Edinburgh Napier University celebrated student films from around the world at the inaugural Napier Student Film Festival, held from 13 – 15th November 2024.
The event brought together student filmmakers, industry professionals, and film enthusiasts in a dynamic celebration of creativity and storytelling through the art of filmmaking.
Award Winners:
Best Film: “Yeehaw” by John Kelbie (Edinburgh Napier University)
Best Documentary: “New Town” by Campbell Anderson (Northern Film School)
Best Animation: “Someone Else’s Story” by Michal Lustig (Bezalel Academy of Arts and Design Jerusalem)
Best International Film: “Son of Happiness” by Dominik Mirecki (Warsaw Film School)
Best Napier Film: “Yeehaw” by John Kelbie (Edinburgh Napier University)
Evans Eghan, President of Edinburgh Napier Students’ Association (ENSA), said: “The Napier Student Film Festival is more than just a platform for showcasing student films; it’s a hub for creativity, collaboration, and growth.
“By bringing together filmmakers, academics, and industry professionals, we aim to foster a community where emerging talents can thrive and build connections that will shape their future careers.”
The festival, organised by ENSA, featured an array of engaging activities, including:
A masterclass on “Film as Therapy” facilitated by Dr Amy Beddows, exploring the transformative power of storytelling in fostering mental health and well-being.
An industry panel discussion on “How to Get a Job in Film”, offering valuable insights into career pathways within the creative sector and connecting students with industry leaders.
Film screenings. A total of 25 films were shortlisted out of over 200 entries from talented student filmmakers from different universities across the UK and globally. The line-up of film screenings also included 4 films from students at Napier’s international partner universities.
Networking opportunities, fostering connections between emerging filmmakers, departments within the university, and industry professionals.
The festival culminated in an exciting awards ceremony, celebrating outstanding achievements in student filmmaking.
The events not only highlighted the immense talent of student filmmakers but also encouraged collaboration across departments and with external partners. Attendees and participants offered resounding praise, commending the festival’s impact on fostering talent, creating networking opportunities, and elevating the role of film in education and community building.
Looking ahead, the festival aims to become a cornerstone event within the university and the wider Edinburgh community. Plans for future editions include expanding the festival’s reach, enhancing collaborations with local creative industries, and positioning Edinburgh Napier as a leading institution for nurturing creative talent.
Cottrell-Boyce pledges to address ‘invisible privilege and inequality’ within books and reading
Announces summit plans to ‘make people with power properly listen and take action’
Marks 25th anniversary of role as foremost representative of children’s literature
Frank Cottrell-Boyce, the multi award-winning author and screenwriter, has been crowned the Waterstones Children’s Laureate 2024 – 2026.
Cottrell-Boyce was presented with the bespoke silver Laureate medal by outgoing Waterstones Children’s Laureate, Joseph Coelho, at a ceremony held at Howard Assembly Room, Leeds.
For 25 years, the Waterstones Children’s Laureate has been the foremost representative of children’s literature, awarded biannually to a renowned writer or illustrator in recognition of exceptional talent.
Managed by BookTrust – the UK’s largest children’s reading charity – and sponsored by Waterstones, this prestigious role celebrates creativity and storytelling, promotes the vital importance of reading and children’s literature, and champions the right of every child to enjoy a lifetime enriched with books and stories. Each Laureate brings their own passion and creativity to their tenure.
Liverpool-based Frank Cottrell-Boyce is a multi-award-winning children’s author. Since his debut Millions won the CILIP Carnegie Medal (and was made into a film directed by Danny Boyle) he has penned a plethora of much-loved books including Chitty Chitty Bang Bang Flies Again (the official sequel commissioned by the Fleming Estate), Cosmic, Framed, The Astounding Broccoli Boy and Runaway Robot.
He is also a highly esteemed script and screenwriter, devising the London 2012 Olympics Opening Ceremony, co-writing the Platinum Jubilee Paddington sketch, alongside writing for Doctor Who, Goodbye Christopher Robin and most recently The Beautiful Game, starring Bill Nighy and Micheal Ward.
At yesterday’s ceremony, Cottrell-Boyce launched his Laureateship with a powerful speech declaring his ambitions for children’s books and the life-changing benefits of reading to be ‘taken seriously’.
