International network: annual report 2022-2023

Reputation, influencing and relationships

National Outcomes

International

Culture

Network Outcomes

• Reputation
• Scotland’s Interests

Our offices work to promote Scotland’s international profile. This is done through direct engagement and knowledge sharing with governments and organisations in country; by promoting Scottish culture and showcasing the very best of Scottish produce to the global audience at cultural events such as St Andrew’s Day or Burns Nights; and by bringing together alumni, including business leaders to develop and maintain Scotland’s.

Scotland’s international network also supports visits and engagement internationally by Scottish parliamentarians. For example, members of the Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee of the Scottish Parliament visited Scotland House Brussels in June 2022. In July 2022, the Scottish Government Office in Berlin supported a cross-party delegation of MSPs visiting Berlin at the invitation of a Bavarian think-tank. The following examples and case studies demonstrate how the international network advances Scotland’s interests.

Scotland House Brussels continues to be an invaluable resource to engage with the EU institutions, member states and other third countries following the UK leaving the EU, particularly in policy areas of Scottish strategic interest and expertise, such as energy, agriculture, fishing and research and development. The return of in-person events provided an opportunity to re-invigorate relationships with influential stakeholders in Brussels. Scotland Europa celebrated their 30th anniversary with a year-long campaign launched in May 2022, with several online campaigns and live events showcasing the work of member organisations, culminating in a 30th Anniversary Summer Reception in June 2022 and a first in-person Members Meeting in October 2022. Other cultural events delivered by SHB in 2022-23 included a Spring reception themed around the “Year of Stories”, St Andrew’s Concert and Lecture events (see Case Study), a Ceilidh hosted in the centre of Brussels’s EU district, as well as a Burns Concert and VIP Burns Supper; and cultural and trade events in Brussels and across Belgium which provided platforms to showcase sustainable Scottish goods.

A visit by the former First Minister to Washington DC in May 2022 saw meetings with senior State Department officials, US Special Envoy for Climate Change, John Kerry, and a live-broadcast joint statement with then-Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi, alongside high level round tables with international businesses to discuss sustainability and climate change, and meetings with the leaders of the Congressional Women’s Caucus, and the Friends of Scotland caucus. In the last 2 years, with increased visibility and activity in DC, numbers of members of the Friends of Scotland caucus have increased to a high of 32, including almost 7% of the House of Representatives.

Ireland is among Scotland’s most important bilateral international relationships. The two countries have a uniquely close relationship, sharing a rich history developed by close proximity, cultural affinity, shared communities and similar values. The Ireland-Scotland Bilateral Review (jointly published by the Scottish and Irish governments in 2021) commits to increased cooperation on diplomacy, business and the economy, diaspora, culture, research and education, and rural and island communities. During the 2022 Ministerial Annual Review meeting, it was recognised that strong progress had been made on almost 60% of the Review’s 41 recommendations. Additional focus is also now being made on new policy priorities for both governments.

Scotland House London is ideally situated to promote Scotland’s interests with European and wider international representations in London, and the team developed a strategy and governance structure to inform diplomatic engagement, in conjunction with the Directorate for External Affairs, Scotland House Brussels and the wider overseas network to ensure a coordinated approach. Through this structured approach we have been able to increase both frequency and seniority of our diplomatic engagement, giving us greater access to decision-makers and influential contacts from international partner countries. For example, in advance of the launch of the Scottish Government’s National Discussion on Education, SHL, through dialogue with the New Zealand High Commission, secured discussion on education with senior leads in their Ministry of Education to learn from the NZ experience of delivering a national discussion on education.

Cultural and media engagement is also an important tool to enhance Scotland’s reputation internationally. Working closely with Showcase Scotland Expo^[9] to further live export opportunities for Scottish-based artists, the Germany team’s cultural and media engagement in the reporting year focused on showcasing Scotland’s distinctive cultural offer with the strategic aims of helping Scottish artists and festivals to get back into the international spotlight after the Covid-19 pandemic, and developing the emerging German market for contemporary Scottish music. Media successes included an interview and live session with Orkney band Fara on Deutschland Radio, and an interview on Scotland’s music festivals and contemporary music scene with the Scottish Government Cabinet Secretary for Culture on Deutschland Radio broadcast on a popular cultural affairs programme on national radio.

Case Study: Burns Night, St Andrew’s Day and Tartan Day

Key milestones in the cultural calendar – the Winter Festival anchor points of St Andrew’s Day in November and Burns Night in January – along with Tartan Day in April in North America – provide invaluable opportunities to promote Scotland’s interests internationally.

Tartan Day, and the broader Tartan Week, honour the profound contributions of Scottish Americans in the US and Canada, as well as the strong ties between Scotland and those two countries. Tartan Week 2022 was the first since the pandemic — and, despite a curtailed planning period linked to lifting of travel restrictions in the US, the team in the USA was able to deliver a six-day programme of events straddling Washington DC and New York, including Tartan Day celebrations and political and business engagements. It hosted a Global Scot VIP Cocktail Reception followed by a Tartan Day Reception with over 200 participants, in partnership with the White House Historical Association. It partnered with the Scottish Business Network to host a luncheon for 70 business ambassadors and key interlocutors in the US. The Cabinet Secretary’s speech highlighted trade and investment strategies including Scotland: A Trading Nation, the Inward Investment Plan and the Trade Vision. The annual Tartan Day Parade in New York included approximately 2,600 people, who marched their way up 6th Avenue for masses of spectators along the route, led by Grand Marshall and award-winning Scottish actor Karen Gillan.

