Voluntary Arts Scotland, a partner in the Scottish International Storytelling Festival’s #DareToDream campaign 2016, will host a civic conversation at this year’s Scottish Rural Parliament. Civic Conversation, a useful tool in community planning, opens up dialogue for the multiple perspectives which combine to make a community. The approach finds its strength in an inclusive process, … Continued

The Spree is back for a fifth year and it has a bigger and better programme than ever before with acts appearing including Admiral Fallow, Roddy Woomble, Treacherous Orchestra, Skerryvore, Donnie Munro, We Banjo 3, Michael McGoldrick, Ross Ainslie and Jarlath Henderson, The Tannahill Weavers, Eddi Reader, Dick Gaughan, Carol Laula, Mark Lyken and many … Continued

Photo Credit: Robin Mitchell This Friday 30th September the Cumnock Tryst are joined by adults from the Riverside Centre and young musicians from Cumnock Academy.  Drake Music Scotland Associate Musician Matilda Brown will work with our artists-in-residence, Headspace, and storyteller Marion Kenny, to explore the mysterious tale of Cumnock’s own ‘Bell Tree’. Their project last … Continued

City of Literature have launched an exciting new writing project with The Bridge Awards called Echoes of the City: Edinburgh’s Hidden Stories. The project will take the works of fifteen new writers and place them throughout the city using Podwalk, a site specific podcast player and submissions can be sent in from anywhere around the … Continued

Bob Pegg is best known in the Highlands as a storyteller. But from 1960 until well into the 1980s he made his living as a singer and composer on the British folk scene. Performing, and recording for Transatlantic Records, with his band Mr Fox, with instrumentalist the late Nick Strutt, and as a soloist, he … Continued

Turas nan Craobhan / A Journey with Trees: 4pm Sat 10 & 4.30pm Sun 11th September at Fort Augustus & Invergarry. Pairèid Oidhche Shamhna Phàislig – Paisley Halloween Parade Friday 28th October. Tillidh Stàit Neo-Eisimeileach Sonais! Independent State of Happiness is delighted to be returning for Paisley’s Halloween Festival & looking forward to working with Fèis Phàislig participants as well! … Continued

Can we say that Scotland is a Celtic nation? Saturday 10 September 14:00-16.30 £10 (£8 members and concession) Scottish journalist and author Neal Ascherson, will chair a panel discussion, exploring the history of our national, cultural and linguistic identities and their resonance for those in Britain, Ireland and the global Celtic diaspora. This event is organised … Continued

Having a book published is a dream for most writers, but traditional publishing can be slow, frustrating and limit an author’s control over their work. Here, storyteller and Storytelling Forum member Claire Druett explains the various reasons why she decided to self-publish her collection of original poems, Time and Place, and encourages others to get … Continued

Shawfest #2 will take place September 24th & 25th ’16. The inaugural Shawfest took place in September last year and was a great success. The aim of the festival is to raise funds for the Fraser Shaw Trust, which was set up in memory of a much loved guy and wonderful musician who passed away … Continued

Celtic Summer School celebrated its third edition this month with eighteen fascinating sessions covering topics ranging from seasonal customs and arts & crafts to Gaelic poetry and traditional dance. Read on for a round-up of this exciting week: Monday: Exploring the Landscape The smells of seas, air and mountain were wafting through the sessions on … Continued