TRACS (Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland) is looking to appoint a Finance Officer to manage its day-to-day financial operations as it moves into the next phase of Multi-Year Funding, delivering the organisation’s Business Plan for supporting the traditional arts sector in Scotland. This is a key role that will work closely with the Chief Executive … Continued

TRACS (Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland) is looking to appoint a new Festival Director to lead the delivery of the Scottish International Storytelling Festival (SISF) from 2026. Founded in 1989, SISF is the world’s largest celebration of storytelling, anchored in Scotland, a nation of storytellers. SISF takes place in October each year, offering a vibrant … Continued

We are delighted to announce Masks – this year’s Pomegranates Festival exhibition, which features over 20 hand-crafted Venetian and world dance masks created by Edinburgh-based artist Lorraine Pritchard. The exhibition is complemented by a new documentary film by Franzis Sánchez from this year’s Venice Carnival. The exhibition reflects the dual focus of our Pomegranates Festival … Continued

Reflections by Xiaoxuan Zhong Participating in the first-ever Ceilidh Plus was a vibrant and enriching experience that included traditional Scottish Ceilidh dancing, Chinese square dancing and American line dancing. From the moment I stepped onto the dance floor, I felt an energetic and enthusiastic atmosphere. The lively Ceilidh music set the tone for the event, … Continued

In spring 2024, the Traditional Dance Forum of Scotland – the only charitable organisation of its kind in Scotland, advocating, supporting and safeguarding all Scottish and world traditional dance forms practised across the country – was one of the contenders in the Scottish Charity Awards Partnership of the Year. However, this award-worthy partnership dates back … Continued

Review by Iliyana Nedkova Here we go ‘round the young oak tree on a cold and sprightly morning at Edinburgh’s Royal Botanic Garden. This resilient seven-year-old Portuguese oak, the centrepiece of our al fresco traditional dance, music and art session, is likely to outlive us and the biodiversity crisis, just like the fabled mulberry bush … Continued

Review by Catherine Coutts As Greek dancer Vassia Bouchagiar-Walker moves lithely onto the floor at the Scottish Storytelling Centre, her task is not an easy one. The audience – largely Scottish traditional music afficionados – are there for the preview of Mairi Campbell’s Living Stone exhibition. They have already been sitting for forty minutes on … Continued

How do we encourage collaboration and exchange across all traditional dance forms practised in Scotland? The short answer is that we, at Traditional Dance Forum of Scotland, offer support through three major routes – festivals, productions and residencies. Let’s zoom in on the range of residencies as one of these support routes we initiate, champion … Continued

We are delighted to announce a new chapter in our ongoing partnership with Dance Base, Scotland’s national centre for dance. For the first time this year, our joint Trad Dance Residency is part of Pomegranates Festival – Scotland’s festival of international traditional dance. This professional development opportunity for dance artists based in Scotland reflects our … Continued

At the heart of our Pomegranates Festival, once again, is the intensive day of professional development workshops led by Scottish artists and creative migrants based in Scotland. This year the line-up includes 12 trad dance workshops taught by 14 dance artists including Evie Waddell, Nadia Khattab, Niki & Yangyang, Lara Russo & Inesa Vėlavičiūtė, Gica … Continued