Tag: Scottish Government

‘Baffled’: Still another year until Scotland’s deposit return scheme

Recycling initiative will help deliver a circular economy

Scotland’s deposit return scheme will go live for consumers on this day in one year’s time (16 August 2023), giving businesses and consumers an easy way to boost recycling – but campaigners are concerned the initiative is falling behind.

The scheme, which will be the first in the UK, will play an important part in Scotland’s journey to a circular economy. Estimates by Zero Waste Scotland suggest that the scheme will reduce emissions by an average of nearly 160,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide a year – the equivalent of 109,000 return flights from Edinburgh to New York.

The 20p deposit will also provide an incentive to reduce littering, helping to cut the number of bottles and cans discarded in streets and green spaces.

The scheme is being delivered by Circularity Scotland Ltd., an industry-led body representing drinks producers, retailers and trade bodies of all sizes. This business-led approach is common among many of the most successful schemes in Europe, include Denmark, Finland, and The Netherlands.

Infrastructure for the scheme is now beginning to be rolled out across Scotland, and businesses of all sizes are being encouraged to act now to make sure they are ready for the scheme launching this time next year.  

Businesses can register with Circularity Scotland, to make sure they receive information that will help them prepare.

The Scottish Environment Protection Agency (SEPA), who are the regulator for the scheme, has also launched a campaign that will help businesses understand their legal responsibilities and the steps they need to take to prepare.

.

Circular Economy Minister Lorna Slater said: “Scotland is leading the way in the UK on delivering a circular economy. By putting in place a deposit return scheme, we are delivering on the public’s desire to see action on plastic and other waste, and making an important contribution to the response to the climate emergency.

“With thousands of return points across the country, it will be as easy to return your empty bottle or can as it was to buy it in the first place. This will help to nearly double recycling rates for the containers included in the scheme, while reducing the amount of litter on our streets and cutting CO2 emissions.

“This scheme is being delivered by industry for industry. By putting businesses in charge, we are making sure that it works for them. With one year to go until the scheme goes live for consumers, I would encourage all businesses and organisations that produce, ship or sell drinks to get involved with the scheme now.”

After delaying its introduction twice, the Scottish Government published a set of milestones to deliver a high-quality scheme next year. However, with significant delays to the first milestone being met earlier this year and no sign yet of a public awareness campaign as promised, campaigners are concerned that this timetable may be slipping.

Kim Pratt, circular economy campaigner at Friends of the Earth Scotland said: “We must change the way we use materials to drastically reduce the impact of our consumption.

“Across Europe, deposit return schemes are well established, successful and popular. They have a direct impact on the climate by reducing the need for new materials, and they help reduce plastic pollution at the same time.

“We’re concerned that the Scottish Government is falling behind with implementation of this important scheme. The public awareness campaign is a crucial part of roll out and must be delivered on time. It’s vital that there are no further delays to Scotland’s deposit return scheme so that we can begin to see the benefits.”

John Mayhew, Director of APRS, which is running the Have You Got The Bottle? campaign, said: “Across Europe and beyond, more and more countries are getting on board with deposit return. Places like Latvia, Malta and Slovakia have introduced their systems at a pace which makes it all the more baffling that Scotland’s launch date is still a year away.

“Deposits will eventually bring major benefits to Scotland in terms of reduced litter, lower emissions, and cost savings for local government, but it is concerning for the rest of the circular economy agenda that such a simple step has proved so difficult for the government to implement here.”

Scotland’s material consumption accounts for 82% of our entire carbon footprint. Each tonne of plastic recycled saves 0.5 tonnes of carbon, recycling a tonne of metal saves 2.5 tonnes of carbon and recycling a tonne of glass saves 0.75 tonnes of carbon.

The Scottish Government has published a delivery plan for the system but has acknowledged that challenges still remain. The complexities of a VAT charge have yet to be agreed with HM Treasury. The scheme administrator, Circularity Scotland, is organised and run by the private sector, which has limited transparency.