In collaboration with the Ontario Government and the Mayor of Niagara, the team in Canada held a diaspora event in front of the Niagara Falls, which were lit up in the colours of the Saltire to celebrate the connections between our nations.

The team in China worked to raise Scotland’s profile on a wide range of issues including culture and festivals. The office sponsored the Beijing Scottish Society’s celebration of St. Andrew’s Day, working in conjunction with Visit Scotland to promote Scotland as a destination and to encourage tourists to start travelling to Scotland again post-Covid.

The team in France developed a food and drink showcase, celebrating 30 years of Label Rouge Scottish salmon, building on the SIAL trade show held in Paris in October. Held in partnership between Scottish Government and SDI, the event was held in the British Embassy in Paris, a prestigious location attracting key contacts and prospects – the first time “Team Scotland” in France hosted a St Andrew’s event on site, given Covid restrictions covering much of the period following the office’s opening. The event was co-hosted by the Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs and Islands, and the Deputy Head of Mission in the Embassy. Several food and drink partners provided produce for the event and marketing material, with many attending in person to showcase their products as part of the Innovations Gallery. Students from Le Cordon Bleu Paris cooking school waited on and assisted the chefs as part of a wider collaboration with the school following masterclasses organised collaboration with Seafood Scotland. The event showcased Scotland to 250 French partners as an innovative, outward facing nation with a rich cultural heritage that is ready to do business and is a great place to visit. Positive feedback was overwhelming. Over 20 brands were on show, multiple business and trade opportunities were identified, and there was strong pick-up on social media.

Burns Night in Ireland was an opportunity to showcase Scottish traditions, produce, culture and values. Guests included influential contacts working across academia, media, government, industry, arts and the voluntary sector. The evening involved poetry readings from Scottish and Irish high school students which they coproduced during an exchange programme supported by the Dublin office and delivered by the Scottish Poetry Library and Poetry Ireland. Scottish poets, Cat Hepburn and Kevin Gilday, provide a fresh take on Burns and Scottish poetry. Singers Eddi Reader and Simon Morgan performed to huge acclaim.

Marty Whelan (RTÉ Radio breakfast show host) described the event as “ridiculously brilliant” on his radio show, with a listenership of 56,000. Further notes of thanks, describing the event as “outstanding”, “spectacular” and “the best national day celebration I have experienced”. This feedback demonstrates the extremely positive and lasting impression and shows how well received and valued Scottish culture is by Irish audiences.

Working in close collaboration with the British Embassies in Copenhagen and Oslo, the Nordics team delivered two back-to-back Burns Night celebrations in the Danish and Norwegian capitals, supporting the attendance of Scottish artists at both events, to showcase their work and to promote Scotland’s cultural offering. Performers included a renowned ceilidh band at the event in Copenhagen, and a group of Scottish poets and musicians – including Scotland’s Makar – in Oslo.

The engagement strategy for invitations to these events emphasised a mix of Scottish diaspora living in Denmark and Norway and senior-level contacts in areas of thematic importance for the office’s business plan. These included officials from the Danish and Norwegian energy and climate ministries, senior renewable business leaders, and members of the Nordic Council.

The Scottish Government team in the USA worked with local Scottish alumni associations and musicians to deliver a modern take on Burns Night, with less formality, food on the go, shorter speeches, and more audience involvement. This was designed to appeal to a younger and more diverse audience – engaging them with the team, with one another, and promoting Scottish culture, food and drink. Tickets for the event sold out in hours, and the British Embassy in Washington, DC, saw enthusiastic (if sometimes inexpert) highland dancing to live music throughout the night.

Scotland House London’s Burns Night celebration aimed to showcase Scottish culture, food, and drink to a key audience of Scottish University Alumni to provide an opportunity for guests to network and connect with each other, while also promoting Scotland as a destination for study. The evening – which was designed to showcase Scottish culture in a modern and exciting way – showcased Scottish acting talent, live music performance and poetry recitals, curated by the Association of Exiled Scots.

The Germany Office joined forces with the region of Rhineland-Palatinate to host a joint St Andrew’s Day event that showcased contemporary Scottish music and the development of sustainable whisky production in Scotland, which was attending by ca. 150 guests from the areas of politics, business, media and culture, as well as Diaspora, Alumni and Global Scots. Opening speeches by the Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs and the State Secretary for Federal and European Engagement for Rhineland Palatinate highlighted our close cooperation in the areas of education, culture, higher education and research, with a particular focus on finding ways to continue to enable student exchanges and research cooperation despite Brexit. A joint Burns Supper with the British Ambassador to Germany rounded off the team’s programme of cultural events in Germany in the reporting year.