Scotland's Festivals
The next item of business is a debate on motion S3M-4421, in the name of Michael Russell, on the energy, commitment and creativity of Scotland's festivals and their contribution to the financial success of, and quality of life in, Scotland.
I apologise for arriving in the chamber just seconds too late to be able to follow on—in cricketing parlance.
I am pleased to speak about the success of the Edinburgh festivals and Scotland's other festivals, their contribution to the Scottish economy, their role in the cultural and wider life of the nation and the positive message that they promote about Scotland's cultural confidence and ambition.
We should remind ourselves of what that success looks like. Edinburgh is the pre-eminent festival capital of the world. Our festivals radiate creative excellence and artistic quality, which attracts hundreds of thousands of visitors to Scotland every year and in so doing generates at least £185 million for the Scottish economy.
Although the focus of the debate will be Edinburgh, I take the opportunity to acknowledge the wonderful work that is under way throughout the nation on a diverse array of festivals and events, which do so much for our economy, our sense of who we are and our national creative spirit and reputation. They are also thoroughly enjoyable—that is an important part of what I will talk about.
It would be invidious to pluck any out of the air, but I will mention a couple of very different festivals. The St Magnus festival in Orkney is a wonderful celebration of a composer and his work; and T in the Park is a celebration of artistic excellence and many composers, if we can call them that, which attracts many thousands of people. In every part of Scotland, we could touch on one festival or event or another that celebrates the things that we need to celebrate. However, it is Edinburgh, of course, that is our festival city—but not just ours, because its position is of global significance. Scotland is a festivals nation and we have the world capital of festivals as our capital.
There is so much to talk about that I will not be able to capture the full festivals picture. I have already mentioned the St Magnus festival, Orkney's midsummer arts celebration, at which the National Theatre of Scotland and the Royal Scottish National Orchestra will perform this year. We also have festivals that are not music based, such as the Wigtown book festival, which is held annually in what is Scotland's national book town. This autumn, as part of Scotland's homecoming 2009 celebrations, Wigtown will host a unique festival within a festival, celebrating the connections between whisky and writing.
Let us remember, too, festivals that are in our other languages—for example, the Blas festival in the Highlands offers in the autumn a unique celebration of traditional music and Gaelic. For other festivals, we can go to the east for the St Andrews StAnza poetry festival, the Coast visual arts festival in Banff, or Pittenweem for a painting festival. In the west, there is Celtic Connections, which celebrates music from across the world alongside home-grown Scottish talent. I was pleased to make my own festivals performing debut at Celtic Connections earlier this year.
I am astonished to learn of Mr Russell's debut. Will he tell us what he contributed? What song did he sing?
Of course, I am a modest person and do not wish to talk too much about my own performances—[Interruption.] There is a strange sound of laughter to my right, from Margaret Smith.
That is because you described yourself as modest.
Well, it is a definition that I recognise, even if no one else does. I appeared in a work called "The Flight of the Arctic Tern", by a composer called Mark Sheridan, which is a work for narrators and music. I myself did not fly, but such was the success of the performance that, I am glad to say, a second performance took place in March on the Tall Ship, which was recorded. The CD will be available shortly and I am willing to take orders this afternoon. The next in a series of performances will take place during the homecoming festival in Inverness later this year. I will be very glad to offer cut-price tickets to any MSPs who would like to attend, and a bus tour.
I will not just talk about my own small performances. There are many festivals and performances to applaud and acknowledge across Scotland. There really is something for everyone, which is true of Edinburgh, too. I want to focus our attention on Edinburgh for the rest of my speech. From the mela to hogmanay, from storytelling to jazz, the breadth of the cultural offering in this city is truly world quality.
Last year was a vintage year for the Edinburgh festivals, despite the summer's wet weather and distractions elsewhere. The Edinburgh International Film Festival moved to a June slot, with enormous success, and it fills that slot again this year. Last night, I was privileged to be at the event's opening. The mela moved from a weekend to a week-long event and found a new location in Leith, ensuring its status as the country's biggest interfaith festival. Despite well-documented challenges, which do not need to be rehearsed here today, the Edinburgh festival fringe still sold more than 1.5 million tickets for the third year in a row. In a rain-sodden Charlotte Square, the Edinburgh international book festival celebrated its 25th anniversary in style, closing with the launch of a book called "Being a Scot". On his 78th birthday, Sir Sean Connery made his only public appearance to talk about the book. I am sure that Opposition members will not be surprised to know that the Connery event was the fastest-selling event in the book festival's history, with all 570 tickets gone in under an hour.
I am grateful that the minister reminded us of how many people attended the launch of Sir Sean's book. Can he tell us how many copies of the book Sir Sean sold?
Mr Russell, I think we may now be straying from the point of the debate.
Well, that is a great pity. I will simply say that the book was, as befits a Scot of international celebration and reputation, a wonderful seller.
The fact that 25,000 people turned out to watch the fireworks finale across the skyline was a fitting tribute to the most successful year to date for the Edinburgh international festival. Matthew Bourne's "Dorian Gray" became the festival's biggest-selling dance event, and overall box office takings were up by 7 per cent.
Ticket sales are, of course, a good thing, but they are just part of the story. If we go beyond the headline figures, we can see how the Edinburgh festivals contribute to the cultural and wider life of the nation. It is clear from the representation of 45 countries at the book festival, the presence of fringe performers from all corners of the world and the international acclaim for the hogmanay celebrations that Edinburgh's festivals speak an international language. It is a language that an increasing number of people want to learn. There was an enormous sense of inquiry across the range of festival programmes last year. Audiences for talks and conversations increased, as people sought to engage not just with the artistry, but with the ideas and the artists. Such engagement is typical of the impact that the festivals have on the cultural life of the city and the nation.
The Edinburgh art festival, which, with just five years' experience under its belt, is a relative newcomer to the Edinburgh festivals group, is already helping to consolidate and build on the city's reputation as a vibrant destination for the visual arts. Established venues, such as Inverleith house, the national galleries and the Talbot Rice gallery, are embracing the new possibilities that are afforded by an annual focus on the visual arts sector, which during 2008 alone brought to Edinburgh a Tracey Emin retrospective, Turner prize winner Mark Wallinger and celebrated artist Richard Hamilton.
It was not just international visitors who pounded the streets—local support was out in force and local ticket sales rose, too. Outside Edinburgh, the sharing the festival initiative, which is now in its second year, took the festival to those who otherwise might not experience the occasion. The production of "Class Enemy" went on tour to Rutherglen, Stirling and Cumbernauld. This Administration not only recognises but supports such activities. The festivals make such an enormous contribution to communities and the economy that they must be sustained and underpinned.
I will give some examples of how we do that. At the science education summit on 5 May, my colleague Ms Hyslop announced a new science festivals fund, which will be worth £225,000 this year. That funding, which has been offered outside a formal grant scheme for the first time this year, will help to nurture new festivals in areas that are remote from science centres, thereby ensuring that local events achieve stability and have the chance to grow. The fund also makes provision of £60,000 for the Edinburgh international science festival, to increase the programme's scope to work with further and higher education, local science businesses and research institutes.
