Festivals given £3m in Government funding
The Expo Fund spending has increased from £1.7 million last year.
The Edinburgh Festival Fringe will receive £670,000, while the Edinburgh International Book Festival will be given £200,000, the same amount as for the Scottish International Storytelling Festival.
Culture Secretary Angus Robertson said: 'Scotland's festivals are our cultural shopfront to the rest of the world.
'As well as offering performers and creatives an unrivalled international platform, they also deliver an annual economic uplift to businesses, jobs and livelihoods right across the country.
'This year's funding increase for the existing Expo festivals cohort represents an increase of £1 million across the 14 festivals in Glasgow and Edinburgh, the first in 10 years.
'It recognises the success of festivals in shaping and supporting hundreds of commissions, enhancing the ambitions of thousands of Scottish artists and attracting audiences in the millions for Expo-supported work since the fund's creation in 2007.
'From this foundation we will expand the reach of the Expo fund across the whole of Scotland, and I am working with festivals across the country through the strategic festivals partnership to realise this commitment.'
Dana MacLeod, executive director of arts, communities and inclusion at Creative Scotland, welcomed the funding, saying it will enable festivals to 'commission bold ideas, develop creative collaborations and present high-quality programmes for audiences in Scotland and internationally'.
Lori Anderson, director of Festivals Edinburgh, said: 'Today's announcement is welcome news for our festivals and for Scotland's cultural sector, ensuring that the guiding principle of the Scottish Government's Festivals Expo Fund – to showcase Scottish talent to the world on the country's premier festival platforms – continues to successfully support creative careers.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Scotsman
2 minutes ago
- Scotsman
Which books are on the Nationals English reading list for 2025
Scotland's school reading list recently got a bit of a refresh 📚 Sign up to our daily newsletter – Regular news stories and round-ups from around Scotland direct to your inbox Sign up Thank you for signing up! Did you know with a Digital Subscription to The Scotsman, you can get unlimited access to the website including our premium content, as well as benefiting from fewer ads, loyalty rewards and much more. Learn More Sorry, there seem to be some issues. Please try again later. Submitting... Scottish English teachers mostly get to choose their own books for their National 5 pupils But there is a set list of Scottish texts – of which they must choose one to teach This list has undergone some big changes since the last academic year Many familiar classics have stuck around on despite recent changes to Scotland's Nationals English reading list, but this year's pupils will see some new additions too. Schoolchildren across Scotland are currently in the final days of their summer holidays, with the new 2025/26 school year beginning within the next week or two in most parts of the country. This will mean big changes for many young learners, including starting at a new primary or secondary school, or beginning to work towards important qualifications like their 'Nationals' – or National 5s. Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Similarly to their counterparts across the UK, most pupils studying towards these qualifications have a few set subjects they'll probably have to take – namely English and maths. As parents might expect, the English National involves a fair amount of reading. Teachers in Scotland generally have the freedom to choose most of what their students will read, but they do have to choose at least one Scottish book, play, or poetry collection from an official set list. This list was recently switched up too, with some texts removed, and other new ones added. The Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA) said that the changes came after multiple rounds of consultations with teachers, learners, experts and focus groups, and its English head Robert Quinn said the feedback they got was clear. 'Teachers and lecturers wanted to retain the most popular texts, but they also wanted a list that is diverse, and relevant for learners. Many of the old classics have stuck around on Scotland's reading list, but there have been some new additions too | (Image:/Adobe Stock) 'They wanted us to include more writers of colour, more female writers, more LGBTQ+ writers, and writers from a variety of backgrounds,' he continued. 