Each year Edinburgh welcomes tens of thousands of leading international arts professionals to take part in its renowned August festivals season.
At British Council Scotland we play our part as a partner in the Momentum programme alongside Creative Scotland and Festivals Edinburgh. Now into its seventh year, Momentum brings together curators, creative entrepreneurs, funders, media professionals, officials, producers and programmers from all over the world to immerse themselves in the festivals experience.
Each delegate is supplied with tailor-made set of activities, briefings and meetings to help foster collaboration and exchange, all aimed at encouraging new international partnerships as well as investment in and collaboration with Edinburgh’s festivals and Scotland’s wider arts sector.
The visits have resulted in multiple opportunities for Scottish-based artists to showcase their work internationally, such as the recent and highly successful Scottish presence at the Ricca Ricca children’s theatre festival in Japan. They have also led to seasons of work being presented at the festivals by arts organisations from several countries including Argentina, Canada and New Zealand. To date over 500 individuals have taken part in the programme since it was established in 2011.
Momentum 2018 is already underway with the first of 11 delegations currently focusing on the visual arts. The full list of countries represented this year takes in: Argentina, Brazil, Canada, China, France, Germany, Ireland, Jamaica, Japan, Kenya, New Zealand, Nigeria, Pakistan, Rwanda, Singapore, United States of America.
Speaking of the arts, Edinburgh International Art Festival, which runs to 26 August, includes two shows supported by the British Council.
Hemispheric Phases at Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop is the culmination of a six-month exchange between Argentina and Scotland, presenting newly commissioned work by the artists Birthe Jorgensen, Santiago Poggio and Scott Rogers.
Nàdar / Prakriti at Edinburgh Printmakers features work by Ravi Agarwal, an artist, environmental campaigner, writer and curator, which explores challenges posed to nature in Scotland and India.
Do make sure to visit the exhibitions if you are in Edinburgh for festivals season. And if you can’t make it this year, have a look back on Spirit of 47, our 2017 season of performance and discussion in partnership with Edinburgh International Festival in celebration of cultural collaboration.