We provide other means of support. The Edinburgh festivals expo fund is an enormously important part of Scotland's festivals infrastructure. Earlier this month, I was delighted to announce the provision of £1 million over the next two years to showcase Scotland-based dance and theatre artists through the fringe's made in Scotland programme. Funding from the expo fund will bring a fantastic suite of performances to this year's fringe. There will be radical interventions at, for example, the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh, and the drama in Grid Iron's "Barflies" will unfold in the company's local—the Barony bar. I am sure that that production will attract some members that pure arts might not.
The expo fund supports Scotland's creative sector at the grass-roots level by expanding the opportunities for those involved and developing the capacity of the sector to produce and deliver on an international stage. The fund is born out of a desire to ensure that the Edinburgh festivals continue to flourish, develop and innovate, which is extremely important. During question time, Margaret Smith asked about the "Thundering Hooves: Maintaining the Global Competitive Edge of Edinburgh's Festivals" report and what happened next. It is by investing in the future that we will keep the festivals, and the contributions of the artists who participate in them, great. The expo fund invests in the future. The provision last year of £1.3 million of funding enabled the creation of a wide array of high-quality artistic collaborations that premiered throughout the year and which promoted the best of Scottish talent at home and abroad. This year's allocation of just over £2 million, through which we will continue to support ambitious projects from each of the 12 festivals, demonstrates the importance that this Government places on creativity and artistic endeavours.
I cannot overemphasise just how important the festivals are in terms of international profile, creativity and the economy. That will continue to be the case. Last year, the Edinburgh mela received money from the expo fund to produce a piece called "Yatra", or "The Journey", which was performed twice over the mela weekend. It was an unforgettable experience that saw Scotland-based artists from three diverse musical cultures—south Asian, Scottish traditional and Japanese taiko—working and performing together in Edinburgh.
I am delighted to announce that we have approved a grant of £30,000 from the expo fund for the mela to research and develop the possibility of a bold, large-scale, outdoor performance, "Cargo", which will focus on stories of immigration and the myriad diverse cultures that have settled in Scotland throughout our history, and will examine Scotland's own identity as an evolving nation. The project will engage with minority ethnic communities in Scotland and build international links. That is particularly significant in this, the year of homecoming, as we seek to reach out to our diaspora community across the world.
Homecoming 2009 is at the centre of many of the events that will take place this year. The international film-making diaspora is featured at the film festival. The Edinburgh international festival programme will include the themes of homecoming and the enlightenment. It is a good, diverse programme that balances the best of the world with the best of Scotland. The science festival will showcase some of the great contributions that Scots have made to scientific and technological advances, both at home and abroad. The book festival is creating a series of special events, focusing on the importance of Burns and the Scottish enlightenment. The tattoo will go on tour to four additional venues around Scotland. As 2009 is the 250th anniversary of the birth of Robert Burns, a feature of this year's show will be a series of vignettes depicting episodes from the popular poet's works.
The Edinburgh festivals are uniquely placed to speak to communities at home and abroad and to convey what Scotland has to offer. They attract a huge international audience—a wonderfully cosmopolitan, colourful, open-minded audience—and make Edinburgh a must-see destination and a place that comes even more alive. That leads to international success for Scottish artists and underpins what we want to continue to achieve. Everything that we do must underpin not just Edinburgh's position now but what it can and will achieve. We seek constant innovation, investment and celebration. The festivals are a living thing and need to be treated in a way that encourages them to grow and develop all the time. Their global marketing strategy—the first cross-festival collaborative project, with investment by the Scottish Government, through its Edinburgh festivals expo fund—is being put in place, will be essential and can be built on.
Edinburgh's major festivals have continued to grow in strength since their foundation. This is a 60-year-old festival city. We should be proud of it, must support it and must understand that it is key to the economic and cultural life not just of the capital city and the region but of the entire country. It defines some of our place in the world. Scotland's burgeoning festival scene—this nation of festivals, right across the country—delights and entertains us all and underpins Edinburgh's success. It reaffirms what it is to live and be part of the social and cultural life of this country and supports the creative and social confidence of the people, who need to become all that they can be.
Long may we continue to promote and make a noise about our collective talents, creativity and ambitions on the global stage. Long may these crucial annual happenings encapsulate the confident, proud, diverse, dynamic and inclusive nation that we know ourselves to be. The work that the Government is doing to set up creative Scotland will help that process, but the real treasure in all our festivals, artistry and events is the artists themselves. Long may they be supported by our festivals.
I move,
That the Parliament recognises the international success of the Edinburgh festivals, along with Scotland's other festivals, their contribution to the Scottish economy, their role in the cultural life of the nation and the positive messages that they promote about Scotland's cultural confidence and ambition in this Year of Homecoming.
The vision of Mike Russell and modesty is not one that easily comes to mind, but I look forward to buying tickets to his forthcoming show. It will be an interesting experience.
There can be no doubt that Scotland loves its festivals and events, which define Scotland as a nation that is modern and vibrant as well as traditional. They can also be a measure of our cultural success and appeal internationally. When people are asked about festivals, all of them have a different view. For someone like me, from the Borders, a festival involves horses and a celebration of ancient traditions. It has always been a time of homecoming, as locals living away make their way back for the festivities—it is a time to meet up with family and friends.
A person's home town festival is always something special. For me, there is nothing quite like the feeling when the Jethart Callant stands astride his horse and shouts "Jethart's here" on the morning of the festival. There are festivals and common ridings all over Scotland. In Lanark, we have just had our annual Lanimer celebrations. I know that the minister is well aware of that fabulous event, which shows all that is good about the town in a vibrant display of decorated lorries and folk of all ages decked out for the occasion, led on horseback by the lord cornet. Biggar, too, has its annual marches, again led by the cornet, with the burgh standard. Each town supports the other—the same is true across Scotland. Perhaps the minister will consider hosting an event here in the Parliament, to bring together all the local principals and to celebrate not only the ancient traditions but the boost that festivals and community events bring to local economies.
As I said, festivals come in all shapes and sizes. For my 18-year-old nephew, the only festival is, without doubt, T in the Park. It is Scotland's largest music festival; it helps to define Scotland as a nation of music lovers; it attracts the best acts to Scotland; and it is now three days long. Perhaps Mike Russell will join the crowds this year. The minister would certainly get some cred points for attending the slam tent, where the festival hosts some of Scotland's best DJs.
This year, T in the Park has an incredible line up including Kings of Leon, The Killers, Franz Ferdinand, The View and Lady Gaga. What a line-up. The only thing missing to make it the world's premier music event is Cliff Richard.
I thought the member was going to say "Mike Russell".
Well, there is always a chance.
Seriously though, T in the Park compares favourably with any festival in the world. It should be celebrated. Last year, virtually all festival goers—96 per cent of them—came from outwith the local Perth and Kinross area, and 30 per cent travelled from outside Scotland. In its advertising campaigns, VisitScotland uses footage of T in the Park to attract new visitors to Scotland.