Bridge the Gap!

Charities appeal to First Minister to double Scottish Child Payment bridging payments NOW

We can turn compassion and justice into action to support children in low-income households.

120 charities and community organisations are calling on the Scottish Government @scotgov to continue to do the right thing by doubling Scottish Child Payment bridging payments.

See the letter to First Minister Nicola Sturgeon (below):

Letter-to-First-Minister-doubling-of-bridging-payments-_0Download

#BridgeTheGap

https://bit.ly/3JWCIGJ

Scotland’s winter vaccination programme gets underway

Latest step in fight against COVID-19

People aged 65 and over as well as frontline health and social care staff will be first in line for a winter booster jab to protect the most vulnerable from COVID-19 and ease the pressure on hospitals.

Letters with appointment times for those aged 65 and over will begin landing on doormats this week so the NHS can get ahead of any potential surge in infections.

The booster jabs will be given at the same time as the flu vaccine to those eligible where possible – evidence shows that administration of both vaccines together is a safe and efficient way to deliver maximum protection over the winter months.

From 22 August the online portal will be available for health and social care workers to book their appointments. Staff should book on the portal or follow advice from their boards on any local arrangements.

Appointments for all other priority groups will be made available as the programme progresses – people in those groups should wait until they are contacted or called forward.

The programme follows advice from the Joint Committee on Vaccinations and Immunisation (JCVI) which recommended vaccinating people as soon as possible to have the best chance of mitigating the impact of COVID-19 over the winter.

Health Secretary Humza Yousaf said: “As was the case in previous rounds of the vaccination programme, spring/summer boosters have enjoyed very high uptake among eligible groups with 86% of older adult care home residents and 93% of those aged 75 and over gaining an important additional layer of protection at a time when Covid cases rose sharply.

“I’d like to thank all those who have worked so hard to ensure that Scotland still has the highest overall uptake of first, second and third doses in the UK.

“Following the JCVI’s recommendations, we will roll out the winter booster programme getting jabs in arms from early September to ensure those most at risk are protected over winter.

“Vaccination remains the best way to protect your health and those around you – I strongly encourage everyone to take up the offer of a booster jab when they get the call up.”

Period Products Act comes into force

Legal right to access free period products in Scotland

Scotland is to become the first country in the world to protect in law the right to access free period products.

Councils and education providers will be legally required to make period products available free of charge to anyone who needs them when the Period Products (Free Provision) (Scotland) Act comes into force tomorrow (Monday 15 August).

Since 2017, the Scottish Government has invested more than £27 million to fund access in a range of public settings and the new law will cement this progress.

Social Justice Secretary Shona Robison said: “Providing access to free period products is fundamental to equality and dignity, and removes the financial barriers to accessing them.

“This is more important than ever at a time when people are making difficult choices due to the cost of living crisis and we never want anyone to be in a position where they cannot access period products.

“Since 2018, we have delivered ground-breaking action by providing free period products for pupils and students in all our schools, colleges and universities. We are proud to be the first national government in the world to take such action.

“The work we are doing in Scotland continues to be world leading, going goes beyond provision of free products. We have also provided funding for an educational website for employers, run a successful anti-stigma campaign, and improved menstrual health resources available for schools.

“I’m grateful to all the young women and girls who have been crucial in developing the best ways to access products to meet their needs.”

People can find their nearest collection point through the PickupMyPeriod mobile app which was launched earlier this year by social enterprise Hey Girls with Scottish Government support.

Celia Hodson, founder of Hey Girls, said: “The Period Product Act shows Scotland is leading the way in recognising that period products are not a luxury and should be freely available to all.

“Through our PickupMyPeriod app, we work to ensure no-one in Scotland is left without access to period products and are well on the way to achieving that with more than 1,000 locations highlighted to users.

“We hope the Act will help those in need and that our app will be of support to many more as our network continues to grow.”

UNISON confirms strike dates

UNISON, the largest trade union in local government, yesterday served notice of strike action in eight local authorities.

