generation to sample some of the nation’s most-loved dishes while taking part in celebrations that honour Scotland’s national poet.
Schools across the country are invited to take part, with one primary school class set to receive everything they need to host a memorable Burns Day feast, including the traditional haggis, neeps and tatties, as well as more contemporary dishes such as haggis bon bons and vegetarian haggis. A bagpiper will also perform the ceremonial piping-in of the haggis.
To participate, primary school classes of any age are invited to submit original Scots poems, giving pupils the opportunity to engage creatively with Scottish heritage and literature in true Burns style.
Poems should capture the spirit and traditions of Robert Burns by telling his story in a modern and imaginative way.
The initiative is open to any primary school class in Scotland. To enter, schools should send their original poems to to scottishcompetition@aldi.co.uk by Friday 23rd January 2026. Schools can submit more than one poem per class.
Alan Leslie, Buying Director, at Aldi Scotland said: “As one of the most loyal supporters of Scottish food and drink, we believe we have a responsibility to ensure Scots of all ages can experience our most iconic culinary traditions.Burns Day is the perfect occasion for our youngest generation to enjoy some of the outstanding produce Scotland is famous for.
“Centuries after his lifetime, Robert Burns remains Scotland’s most celebrated poet, and what better way to honour his legacy than by encouraging young people to explore their own creativity?
“We’re really looking forward to reading the poems from primary classes across the country and are excited to bring our first-ever Great Scottish Supper to a deserving school.”
As Which?’s Cheapest Supermarket of 2024, Aldi continues to offer some of the best value deals on locally sourced Scottish food and drink.
For Burns Day, shoppers can pick up a selection of traditional and contemporary dishes, including:
Simon Howie Sweet Chilli Haggis Bon Bons, £2.45, 240g
Simon Howie Curried Haggis Bon Bons, £2.45, 240g
Punjab Pakora Square Sausage Bites with spicy chili dip, £1.89, 200g
Punjab Pakora Iron Brew infused chicken pakora, £1.99, 200g
Bells Burns Supper Pie, £2.49, pack of two
Aldi’s diverse range of locally produced products are available at all of Aldi’s 112 Scottish stores. Available while stocks last.
Entries for the Great Scottish Supper open on 6 January, and will be accepted until Friday 23 January. The winning class will be contacted by January 30.
The winner will receive a £100 Aldi voucher to cater for their celebrations, with the supermarket also arranging a bagpiper for the event.
The Cumbernauld Theatre Trust, in North Lanarkshire, has been awarded £150,000 transition funding from the Scottish Government to help secure its future.
The funding will ensure the future of the Theatre as a going concern, so that it can continue its cultural programme and community work, while taking steps to enhance its financial sustainability and operations.
Cumbernauld Theatre Trust was the only was the only organisation to lose regular funding when Creative Scotland announced successful bidders for Multi-Year Funding in January, as a result of its application which was unsuccessful.
A record number of cultural organisations were successful in applying for Multi-Year Funding, following a £34 million increase for culture in the arts in the 2025-26 Scottish Budget. Over half of these organisations were awarded multi-year funding for the first time, and all successful applicants who previously received regular funding got a significant uplift.
Culture Secretary Angus Robertson said: “The Cumbernauld Theatre is an important cultural asset for North Lanarkshire and the wider culture sector in Scotland.
“As a result of its failure to secure Multi-Year Funding, the Trust faced a critical funding gap for 2026-27, which would have required the Trust to consult on redundancies.
“Given the Theatre’s significance to the community and in order to protect the sector-specific skills it provides employment opportunities for, the Scottish Government has agreed to support the Trust with £150,000 in grant funding over 2026-27, and a potential further £150,000 in 2027-28 – subject to the Trust demonstrating its sustainability issues are being resolved.
“This funding should enable the Trust to move beyond a challenging period and take the necessary steps to secure Cumbernauld Theatre’s future.”
Alan Caldwell, Chair of Cumbernauld Theatre Trust said: “We are incredibly grateful to the Cabinet Secretary Angus Robertson and the Scottish Government for our constructive conversations over the last few months and today’s announcement of its strategic investment in the future of this important cultural organisation.