Although the event takes place in Perth and Kinross, the benefits spread throughout Scotland. T in the Park brings in £18 million for the country and provides hours of television time as it is broadcast on the BBC network. There continue to be industry concerns over whether Scotland has done enough to ensure that Scottish companies can compete for the huge business that the festival generates in lighting and staging in particular. Perhaps the minister will want to discuss such issues with the industry, so that we can take advantage of such wonderful opportunities.
Edinburgh has its fair share of festivals, and I want to focus on one—the Edinburgh military tattoo. The tattoo makes a vital economic contribution to Scotland and to Edinburgh itself. It is of huge importance to the Scottish tourism industry, and it directly benefits Scottish businesses—including hotels, restaurants and other attractions. The tattoo generates more than £50 million for the Scottish economy. Visitors come to the tattoo from all over the world, and many name the tattoo as their sole purpose in coming to Scotland. Yesterday I spoke to a parliamentarian from Guernsey who, at 70, will fulfil a lifetime ambition when she attends this year's tattoo. The event will play an important part in helping the Scottish Government to achieve its ambition of increasing revenue from tourism by 50 per cent by 2015.
I am delighted that, as part of homecoming Scotland, the tattoo will hold a number of satellite shows around the country—including shows in Glasgow, Linlithgow, Cumnock and, of course, Jedburgh. Those shows will be an excellent opportunity to showcase the tattoo to a wider audience.
Back in Clydesdale, we are again playing host to one of the biggest re-enactment festivals in the United Kingdom. It has grown in size and attraction since its beginning in 2002. Now entitled Scotland's Festival of History, it started about seven years ago as a half-day event to promote Lanark as William Wallace's home town. Today, it is a two-day national event showcasing more than 2,000 years of Scottish history, right up to the second world war. It is not only unique in Scotland, but one of the top handful of events in the UK. There will be more than 500 history specialists from 11 European countries on the site, and the festival will attract visitors from across the world—including people from China, Thailand, Russia and Canada. I know that the minister is attending this year's event. I am sure that he will enjoy himself; other members would be very welcome too, I am sure.
The town also hosts a Christmas festival. It began as a small street market promoting trade in the town; now it is one of the largest one-day markets in Scotland.
The two events together are a huge boost to the local economy. Studies have shown that their combined annual value to the local area is in the region of £750,000. That is an amazing achievement for a small band of dedicated volunteers, supported by the local council.
Festivals are very much part of Scotland. However, we can do more. Ministers must be ambitious in their demands for Scotland to get a share of the big UK events—which would be a bonus of being part of the UK. Scotland sells more tickets for live music than anywhere else in the UK. We punch above our weight in all genres of music, so let us pool all our resources to host more big-profile events—such as the MTV awards—here in Scotland.
Energy is not enough. There must be commitment, funding and a cohesive policy that demonstrates a shared commitment to Scotland's festivals and creative industries.
I ask the minister to examine the provision of cultural co-ordinators, because evidence from throughout Scotland shows that services are becoming more difficult to access and are being scaled back. We need links between culture and education. I hope that he will reconsider how those can best be achieved and will work with his colleagues in local government to re-examine the role of cultural co-ordinators in our schools.
Festivals are more than tradition. They are innovative, exciting and modern. Each area of Scotland has its own festivals, from the traditional miners gala days that are held throughout my constituency to the Highland games that we all celebrate and the huge music events, book festivals and cultural events that all Scotland shares in. Each area celebrates its success, but there is no doubt that our festivals make an economic contribution to Scotland. I look forward to working with the minister—as do all Labour members—to ensure that Scotland fully realises the potential of our culture, our heritage and our people in modern, innovative festivals.
I was tempted to restrict my speech to the observation that festivals are generally good things, especially those that are held close to my home or those to which transport has been provided. The only aspect of the minister's role that I envy is that he has a chauffeur on hand to whisk him home from the many festivals and events that he must attend. We lesser mortals must abstain, or stagger into the night after one too many, wishing that we had abstained.
Having concluded those brief observations, I am tempted to sit down. However, recognising the Government's difficulty in coming up with subjects to debate that can attract any support and as a born consensualist, I will try to enter into the spirit of things. I think that it was Liz Taylor's seventh or eighth husband who, when asked how he was looking forward to his forthcoming nuptials, remarked:
"I think I know what is expected of me. The problem is how to make it interesting."
This afternoon, I think I know what is expected but I, too, fear that it will be hard to make things interesting—many members might ask what is new in that.
The motion rightly focuses on our capital city, Edinburgh, which hosts 12 annual festivals, from the book festival to the jazz and blues festival, the film festival and our outstanding Edinburgh international festival. Together, those 12 events contribute more than £75 million a year to the Scottish economy. I may have been a bit flippant in my opening remarks, but I do not underestimate the important difference that festivals make not only to our cultural life but to our finances.
The Edinburgh international film festival—now in its 63rd year—is the world's oldest film festival. It has a remit to showcase established talent and promote newcomers to the industry. It is the one event that persuades my old friend Sir Sean Connery to return to these shores. We should all be glad that he is back among us, albeit fleetingly—I understand that he is giving the First Minister an audience later this afternoon.
This year, the film festival will screen 135 features from more than 30 countries. The organisers of that world-class event, which began its 2009 season yesterday, made the right decision to move from August to June, especially when we consider that attendance numbers have increased and now stand at well over 50,000. I am glad that, even in these difficult economic times and despite the challenges that the fringe faced last year and those that the festival might face this year because of the trams project, the Edinburgh festivals are still a world attraction and a considerable financial success.
However, it is not only the capital that showcases the best of our culture. I have long enjoyed festivals throughout the nation, from Shetland's Up-Helly-Aa, to Hawick's common riding; from the booming Pittenweem arts festival in my native Fife to those in places such as Stornoway, Portree, Oban and Fort William, to which I try to make an annual pilgrimage to the Gaelic Mod.
I like the quirky events. The numbers attending StAnza, the festival of poetry in St Andrews to which the minister referred, have doubled since the event was launched a decade ago. I enjoy the folk festivals at places such as Auchtermuchty and Keith, where we can still listen to competing bothy balladeers.
The Muchty festival, I am delighted to say, will celebrate its 30th anniversary next year. Another event celebrating its 30-somethingth anniversary is the Aberdeen international youth festival—I remember being there at its inception, which ages me. My colleague Nanette Milne has been a staunch supporter and trustee of that festival over the years.
My annual calendar is punctuated by festivals and events, which, as I get older, become more and more unmissable. The nation's festival year begins in the depths of January with Up-Helly-Aa, which welcomes the return of the sun, and it comes to a close with my own dear St Andrews festival event a few weeks before the Christmas and hogmanay revels. In between, there are of course, as we have heard—and we will hear a lot more about them—a host of other festivals. I am sure that colleagues, with an eye to press releases in their local newspapers, will ensure that no local festival across the land is left unmentioned.