He pledged to dedicate his two-year tenure to igniting a fierce national conversation about the role books and reading can play in transforming children’s lives, referencing the decades of compelling evidence showing that reading for pleasure is the single biggest factor impacting the life-chances of a child, as well as the ‘crisis point’ facing the millions of children now living in poverty, warning: ‘we risk losing a generation unless we act.’
This campaign – which is called Reading Rights: Books Build a Brighter Future– also includes plans for a national summit bringing together expert voices in the political, education, literacy and early years sectors.
Frank Cottrell-Boyce, Waterstones Children’s Laureate 2024–2026, added:“Our children are living through the aftermath of a series of crises, the pandemic, a series of wars and an unfolding environmental crisis.
“The only public conversation is about how we can make our children “catch up” – which seems to me a kind of code for forgetting this ever happened. None of us has the slightest idea about what the future now holds for them – but the one thing we do know is that they will need to know how to be happy.
“Every child has to have the opportunity to begin to build the apparatus of happiness within themselves.
“I will use my time as Waterstones Children’s Laureate to call for a reset in our attitude towards how we value children’s books and reading – to start this story again – and to campaign for the millions of children living in poverty to be given the same life-changing chances. To stand up for the children in this country and their Reading Rights.
“So, whoever wins Thursday’s election has a huge responsibility. Whoever we wake up to Friday morning, they have the power to make a revolutionary change in children’s lives.”
Diana Gerald, CEO at BookTrust, said:“Reading can help young children who missed out on critical development opportunities during the pandemic and who have fallen behind in terms of literacy, language development, and communication skills.
“It can help children overcome the consequences of rising levels of poverty and inequality, particularly if we read with them in their early years.
“The appointment of Frank as Children’s Laureate gives us a powerful advocate for the disadvantaged and vulnerable children and the transformative effect that reading can have on their lives.”
Kate Edwards, Chair of the Waterstones Children’s Laureate Steering Group and Chair of the Waterstones Children’s Laureate 2024-26 Judging Panel, said: “The Waterstones Children’s Laureate selection panel invites nominations from a range of organisations across the UK representing librarians, critics, writers, literature development workers and booksellers – on behalf of everyone, I extend Frank our warmest congratulations.
“We couldn’t be more thrilled to welcome Frank to this prestigious role as the Laureateship celebrates its 25th anniversary – not only does his wonderful writing entertain and inspire, but he has long been a passionate voice in the campaign for children’s books to be given the value and recognition that they deserve.
“Frank is a wonderful Laureate for these times and the Steering Group is looking forward to working with him over the next two years, helping to bring his vital plans and ambitions to life so that every child can enjoy a life rich in books and reading.”
Nick Campbell, Children’s Campaign Manager at Waterstones, said: ““On behalf of our booksellers, particularly our experts in children’s reading, we’re thrilled to welcome Frank Cottrell-Boyce to the role of Waterstones Children’s Laureate 2024-2026.
“In the twenty years since his debut novel, Frank’s work has been a cornerstone of our children’s sections, deploying his wit and genius for storytelling in celebration of young people’s imaginative potential.
“We are so pleased to support him as Laureate in championing those young people and the transformative power of reading.”
The Reading Agency’s Summer Reading Challenge is kicking off in Scotland with an exciting event featuring award-winning storyteller Danyah Miller.
On 29 June at 10.30am, Edinburgh Central Library will host Making Marvellous Stories with Danyah Miller, an interactive storytelling experience that celebrates the power of imagination and creativity.
Danyah Miller, an international solo performer, writer, and story trainer, will lead an engaging spontaneous storytelling hour. Through story games and collaborative storytelling, children and families will embark on a journey to spark their imaginations and create lasting memories together.
Oral storytelling is a fundamental component of literacy development, enhancing fluency, vocabulary acquisition, writing skills, recall, and memory. By participating in this event, children will not only have a fun and interactive experience but also develop essential literacy skills.
Participants will have the opportunity to engage in story games, make up fresh, new stories together, and learn tips and tricks for endless storytelling fun. The event promises to be an unforgettable experience, igniting the imaginations of children and families alike.
“We left full of ideas and inspiration,” said a mum of boys aged 7 and 9 after attending one of Danyah’s previous storytelling events.