The notices of action were served on Friday to Aberdeenshire, Clackmannanshire, East Renfrewshire, Glasgow City, Inverclyde, North Lanarkshire, Stirling and South Lanarkshire councils for the first wave of strike action to take place on 26th, 27th, 28th and 29th August and 7th, 8th, 9th, 10th September.

Edinburgh will be the first city tobe hit by industrial action when the capital’s waste teams strike on Thursday.

These latest strike dates are part of a wider co-ordinated plan of industrial action by the three trade unions across local government following the recent conclusion of successful industrial action ballots. The dates that UNISON members in waste and recycling will walk out are the same as those chosen by the GMB for the same groups of workers. UNISON will provide strike dates for schools and early years workers in due course.

The move comes on the day that COSLA Leaders meet to discuss the pay for local government workers again following additional funding provided by the Scottish Government last week.

Johanna Baxter, UNISON Scotland head of local government said: “This is the first wave of strike action which will only escalate if a significantly improved pay offer is not forthcoming. Strike dates for schools and early years workers will be confirmed in the coming days.

“The responsibility for this action lies squarely with the Scottish Government and COSLA, neither of whom seem to have grasped the gravity of this situation. Inflation is projected to be as high as 13%, the cost of living crises is hitting people’s pockets now and yet local government workers still only have a 2% offer on the table, the lowest offer in the public sector. They have had months to sort this out but all we seem to get is dither and delay.

“Our understanding is that the money provided by the Scottish Government is half of what COSLA asked for and goes nowhere near matching the pay offer provided to council workers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland.

“If this is true then the Scottish Government and COSLA need to get back round the table and come up with a better plan or services will stop. The last thing UNISON members want is a strike but they have simply been left with no other option.”

Following a Special Meeting of council leaders convened on Friday, COSLA Resources Spokesperson, Councillor @KatieHagmannSNP, said:

COSLA offer is here

Trade union pay claim is here

National Employers for local government services (UK) LOCAL GOVERNMENT PAY 2022 – pay offer is here

Super Sponsor Scheme assists more than 10,000 Ukrainians

Second passenger ship to provide additional accommodation

The Scottish Government’s Super Sponsor Scheme has now offered sanctuary to 10,056 displaced people from Ukraine to travel to safety in Scotland, far exceeding the original commitment to host 3,000 people.

The total number of people from Ukraine offered a place in Scotland through the Super Sponsor Scheme and the UK Government Homes for Ukraine scheme with individual sponsors is more than 13,000 – representing 16.5% of the total UK population share to date.

To accommodate more displaced Ukrainians whose visas have been approved under the Super Sponsor Scheme, the Scottish Government has chartered a second passenger ship, M/S Ambition, to be located in Glasgow. The ship, which is due to be fully operational by September, will provide accommodation for up to 1,750 people with the same level of facilities and support currently available to those in Edinburgh.

Minister with Special Responsibility for Refugees from Ukraine Neil Gray said: “The Scottish Government’s Super Sponsor Scheme has now enabled more than 10,000 people to come to Scotland following the humanitarian crisis caused by Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine.

“Unfortunately, there is currently no end to the war in sight. We are firmly focused on supporting displaced people from Ukraine who are seeking sanctuary in Scotland as they flee the war in their homeland.

“Following the arrival of the M/S Victoria I – which has been well received by people on board – the Scottish Government is chartering a second passenger ship – the M/S Ambition – which will be located in Glasgow from early September. This will further enhance our ability to provide safe and secure accommodation for those who need it.

“We are getting close to capacity for the temporary accommodation currently available, particularly across the Central Belt. While areas like Glasgow and Edinburgh are more familiar to Ukrainians, we are encouraging everyone arriving here to consider other areas across Scotland, especially as we see more visas being issued. We can guarantee that anyone arriving here will receive a warm welcome from communities across the country, keen to provide support and open their homes.