Of course, all those events can be maintained and built on only if the funding is secured. The funding is especially important in this year of homecoming. My local poetry festival could not exist without support from, among others, Fife Council and the Scottish Arts Council. I hope that the minister helps to ensure that the SAC's successor, creative Scotland, continues to play a role in allocating adequate funding to such innovative small festivals.
In that regard, I ask the minister to look again at the financial arrangements for the St Andrew's day week, which faces uncertainty over funding in this year of homecoming. Surely the town that is named after our patron saint—and whose university is the alma mater of our sainted First Minister—cannot be left strapped for funds for its local festival as the year of homecoming reaches its climax on St Andrew's day. Festivals are not only essential to showcase the best of our national and local culture, whether that is music, drama or the arts, or simply a reflection of community life and trade; they are also great places to meet old friends—as Karen Gillon said—to have a craic and to marvel at the diversity of talent that our small nation continues to produce. Yes—I have occasionally recognised a song that is performed at T in the Park. In the spirit of consensus, we on the Tory benches are happy to support the motion.
Inevitably, the motion concentrates on the iconic Edinburgh festivals, and probably rightly so, as they are known throughout the world in a way that others are not and they produce important benefits for Edinburgh and for Scotland more widely. It is estimated that, together, the Edinburgh festivals contribute about £184 million to the Scottish economy. They sell more than 4 million tickets, with 40,000 individual performances in more than 300 venues involving more than 25,000 artists. Some of us who attend fringe events might get a bit cynical and think that most of the 4 million tickets are being sold to those 25,000 artists. Nonetheless, the festivals make a major contribution. The money that local venues get from hosting fringe events is probably crucial to their survival throughout the year. Those events therefore play a vital role for the local communities.
I enjoy attending events at the fringe. As I am a canny Scot, I usually go along to the two-for-one fringe Sunday, where I can see everything from world-class comedians to breathtaking contemporary dance and, sadly, some of the world's worst drama performances, although there are some of the best, too. The fireworks concert that brings the festivals to a close is perhaps the only time of the year when many people listen to classical music. That is a great free event, for those who do not pay to go into Princes Street gardens.
Scotland has a wide range of festivals. Some of the rock festivals have been mentioned. We have RockNess and the award-winning T in the Park, which is at Balado just outside my constituency and which is seen as one of the best rock festivals in the United Kingdom. There is also the Wickerman festival in Dumfriesshire. We have traditional music festivals throughout the country, the most famous of which is the Mod. The Aberdeen international youth festival, which is often forgotten about because it happens at around the same time as the Edinburgh festivals, is an important event in its own right. We also have events such as Glasgay.
We have many other festivals throughout Scotland that play key roles in their local communities and which make major contributions to our overall community. Ted Brocklebank was right to say that all members will hope to promote some of the events in our constituencies, and I will be no different. In my constituency, there are several events throughout the year. The minister and Ted Brocklebank have already mentioned the StAnza international poetry festival. This weekend sees the start of the Falkland festival and its fourth traditional music festival. We have the East Neuk festival from 1 to 5 July, which includes international musicians playing in everything from churches to scout huts and even a cave. We have the Crail festival, which includes community events, string quartets, jazz, buskers, junior drama workshops, a history of Scotland in 60 minutes or less and even beach volleyball. I do not know whether the minister might take me on at beach volleyball—perhaps we are both more suited to being beached whales.
The Big Tent festival in Falkland, Scotland's largest ecofestival, is a family event packed with great debates, activities, music and food. The Pittenweem arts festival from 1 to 9 August, which was mentioned by the minister and Ted Brocklebank, has 100 exhibitions in a variety of venues, including people's homes—it is a great opportunity to have a nose round. Halls, galleries and the harbour itself make an excellent background for a great exhibition of the visual arts.
Ted Brocklebank mentioned the Auchtermuchty festival, which is a major part of the Scottish traditional music scene. It is a 10-day music and community event, which is in its 29th year this year; I was at the first one, and have been at several since. There is the Lammas market in St Andrews, which is the oldest surviving medieval street fair in Scotland, featuring market stalls, food, drink, concerts, dances, public functions and shows. The Anstruther muster attracts 100 visiting yachts and has something for everyone, including art exhibitions, stalls, music, dancing, singing, eating and—most important—sailing.
St Monans community arts festival in September crams into a weekend music, song, dance, poetry, workshops, exhibitions, displays, arts and crafts. In October, there is the Cupar arts festival, which is in its second year; there is visual and public art throughout the town, including music, performance, poetry, film and workshops. We finish off with the St Andrews festival week, which is a unique week of festivities celebrating the nation's patron saint, including the première of a spectacular son et lumière depicting the nation's historic journey projected on to the walls of the town.
That does not include all the individual gala days, Highland games and so on that contribute to our communities and to the festival atmosphere throughout Scotland all year long, but particularly during the summer months. Festivals play an important part in attracting visitors to return to Scotland. People come to Scotland thinking that there might not be much to do, and discover that such a wide range of different events is going on that they come back year after year.
What does it cost to enter these events?
I do not have the price list in front of me. What is great about community festivals is that entry to many of the events is free, so that people can participate and enjoy themselves without great cost. I am sure that if the member looks at the "What's on in Fife" web pages and fifedirect.org.uk, he will get more details about how to participate in the events in Fife. Similar websites are available for other areas of the country.
I finish on what will not necessarily be a negative note. In the current financial climate, funding is a difficult issue for all festivals. There is the issue of whether major sponsors will be able to continue to provide sponsorship money, particularly if those sponsors are banks. Many community events rely on local branches of banks to provide support for their events.
The key issue is not just the amount of money—it is when the festival organisers know whether they will get any money. Many organisers find it difficult that they do not know how much support they will get, not just from private sector sponsors but from the public sector, such as councils, and from the Scottish Arts Council, EventScotland and so on. If they want to book the best performers, festival organisers need to know in advance how much money they will have. If they want to be able to finalise and publicise their programme, and get it into the homecoming Scotland events brochure, for example, they need to know well in advance. Unfortunately, at the moment, some of our funding streams are not set up to give the grants sufficiently far in advance. People have applied as late as May for the support that they need for the homecoming events in St Andrews week this year.
We need to address that problem in the longer term. We need to be able to give funding commitments further in advance, and we even need to consider multiyear funding for some events to ensure that they can plan in the long term, secure in the knowledge that they will be able to put on the best programmes, make a better and bigger contribution, and attract more and more visitors to Scotland.
Aside from the Edinburgh festival, I am sure that there will be healthy competition among us all today to get in the most references to the local festivals in our respective constituencies.
Strangely enough, I was anxious to get into the debate before Jim Hume—who is now not here—who represents the other end of Scotland. I have the twin advantages not only of representing the Western Isles, but of being—as a certain Labour publication tirelessly reminds my constituents, although apparently without the desired effect—a borderer. In the Borders, local festivals are both enjoyed and taken very seriously.
