Following the success of last year, the Scottish International Storytelling Festival (SISF) is set to return to various venues throughout Edinburgh from 13-29 October 2023, thanks to continued support from the Scottish Government’s Festivals Expo Fund and Creative Scotland.
The festival is the world’s largest celebration of storytelling. This year it will mark the 75th anniversary of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights with a programme packed with stories, conversations, dance, talks and live music celebrating our ‘Right To Be Human’, and looking at how this is impacted by war, gender inequality, censorship, ethnic, cultural, linguistic, and religious prejudices, and other threats and challenges.
Artists confirmed for this year include festival favourites Peter Chand, Bea Ferguson, Jess Smith, Gauri Raje, David Campbell and Ruth Kirkpatrick, who will take centre stage alongside some of the best rising talents including Daniel Serridge, Marie Louise Cochrane, Shona Cowie, James Stedman and Neil Sutcliffe.
Online audiences will be able to enjoy the digital Global Lab which will garner international experiences around the ‘Right To Be Human’ theme, with live guests including Sami storyteller and musician Berit Alette championing indigenous culture beyond the Arctic Circle, and Iranian storyteller Zahra Afsah voicing women’s rights through stories from ancient times to the present. Plus, there will be the premiere of the new SISF podcast series that will be available in the lead up to, and during the festival.
2023 will also see the return of Go Local events in Edinburgh and across Scotland, Art of the Storyteller workshops, and a variety of free and ticketed family events. The full programme will be launched week beginning 11th September, more to be announced.
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