“As a humanitarian crisis requiring a whole-of-Scotland response, the Scottish Government continues to work closely with local councils and the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities to ensure those displaced people who are already here, and those who have applied and are granted permission to travel, will be safe, secure and supported for as long as they need.”

Scottish Government announces extra support for mental health at work

Employers given tools to understand and improve mental health of workers

Businesses now have access to a free online platform offering practical ways to boost mental health in the workplace.

Face-to-face training opportunities, clear guidance on the legal duties of businesses, and specialist third-party contacts will be in one place for the first time – making it easier than ever for employers to access the means of creating a culture of support and wellbeing at work.

This initiative comes as research shows the pandemic has had a detrimental impact on the mental health of people up and down the country. As more people continue to return to the workplace, the Scottish Government is encouraging employers to support the mental wellbeing of staff so that businesses can continue to recover from COVID-19.

Recent research shows poor mental health costs Scottish employers over £2 billion every year and that, for every £1 spent on mental health interventions, employers get back £5 in reduced sick days and increased productivity.

Mental Wellbeing Minister Kevin Stewart said: “Happier workforces create successful businesses – it’s a win-win for all involved.

“The pandemic has impacted the mental health of us all and employers need the tools to protect and support the mental health of their staff.

“This platform makes it easier than ever to achieve this, and I encourage companies across Scotland to get involved for the benefit of their staff and productivity.”

Chief Executive of Public Health Scotland Angela Leitch said: “These last few years have been difficult for many people across Scotland and has had an impact on the mental health of many. 

“Returning to our workplaces could also be a further challenge because of changes in personal circumstances. It is widely recognised that being amongst colleagues can be beneficial to our mental health and being back in the workplace can also be a more positive and productive experience.

“This toolkit will therefore be of considerable benefit to employers and to their staff as we move out of the restrictions we’ve lived with for two years.” 

It comes as See Me –Scotland’s national programme to end mental health stigma and discrimination – has launched a complementary digital portal that gives employers access to a one-size-fits-all framework for workplaces. This will help companies make continuous improvements to directly tackle mental health stigma and discrimination.

Wendy Halliday, director of See Me, Scotland’s programme to end mental health stigma and discrimination, said: “Mental health stigma and discrimination in the workplace often comes from a lack of knowledge. People can find that genuine problems are either belittled, or not believed in the first place.

“We’re calling on organisations to be real leaders in creating positive change, making their workplaces the best they can be, by joining the See Me in Work programme.

“The new digital portal supports employers to take action to tackle mental health stigma and discrimination at work and create workplaces that are open in talking about mental health and where discriminatory behaviour is challenged.”

Supporting a mentally healthy workplace is the new online platform.

Downing Street showdown does nothing to address energy cost fears

The Prime Minister, Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi and Business and Energy Secretary Kwasi Kwarteng met industry leaders from the electricity sector yesterday to discuss what more they can do to help people struggling with rising energy prices – but the meeting did nothing to resolve the impending crisis.

The Prime Minister, Chancellor, Business and Energy Secretary stressed the need to act in the interest of the country in the face of rising energy prices caused by Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine and how vital it was that the Western world continued to stand by the Ukrainian people during their battle for survival.

The Chancellor and energy firms agreed to work closely over the coming weeks to ensure that the public, including vulnerable customers, are supported as unprecedented global events drive higher energy costs.

Government support worth £37 billion is being provided this year to help people with the rising cost of living, including £1,200 for the most vulnerable households over the course of the year and £400 discounted off everyone’s energy bills from October.

It was noted that the market is not always functioning for consumers, and extraordinarily high bills will ultimately damage energy companies.

As set out in the Energy Security Strategy, the Government has launched a consultation to drive forward market reforms and ensure the market works better for consumers. Discussion focussed on how Government and industry can collectively drive forward reforms to ensure the market delivers lower prices.

The Prime Minister, Chancellor and Business and Energy Secretary emphasised the importance of investing in North Sea oil and gas, renewables, biomass and nuclear to strengthen our domestic energy security.

