Tag: Festival of Politics

National Theatre of Scotland at the Festival Fringe 2026 announced

National Theatre of Scotland announces programme for Edinburgh Festival Fringe in the company’s 20th anniversary year

  • The acclaimed Through the Shortbread Tin, written and performed by Martin O’Connor at the Scottish Storytelling Centre as part of the Made in Scotland programme.
  • One Hundred Voices – a new immersive installation, bringing creative insight into living in the care system, opening at the Scottish Parliament and running during the Scottish Parliament’s Festival of Politics. Part of Caring Scotland, a major project documenting the lives of care experienced people in Scotland.
  • Marking 20 years of NTS Edinburgh Festival presentations, with 42 productions across the Festival Fringe and Edinburgh International Festival, from Black Watch to Make it Happen.

National Theatre of Scotland presents

Through the Shortbread Tin

Written and performed by Martin O’Connor

Remount directed by Joanna Bowman
Original production directed by Lu Kemp

With Josie Duncan and Iona Mairead

Musical Director and Composer – Oliver Searle, Sound and Video Designer – Rob Willoughby, Set and Costume designed by Emma Bailey and Rachel O’Neill, Lighting Designer – Michaella Fee, Gaelic Consultant – Alasdair Whyte

At the Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2026 at the Scottish Storytelling Centre from 7 to 31 August at 4.45pm with a preview performance on 6 August 2026.

Opening press performance at the Scottish Storytelling Centre on Friday 7 August 2026 at 4.45pm.

Part of the Made in Scotland Showcase

The story of the greatest literary hoax of all time.

Returning to the stage following a critically acclaimed and award-nominated Scotland-wide tour in 2025, Martin O’Connor’s Through the Shortbread Tin is a poetic, poignant and playful show, performed in Scots with Gaelic songs, which explores Scottish culture, myths, history and identity.

“Fierce, Funny and Challenging” The Scotsman ★★★★

“an entertaining and intelligent investigation into the illusions and inconsistencies of Scottish history, culture and identity.” The Stage ★★★★

“A tartan wrapped gift of a show” The Herald ★★★★

Through the Shortbread Tin will open in Edinburgh at the Scottish Storytelling Centre as part of the Made in Scotland Programme at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe on Friday 7 August 2026.

Twenty years since the internationally acclaimed production of Black Watch premiered at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Through the Shortbread Tin marks National Theatre of Scotland’s 42 productions at the Edinburgh festivals, including last year’s Edinburgh International Festival sell out success, Make It Happen.

Through the Shortbread Tin is remounted for this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe by Joanna Bowman, whose previous productions include the award-winning Tron Theatre Company production of Escaped Alone; Doubt: A Parable (Dundee Rep) and most recently, Sweat (Citizens Theatre and Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh). Joanna won the 2024 CATS Award for Best Director.

In 1760 Scottish poet James Macpherson set the world ablaze with stories of the third-century Scottish bard, Ossian. This tartan-trimmed tale of Highland history spread far and wide, capturing the imagination of thousands– but was it built on a deception?

In 2026 Scottish poet Martin O’Connor decides to revisit Macpherson’s epic and begins to question his own relationship with Scottish culture. The sporrans, the stags, the shortbread – do these ‘gift-shop’ images of Scotland hold us back or bring us forward? What does it mean to be authentic, and is the truth sometimes better told in a lie?

Imagine that you were telt tae ignore the myths?

Imagine you didnae know anything about the country you came fae?

But imagine you started askin questions?

Imagine that you could jist replace wan myth wi another?

Martin will be joined on stage by Josie Duncan and Iona Mairead, distinctive Gaelic choral singers, singing original songs composed by Oliver Searle.

Audiences are invited to join Martin and Macpherson on an oral odyssey spanning centuries of Scottish history, exploring the myths we tell each other and the stories we tell ourselves.

A tour to sited venues in Scotland in partnership with Historic Environment Scotland will be announced at a later date.

Through the Shortbread Tin was nominated for Best New Play in both the Critics’ Awards for Theatre in Scotland 2025 and the UK Theatre Awards 2025.

