Bob Dylan image credit: Xavier Badosa This new series of live performances celebrates the musical genius of some of the most influential artists of the last century by reinterpreting, reinventing and ‘reconstructing’ their work. Stuart McHardy and Jess Abrams, who lead the first two sessions, come from very different angles, backgrounds and musical genres, as … Continued

Our Festival Intern and Photographer Adriana-Ioana Cosma, summarized her 2018 TradFest experience for us, sharing some of her favourite moments and cultural insights!   1. I learned that there isn’t only one type of bagpipes, and that they can be far more interesting than the ones I hear so often on Princes Street, while seeing Brighde … Continued

Sat 5 May | 7.30pm (2hrs) | Scottish Storytelling Centre Families – we can’t live with them, can’t live without them! In the spirit of this year’s TradFest theme of ‘Passing it on’, what storytelling topic could be more fitting than ‘family’ and ‘heritage’? We all know anecdotes of peculiar family gatherings, enlightening moments of … Continued

Beltane or May Day, one of Scotland’s two most important seasonal turning-points, marks the traditional move to outdoor life, before the reverse move back inside happens at Samhainn or Hallowe’en. Opening the May Day celebrations is Beltane Fire Festival on Calton Hill (Mon 30 Apr), followed by another exciting week of trad art festivities, including the … Continued

Storytelling knows no boundaries, it takes us on a journey beyond existing facts or knowledge, it revives what is forgotten or past, it engages what surrounds us and teaches us something new. It’s the perfect gateway into Intangible Heritage. We have gathered a list of 10 storytelling events from this year’s TradFest programme that will … Continued

With less than one week to go until the Opening Concert of this year’s TradFest, it is high time we asked the people involved in the festival what they are gearing up to see! Donald Smith, TRACS Director Sat 28 April, The White Bird Passes: A rare opportunity to see this stark yet stunningly beautiful evocation … Continued

The 29th of April is International Dance Day and we had the pleasure to speak to Nic Gareiss, percussive dancer and musician of the Swedish-Irish-Canadian quartet This is How we Fly! Find out more about Nic’s passion for step dance and how the quartet started out, before making your way to the Pleasance! What does … Continued

Thu 19 April | 7.30pm (1hr) | Scottish Storytelling Centre | Ages 16+ Glaswegian Performer, writer and theatre maker Martin O’Connor presents his new spoken word and sound performance, The Mark of the Beast. Both entertaining and politically astute, the show explores society’s relationship with alcohol and outlines its impact on Scottish male identity, family attitudes … Continued

Edinburgh’s Guid Crack Storytelling sessions began at the Waverley in the late eighties. That was when the Scottish International Storytelling Festival was also starting up, and there was a need for a spot where local talent could develop and shine. The Waverley, in Edinburgh’s St Mary Street, was already a famous folk venue. Billy Connolly … Continued

Kristín Linnet from the University of Edinburgh’s School of Literatures, Languages and Cultures spoke to artist Annalisa Salis about her forthcoming exhibition Storie di terra at the Scottish Storytelling Centre. Wee Folk Tales is a ground-breaking collection of stories by Donald Smith, TRACS (Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland) director and founding director of the Scottish … Continued