In addition to the storytelling experience, the Summer Reading Challenge, developed in partnership with Create, a leading charity bringing creative arts to those in need, offers a range of exciting activities and resources that bring reading and creativity together throughout the school holiday. Children are encouraged to explore their creativity through various outlets, including junk modelling, music, dance, drawing, and painting.
The Making Marvellous Stories with Danyah Miller event is free and open to the public. Families are invited to join this unforgettable experience and embark on a journey of storytelling and creativity at Edinburgh Central Library.
Julie Fowlis and Laura Wilkie who close this year’s Edinburgh Tradfest
Edinburgh Tradfest is now in full swing and seeing a fantastic turnout of audiences to its 11 day programme of events across the city.
The Festival runs until Monday 13 May and this weekend sees a continuation of its packed programme of traditional live music, storytelling and folk film.
Highlights coming up include: Edinburgh Tradfest’s closing concert at the Assembly Rooms (13 May) with vocal superstar Julie Fowlis andhighly respected fiddler Laura Wilkie. Julie Fowlis, forever recognised for singing the theme songs to Disney Pixar’s Brave, and singing live at the opening ceremony of the Glasgow XX Commonwealth Games. will grace the stage with her crystalline and intoxicating vocals, accompanied by special guest Laura Wilkie whose debut solo album Vent – an instrumental exploration or traditional Gaelic waulking songs, is released on 5 July. Laura will perform with musician Ian Carr on guitar/harmonium.
International musicians will also take centre stage, including raucous fiddlers Lena Jonsson and Brittany Haas (8 May), whose powerful fiddle playing is intricate and heart-rending.
Plus, two of Finland’s most visionary musicians Lau Nau and Pekko Käppi will perform their accompanying music score for Je’Vida the first every film made in the Skolt Sami dialect (spoken by only around 300 people) on Fri 10 May, followed by a concert at the Scottish Storytelling Centre that same evening.
Newly formed bands and new work coming up includes Triptic (Greg Lawson, Phil Alexander and Mario Caribe from Moishe’s Bagel) on Fri 10 May and Birdvox (Sarah Hayes, Jenny Sturgeon, Charlotte Printer and Inge Thomson) on Thursday who will debut this Festival. Plus, Malin Lewis launches their new album Halocline (Wed 8 May), Norman&Corrie whose music transcends both jazz and folk will present new music created in Shetland for their forthcoming album later this year (Thu 9 May); and storyteller Daiva Ivanauskatie and musician Gaynor Barradell explore the silence between generations in Fire from the Woods at the Storytelling Centre this Saturday.
New young bands showcasing their talents at our ETF Spotlight event on Sunday 12 May include Miguel Giräo whose latest release The Northern Isles Suite is a collection of music for solo guitar composed of traditional melodies from Orkney and Shetland; Elír who take traditional songs from Scotland and Ireland and merge them with an eclectic range of influences to produce a unique sound (Niamh MacKaveney, David Lombardi, Calum McIlroy); Noah Scott & Ciorstaidh Chaimbeul from Skye who won the Danny Kyle Award at this year’s Celtic Connections; and Beatha a vibrant folk trio (Iona Reid, Kenneth Macfarlane, Cam Lawson) whose traditional folk melodies are infused with a contemporary flair.
Plus, there will be a full weekend of workshops on everything from traditional Zimbabwean song and Scottish step dance, to how to sign, how to improve your onstage patter, and how your favourite music can provide a springboard to your own songwriting ambitions with Evie Waddell, Bruce Ncube, Svend-Erik Engh, Anna-Wendy Stevenson and Karine Polwart.
And, finally, on Friday and Saturday night there will be late night music in the Traverse bar from 22:30 until late with Isla Ratcliff and Dominic Blaikie, and Simon Bradley and Anna-Wendy Stevenson leading the sessions.
Douglas Robertson and Jane-Ann Purdy, co-producers of Edinburgh Tradfest said: “It’s fantastic to see so many people enjoying this year’s programme and the artists are just having THE best time.
“We’re only half way through and we have a huge weekend coming up, so we really hope that the crowds continue and first-timers and regulars will come along, support the artists and have a great time.”