Selkirk common riding is the classic example of a local festival that exists for a reason. It has not been concocted for tourists but is held by and for the benefit of a community that wants to celebrate its identity. Selkirk common riding provokes a powerful response in souters—the natives of Selkirk, of whom there are three in the Parliament. Like all genuine festivals, it has things about it the reasons for which are lost in the mists of time or which are pleasantly incomprehensible to anyone who might stumble on it. I am thinking of the fact that it begins at 4 am—or, rather, that it is unclear at what point on the nicht afore the morn it begins—and the fact that the standard bearer must be unmarried. The sight of the casting of the colours is impressive, as the town eerily remembers its fallen at the battle of Flodden. The fact that any town—without prompting from historians or politicians—genuinely seems collectively to recall something that happened in 1513 is profoundly impressive.
The most impressive festivals in Scotland take place, as in Selkirk, not because someone has decided that there is a benefit to the local tourist economy, however welcome that benefit may be—I do not detract from the important point that the motion makes about that—but because people in a community feel that the festival is important to the community. In many cases, the reasons for the festival go back so far that no one can remember them and that is what makes them interesting. People in Selkirk ride around the marches of the burgh because they have to—some neighbouring landlord might pinch a bit of the town if they did not. Likewise, in my constituency, there are a variety of local festivals, the best known of which are connected to the Gaelic musical tradition. Each year, boat-loads of singers take off for the Mod, a test of social as well as musical stamina. I declare an interest as a member of Back district choir. In 2011, the Mod will come home to the Western Isles.
The Mod is a national rather than local festival, which has done as much as any other event or organisation to maintain the Gaelic language and promote a truly unique musical tradition. However, there are many other local musical festivals, from Ceolas, in South Uist and Eriskay, to the local mods in Lewis and Harris as well as all the informal ceilidhs—in the original sense of that word—that still take place around the islands.
At the risk of missing out many community festivals, I also mention the Grimsay boat festival, the fishermen's mass in Barra, the Vatersay Boys on tour somewhere, Tattoo Hebrides, the MacNeil clan gathering, several Highland games, Stornoway carnival and the massively popular Hebridean Celtic festival, which now draws almost 20,000 people in a single week to the Isle of Lewis—a festival that truly has social, economic and cultural impacts on its community. I might even include the annual guga hunt on Sula Sgeir among the islands' annual festivals, albeit a very private one. It is an astonishing, ancient and impressive feat, and one that is deeply ingrained in the life of the community of Ness. I will say no more about it than that, though. Previously, my high praise for the guga hunt has earned me a permanent place in the demonology of certain militant, London-based supporters of gannet rights.
I could go on, but my point is this: the things that tourists want to see when they come to Scotland are, to a large extent, things that have some basis and support within the community. That is not a case against innovation—far from it. The more communities with festivals, the better. However, the strongest and most enduring festivals always focus on something in the community—be it urban or rural—that is specific to that place and celebrates it. Tourists like our festivals and, despite what we may imagine, the more mysterious and incomprehensible they are—the more inscrutably local they are—the better they like them.
The major festivals such as the Edinburgh international festival, T in the Park, Celtic Connections, the St Magnus festival and so on are all hugely important to Scotland's culture and economy. I was slightly surprised to learn that the minister had made his festival debut only within the past year. My festival debut preceded his by almost 10 years. In 1999, I and a number of other MSPs including Mr McGrigor took part in the Edinburgh festival fringe, where Mr McGrigor's rendition of "Hairy Mary" was a stunning success, possibly because it starred the Presiding Officer wearing fishnet tights. He will probably never call me again at First Minister's question time now that I have divulged that information.
Like other colleagues such as Karen Gillon and Alasdair Allan, I want to highlight the contribution of local festivals to the wellbeing, identity, confidence and economy of the area in which they take place. I place on record my gratitude to the volunteers in my constituency who, year after year, invest time, effort, and commitment into making such events a success.
As Alasdair Allan said, the common ridings and ridings of the marches in the Borders and elsewhere in the south of Scotland are famous. The origins of many festivals date back to the time of the Border reivers, when the young men of the community would ride round the burgh boundaries to check that its landmarks had not been tampered with—either by marauding English people or, indeed, by other families trying to gain advantage over the warring factions in the Borders.
None of the ridings events is a single-day celebration. Each is preceded by a week or a fortnight of cultural, leisure and sporting activities, which are organised to bring the community together. Such activities reinforce community identity and confidence. The first such event in my constituency—the popular Lockerbie gala and common riding—took place last Saturday.
Following that, the guid nychburris festival in Dumfries has been going on all this week. The riding of the marches and the crowning of the queen of the south on Saturday celebrate the granting of royal burgh status to Dumfries by King Robert III in 1186. Indeed, my own horse will take part in the riding, although—I say this before the Minister for Culture, External Affairs and the Constitution becomes too excited about the prospect of a by-election—it will not be I who will be on his back.
Annan riding of the marches, which takes places on the first Saturday in July, lays claim—as do others—to a tradition that is well over 600 years old. However, the event has developed over time and has added a gala. A more recent addition is the pipe band contest, which is an increasingly important part of the day. The contest, which now attracts more than 25 bands from across Scotland, culminates in a massed pipe bands and drums performance in Annan High Street in the evening. The closing rendition of "Highland Cathedral" cannot fail to make the hairs rise on the back of the neck of those who listen to it.
Langholm common riding, like Selkirk's, may lay claim to an even more ancient heritage. The common riding, which takes place on the last Friday of July, attracts tourists from across the United Kingdom. As Karen Gillon said, the occasion is a true homecoming event, because visitors come back year after year. Langholm common riding celebrates the definition of the boundaries of the town and of the rights of the community that were granted by the Court of Session in Edinburgh.
In fact, the origins of these ancient common ridings might be the Celtic Lughnasadh—or, in Anglo-Saxon, Lammas—festivals that took place around the end of July or beginning of August to mark the beginning of the harvest. Such festivals were associated with horsemanship and horse-racing in honour of the Celtic goddess Epona. Indeed, horse-racing and horsemanship are very much part of the Langholm common riding. I am always amazed that the gallop up the narrow Kirk Wynd, lined with observers, still manages to escape the health and safety police, but long may it do so. However—as my mother is currently in the public gallery—I must confess that my decision once to invite my mother and father and all our dogs to stand at the bottom of Kirk Wynd as the cornet and the entire procession of horses passed by at full gallop was probably one of the most foolhardy decisions that I have taken.
Galas also take place in Moffat, Lochmaben, Eastriggs, Brydekirk and Kirkpatrick Fleming. In each case, the gala—whether large or small—promotes a sense of community identity, attracts visitors and thereby supports the local economy.
However, the organisers of such marvellous events have been subject to increased bureaucracy as a result of the Parliament passing legislation such as the Police, Public Order and Criminal Justice (Scotland) Act 2006. The relevant provisions of that act were intended to deal with the important public order issues that can arise from sectarian marches and political demonstrations. Councils now require the organisers of events to provide various bits of information, some of which are totally irrelevant to common ridings, galas or remembrance parades.