Through the Shortbread Tin is part of the National Theatre of Scotland’s 20th birthday programme, marking twenty years of game-changing theatre.

National Theatre of Scotland is delighted to be part of the Scottish Storytelling Centre’s 20th anniversary celebrations, as well by being part of their specially curated Festival Fringe programme, the centre piece of their year’s anniversary offering.

BACKGROUND TO OSSIAN

In 1760 Highlander Macpherson published Fragments of Ancient Poetry to great critical and commercial acclaim. The poems were collected from oral sources around Scotland and were presented as the work of a third century bard, Ossian, soon dubbed The Homer of the North. There soon followed two other publications, Fingal and Temora, and together they set the Scottish and European literary world alight. The ‘Ossian effect’ soon saw a rise in interest in Scottish and Highland ways of life and an increase in tourism and cultural interest. The impact of Ossian was immediate and permanent, even if the individual poems eventually fell out of fashion. But soon after publication, debates over Ossian’s aesthetic and moral ‘legitimacy’ surfaced, which plagued the writer and the impact and legacy of the work.

Martin O’Connor is an award-winning theatre-maker, performer and poet from Glasgow. He is interested in exploring ideas of voice and identity through theatre and poetry, with particular interest in Scots, Gaelic and verbatim. Martin won Scots Performer of the Year Award at the Scots Language Awards 2024.

He was granted a Gavin Wallace Fellowship in 2018, hosted by Playwrights’ Studio Scotland and the Lyceum Theatre, marking the first stage in his research into James Macpherson and Ossian.

He makes work for solo performance as well as with, and for, other people. He was the National Theatre of Scotland Writer in Residence in 2020. Previous projects include Turntable (MJ McCarthy/Red Bridge Arts), Mark of the Beast (Martin O’Connor/Platform), Togail Nàisean/ Building a Nation (Glasgow Life).

This remount of Through the Shortbread Tin is directed by Joanna Bowman. Joanna has directed for the Royal Shakespeare Company, Citizens Theatre, Chichester Festival Theatre, Tron Theatre, Dundee Rep Theatre, Perth Theatre, and Òran Mór. Previous productions include the award-winning Tron Theatre Company production of Escaped Alone, Doubt:A Parable (Dundee Rep) and most recently, Sweat (Citizens Theatre and Royal Lyceum Theatre Edinburgh). She was Associate Director of the Tron Theatre between 2022 and 2025 and is Associate Artist with the Citizens Theatre. Joanna won the 2024 CATS Award for Best Director.

The original production of Through the Shortbread Tin was directed by Lu Kemp, a theatre director and dramaturg with a distinctive reputation for her work in new writing. Lu was Artistic Director of Perth Theatre between 2016 to 2023. Her tenure was notable for supporting the creation of new work by Scottish artists and community engaged productions. As a freelance director, Lu has worked for The Citizens, The Royal Lyceum Theatre, National Theatre of Scotland, Artangel, London, The Tricycle, Almeida and The Royal Shakespeare Company.

Josie Duncan is a folk-inspired songwriter and award-winning singer from the Isle of Lewis. Her songs have been showcased worldwide from the Hebridean Celtic Festival Opening Concert to the National Celtic Festival Australia. Josie’s music features in National Theatre of Scotland’s Carry Me Home – A Ferry Tale, an award-winning short film directed by Seth Hardwick.

Edinburgh Festival Fringe venue: Scottish Storytelling Centre

Dates: Thursday 6 August (Preview); Friday 7 August to Monday 31 August (no shows on Wed 12, Sat 15, Wed 19, Wed 26 August)

Time: 4.45pm

Full information here.

Caring Scotland

One Hundred Voices

One Hundred Voices interactive installation opens at the Scottish Parliament as part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and the Scottish Parliament’s Festival of Politics 2026 before touring Scotland alongside the Ten Portraits photographic exhibition, as part of Caring Scotland

One Hundred Voices and Ten Portraits at the Scottish Parliament from 12 to 28 August and during the Scottish Parliament’s Festival of Politics 2026 on 27 and 28 August

Then touring across Scotland from 2 September to 10 October 2026: Citizens Theatre, Studio Theatre and exhibition wall; Easterbrook Hall, Dumfries; Millenium Centre, Stranraer; Reid Hall, Forfar; Hall B, Rothes Halls, Glenrothes.