Edinburgh Tradfest runs from Friday 3 May to Monday 13 May.
A packed programme of music, film and storytelling kicks off Edinburgh Tradfest this weekend (3 May to 13 May) thanks to continued support from The National Lottery through Creative Scotland and the William Grant Foundation.
The eleven day Festival opens with electro-trad supergroup VALTOS one of Scotland’s best live bands, who are performing with folk trio Assynt and award-winning singer Josie Duncan at the Queen’s Hall.
Over the weekend the music programme continues with folk legend Martin Simpson whose latest solo album Skydancers has just been released; Americana, rock, folk and blues icon Alice Howe and legendary bassist Freebo; and late night sessions in the Traverse Bar. Plus, folk musicians playing at any level, can take part in #WorldPlayAStrathspeyDay on Saturday by uploading a strathspey tune online using the hashtag, or by joining fiddlers Eryn Rae,Matt Tighe, accordionist Megan Macdonald and pianist extraordinaire Rory Matheson for a live afternoon concert to celebrate the humble Strathspey.
This year the festival boasts an incredible line-up of master musicians including Gaelic singer Julie Fowlis who closes this year’s festival in concert with special guests Laura Wilkie and Ian Carr whose debut album Vent launches later this year.
Other masters of traditional music playing this festival include singer, harpist and composer Rachel Newton; stalwart of the 1990s Edinburgh session scene Simon Bradley trio-ing with Anna-Wendy Stevenson and Michael Bryan; the newly formed Triptic featuring three musicians of peerless pedigree – Phil Alexander, Greg Lawson and Mario Caribe; dazzling instrumentalists Simon Thoumire and Dave Milligan; legend Archie Fisher; and West Highland high energy supergroup Dàimh.
Also playing this festival are a host of hugely talented Nordic musicians including Nordic Fiddlers Bloc, and raucous fiddler Lena Jonsson from Northern Sweden who duos with the legendary Brittany Haas from Northern California.
Other highlights include the incredible Malin Lewis who launches their new album Halocine at this year’s festival; soulful electro-trad tunes from Frankie Archer whose music is shaking up genres and traditions and championing women, challenging perspectives and calling for a fairer future; BBC Radio Scotland’s Young Traditional Musician of the Year finalist 2024 Evie Waddell; and sixth generational fiddle player Clare Sands.
For film goers there is this year’s Folk Film Gatherin’ which includes on-screen highlights – Journey to the Isles: Marjory Kennedy Fraser an archive film with live accompaniment from storyteller Marion Kenny and multi-instrumentalist Mairi Campbell; and two films from Ukraine – the silent masterpiece Earth(1930) directed by Alexander Dovzhenko and accompanied by Scottish musicians Luke Sutherland and Semay Lu; and Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors – a tale of crossed lovers introduced with a short concert from Edinburgh’s Ukrainian Choir.
This year’s May Day Parade also takes place during the festival on Sunday 5 May setting off down the Royal Mile at mid-day and finishing with a rally, music and speeches.
Plus fans of traditional storytelling can enjoy events at the Scottish Storytelling Centre including old tales from Lithuania and around the world brought to life by Daiva Ivanauskaite and musician Gaynor Barradell in Fire from the Woods (Her Father Has Nothing to Say) a new production exploring the silence between generations and life growing up without hearing stories from your ancestors; and Welsh storyteller Milly Jackdaw presenting Mochyn Mryddin / Merlin’s Pig a fusion of traditional storytelling, physical theatre, music and ceremony based on the life of Myrddin, the inspiration for Merlin in Arthurian legend.
Douglas Robertson and Jane-Ann Purdy, co-producers of Edinburgh Tradfest said: “We are beyond excited to present our biggest and best Edinburgh Tradfest ever.
“Every single show has been curated with care by our team, so you can book with absolute confidence. As usual we’ll be at every gig enjoying the music. See you soon!”
Edinburgh Tradfest runs fromFriday 3 May to Monday 13 May.
Award-winning author and illustrator Morag Hood is announced as the next author to read from her books at The Centre, Livingston’s free Book Club on Saturday, 20th January, ahead of National Storytelling Week at the end of the month.
The aim of the monthly Book Club is to encourage families to come together and enjoy interactive storytelling sessions once a month in the shopping centre and meet award-winning authors.