“Their grant of £150,000 in 2026/27 and a potential further award in 2027/28 allows the Trust time to plan for a long-term sustainable future, while continuing to deliver its valuable work for residents in an area of Scotland which is under-served in terms of cultural and community opportunities.”
Creative Scotland has also agreed to give Cumbernauld Theatre Trust £99,557 in support of a programme of community engagement and work celebrating the town’s anniversary over the course of 2026.
The 2025 Soundhouse Winter Festival returns from Thursday 27 November to Monday 1 December at the Traverse Theatre in Edinburgh, thanks to support from The National Lottery through Creative Scotland.
The festival showcases musicians either from, or based in Scotland, and runs over St Andrews Day and the Fair Saturday weekend. The programme includes some of Scotland’s finest jazz, and trad musicians, a showcase of emerging new musicians, music workshops for adults and young people, and a silent film accompanied by live music.
Headliners include experimental folk band Constant Follower led by songwriter Steven McAll playing tracks from their latest album Let the Healing Begin which has recently been added to the long list for the Scottish Album of the Year (SAY) award, 2024’s Scottish Jazz Vocalist of the Year Niki King; genre blending spoken word artist, rapper, and rising star Bee Asha; andguitarist Chris Amer and his Sextet (Matt Carmichael, Fergus McCreadie, Gus Stirrat, Stephen Henderson and Mhairi Marwick) performing music from their new collection Making Peace With What Is.
In addition, award-winning Scottish composer and guitarist Graeme Stephen will present his score for the 1927 silent film Metropolis, performedby Stephen on guitar and a classical string quartet lead by Fiona Winning on viola.
The quartet is completed by Tom Hanky (violin), George Smith (violin) and Robert Irvine (‘cello). Graeme will also be giving a non-participatory masterclass in Developing Concepts for Composition, Improvisation and Practice, for learners to explore creative ways to turn their ideas into compositions.
Other highlights over the weekend include harpist and lead vocalist Dara Dubh performing fan favourites and new tracks with Tony McVey on drums, Eve Simpson on keys/vocals and Brad Phillips on doublebass.
Multi-instrumentalist and folk singer Cahalen Morrison performing songs from his forthcoming album with his freshly minted trio; and jazz saxaphonist Rachel Duns, whose music ranges from blues and soul, to thepsychedelic sounds of the 1960s.
Over the weekend, audiences will also be treated to an afternoon concert from Scottish/Egyptian instrumentalists and composers The Ayoub Sisters who rose to stardom after their debut album premiered at No.1 in the Official Classical Charts.
Plus, three emerging artists playing in this year’s Spotlight concert, showcasing the very best up and coming jazz musicians in Scotland.
They include guitarist and double bass player Timmy Allan who won the BBC Scotland Young Jazz Musician of the Year Award in 2024 and this year’s Alan McAuley Jazz Award; The Ewan Johnston Trio formed of pianist Ewan Johnston, Christopher Quinnon on bass and Roan Anderson on drums; and the Milele Collective a young five-piece making waves on the Scottish scene with their jazz, latin and afro grooves.
In addition, cellist and improvisor Simone Seales will be giving an Improvisation Workshop for beginners on how to make sound without musical notation, open to amateur or experienced instrumentalists, vocalists or musicians from any other discipline.
Douglas Robertson and Jane-Ann Purdy, co-producers said:“After last year’s multi-genre celebration of the Scottish music scene, we are delighted to be back for our second annual Soundhouse Winter Festival.
“We’ll be presenting jazz, pop, rap, classical, soul, funk, folk, trad, and many points where those categories intersect. It will be heartwarming, life affirming and a great antidote to the November blues. We extend a warm welcome to all: come and be part of Edinburgh’s great music-loving community.“
Alan Morrison, Head of Music at Creative Scotlandsaid: “The closes and wynds of the capital are about to come alive as the Soundhouse Winter Festival returns to Edinburgh with another excellent array of rising stars and familiar faces.
“This compact and perfectly curated programme offers plenty of opportunities to discover new talent across an extended weekend in November, with must-see gigs each and every day.
“Organised by the same people as Edinburgh’s rejuvenated Tradfest, the quality of music is guaranteed to be top-level, with something to suit all tastes.”