A National Theatre of Scotland project in partnership with Who Cares? Scotland and the National Library of Scotland, funded with an award from The National Lottery Heritage Fund

Lead Artist and script by Nicola McCartney

Designer - Karen Tennant, Lighting Designer - Kai Fischer, Sound Design - Niroshini Thambar and Dramaturg - Roxana Cole

Artist Facilitators: Kevin Gilday, Jo Mango, Roxana Cole, Sara Shaarawi and Mal Fraser

Ten Portraits Exhibition Photographer - Chris Scott

Opening in Edinburgh at the Scottish Parliament and part of the Festival of Politics in August 2026, One Hundred Voices is an interactive installation responding to real life stories of care experienced people.

The stories were recorded for Caring Scotland, a three-year listening project, led by acclaimed playwright Nicola McCartney documenting and recording the lives of care experienced people in Scotland.

One Hundred Voices is created by a leading team of Scottish artists and theatre-makers with design by Karen Tennant, lighting design by Kai Fischer, sound design by Niroshini Thambar, script by Nicola McCartney and dramaturgy by Roxana Cole.

“Good. You’re here. Well, come on in… We understand that for many of you, this journey will be a new experience for you. We want you to feel safe with us.”

The audience is led through the installation by an audio guide. Each room presents an intimate landscape of memory, resilience and imagination, drawn from the lives of one hundred voices from Scotland’s care experienced community. Fragments of stories unfold through sound, light, and space.

This interactive installation transforms oral history into artistic encounters and asks the audience to imagine together a more compassionate Scotland where every child is cherished, every voice amplified, every future honoured. It serves as an artistic act of recognition and celebration of the one hundred testimonies recorded through the Caring Scotland project.

The experience is audio narrated by Scott Kyle and Genna Allan. Both are actors who are also involved in the wider Caring Scotland project. Scott Kyle is one of the Ten Portraits subjects and Genna worked in the project team during the story collection phase. Both are care experienced.

The Scottish Parliament’s Festival of Politics takes place in the home of Scottish politics on 27 and 28 August; and will feature over 30 events tackling some of the big political, cultural and social issues of the day.

Ten Portraits exhibition, by Caring Scotland photographer in residence Chris Scott, opened at Inverness Museum on 05 May ahead of touring to Shetland, Aberdeen and Edinburgh as well as touring alongside the One Hundred Voices installation at the Scottish Parliament and beyond.

The Sound Collection – a collection of stories forms part of the audio archive of the National Library of Scotland with short excerpts also available on the NTS website.

The Sound Collectionextracts can be listened to here.

Supported by The Weir Charitable Trust and The Rayne Foundation

The Sound Collection, Ten Portraits and One Hundred Voices are the public culmination of Caring Scotland, a three-year listening project led and inspired by the practice of playwright and socially engaged theatre-maker, Nicola McCartney, documenting the lives of care experienced people in Scotland since 2024.

The project is a unique partnership between National Theatre of Scotland, Who Cares? Scotland and the National Library of Scotland and is funded with an award from The National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Ten Portraits is a touring photographic exhibition of photographs captured by Chris Scott, inspired and informed by the Caring Scotland listening project. Chris is a Scottish photographer with a care experienced background, whose style is contemporary with a dramatic and atmospheric feel. Chris’s unobtrusive photography style captures the essence and personality of the people he photographs. He has taken individual portraiture photographs of ten of the personal story contributors during the project.

The Sound Collection – all stories gathered from the listening project have been safely deposited in a new Caring Scotland oral history audio archive, housed in perpetuity at the National Library of Scotland for public access as well as excerpts being made available online via the NTS website.

A team of multi-disciplinary artists worked with Nicola on the research into Caring Scotland. Artists Kevin Gilday (poet), Jo Mango (musician & songwriter), Roxana Cole (director) and Mal Fraser (filmmaker) and Sara Shaarawi (playwright), engaging with care experienced people from across Scotland, collecting their stories for this unprecedented oral history audio archive.