'From learners we heard them say they wanted to see more modern and diverse texts that had challenging themes and strong emotional content included in the revised list.' This year's Nationals candidates will be the first to learn from the new list, so the books they have to read may look a little different from even other students who have recently completed the course. Here is the list they'll be reading from in the upcoming, 2025 school year: Advertisement Hide Ad Advertisement Hide Ad Drama Yellow Moon, by David Greig Sailmaker, by Alan Spence Tally's Blood, by Ann Marie di Mambro Prose Dr Jekyll and Mr Hyde, by Robert Louis Stevenson Duck Feet (*specifically Part Wan First Year), by Ely Percy - written in Scots A collection of short stories, by Anne Donovan (including All that Glisters, Hieroglyphics, Me and the Babbie, Loast) A collection of Scottish short stories (A Voice Spoke to me at Night by Helen McClory; Things My Wife and I Found Hidden in Our House by Kirsty Logan; Andrina by George Mackay Brown; Death In A Nut as told by Duncan Williamson) Poetry If your child's teacher chooses poetry, pupils will study six poems – either by a single Scottish poet, or a collection by several different writers. Carol Ann Duffy (Originally; Mrs Midas; In Mrs Tilscher's Class; Medusa; Havisham; Before You Were Mine) Norman MacCaig (Aunt Julia; Hotel room, 12th floor; Basking shark; On Lachie's Croft; Landscape and I; Old Highland Woman) Jackie Kay (Gap Year; Keeping Orchids; Whilst Leila Sleeps; Grandpa's Soup; Darling; Maw Broon Visits a Therapist) A set collection of Scottish poems (The Bonnie Earl o' Moray (traditional ballad); The Twa Corbies (traditional ballad); A Red, Red Rose by Robert Burns; Lochinvar by Sir Walter Scott; Auntie by Nadine Aisha Jassat; Little Girls by Len Pennie)
The Herald Scotland
4 minutes ago
- The Herald Scotland
I felt like a voyeur reading this great Scottish writer's love letters
In his introduction Gunn, who edited Samuel Beckett's letters and teaches at the University of America in Paris, gives a precis of what she experienced in the years 1944-63: 'Spark went through impoverishment, betrayal, discrimination, assault, hunger, paranoid delusions, romantic disappointment, harassment from an erratic ex-husband, the death of a beloved father; nevertheless, she produced seven novels, an array of poems, essays, biographies, and critical introductions, as well as 1,500 letters – doubtless more, given some have been lost. Circumstances were stacked against her; nevertheless, she transformed herself from a little-known poet into a hugely successful and critically acclaimed novelist…' Nevertheless was one of Spark's favourite words, to be pronounced in the Morningside manner of her childhood: 'niverthelace'. It is baffling that, although she was an inveterate letter writer, no correspondence survives before 1944. Gunn speculates on the reasons, but no-one knows what happened to them. 'That more Spark letters do exist is certain,' he writes optimistically, in the hope, perhaps, of people scouring their attics. What remains, however, is abundant, illuminating Spark as no biographer could hope to. Anyone contemplating becoming a writer will learn a great deal from this judicious selection about how to protect their interests and reputation. As these letters vividly reveal, there were countless facets to Spark that made her such a dazzling, redoubtable individual: generosity, intellectual curiosity, a work ethic so punishing she frequently became ill, a desire for romantic love that would not impinge on her writing, and a tiger-like ability to defend her professional interests. Read more Unarguably the greatest Scottish writer of the 20th century, Spark was born to Barney and Sarah Camberg in Bruntsfield, Edinburgh, in February 1918. While her origins were ordinary, it soon became clear that she was not; her exceptional literary abilities were recognised while she was a young schoolgirl. In 1937, aged 18, she sailed to Southern Rhodesia to marry the teacher Sidney Oswald Spark. A year later she gave birth to their son Samuel, who renamed himself Robin. Shortly after, Sydney's mental instability became alarmingly evident, and Spark left him. In the years that followed, she fought for custody of Robin, sailed to war-time London, and eventually settled her son in Edinburgh, where he was raised by her parents with her financial support. The letters in which she writes about Robin confirm she did not, as myth has it, abandon him; he was often in her thoughts. Her tone whenever talking about him is warm, if a little detached 'I suppose he is at the collecting stage', she tells her lover, the writer Derek Stanford, in 1950, when itemising Robin's collections of beetles, butterflies and penknives. In letters to Robin, her fondness is palpable as, too, is the emotional distance between them. Observing Spark in the process of becoming a writer is revelatory. From her late twenties she was utterly focussed on her vocation as a poet, while exhausted by the need to make money; eventually the strain led to a breakdown. A letter requesting financial help from the Royal Literary Fund in 1950 reveals how close she came to penury. Once she turned to fiction, with The Comforters (1957), her financial fortunes began to improve. Writing to Stanford and other friends, Spark's personality shines: intense, sometimes tortured yet often playful and mordantly funny. She adored beautiful clothes, but was also spiritually questioning, converting first to Anglicanism and, later, to Catholicism, and agonising every step of the way. Her early love letters to Stanford make the reader feel like a voyeur: 'My darling Derek, I can't begin my day's work until I tell you how greatly I love you' (1949). Over the years, her gradual disenchantment is sad to witness. Towards the volume's end, by