It follows on from the installation of the shopping centre’s free book recycling vending machine last year to enable people to swap their favourite novels.
Previous authors who have taken over the reading chair include Linda Erskine, Justin Davies, Catherine Rayner and Lindsay Littleson.
Edinburgh-based Morag, who has an MA in Children’s Book Illustration from Cambridge School of Art and a BA in Costume Design from Wimbledon College of Art, previously worked backstage in theatres before immersing herself in the world of illustration.
She is the author and illustrator of 12 picture books, including ‘I Am Bat’, ‘The Steves’ and ‘Dig, Dig, Digger’, which is a witty and funny tale about a little digger with big dreams. The follow up, ‘Runaway Cone’, is due to be published later this month. Morag is also the author of the best-seller ‘Sophie Johnson: Unicorn Expert’.
Her books are published internationally and have been translated into multiple languages. She is twice winner of the UK Literacy Association Award, voted by primary teachers, and three of her books have been distributed to every primary one class across Scotland as part of Scottish Book Trust’s school reading programme.
Morag has also had five nominations for the CILIP Kate Greenaway Awards over the years and won the Teach Primary Book Awards for ‘Brenda is a Sheep’.
One of her books, ‘Teapot Trouble’, was narrated by the comedian and presenter, Josh Widdicombe, on CBeebies Bedtime Stories.
Morag’s session’s, which are aimed at kid’s aged 2 – 6 and start at 11am and 1pm, will focus on ‘Dig, Dig, Digger’ with a draw-along digger activity and a reading of ‘I Am Bat’.
The Book Club is located across from Waterstones, where her books can be purchased and signed on the day by the author.
Morag said: “I can’t wait to come to the Book Club at The Centre, Livingston this month and share some of my stories and make some muddy digger drawings together – it is such a great idea to run the sessions in the shopping centre and I’m thrilled to be a part of it.”
Patrick Robbertze, Centre Director at The Centre, Livingston, said: “We are delighted to welcome another award-winning author, Morag Hood, to our Book Club this month at The Centre, Livingston and give our visitors the chance to hear readings from her award-winning books and take part in some interactive drawing sessions.
“Our free Book Club, which has been very popular since it started last year, is a great way for us to give families another reason to visit and enjoy some special time together.”
Details of the Book Club can be found on The Centre, Livingston website, www.thecentrelivingston.com and @shopthecentre on Facebook and Instagram.
National Storytelling Week, which takes place from the 27th January until the 4th February, is an annual event to celebrate the power of sharing stories, run by the Society of Storytelling.
The 2023 programme for this year’s Scottish International Storytelling Festival (SISF) explores our Right To Be Human,and celebrates the 75th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights.
Just as Scotland’s consultation on a new Human Rights Bill draws to a close, storytellers, musicians and artists will join together in venues across the country to embrace this milestone with tales of human courage and creativity, spoken with powerful words.
During this year’s festival (13-29 October) there will be stories told about the impacts of war, gender inequality, censorship; ethnic, cultural, linguistic and religious prejudices; and other threats and challenges on our human rights as a global nation.
New this year is the Festival’s first podcast series Another Story –six weekly episodes themed around our right to be human starting from 12 September;andArt of the Storyteller – in-person, weekend workshops led by Festival Director Donald Smith with various professional storytellers, where budding storytellers can learn to improve their storytelling skills and better connect with their audience.
Opening this year’s Festival will be storyteller Gauri Raje with Tales of Exile and Sanctuary(Fri 13 Oct) sharing stories from Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, India and the horn of Africa, woven together to question the beauty and horrors of exile from across the world.
Other events exploring and celebrating our universal human rights include new commissions:
● Wave Riders (Sat 14 Oct) with storyteller Jan Bee Brown and musician Renzo Spiteri sharing the sagas of Viking pioneers who forged better ways to live in peace.
● Letters to Jackie (Sun 15 Oct) returns with agony aunts Bea Ferguson, Heather Yule and Maria Whatton on hand with old tales to answer the problems of today.
● Joyfully Grimm: Reimagining a Queer Adolescence (Mon 16 Oct) with James Stedman who takes a heartfelt and slightly irreverent look at Section 28, and the joy with which LGBTQIA+ people have always existed in both stories and real life.