Lead artist, Nicola McCartney, has worked on many artistic projects with the care experienced community, and has worked within the system as a member of the Children’s Panel and a foster parent.

Caring Scotland is a continuation of her creative practice and her ongoing research into the care system in Scotland. Previously, in 2021, Nicola was commissioned by National Theatre of Scotland to create Holding/Holding On as part of their Care in Contemporary Scotland – A Creative Enquiry programme.

Nicola’s practice of active listening enables participants to take control of their narratives. Caring Scotland empowers the care experienced community by offering members a platform for their voices to be heard by the people of Scotland.

Nicola McCartney, lead artist, said: “It has been an honour and a challenge to lead such a large project, documenting the lives of Care Experienced people in Scotland in their own words.

“We look forward to now sharing these stories with the nation in many different and innovative ways. The testimonies we have listened to of how the Care system has impacted on people’s lives are a vital and often overlooked part of what Scotland’s story was, is now and what we can become.”

With The National Lottery Heritage Fund’s support, the project has been open to all members of the care experienced community across Scotland to contribute to and take part in.

One Hundred Voices and Ten Portraits at the Scottish Parliament as part of the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Wed 12 to Fri 28 August 26; Festival of Politics, Thu 27 to Fri 28 August 26 then touring to

Citizens Theatre, Studio Theatre and exhibition wall, Wed 2 to Sat 12 September 26;

Easterbrook Hall, Dumfries, Thu 17 to Sat 19 September 26;

Millenium Centre, Stranraer, Thu 24 to Sat 26 September 26;

Reid Hall, Forfar Thu 1 to Sat 3 October 26;

Hall B, Rothes Halls, Glenrothes, Thu 8 to Sat 10 October 26.

Tickets are Pay What You Decide pricing.

Ten Portraits touring to Inverness Museum, Tue 5 to Fri 29 May 26;

Mareel, Shetland, Tue 2 to Fri 26 June 26;

Aberdeen Music Hall Gallery Space, Wed 1 to Fri 31 July 26;

Gallery Space, Rothes Halls, Glenrothes, Sat 10 to Friday 30 October;

Royal Infirmary Edinburgh, presented with Tonic Arts, Sun 1 November 26 to Sat 27 February 27.

More details on the Caring Scotland project can be found here.

Young journalist from Portobello aims to tackle election misinformation

A new youth-led broadcast project is set to tackle misinformation and disinformation during the upcoming Scottish Elections, giving young people across the country a platform to investigate claims and engage voters with fact-checked reporting.

Launched yesterday (25 March 2026) Future Proof is an innovative initiative led by the Scottish Youth Film Foundation (SYFF). Six young journalists from across Scotland have been recruited to report on election campaigns through the lens of misinformation, disinformation and AI-generated content.

One of the six journalists is Rory Kirkpatrick from Portobello. Rory said: “As misinformation seems to get more and more prevalent, bringing attention to the truth only becomes more important.

“I believe we all must adapt to the ways that the spread of misinformation is changing in the age of social media.

“I’m joining SYFF’s Future Proof newsroom with the aim of helping people stay informed so that they can make decisions based off facts.”

Also joining Rory will be Emilie from Fort William, Robert from Kiltarlity, Rachel and Santi from Glasgow, and Tom from Kirkcaldy. Together, they offer a broad and diverse perspective on the issues affecting young people across the country.

Starting from 8 April, the team will produce four weekly live shows on YouTube, broadcasting every Tuesday at 6pm until 29 April. Each programme will investigate misleading claims, fabricated facts and AI generated content circulating during the campaign, while highlighting the issues that matter most to young voters.

Following each broadcast, the team will host a companion interactive webinar, allowing young people across Scotland to question the journalists directly and engage with expert guests on the key topics shaping the election.

The sessions aim to support engagement among young and first-time voters, while also providing relevant discussion material for teachers and pupils in schools.