The Chancellor added the Government continues to evaluate the extraordinary profits seen in certain parts of the electricity generation sector and the appropriate and proportionate steps to take.

The Prime Minister set out that it will be for the next Prime Minister to make significant fiscal decisions.

Prime Minister Boris Johnson said: “Countries around the world are feeling the impact of Putin’s damaging war in Ukraine. We know that this will be a difficult winter for people across the UK, which is why we are doing everything we can to support them and must continue to do so.

“Following our meeting today, we will keep urging the electricity sector to continue working on ways we can ease the cost of living pressures and to invest further and faster in British energy security.

“We are continuing to roll out government support over the coming months, including the second £324 instalment of the cost of living payment for vulnerable households, extra help for pensioners and those with disabilities, and the £400 energy bills discount for all households.”

Chancellor of the Exchequer, Nadhim Zahawi, said: “This morning I hosted industry leaders from the electricity sector to discuss what more they can do to work with Government and act in the interest of the country in the face of rising prices caused by Putin’s illegal invasion of Ukraine.

“We have already acted to protect households with £400 off energy bills and direct payments of £1,200 for 8 million of the most vulnerable British families. In the spirit of national unity, they agreed to work with us to do more to help the people who most need it.”

The meeting was attended by representatives from:

  • EDF
  • RWE
  • E.ON
  • Drax
  • Orsted
  • Uniper
  • National Grid
  • SSE
  • ScottishPower
  • Centrica
  • Octopus Energy
  • Vitol
  • Intergen
  • Greencoat Capital
  • Energy UK

Scottish Government Resilience Room convened to discuss ‘cost emergency’

The First Minister chaired the Scottish Government Resilience Committee yesterday (August 11) to discuss urgent steps to mitigate the growing cost emergency which is affecting people and businesses.

Ministers assessed the current situation and likely scenarios in the months ahead and agreed a number of immediate actions. The Scottish Government will:

  • Continue to maximise the direct financial assistance available to those most in need, principally through ongoing work to extend eligibility for and increase the value of the Scottish Child Payment
  • Undertake an emergency budget review to assess any and all opportunities to redirect additional resources to those most in need, reduce the burdens on business and stimulate the Scottish economy
  • Consider urgently all options within devolved powers for regulatory action to limit increases in costs for people, businesses and other organisations
  • Bring together energy companies, banks and food retailers to examine what further help can be provided by these businesses to limit cost increases and protect those most vulnerable 
  • Work with partners to strengthen the safety net of emergency food/fuel provision, prioritising a ‘cash first’ approach
  • Provide further advice to households on using energy more efficiently and reducing consumption

The Resilience Committee will meet on a weekly basis for the foreseeable future to oversee and direct progress on these immediate actions and keep under ongoing review any further steps that the Scottish Government can take.

In addition to doing everything possible within its powers, the Scottish Government is renewing its call for urgent and substantial action from the UK Government including:

  • An immediate doubling of the direct financial support already provided, with payments made by October. It is estimated that for an out-of-work couple with two children, the payments already announced by the UK Government fall around £1,600 short of meeting the recent changes to benefits and living costs – a gap that must be filled
  • Cancellation of the forthcoming increase in the energy price cap, followed by urgent work between the government and energy companies on energy market reforms and associated financing options to ensure sustainable costs for consumers in the long term
  • The urgent introduction of an energy price cap for Small and Medium Enterprises
  • Support for business to prevent closures due to energy price rises and investment in economic stimulus to minimise the scale of the projected recession
  • A further windfall tax to ensure nationalisation of the profits being made out of the current pressures
  • Additional funding to support public sector pay increases and protect the recovery of public services from the pandemic

The First Minister said: “It is clear that the UK currently faces a rapidly escalating emergency that goes beyond simply the cost of living and is now a more general cost of everything crisis. This emergency may be of a different nature to the COVID-19 pandemic, but it is on a similar scale.

“In the absence of substantial and urgent action, this emergency will cause acute deprivation and suffering. It will affect access to practical necessities for millions of people across the UK. Bluntly, it will cost lives.