● The Voice Shall Always Remain(Tue 17 Oct) told through the traditional ‘pardeh-khani’ technique (narration through curtains), Iranian storyteller Zahra Afsah and Syrian storyteller Khloud Ereksousi explore how Iranian women find their freedom in their own voices and talents.
● Don Quixote Rides Again (Wed 18 Oct) a spellbinding comical experience with Spanish storyteller Inés Álvarez Villa and flamenco musician Danielo Olivera challenging prejudice, showing compassion, and embracing our true selves.
● Stories of healing told through the Norse tales of Odin, Gullveig and Mimir in Odin’s Eye and The Art of Seeing with Alice Fernbank (Sat 21 Oct) followed by Shadow Walkingcovering dark tales of jealousy, destruction and vanity with Ruth Kirkpatrick and Peter Chand.
● The story of Orpheus and Eurydice gets a Scottish twist in Orpheus | Orfeo (Sun 22 Oct) told by Daniel Serridge, Heather Cartwright and Neil Wood (harp).
● Fire from the Woods(Thu 26 Oct) with storyteller Daiva Ivanauskaitė and musician Gaynor Barradell exploringthe silence between generations, how sometimes fathers are silent while children grow up without stories and our right to know about our ancestors.
● The Town Mouse and The Country Mouse (Sat 14 Oct) – a multisensory adventure suitable for children with additional needs with illustrator Kate Leiper and storyteller Ailie Finlay.
Also appearing in this year’s programme are some of the nation’s favourite storytellers in our Collective Treasures strand which gathers memories, experiences and values together in tales to celebrate our common humanity.
Highlights include:
● Scots Character (Thu 19 Oct) with James Spence which tours the range of Scots tale and tongue including some dour, thrawn, stoic, droll and outrageous personal memories.
● Gillian Paterson and Nicola Wright take a whirlwind trip through women’s history in The Girl’s Own Survival Guide to History (Sat 21 Oct) with female pirates, raucous rebels and top tips on learning how to avoid being called a witch.
● Shonaleigh Cumbers dips into her own Jewish and British storytelling traditions in A Garment for the Moon (Sun 22Oct).
● Berit Alette Mienna and musician Øistein Hanssen share the deep roots of the Sami culture and the threats it faces, inNorthern Treasures (Wed 25 & Sat 28 Oct).
● Prolific writer and political activist Italo Calvino’s centenary is celebrated with a Scots-Italian garland of stories from Anne Hunter, Donald Smith and Simone Caffari (Mon 16 Oct).
● Tradition bearer Allan MacDonald and musician Aidan O’Rourke present tales from the John Francis Campbell’scollection in Sgeul – Mighty and Magic ( Fri 20 & Wed 25 Oct).
● Dr Valentina Bold and storyteller Amanda Edmiston present excerpts from Mike Bolam’s film Up the Middle Roadwith live storytelling and a discussion around the stigma of mental health (Tue 17 Oct).
For younger audiences and families looking for some fantastic activities during their October school holidays there are craft and storytelling sessions, story walks in the Royal Botanic Garden Garden Edinburgh including Rewilding Cinderella: An Eco-Storytelling Concert (Sun 15 Oct) weaving together stories from all over the world about the ash-child told by the Storytelling Choir which includes storytellers Gauri Raje, Kestrel Morton, Laura Sampson, Wendy Shearer, Joanna Gilar and Fleur Hemmings.
Poetry from Tunde Balogun, music from Heulwen Williams and artistic enchantments by Hannah Battershell; and stories about trees, animals and bugs in Once There Was A Bug (Sun 15 Oct).
Walks through the cobbled streets of Edinburgh with Macastory (Sat 21 Oct) where the characters of Deacon Brodie and Aggie the Fish Wife come to life; the Egyptian tale of Isis and Osiris (Sat 14 Oct) is retold by Fergus McNicol with belly dancing from Moyra Banks; and a Kamishibai Workshop (Thu 19 Oct) with renowned storyteller, harpist and Urasenke Japanese Tea Master Mio Shudo.