David Barras, co-founder of the Scottish Youth Film Foundation, said:
“It’s fantastic that Rory is supporting this really important project. Future Proof puts young people at the heart of one of the most important conversations in modern democracy – how we recognise truth in an age of misinformation.

“By giving young journalists the tools to investigate claims and question narratives, we’re helping ensure that the next generation of voters is informed, confident and ready to engage.

“The project was inspired by a discussion on media literacy and disinformation at the Scottish Parliament’s Festival of Politics in summer 2025. Building on that conversation, Future Proof invites young people to articulate the issues that go beyond party political priorities and bring their perspectives to the centre of election debate.”

The post-show webinars are being delivered with support from Scotland’s Development Education Centres, working collectively on media literacy as part of global citizenship education under the umbrella of Scotland’s International Development Alliance (SIDA).

The project is being advised by Huw Owen, a former BBC Scotland News Editor who is also the Co-Chair of the Education Committee of SIDA.

Huw Owen said: “The impact of malicious and careless communication via digital and social media is now having a profound effect on all our lives. Supercharged by AI fakes, it is fuelling polarisation and fear within and between many of our communities here in Scotland and beyond. It is a clear threat to civilised debate and long shared democratic values.

“Across the globe, the distortion or misinterpretation of facts about conflicts in Ukraine, Gaza and now Iran, or the undermining of well-established research on the climate crisis, must be combated with up-to-date guidance and support to help us turn the tide towards truth, honesty and decency in our politics.

“As a global citizenship community across Scotland and beyond, we firmly believe this effort must start in our schools and other places of learning. We need to reaffirm universal values of fairness and tolerance along with up-to-date tools and techniques to actively combat disinformation. 

“This must be an overarching priority for whichever government is elected at Holyrood. It’s not too late to future proof our democracy.” 

The initiative also brings together a range of national partners supporting young people’s participation in democratic debate.

Global fact-checking organisation Full Fact will provide training to the young journalists. The organisation has warned about the growing threat of AI-driven misinformation during election campaigns and continues to call for stronger responses to protect democratic processes.

Mark Frankel from Full Fact says: “These elections are taking place against a backdrop of an unprecedented distortion of facts. The public feels ill-equipped to deal with the manipulation of information they see before them and the threat of AI as they see it.

“Things are emerging online which are being pushed to them and they don’t know whether to believe it. It’s clear that this is undermining trust in our politicians, trust in the political system and the future of our democracies.”

Additional partners include Young Scot and the Scottish Youth Parliament, whose report “Young People and Politics” has informed the project and whose networks will help bring young voices into the conversation through guest speakers and participation opportunities.

The John Smith Centre will also contribute guest speakers and provide access to a youth hustings event taking place at St Giles’ Cathedral in Edinburgh on 26 April.

Future Proof will stream live on YouTube at 6pm on 8, 15, 22 and 29 April. Each broadcast will be followed by an interactive webinar open to schools, youth organisations and young people across Scotland.

Scotland at the Crossroads: Net Zero and the Next Parliament

FESTIVAL OF POLITICS EVENT

MONDAY 16 FEBRUARY from 5.15 – 7pm

Join the Centre for Public Policy and the Scottish Parliament on Monday 16 February, for a free event at The Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh – hear from a panel of experts as they explore how the next Parliament could redefine the path to net zero and the implementation of the Climate Change Plan.

Booking essential – book via the Scottish Parliament

About this event

As Scotland heads toward a pivotal Holyrood election in May 2026, join the panel of experts to explore how the next Parliament could redefine the path to net zero and the implementation of the Climate Change Plan.

As MSPs examine the plan ahead of dissolution, this discussion will delve into the political, economic, and social pressures shaping Scotland’s climate future, examine public attitudes to environmental policy in an election year, and highlight the importance of women’s role in driving Scotland’s green energy transition.