“To illustrate the severity of the situation, the Scottish Government estimates that, even with current UK Government mitigations, at least 700,000 households in Scotland – 30% of all households – will be living in extreme fuel poverty by October. That number could be even higher, if the Ofgem price cap for October 2022 is above £2,800. 

“It is essential, therefore, that the response from government at every level is commensurate, in scale and speed, to the nature and magnitude of the emergency.

“In developing a response, governments must first and foremost address immediate need. We must all focus on supporting individuals, businesses and jobs by addressing the principal root causes of the problem.

“Scottish Ministers are clear that the powers and resources needed to tackle this emergency on the scale required – access to borrowing, welfare, VAT on fuel, taxation of windfall profits, regulation of the energy market – lie with the UK Government. This is reflected in the actions we have proposed and set out today.

“At the same time, the Scottish Government will continue to do everything within our resources and powers to help those most affected.”

Cubes of Perpetual Light coming to Edinburgh

The Cubes of Perpetual Light will play new music commissions inspired by the themes of sustainability and growth during the Festival of Politics and Edinburgh International Book Festival

Specially designed ‘Cubes of Perpetual Light’ will come together in the Capital this summer to create a striking music installation featuring programmable light and quadraphonic sound.

The unique installation will appear in the iconic surroundings of the Parliament Garden in the Scottish Parliament, open to the public during the Festival of Politics, August 11-13 and Edinburgh International Culture Summit August 26-28.

A second installation will be installed during Edinburgh International Book Festival, 13–29 August.

The installation forms part of Dandelion, a major creative programme demonstrating the power of collective action through an ambitious ‘grow your own’ initiative that aims to reach communities across Scotland this summer.

Commissioned by EventScotland and funded by the Scottish Government,  Dandelion is Scotland’s contribution to UNBOXED: Creativity in the UK.

At the centre of Dandelion, is a meeting of art and science through the creation of hundreds of unique miniature ‘growing cubes’, called the ‘Cubes of Perpetual Light’. The 1m x 1m cubes are designed to foster accelerated plant growing and have been developed to grow hundreds of seedlings under LED light, combining design craft, traditional horticultural expertise and technological innovation.

The Cubes aren’t just miniature growing laboratories however, they’re also the inspiration for new music which people are being invited to experience at festivals and venues across Scotland this summer, now arriving in Edinburgh.

The special installations are each unique, featuring a collection of cubes, with immersive lighting integrated with stunning quadraphonic speaker systems designed to best showcase the new music compositions playing ‘from’ the cubes. This is the only opportunity to hear these unique compositions in their entirety.

For those unable to visit the cube installations in Edinburgh, they will also be visiting Inverness Botanic Gardens, 15–29 August, and on display at V&A Dundee until 30 August. This activity forms part of a summer-long programme of art, music, food and science for everyone to enjoy.

Leading musicians from Scotland and beyond have created 13 new music commissions for the Cubes of Perpetual Light, all inspired by themes of nature and sustainability.

The aim of the commissions, which can only be heard at the installations, is to encourage listeners to think more deeply about how, where and why plants grow. Each new music piece is commissioned by Dandelion with additional support for international work from British Council Scotland.

Optimized by JPEGmini 3.18.4.211102121-AP 0x6acce567

The Edinburgh installation includes 13 tracks of new music from artists:

  • amiina & Kathleen MacInnes: A gorgeous collaboration bridging the mighty North Atlantic, from the Outer Hebrides to Iceland. South Uist native Kathleen MacInnes, one of Scotland’s finest Gaelic folk singers comes together with amiina, from Reykjavik – a strings-and-electronica quartet whose packed portfolio includes many collaborations with Sigur Rós. This unique recording for Dandelion features Gaelic lullabies Crodh Chailein, Dhachaidh along with amiina composition blauwber’.
  • Arooj Aftab & Maeve Gilchrist: Arooj Aftab’s music is a breath-taking blend of Sufi mysticism, contemporary classical, jazz, ambient and much more – and this year, she became the first Pakistani woman to win a Grammy. Her stunning new album Vulture Prince features Edinburgh-born harper, composer and producer Maeve Gilchrist, and the pair are teaming up again to create new music for Dandelion.
  • Claire M Singer: Claire M Singer is an acclaimed Scottish composer and performer whose acoustic and electronic music draws inspiration from the dramatic landscapes of her native country. The Director of Organ Reframed, a festival of new music that reimagines the epic sound of the organ, she’s created a new multi-channel work featuring organs recorded in Aberdeenshire, Inverness, Stonehaven and Glasgow.
  • Vedanth Bharadwaj : Vedanth is a vocalist and composer born in Mumbai, India who trained in Classical music around the age of four, under Neyveli Santhanagopalan. He recorded two beautiful songs for Dandelion featuring himself on vocals, banjo and guitar along with Gurupriya Atreya on vocals. ‘Vrukshan Se Mati Le’ is a song written by Surdas (an Indian mystic poet from the 16th century). He writes about how one ought to learn compassion from trees. Trees neither love you more when you water them, nor do they hate you if you cut them down. It provides us shade, while bearing all the heat from the sun on its own head. If you throw a stone at it, it gives you a fruit! Lucky are we, to live in a world among trees. Surdas pleads to us to learn compassion from trees, or at least, from the indigenous people.
  • Craig Armstrong & Steve Jones: Craig Armstrong is a BAFTA, Golden Globe and Grammy-winning Scottish born composer.  Through his orchestral writing, electronic music and wide-ranging artistic collaborations in classical and film music, Craig Armstrong’s distinct compositional voice has received worldwide acclaim. For Dandelion he created ‘Endless (Study 1)’ with guitarist Steve Jones along with School of Scottish Studies field recordings from the 1960s to create a sense of limitless space and time for the listener.
  • Fergus McCreadie: Fergus McCreadie is one of the UK’s most exciting jazz musicians. Combining vital jazz sounds with influences drawn from Scottish traditional music, his brilliant third album Forest Floor came out in April to universal acclaim and has been nominated for the Mercury Music Prize. His specially recorded Dandelion work ‘Life Cycle’ features piano and strings from Seonaid Aitken, Emma Pantel, Sarah Leonard & Juliette Lemoine.
  • Jason Singh: Jason Singh is a remarkable sound artist, beatboxer, producer and performer whose music is inspired by the natural world. Nicknamed “The Human Sampler” by Cerys Matthews, he’s worked with everyone from Sir David Attenborough to Talvin Singh. His composition for Dandelion, Droop, is a lament in response to our climate crisis. It is a collaboration between plant, humans and technology and has been created by converting the electrical signals generated by the Camellia plant into musical notes played through analogue and digital synthesisers.
  • Maya Youssef: Syria’s Maya Youssef is the ‘Queen of the Qanun’, an extraordinary 78-stringed Middle Eastern plucked zither. Her life-affirming music is rooted in the Arabic classical tradition but forges into jazz, Western classical and Latin music – as heard at the BBC Proms, WOMAD and now here on this special work for Dandelion: Back to Earth, Barley Blessing & Eastern Wind featuring Maya with Scottish musicians Innes White, Catriona Price, Craig Baxter, Alice Allen, Ciorstaidh Beaton and Arabic Nay player Moslem Rahal
  • Ravi Bandhu: Hailing from Sri Lanka, this acclaimed drummer, dancer and choreographer has taken his magnificent drum ensemble to stages as far afield as WOMAD in Reading and the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, DC.
  • Trio Da Kali: In a unique African / Scots collaboration Trio Da Kali brings together Hawa Kassé Mady Diabaté, Lassana Diabaté and Mamadou Kouyaté – three of the best new griot musicians from the Mandé culture of Mali – along with award winning Scots vocalist Kim Carnie & piper Ross Ainslie – to bring a fresh creative vibe to ancient traditions. These songs continue with the long-time folk culture of telling old stories from the past that pay tribute to the people who do good things for the community and talk about the importance of living in the present and enjoying what happens now.
  • Brian d’Souza: An award-winning sound artist aka Auntie Flo, DJ, producer and performer from Glasgow via Goa, Brian makes magic from a blend of electronic sounds and influences from around the globe. Winner of the 2019 Scottish Album of the Year Award for Radio Highlife, he recently debuted immersive installation The Soniferous Forest and for Dandelion has composed ’Spring Symphony (Sage, Basil, Mint and Lavender)’ – a biophilic soundscape that harnesses the power of nature through sound. It was created by using a Plant Wave device to pick up electromagnetic activity from the different plants which translated each into MIDI notes. These notes then literally ‘played’ samples of various traditional instruments from the Hebrides – including Clarsarch, Whistle, Flute, Pipes and Fiddle.”I then let the plants play… totally naturally to produce a kind of ‘acoustic ecology”.
  • Manu Delago: There’s no sound in music quite like the hang, a melodic percussion instrument invented only 20 years ago – and there’s no better exponent of it than Manu Delago, who’s performed with the likes of Björk, the Cinematic Orchestra, Ólafur Arnalds, Nitin Sawhney and Anoushka Shankar while making a succession of brilliant solo records.
  • Pàdruig Morrison: Accordionist Pàdruig Morrison was brought up surrounded by the culture, the music and the language of the Gaels. After bedding in the first Cube of Perpetual Light on the remote Hebridean island of Heisgeir, where his grandparents set up a pioneering experiment in sustainable living, Pàdruig is now making new music to help them grow.