At the end of the day, as darkness begins to fall, audiences can gather at the Netherbow Theatre for a relaxed evening of stories and music in our Open Hearth sessions featuring storytellers and musicians from around the world (Fri 13, Wed 24 & Sun 29 Oct).
Plus, there are special events including Anna Conomos-Wedlock’s The Promise, where stories inspired by the oral testimonies of Asia Minor refugees, draw on the meaning of homeland, displacement, memory and friendship, with music and song by Rebecca Vučetić (Fri 27 Oct); The Displaced Heart (Mon 23 Oct) an exquisite storytelling and music performance, combining English, Punjabi, and Irish songs accompanied by guitar and sitar; and Songs & Stories of the Fianna (Fri 20 Oct) supported by Bòrd na Gàidhlig’s Colmcille fund; and two events presented by Deaf Action and originally performed at Edinburgh Deaf Festival earlier this year: Visual Fun With Sports (Sat 21 Oct) by Petre Dobre & Craig McCulloch and Red Aphrodite (Thu 19 Oct) by Amy Murray.
Our popular online workshop strand Global Lab returns this year and during Week One (16-19 Oct) the festival will look at our planet’s eco-system and how ecological passion drives twenty-first century storytelling.
In association with Earth Charter International each day Festival Director Donald Smith will invite storytellers from all corners of our planet to perform stories of human messiness, healing, hope and connections with nature.
In Week Two the workshop theme is Shared Lives (23-26 Oct) and our focus returns to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and the importance of valuing dignity, respect, equality and compassion in our lives.
Go Local also returns this year, with new voices from more regions in Scotland including North and South Lanarkshire coming together to share stories and songs. From Shetland to Dumfries and Galloway, there will be tales of battles, adventure, love and friendship shared by the fireside through October and November, with many of the festival’s commissions also going on tour.
Alongside these events, this year’s Festival Exhibition hosted at the Scottish Storytelling Centre will be TALK – a series of portraits taken by Edinburgh-based photographer Graham Williams, exploring the subject of men’s mental health as part of the Scottish Mental Health Arts Festival .
Looking ahead to this year’s event, Scottish International Storytelling Festival Director, Donald Smith said: “All over the world human and environmental rights are under threat. But against that there is an activist and creative tide building towards a different future.
“The Storytelling Festival is part of that wave.”
Minister for Culture Christina McKelvie said:“Right to be Human is inspired by the 75th Anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and could not be more timely.
“During the coming parliamentary year, the Scottish Government will introduce an ambitious new Human Rights Bill for Scotland. This will be a significant milestone in Scotland’s human rights journey, building on past work to embed a human rights culture across Scotland.
“This year’s Scottish International Storytelling Festival, supported by £120,000 of Scottish Government Festivals Expo funding, celebrates and explores all aspects of our common humanity in a challenging world.”
Catriona Hawksworth, Traditional Arts Officer at Creative Scotland, said: “Telling stories is part of being human and why events like the Scottish International Storytelling Festival are so important.
“The ‘Right To Be Human’ project in particular, supported by the Scottish Government’s Festivals EXPO fund, provides opportunities for Scottish storytellers to present their work on an internationally recognised platform, reflecting human rights issues and the human experience across the world and increasing their national and international reach.
“Including podcasts, music, children’s stories, Scots language, global voices and Greek myth – the festival has something for everyone to recognise and enjoy.”
The Scottish International Storytelling Festival will take place Friday 13 – Sunday 29 October.
Tickets to each event cost a maximum of £10, with family events costing just £5 per ticket. For those planning on attending multiple events, the Festival Pass offers discounted tickets to many live festival events, online and at the Scottish Storytelling Centre, as well as a discount at the Scottish Storytelling Centre’s bookshop and Haggis Box Café.
To purchase tickets and browse the full programme, visit sisf.org.uk.
ELEVEN members of Edinburgh International Book Festival’s Citizen writer’s group will be sharing their work with North Edinburgh’s children at tomorrow’s Community Festival.
The selection box of stories and poems have a food theme and will appeal to grown-ups and well as primary school children.
You’ll find us in West Pilton Neighbourhood Centre from 2 – 3pm.
Come and join Olivia, Dave F, Julia, Jeff, Marjory, Evelyn, Jane, Maureen, Nandini, Carmen and me … There may even be sweeties … !