Chaired by Edward Mountain MSP, Convener of the Net Zero, Energy and Transport Committee

Speaker biographies

Dr Hannah Salamon is a Research Associate at the University of Glasgow’s Centre for Public Policy with expertise at the intersection of gender, climate change policy, and equality, diversity, and inclusion (EDI). Her work brings a gendered and EDI-focused perspective to climate governance and policy, including the role of women’s representation in shaping climate outcomes. As a ClimateXChange Research Fellow, she is currently working with the Scottish Government to investigate the socioeconomic benefits of nature connectivity.

Mark McGeoghegan is a Research Associate at the Centre for Public Policy, Associate Advisory Director at Ipsos, and Associate Member of the Centre on Constitutional Change. He is an expert in Scottish polling and politics who has written for The Herald and a range of other publications.

Professor Jaime Toney is a leading environmental and climate scientist. She is the Sustainable Futures Lead for Glasgow Changing Futures, directs the Centre for Sustainable Solutions at the University of Glasgow and leads GALLANT: Glasgow as a Living Lab. Her recent work focuses on systems approaches for sustainable solutions and puts co-production and partnership working at the core. She is passionate about enabling action and building capacity for change towards sustainable futures. Toney is a Fellow of the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce and has held expert roles, such as, Advisor to Scottish Government.

Dr Dominic Hinde is a Lecturer in Sociology at the University of Glasgow, author and climate journalist. He is an expert in transitions and recently completed ‘Drifting North’, an extensive multi-year ‘public sociology’ of climate and energy in Scotland, and works academically on the storytelling aspects of energy transition and climate impacts. He recently released the podcast ‘The Energy That Made Modern Scotland’ bringing alive the story of North Sea energy.

Festival of Politics: Dreaming of a Fairer Future for Culture

On Friday 22 August, the Scottish Parliament’s Festival of Politics hosted Dreaming of a Fairer Future for Culture, an inspiring event exploring the role of creativity in building a more equal and hopeful Scotland. 

Chaired by Foysol Choudhury MSP, the discussion brought together an engaging panel of voices from across Scotland’s creative sector, including Katie Goh, Matthew Hickman, Claire Dufour and Jen Collins.

Together, they reflected on how creativity can drive equity, collaboration and shared resources, reimagining artists, art workers and cultural organisations as vital partners in shaping Scotland’s future. 

A moving film by Indra Wilson, commissioned by Culture Counts, shared voices and aspirations of some of the people living in North Glasgow: “I am a son, a brother and an uncle.” “I am the guitar that my mother gave me.” Everyone has a story, and artists and creative minds can help us to tell them in a meaningful way.  

Artist and writer Harry Mould urges us to remember that culture “isn’t caviar, it’s salt. You sprinkle it on everything because it brings out the flavour.”

The event focused not just on creativity but also on equity, shared resources and seeing artists, art workers and organisations as viable partners and collaborators. 

Building on this, the discussion turned to the importance of collective action and connectivity. Speakers highlighted the many artistic projects already thriving in village halls and community spaces across the country, and the need for better data to capture and sustain this work.

As one participant put it: “Voices need to be heard, not just individual voices, but collective voices. That is how we can rally behind these efforts and make a difference.”

Reflecting on the event, Foysol Choudhury MSP said: “It was a privilege to chair this conversation, and to hear how deeply culture is rooted in people’s everyday lives, whether in community halls, local projects, or the shared stories that bind us together.

“When those voices unite, they do more than celebrate creativity: they challenge inequality, demand accountability, and help shape a fairer Scotland for all.

“I am grateful to everyone who shared their perspectives, and especially to Kathryn Welch of Creative Counts, whose vision and leadership were the driving force behind this important discussion.” 

The event demonstrated that Scotland’s creative community continues to be a driving force for positive change, showing that culture is not a luxury, but an essential part of building a fairer society. 

Behind the Festival’s Curtains: The Cost to Workers, Residents and Artists

Every August, Edinburgh transforms into the world’s cultural epicentre, with festivals filling every corner of the city (writes FOYSOL CHOUDHURY MSP).

This year, however, the stage will be busier than ever. Alongside the usual theatre lovers and comedy fans, the capital will welcome an additional influx of visitors as thousands arrive for concerts by Oasis and AC/DC.