This follows Dandelion’s latest project taking the Cubes of Perpetual Light on tour across Scotland throughout the month of August, traveling on specially designed electric cargo bikes.

The tour visits schools, parks, venues and Dandelion Unexpected Gardens where the commissioned music can be heard.

Music Director for Dandelion, Donald Shaw said: “Just as plants can grow from tiny seeds, great music can grow from small ideas that we nourish till they bloom into full art forms. 

“The cubes can demonstrate accelerated growing in a wide range of settings, both the expected and unexpected. Placed in a particular environment they create a micro-world within a world, allowing musicians and listeners to imagine a sonic landscape that surrounds us, providing a space for contemplation and for us to imagine a future where we sow, grow and share differently.”

The Rt Hon Alison Johnstone MSP, Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament said: “The Festival of Politics is all about opening the doors of the Scottish Parliament to people across the country with a variety of things on offer – from debate and discussion to exhibitions and music.

“The cubes of perpetual light is an example of how sustainability and art can come together to grab people’s attention and make people stop and think. I hope many people will take the opportunity to join us.”  

Marie Christie, Head of Development, Events Industry at VisitScotland said: “It’s fantastic to see so many incredible artists create new music inspired by Dandelion’s urgent themes of sustainability and our connection to the natural world.

“By fusing new music and new technologies, the cubes create unique ways for audiences to engage and connect with these issues. It’s wonderful to see the cubes travel to Edinburgh to be part of the city’s world-leading festivals, where audiences from Scotland and all over the world can experience them.”

Martin Green, Chief Creative Officer, UNBOXED said: “Dandelion is a brilliant coming together of artists, designers, technologists and scientists to make something special and important about what we eat, how it grows and how everyone can get involved in growing, wherever they live.

“Through the growing cubes, music and many opportunities to participate in growing initiatives, Dandelion is designed to inspire people to create a sustainable future. Dandelion is one of five UNBOXED projects taking place in Scotland this year as part UNBOXED: Creativity in the UK – a year-long celebration of creativity across the four nations.”

Dandelion is a joyous Scotland-wide celebration of sowing, growing and sharing. Commissioned by EventScotland and funded by the Scottish Government it is part of UNBOXED: Creativity in the UK. Dandelion reimagines our relationship with food and the planet and the way we celebrate it together.