When I raised the issue of the burden of such unnecessary bureaucracy on traditional galas and so on last year, the Cabinet Secretary for Justice advised me that Dumfries and Galloway Council could apply to the Scottish ministers for an exemption for certain types of procession, such as common ridings, galas or remembrance day parades. Dumfries and Galloway Council wrote to the Cabinet Secretary for Justice in November 2008 to apply for an exemption for such events. Five months later, with the common riding and gala season only weeks away, Mr MacAskill eventually responded and turned down the council's request.
I understand that one of the long-standing organisers of the Langholm common riding, Stuart Thomson, has already spoken to the culture minister about that, but I, too, ask him to support Dumfries and Galloway Council's request for an exemption. Such events rely on the good will of volunteers who give up huge amounts of their time, without pay. As soon as one event is finished, the organisers start to arrange the following year's event. They do not need to be treated as if they were organisers of political demonstrations or sectarian marches. Will the minister speak to Mr MacAskill about that so that, if Dumfries and Galloway Council repeats its request next year, we can perhaps get it granted?
Our opportunity to debate festivals and their success in Scotland is a valuable contribution as we look towards the future, celebrating place and aspects of human activity and the life of our communities.
I suppose that the Edinburgh festivals represent the epitome of festivals, given their size and complexity. That brings me to my first point, which is that festivals and culture need to be celebrated more in our media. We talk about people's right to see particular international football matches on terrestrial television, but I believe that some of our cultural phenomena ought to be available to us as well, and not in the middle of the night. I hope that the Government will take up the free-to-air issue with the UK Government. Parts of the Edinburgh festivals, Celtic Connections and so on deserve to be shown for more than half an hour late in the evening.
The celebration of various parts of the country is epitomised by the fact that people like to have a good time. I suspect that we have developed festivals that try to make things better for us in a harsh climate. I hope that the climate will not be too harsh the weekend after next in Wick, where HarbourFest has been resurrected. It was started in 1937 and has taken place occasionally since then. It raises the aspirations of Wick folk for the importance of the historic harbour and its future. It was such a fantastic celebration two years ago that it was decided to try to make it a regular event. Indeed, it is hoped that, eventually, sailing ships and others will join us in the north and use the string of marinas that has opened up, and that HarbourFest will be a part of that.
I want to talk about some other aspects of the way in which festivals are affected. Recently, I was involved in trying to get publicity and access to this country for a Canadian musician called Allison Crowe. We have problems with the UK Border Agency, which demands particular certificates of sponsorship and so on. That is extremely draconian, particularly for small festivals. The Edinburgh international festival might have exemptions, but it is important that we go back to the new Home Secretary, Alan Johnson, and ask him to change the laws for artists, because the rules cut down the opportunities to get a variety of people from around the world to take part.
Thinking about festivals, we need to plan ahead. In a recent motion, I proposed:
"That the Parliament recalls the birth of Robert Bontine Cunninghame Graham on 24 May 1852"
and celebrates the 160th anniversary of his birth in 2012. I look to the Government to help us to think how best to celebrate that amazing, multitalented Scot. Thinking along similar lines—Cunnighame Graham was a man who spoke at Bannockburn— we should consider the current state of the Bannockburn experience, over which the National Trust for Scotland has control. It will be a sin if we do not have world-class facilities there to celebrate the 700th anniversary of the battle of Bannockburn in 2014. The planning for that must start now.
This afternoon's debate on festivals is an opportunity to consider how we measure their success. VisitScotland tells us that its perfect day campaign had a public relations value of £2 million.
Part of the problem is that we need to standardise things. In a recent Economy, Energy and Tourism Committee meeting, it was pointed out that patterns of activity in the years before and after festivals need to be considered before differences can be measured. Measuring the success of the year of homecoming will be difficult because of that. Nevertheless, the small investment in the year of homecoming has been welcomed throughout the country. I see that at festival after festival, some of which I have taken part in.
I want to mention a couple of those festivals and to look forward again. The local authorities that control the 96 or so inhabited islands in Scotland are planning a festival of island cultures in 2011. That is a natural follow-on from the year of homecoming. I hope that the whole Parliament and all the parties can get behind celebrating that particular aspect of our lives, and that we ensure that we invest in that festival to give islands their place in the future.
I get the chance to go to many festivals, and I was an organiser for a traditional music festival in Dingwall for 20 years, so I know quite a lot about how festivals are run and how tight money is. If people in particular areas want to celebrate, it is up to them to make the most of what is available and ensure that they take part in festivals. It is a great joy to me that Hands Up for Trad will host an awards event in Dumfries at the end of the year of homecoming. That event is now a celebration of all traditional culture and the festivals that take place throughout the year. It is one of the best things that can happen and is a great way to close the year of culture.
I hope that we not only continue to celebrate, but consider what has worked and what should work in the future, and that we plan well for the festivals that celebrate our life in Scotland.
Edinburgh without festivals is simply unimaginable. Our capital city is the world's foremost festival city; it provides a beautiful historic backdrop for an unrivalled mix of cultural events that inspire and engage people from all walks of life.
The capital city's many festivals are integral to its cultural and economic success. They drive tourism, support thousands of jobs and bring visitors not just to Edinburgh, but to the rest of the country. Indeed, in a recent study, 65 per cent of visitors to the city said that the festivals were their sole or a very important reason for coming to Edinburgh. Some 50 per cent were influenced by the fringe alone. It has been estimated that the summer festivals generate more than £200 million of investment and attract more than 1.5 million visitors. This year, when the capital's other major employer, the financial services industry, is facing serious job losses, the importance of successful festivals to the city's economy cannot be overestimated.
I welcome the steps that the Scottish Government has taken to attract more visitors this year—the homecoming campaign has promoted Scotland's festivals in 40 countries as well as within the UK and added events such as the largest-ever clan gathering in Holyrood park to the busy programme. Encouraging people in the UK and Scotland to visit festivals in other parts of our country is particularly important, given the number of stay-at-home holidays that we will have this year.
I also welcome the new expo fund's provision of opportunities to showcase Scottish performers internationally in all 12 major Edinburgh festivals. The expo fund has provided a new platform for talent, from new writers to jazz singers, throughout Scotland. The record-breaking fringe programme for 2009 contains 500 Scottish performances, which is a 48 per cent increase on last year's performances, thanks to the new made in Scotland strand funded through the expo fund.
Those who say that festivals are not what they used to be are right, because they continually evolve, adapt and grow. Diversity is another major strength of our city's festivals, which are not afraid of change. When the international film festival moved from August to June, there were fears about the impact that that move would have, but it proved to be incredibly popular last year. I wish the event even greater success this year.
The fact that the fringe had a tough year last year has already been mentioned. That was due to problems with its box office, and things were not helped by the relentless rain. Problems with sponsorship and tram road works—a speech would not be a speech by me if I did not try to mention the trams—add to the challenges this year. However, as the new fringe chief executive, Kath Mainland, has pointed out, people from throughout the world really care about the future of the fringe and want it to succeed.
Edinburgh's reputation for festivals is not just about the major headline-grabbing events such as the Edinburgh international festival, the fringe and hogmanay. Since I do not think that anyone else has mentioned it, I will put in a plug for the festival of politics, which plays an important role in our festival city.