It’s a month that draws global attention and economic opportunity. Yet, beneath the spotlight lies a more pressing truth: a festival economy that, while world-renowned, places intense pressure on the very infrastructure residents rely on year-round.

Nowhere is that strain more visible than in housing. When tourists arrive, hotels and B&Bs fill up fast. For people already living in vulnerability, August can mean being pushed further into homelessness. Shelter Scotland warns that major events create a “bottleneck” in temporary accommodation, with people displaced at short notice to make room for tourists.

However, the pressures do not end with housing. Edinburgh’s cultural season is built on the dedication of stage crews, technicians, hospitality staff, and many others who work tirelessly in the supporting industries.

Yet for many, the reality is long, exhausting hours for very modest pay. Often, those hours come under contracts that offer little or no security. With low wages, unstable work, and the seasonal nature of these jobs, it’s a constant struggle to make ends meet, even as the city’s economy thrives on their efforts.

Emerging artists face similar barriers. Simply being in Edinburgh in August can be a financial gamble; some take on debt to perform, while others are priced out entirely. When workers can’t afford to work and artists can’t afford to perform, diversity shrinks, innovation slows, and the cultural richness on which our festivals rely begins to erode.

The Scottish Government is quick to celebrate record visitor numbers, but slower to address the inequalities behind them. A fair cultural strategy cannot be measured by ticket sales alone. It must guarantee that no one is pushed into unsuitable accommodation and ensure fair pay and decent conditions for festival workers, as well as provide real support for emerging artists so they can take part without risking financial hardship. 

Last Friday, I hosted a conversation at the Festival of Politics, “Dreaming of a Fairer Future for Culture,” alongside Culture Counts and a panel of inspiring voices from across Scotland’s creative sector.

Edinburgh’s festivals are a treasure, but pride alone will not protect them. Their future depends on whether we confront the pressures that threaten them and act decisively to safeguard the people and communities who make them possible.

If Scotland is to remain a cultural leader, it must honour not just the art on stage, but the lives and livelihoods that keep the curtain rising each year.

Give Me Some Credit: Some free tickets still available

FRIDAY 22nd AUGUST at SCOTTISH PARLIAMENT – FREE EVENT

There are still some free tickets available for Friday’s ‘Give Me Some Credit’ exhibition at @ScotParl#FestivalofPolitics.

https://festivalofpolitics.citizenticket.co.uk/events/festival-of-politics/give-me-some-credit/

Clive Myrie and Prof Danny Dorling to appear at the 2025 Festival of Politics

The Scottish Parliament’s Festival of Politics returns this August with a three-day programme of over 30 events, taking place in Holyrood, the home of Scottish politics between Wednesday 20 to Friday 22 August 2025.

BBC journalist Clive Myrie will appear as part of the line-up this year, in conversation with the Deputy Presiding Officer Liam McArthur MSP where he will discuss his incredible 30-year broadcasting career.

Professor Danny Dorling, renowned social geographer, will explore the impact of politics on the UK’s housing, education, poverty and inequality levels, and will offer robust solutions on how to address these challenges of our age.

In addition, our Festival programme features leading experts from the worlds of politics, the arts, business, the media and the third sector. With events on topics tackling some of the big issues facing Scotland, the UK and the world such as the use of AI, peace in the Middle East, how we tackle misogyny and our use of technology.

The Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament the Rt Hon Alison Johnstone MSP said: “This year’s Festival promises lively debates, thought-provoking panels and inspiring voices tackling some of the most pressing social, political and environmental issues of our time.”

In addition, there is a lively free programme of entertainment, exhibitions and even a robot in the Festival Café Bar.

Tickets can be booked now on our website:

Book tickets

Most events will be available to view on our YouTube channel after the Festival has finished for those unable to attend in-person.

Festival of Politics starts on Monday

The Festival of Politics starts on Monday and we can’t wait to welcome you into the Scottish Parliament!

For those of you needing last-minute tickets, here’s a list of handy links to every single event …

MONDAY 19th

Dementia – the power of dance and playlists

In Conversation with Jack Lowden

Healing Arts Scotland performance with Edinburgh International Festival

In conversation with Benedetta Tagliabue with a performance by Roberto Cacciapaglia

TUESDAY 20th

The power of age-friendly communities and the arts

Who controls AI – ethics and legality?