which time she had found international fame with The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie, she loathed and despised him. His mistake? To sell her letters to a dealer, and publish a book about her life. Muriel Spark in her later years (Image: GORDON TERRIS) In common with others who made enemies of Spark, Stanford would be hit by epistolary missiles he would never forget. Even in extremis, Spark's caustic wit did not abandon her. Another on the receiving end of ballistic rage was her Macmillan editor Alan Maclean. Gunn offers choice examples of her fury – 'I am tired of your ridiculous lies, your broken promises, your complete waste of my time in discussion, when everything agreed upon is set aside by you in the most casual way.' - and yet, within months, all was forgiven. In Gunn, Spark's letters have found a worthy editor. His selection is carefully weighted to demonstrate the range of her correspondents – from family and writer friends such as Shirley Hazzard and Paul Scott, to the likes of John Updike and Evelyn Waugh, who were admirers of her novels. As well as allowing the reader to see the full expression of her personality, he also ensures the arc of her career – initially slow-burning, then suddenly meteoric - is clearly signposted. His scrupulous footnotes add a wealth of fascinating, sometimes gossipy information, and should not be skipped. My only reservation is the length of some of these letters, since on certain subjects Muriel would give vent over several pages. However, Gunn's justifications for never 'filleting' them are sound, among them that Spark would have viewed that as censorship. The result is a spellbinding portrait of the writer as a relatively young woman. It is impossible not to warm to her. She is entertaining, thoughtful, manic, affectionate, exasperated, flirtatious, apoplectic, occasionally pompous, more often self-deprecating, and never less than interesting. Masefield gave Spark the motto by which to navigate the bumps in the road; in Gunn's superb selection others will find comfort and inspiration in her own hard-won wisdom.
Glasgow Times
9 minutes ago
- Glasgow Times
Piping Live! opens in Glasgow with record-breaking big band
The Piping Live! Big Band, which includes musicians from diverse backgrounds, kick-started the international festival on Monday, August 11, by marching from Mansfield Park to Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum. The band performed a medley of popular tunes for the spectators and families who had gathered along the parade route. (Image: Supplied) Onlookers applauded the parade, which welcomed pipers and drummers aged eight to 86 years old this year. Many of the participants are expected to compete in the World Pipe Band Championships on August 15 and 16 at Glasgow Green. Read more: Huge supermarket chain creating 16 new jobs - here is what we know Drum Sergeant Alexander Manfield from Warwick Thistle Pipe Band made his first appearance at Piping Live! and the World Championships. He and his band travelled from Australia for the event, marking their first-ever venture outside the country. Alexander said: "I've been with the band 20 years and it's amazing to finally come to Scotland to perform in this beautiful part of the world. (Image: Supplied) "Many of the band have Scottish roots, so it means a lot to us to come here - some of us have travelled with family as there are multiple generations in the band, so it's special. "It's also great to meet people from other bands we speak to virtually – we've been snapping selfies already." The Piping Live! Big Band partners with a charitable cause each year, and this year, they have chosen to support the Eilidh MacLeod Memorial Trust. Established in honour of the talented piper Eilidh MacLeod, the trust supports music education for children and young people in Scotland. The late teen's family travelled from Barra to lead the parade. Roddy MacLeod, Eilidh's father, said: "We didn't expect there to be such an amazing turnout, it's so impressive, you can't beat seeing so many people take to the streets of Glasgow. "It means a lot to us to be thought of." The event's artistic director, Finlay MacDonald, said: "We are absolutely thrilled to see today's wonderful parade officially marking the beginning of what promises to be a hugely exciting edition of the Piping Live! "festival. 'This year is a particularly special one for us, as attendees can experience our brand-new reimagined outdoor space at the home of the festival, the National Piping Centre. 'We've got a fantastic week of events planned, with something on offer for all ages.' Bailie Annette Christie, chair of charity Glasgow Life, which supports the festival with funding, said: 'Celebrating the contemporary and traditional music of the bagpipes, and the great diversity of our national instrument, this year's dynamic Piping Live! programme boasts a wealth of exciting entertainment and activities that will appeal to a wide range of audiences." Rob Dickson, director of industry and events at VisitScotland, said: "Glasgow and Scotland are truly the heart and soul of piping, and nowhere is that more evident than at Piping Live!, a dynamic celebration of our rich musical heritage."