There are many important community festivals, too. Last weekend, I spent a thoroughly enjoyable Saturday—between the torrential rain showers—at the Leith festival, which is one of the largest community festivals in the city. Its roots date back more than 100 years, but it has expanded beyond recognition in the past five years and it is a tremendous family day out.
We also have the Edinburgh mela in August, which was started in 1995 by the city's ethnic minority communities and is now Scotland's biggest multicultural gathering. I warmly welcome the minister's announcement of further support for it.
Other festivals are designed to deal with certain issues, such as the "Take One: Action!" festival, which is the UK's first major film festival that is dedicated to people and movies that are changing the world. Running at Edinburgh's Filmhouse in September, the festival explores global challenges in which Scotland has a vital role to play, from climate change to world trade.
Although there are difficult economic times ahead that will prove challenging for our festivals, there is no doubt that there has never been a better time for communities to come together to celebrate our culture, our heritage and the future through festivals in Edinburgh and the rest of Scotland.
I would like to join my colleagues in celebrating Scotland's festival cultures. I am slightly older than the Edinburgh festival and I can still remember its effect on our grim, austere, year-zero Britain. We were just about to see the launch of the national health service, but around us were the ghosts of Dresden, Auschwitz and the members of Scotland's Italian community who had gone down with the Arandora Star when they were being deported. Many of the performers in the festival had come to this country as exiles. My first classical music experience was, amazingly, a concert by the Amadeus string quartet, who had met when they were banged up on the Isle of Man as alien internees.
The festival was a bringing together of the exiled of the world—a homecoming, of sorts. It was deeply moving, and it was wonderful that, in 1948, we Scots contributed to it one of the most astonishing literary revivals of all time—Robert Kemp and Tyrone Guthrie's staging of that great radical play, Sir David Lindsay's "The Three Estates".
About 50 years earlier, W B Yeats, who was also a professional dramatist and theatre manager, said:
"A nation should be like an audience in some great theatre—'In the theatre,' … ‘the mob becomes a people'".
I think that the staging of "The Three Estates" was the moment when we wised up to that.
I would like to think that we will approach our festivals in a rather more strategic way in the future. In Scotland, we have that grim period between November and late January when, as Hugh McDiarmid said
"it is scarce grey licht at noon".
We might try doing in that period something that is not dissimilar to what happens in Europe during advent—a gentle succession of celebrations, farmers markets and craft markets from the end of November until January. Kids have a lot of fun at those events. That would be better than the national catatonia that we have around Christmas, when entire families are banged up in their houses because the public transport system is not functioning, watching reruns of "The Great Escape", which is the most popular film during that period.
No one will come to see a Scotland that is not itself attractive and which has run-down town centres and supermarkets—and car parks that, while they might be quite magnificent, will never be the cynosure of people's attention. We also have to be a country that welcomes people from abroad. We frequently mention festivals such as the mela in that regard, but as Rob Gibson pointed out, to get here people must first negotiate the Home Office's requirements.
I shall throw in a suggestion for another festival. The Glasgow riverside museum is about to reach completion. It will include one of the greatest exhibits of shipping in the world, from the collection of the art galleries and museums in Glasgow. When I met some Polish friends a couple of weeks ago, it occurred to me that we could combine that with a literary celebration of the greatest novelist in English of the sea, who was also a Pole: Joseph Conrad. Conrad visited Scotland in the 1880s as the captain of sailing ships and he was a great friend of Robert Cunninghame Graham—to whom Rob Gibson referred— as one of the leading modernist writers of the time.
I hope that we will start building the Borders railway in 2010 and open it in 2011 or 2012. As Karen Gillon said, we could celebrate Borders culture by having a Borders festival to open the railway. The festival would be in honour of Hogg, Buchan, Walter Scott, the Romans, the ballads, the common ridings and the rugby pitches. In the words of the greatest of all the Marxes—Groucho:
"Let joy be unconfined, let there be drinking in the bars, necking in the parlours, and dancing in the streets!"
I thank the minister for his optimistic contribution, if only for a highly unusual show of modesty—that leaves only 999 things to do before I die. He was absolutely right to refer to Scotland's festivals as living things; contributions from throughout the chamber this afternoon have shown that festivals are alive and kicking. Although, as we heard from Alasdair Allan and others, many festivals are reminders of the histories and traditions on which they are founded, many others are modern—our festivals are always changing.
Ted Brocklebank said that no local festival is going to go unmentioned. We will probably find that we are wrong about that; there are probably hundreds that have not been mentioned. Nevertheless, this afternoon we have travelled the length and breadth of our country, from the Borders ridings and marches to Celtic Connections, Up-Helly-Aa and events in the Western Isles.
As an Edinburgh MSP, I welcome the opportunity to speak in the debate, which is timely given that Edinburgh's 63rd film festival opened just last night with the world premiere of "Away We Go" by Sam Mendes. I enjoyed it very much and recommend it to members as an ideal film for homecoming.
Any time would be equally suitable for this debate given that Edinburgh hosts festivals for nine months of the year, starting with hogmanay. The science festival and the Imaginate festival have already taken place and the jazz festival and book festival are still to come, along with the fringe, the international festival and our own successful festival of politics, which involves MSPs as contributors, hosts and audience members. There are also 12 younger festivals growing up in the gaps between Edinburgh's other festivals and there are a wide range of attractions all year round.
Edinburgh is quite simply a world-leading festival destination. As a local resident, I am grateful to have such a fantastic array of events on my doorstep. The festivals not only bring quality work to Scotland but allow us in Scotland to showcase our talent and cultures—and our capital city—to the world. They present incredible opportunities for Scottish artists and performers, so I agree totally with the point about the difference that Edinburgh's festivals make to the quality of life of its residents.
I have an array of memories thanks to the festivals, such as my earliest experiences of Ibsen, Shakespeare and stand-up comedy. Along with other highlights such as the festival fireworks every year, I have memories of those wonderful performances, which we might call fringe-cringe performances, that end up with more people on the stage than in the audience. When I was a student I flew around from venue to venue trying to cram as much as possible into those few summer weeks when it felt as if the whole world was on the streets of Edinburgh and in every church hall in the city. I believe that Edinburgh has drawn the line at performances in caves—which seems to be something that happens in Fife—but most places in the city have been used for performances at the festival at some point.
The festivals contribute to the unique Edinburgh summer mix of the genteel and the cosmopolitan. A few years ago, I read an article about a man who, one day in August—I hope it was a sunny day—shopped naked the length of Princes Street. He had gone in and out of the major stores, all the way from the west to the east end, before he was finally arrested. When the Edinburgh Evening News interviewed a local elderly lady who had witnessed it all—she had probably followed him the length and breadth of Princes Street—she said, "I saw him shopping in Marks and Spencer, but I thought it was something to do with the fringe."
The festivals are a serious business. We have 12 major festivals that bring in a total of 4 million ticket sales and contribute around £184 million to our national economy. The fringe remains the world's largest arts festival. Each year, the festivals deliver 40,000 individual performances in more than 300 venues and involve more than 25,000 artists.
