Scottish cultural institution to mark 200th anniversary with events across the country
The director of one of Scotland's oldest cultural institutions has revealed ambitious plans for its 200th anniversary celebrations, set to showcase its vital role as the 'lifeblood' of Scottish culture.
The Royal Scottish Academy (RSA), founded in 1826 as an independent, artist-led organisation supporting artists and architects, will mark its bicentenary in 2026 with a series of events spanning the country and beyond, involving over 70 cultural partners.
Colin Greenslade, RSA director, told the PA news agency the celebrations aim to highlight the academy's continuous influence and commitment to its founding vision.
'The academy has had that continuous practice over 200 years with the same aims and with the same set up of a democratic organisation which is led by its artist and architect members,' Greenslade said.
He added, 'The impact of the artists over that period, they've taught in art schools, they've taught in secondary schools, they've shown nationally and internationally, they've inspired generations of artists and architects that came after them.'
At the heart of the RSA's mission, Greenslade explained, is artists supporting other artists. 'It's unusual for an institution to be self-sufficient and for us that comes down to the trust and interest that people have given us over the years.'
Among the wide-ranging events planned, Sabhal Mor Ostaig, the National Centre for Gaelic Language and Culture on Skye, will host exhibitions showcasing archive works by artists such as Peter Howson, Arthur Watson, Alexander Moffat, and Frances Walker.
Shetland Museum and Archives will collaborate with the National Library of Scotland on an exhibition exploring the life and work of 20th century poet Hugh MacDiarmid, focusing on how his time in Shetland profoundly shaped his writing.
Aberdeen University will exhibit paintings by RSA artists, including celebrated Scottish colourists, while the RSA's long history with architecture will be celebrated at V&A Dundee.
In Glasgow, photographer Craig Easton, currently on an RSA residency, will display his work documenting a beekeeper on the Isle of Colonsay at the city's Street Level Photoworks venue.
The RSA's own home on The Mound in Edinburgh will host a series of major exhibitions throughout the year.
Meanwhile, the National Galleries of Scotland will unveil a new body of work by a prominent RSA member, whose identity will be revealed next year.
Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community!
Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today.
You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland.
No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team.
All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in!
If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'.
We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don't like our community, you can check out any time you like.
To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.
If you're curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.
Beyond Scotland, the anniversary events extend into the rest of the UK, including a show on Joan Eardley's life and work at The Granary Gallery in Berwick-upon-Tweed.
'It's the biggest project of this kind that anyone has ever undertaken across Scotland,' Greenslade said.
He emphasised the academy's wide reach, saying: 'The ethos of this is to reinforce to the public in Scotland and visitors to Scotland is that the academy is throughout Scotland, it's not just this Edinburgh building on The Mound.'
Greenslade reassured that 'people don't have to come to Edinburgh in the summer to see academy exhibitions' as the celebrations will involve 'makers all over the country and in collections the length and breadth of the country.'
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Edinburgh Live
11 minutes ago
- Edinburgh Live
Liam Gallagher's one word for Edinburgh Council at final Oasis gig at Murrayfield
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Liam Gallagher had one last statement for Edinburgh Council before wrapping up the third night of Oasis at Murrayfield. The 52-year-old was left 'raging' after fans of the band were labelled 'drunk, fat and old' in a leaked briefing. Across all three gigs and on social media, Liam made his feelings known, reports the Daily Record. On Tuesday night, Liam slammed the council chiefs for a third time, calling them 'ugly'. He added: "£3billion we've brought into this city over the past five days. And that's between you and us. Three billion f****** quid. "You won't see f*** all, because they'll rob it and spread it among their posh ugly mates. "Still waiting for our apology, bring it on down, you c****". This comes after the singer demanded an apology in a sweary rant at their first night at Murrayfield Stadium on Friday and called council chiefs "f****** slags". Then at Saturday's show, the Rock 'n' Roll star targeted the local authority again, saying they have "the cheek" to make comments about his fans. Back in June, one note from the council's briefing documents showed officials warning that "middle-aged men take up more room, consider this when working out occupancy". Sign up for Edinburgh Live newsletters for more headlines straight to your inbox Another detailed "concern about crowds of Oasis on weekends as they are already rowdy and the tone of the band". One document also suggested there would be "medium to high intoxication" at the concert, and to expect a "substantial amount of older fans", but added there had been "minimal arrests" at recent events involving either of the Gallagher brothers. Oasis didn't take the comments lightly, with Liam saying at the time: "To the Edinburgh council I've heard what you said about Oasis fans and quite frankly your attitude f****** stinks. I'd leave town that day if I was any of you lot." Around 67,000 people packed out the venue this evening in what some might say was a "biblical" and "truly magical" gig, with over 200,000 attending all three shows in total. Britpop act Cast from Liverpool and rocker Richard Ashcroft dazzled fans as Oasis' support acts before the Mancunian brothers took to the stage each night. Join Edinburgh Live's Whatsapp Community here and get the latest news sent straight to your messages Fans who successfully snapped up tickets for the Oasis 25 dates back in September 2024 had waited 332 days to see the band's first Scottish dates since the Gallagher brothers began a well-publicised and long running feud that split the band. The Murrayfield shows followed similar reunion concerts in Cardiff, Manchester and London. The band will play their next UK and Ireland dates in Dublin this weekend. They'll kick off the North American leg on August 24, in Toronto, Canada before returning to the UK to wrap up the UK shows at Wembley on September 27 and 28.
