Celebrating cultural links with Canada

An international project to develop new creative work and collaborations between Scottish and Canadian artists and festivals has been awarded £80,000.

The Festival Expo funding, which is supported by the Scottish Government through Creative Scotland, was announced by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.

The 2019 Scottish International Storytelling Festival will have a special focus on Canada showcasing new creative work developed by Scottish and Canadian artists. ‘Canada – Scotland: Coast to Coast’ will also include a cultural exchange on indigenous languages.

She said:

“Scotland has a long history of storytelling and it is a large and significant part of our heritage. It is a history that is alive and well today.

“This funding will spark a fascinating exchange of Scottish and Canadian cultural heritage, including a celebration of our indigenous languages, and I look forward to seeing the creative links between Scotland and Canada continue to flourish.”

Donald Smith, Director of the Scottish International Storytelling Festival, said:

“The 2019 Scottish International Storytelling Festival is delighted to headline ‘Canada – Scotland: Coast to Coast’ in its international exchange, thanks to Festival Expo support. Canadian guests will perform in Edinburgh and travel across Scotland, pioneering the importance of storytelling to build inter-cultural bridges and showcasing story, dance and song.”

Mairi Kidd, Interim Head of Literature, Languages & Publishing, Creative Scotland, said:

“Scotland and Canada both have a strong heritage of storytelling, and our histories interact in complex ways. During the UN Year of Indigenous Languages many of our organisations plan to celebrate and investigate links between the diverse peoples of Canada and Scotland and the Storytelling Festival will lead the way. Work for children and young people is a key element of the Storytelling Festival’s work and it’s great to see this celebrated during the First Minister’s visit to Canada.”

Background

The Festival Expo fund is supported by the Scottish Government through Creative Scotland.