Health creators: health inequalities in Scotland

20 years of Holyrood

What is local government for?

Home sweet home?

Place and displacement: reconnecting to the world through the arts

WEDNESDAY 21st

AI and creativity

Why do we need whistle-blowers?

Space – launching Scotland’s ambitions

Jobs and the just transition – back to the 80s?

Are standards in public life really declining?

U.S. elections – Trump or Harris?

Making amends for the Empire – has Scotland done enough?

THURSDAY 22nd

Global politics in 2024 – testing times ahead?

Consent

GameApocalypse now: can games solve Scotland’s digital skills crisis?

Sexism in the workplace

Not the end of the world?

Reading between the lines: information literacy

25 years of the Scottish Parliament – where are the young women?

Join the Climate Café ®

FRIDAY 23rd

Mental health and young people

AI – deep fake politics

Raising the curtain on St Andrew’s Day

Incel culture

Elections in 50 countries

Think local, act global? – international cultural ambition in perilous times

Responsible debate

The Scottish Parliament at 25

There’s also live music, exhibitions, book signings, food and drink and merch on offer! 

Find more Festival information here.

Festival of Politics programme 2024 announced

Join us in your Scottish Parliament to have your say on the issues that matter to you

The Scottish Parliament’s Festival of Politics returns this August with a five-day programme of over 30 events, taking place in the home of Scottish politics at Holyrood.

Our 20th Festival will take place between Monday 19 to Friday 23 August and will provide festivalgoers with informed debate and inspiring topics on a range of social, political, and environmental issues facing the world today.

This year we mark two significant milestones in Scotland’s political history, the 25th anniversary of the Scottish Parliament and the 20th anniversary of the Holyrood building. With several events focusing on the future of the institution in Scotland.

Benedetta Tagliabue, architect, partner and widow of the visionary creative Enric Miralles, who designed the Scottish Parliament building will join the Presiding Officer in conversation on the opening day of the Festival. 

This event will also feature excerpts from the opera ‘Mai per Atzar’ (Never by Chance) originally staged in 1997 for the opening of the Miralles Tagliabue EMBT studio in Barcelona, with lyrics by Valerio Ferrari and music by Roberto Cacciapaglia.

The excerpts from the original Opera, together with new music in honour of Enric Miralles, will be performed live by world leading composer and pianist Roberto Cacciapaglia in the Parliament’s Debating Chamber.

There will also be leading experts from the worlds of politics, the arts, business, the media, academia and the third sector who will join us for a deep dive into issues dominating the news agenda. Join in and have you say on everything from the impact of artificial intelligence to Scotland’s ambitions in the space sector, to young people and mental health.

The Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament, Rt Hon Alison Johnstone MSP said: “Every year, the Festival of Politics aims to explore some of the big issues that feature in day-to-day politics, in the media and in wider civic Scotland.

“The Festival offers an opportunity to take up a seat in your Parliament, to hear from a range of experts, aiming to inspire debate and inform our thinking.

“This year as we celebrate our 25th anniversary, we present an exciting and varied programme of events, music and exhibitions.”

In association with the Edinburgh International Festival, the first day of the Festival will also feature the impressive outdoor opening celebration of Healing Arts Scotland featuring a Scottish Ballet community cast accompanied by 200 musicians including performers from Oi Musica, Samba Y Bamba, The National Youth Pipe Band of Scotland and the piping super group TRYST.

The specially curated dance piece will be performed to ‘Mackay’s Memoirs’ by the late Scottish Celtic fusion artist Martyn Bennett.  Healing Arts Scotland is a country-wide week-long activation, celebrating and advocating for improved physical, mental and social health through the arts. 

In addition, there is a lively free programme of music, choirs, dance and exhibitions in the Festival Café Bar.

Tickets can be booked now on our website: www.festivalofpolitics.scot

Most events will be available to view on our YouTube channel after the Festival has finished for those unable to attend in-person.

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