The Herald Scotland
34 minutes ago
- The Herald Scotland
Sturgeon on TV: Golden gal takes on brass neck. Who won?
But how would the golden gal of British broadcasting fare against the big brass neck of Scottish politics? Viewers turned to Nicola Sturgeon: the Interview to find out. 'The' interview suggested something special, but filming took place in Ayrshire ten days ago. Since then Ms Sturgeon has been all over the Murdoch press and every other branch of the media, her book picked cleaner than a turkey on Boxing Day. This, however, was the first broadcast interview, which meant the first chance to see Ms Sturgeon becoming 'emotional' as television folk coyly call it when someone cries on camera. Etchingham had dressed in cool neutrals for the occasion, with Sturgeon opting for a scarlet jacket. Perhaps she was trying to channel her inner Butlin's Redcoat to jolly things past the difficult stuff. It didn't work. Certainly there was no May-like confession to stealing from the pick n mix in Woolworths. She was rude about Nigel Farage ('odious'), but who isn't? Read More: When she did get into difficulty it was all her own doing, as when Etchingham brought up the rapist Isla Bryson. You might have thought it impossible for Sturgeon to make even more of a pig's ear out of this subject, but boy did she ever. Etchingham was looking at the former First Minister as if she was trying to argue that the Earth was flat. Personally, I turned the same shade as Sturgeon's jacket. Someone had to shoulder the embarrassment and it was not going to be our Nicola. There was some moistening around the eye area when she spoke of Alex Salmond's passing. She still misses him 'in some way' - a quote up there with Charles's 'whatever love means' - for half-baked sincerity. Julie Etchingham and Nicola Sturgeon discussed topics from independence to gender recognition reform (Image: ITV News) As for her new love life, her lips were sealed. 'I'm enjoying being my own person for a while,' she burbled, sounding for all the world like some Real Housewife of Montecito. Etchingham had a go at holding Sturgeon to account on domestic policy but nothing landed. She might as well have been on The One Show on BBC1, sandwiched between a soap star and an item on dodgy plumbers. The half hour running time and the 7pm slot told their own story. If there had been anything juicy the programme would have been on at 9pm, not just before Emmerdale. Upstaged by sheep. It shouldn't happen to a vet, or a former FM, but it did. The toe-curling was not quite over - there was still the matter of Nic's first tattoo. 'Midlife crisis alert,' she joked. You said it, dear. It was an infinity symbol she designed herself, something about strength and resilience and moving forward. In short, your basic woo-woo b******. Come to think of it, that would have been a better title for her book. Is it too late to change?
South Wales Guardian
37 minutes ago
- South Wales Guardian
Voice coaching with Sir Sean Connery was ‘surreal', Nicola Sturgeon says
She initially thought the famous Scottish actor might be joking when he tried to teach her how to deepen her voice. Recalling how he got her to talk with a bit of paper between her teeth, she said this had 'got to count as one of the more surreal episodes in my life'. It was in 2004, when the SNP were still in opposition at Holyrood, that Connery had asked if she would meet him, Ms Sturgeon said. She spoke about her meeting with the film star to the BBC Newscast podcast as her memoir, Frankly, was published. Ms Sturgeon recalled: 'Sean had been in Edinburgh and asked if I would go see him and I went along to New Club, which is one of these old private members' clubs in Edinburgh, and had this one-to-one session with Sean, where he said he thought I could do with deepening my voice in interviews, and he was going to teach me how to do it.' She continued: 'Basically, it consisted of me with a rolled up bit of paper between my teeth where he gave me things to say, and he said this was how he had learned to deepen his voice in acting. 'And it worked while I was doing it. At first I was like 'is he taking the piss'. 'But then it started to work.' However, she said that while the method 'I guess does work when you are filming scenes as an actor', she said she 'would have looked a bit odd' if she was 'sitting in a television interview with my teeth clamped together'. Connery, a high-profile supporter of Scottish independence, died in October 2020 at the age of 90.