I draw the member's attention to the fact that although this year's fringe tickets went on general sale only on Monday, the fringe has sold £500,000 worth of tickets, which is £150,000 more than it has ever sold at this point in the year.
I am as optimistic as the minister about this year's festivals, particularly the fringe, which is often a victim of its own success. We will see wonderful performances this year. I am optimistic about what we will experience this summer in Edinburgh.
As Edinburgh's festivals have highlighted to members, Scotland's best prospects for economic growth are in the areas where we offer a distinctive product. The experience of Edinburgh's festivals is nothing if not distinctive. They are iconic and recognised internationally as such—they are a huge attraction to people beyond Scotland and the United Kingdom. A worldwide audience of 100 million people watched the tattoo on television last year. Karen Gillon was absolutely right to highlight its importance.
Rob Gibson also rightly spoke of the need to extend media and TV coverage to more of our festivals in Scotland. They contribute a great deal, not only to our economy but to our culture. Supporting our capital city and country's cultural endeavours and recognising their contribution is vital, given that culture touches so many areas of people's lives and our country's policies.
I share some of the concerns about funding. Obviously, this is a difficult time. As the 2006 "Thundering Hooves" report made clear, Edinburgh cannot rest on its laurels. The report suggested that we look at cities such as Manchester, Liverpool or Dubai, which are following Edinburgh's example. We must try to ensure that the city and its events keep up with the times. Edinburgh must remain at the forefront in terms of world festivals and tourist destinations.
These are difficult times. In the past, Edinburgh's festivals have relied strongly on the financial sector. They have attracted important sponsorship from the Bank of Scotland, the Royal Bank of Scotland and Standard Life. I thank those companies for the support that they have given. I also welcome the injection of support from the Scottish Government through the expo fund and in other ways. I was pleased to hear the minister confirm his strong and constant future support for the festivals.
Edinburgh's festivals have changed on the back of the "Thundering Hooves" report and in other ways. I am confident that this homecoming year will be another huge success for them. I am confident of that because of the collaboration between and hard work of the groups, organisations and agencies that are involved.
I am sure that many people from our own shores and within the United Kingdom who choose to holiday in Edinburgh will be delighted to discover the range of events and attractions that the city has to offer. They will find a colourful, exciting and diverse set of experiences and a friendly welcome in a unique city. As Christopher Harvie reminded the chamber, visitors will also find a city with exactly the same ethos that inspired the first Edinburgh international festival back in 1947, which is that our festivals are, and will always be, a platform for the flowering of the human spirit.
I am sure that ticket sales are up because the minister is performing in the festival.
I am pleased to be winding up for the Scottish Conservatives in this short but useful debate. The Highlands and Islands are blessed with a wonderful array of festivals of all varieties and sizes, from the Islay festival of malt and music to Cowalfest, the Cowal walking and arts festival. I have attended a good many of them and will continue to do so. They make a big contribution to the economy of my region.
I have to issue a warning, though. Only this morning I was contacted urgently by constituents in Oban who run the Dunollie museum and are involved with "The Hidden Jewel", one of the 56 core events and festivals for the 2009 year of homecoming; 2009 should be a special year for festivals, but those constituents expressed dismay that a young lady of MacDougall descent, one of our Scottish diaspora who was coming to help, in a voluntary capacity, with this core EventScotland-funded event, has been refused entry into Scotland and is to be ignominiously flown home to America.
I have spoken to the chief immigration officer in Scotland, who was most courteous and helpful and informed me that the situation I have described is the result of a change of immigration rules in November—yet volunteers for the Edinburgh festival are exempt. Perhaps the minister can tell me what the Scottish Government has done to organise immigration clearance for genuine volunteers such as Rachel Rogerson, who wants to help with the homecoming. Such incidents send out the wrong message to the diaspora, who have been invited to come home in 2009, not to go home.
Festivals are brilliant for the Highlands and Islands. The Hebridean Celtic festival is a brilliant example of how something that starts out relatively small can become an international favourite. In 1996 it attracted 1,500 people to Stornoway; now, 14,000 go. That festival is hugely important not just to the local economies of Lewis and Harris but to those of the Uists, Benbecula, Eriskay, Barra and Vatersay. There is so much local talent from the Western Isles, inspired by the hills, the wind, the beaches and the sea. Highland festivals offer a window for people to experience not just the music but the beauty that inspired it.
I attended the original RockNess festival, dee-jayed by Fatboy Slim. There was a particularly enjoyable moment when
"What's that coming over the hill?
Is it a monster?"
was played. RockNess is inspirational and has gone from strength to strength. Its line-up this year included the Flaming Lips, Dizzee's Rascals, Basement Jaxx and Orbital.
Orkney's folk festival—a different kind of festival—passed successfully last month despite an economic climate that has made sponsorship harder to find. The festival's organisers do a very good job of combining well-established folk musicians and emerging talent from outside with the multitalented local musicians in a celebration of storytelling, ceilidhs, song-writing workshops, concerts and musical pub crawls. Orkney is of course famed for its hospitality, as well as for its music and its brilliant branding of foods, from crab to cheese and ice cream.
Looking ahead, the Tartan Heart festival at Belladrum, which was the inspiration of Highland impresario Joe Gibbs, has the Editors and Ocean Colour Scene headlining, with British Sea Power, Shed Seven and many more on the bill. It is so important for the Highlands and Islands to offer a diverse mix of tourist attractions. Tartan Heart certainly offers a varied mix, and it truly ranks alongside international music festivals.
A recent added bonus to festivals has been the interest in local foods and the ensuing change from a burger culture to home-made mutton stovies and delicious fresh local products. An innovative partnership founded by Fergus Younger of the Argyll and Bute agricultural forum takes a large tent with foods from Argyll to many of the festivals, and it is an eye-opener to see how people flock to the "Food from Argyll" tent, where quality reigns supreme at a reasonable cost. Those large music festivals have allowed such small businesses to prosper, which is a good thing for both the producer and the consumer, and it has heightened the profile of Highland food culture for visitors.
Festivals will feel the icy blast of recession, but the Scottish Government should remember how important they are to local Scottish economies and to so many small businesses. Scotland provides a perfect natural stage; people just need an excuse to go. The Outsider at Aviemore and the Connect festival at Inveraray, which I attended last year, are now not going ahead. Local businesses will miss them very much.
As other members have said, the Edinburgh festival and fringe is the largest festival of its kind in the world. I had direct involvement with the fringe last year, to help my daughter, Sarah McGrigor, put on a play that she had written at school—a religious comedy that, for some reason, is entitled "Forgive Me Father". My point in mentioning that is that friends and relatives travelled to Edinburgh to see the play, some of them from across Europe, and they stayed in local hotels, used the restaurants and travelled the Highlands and Islands. That emphasises how important the fringe is as a magnet to Scotland.
Like Elaine Murray, I very much enjoyed performing at the Edinburgh festival. I have done it twice, albeit in a very modest way—like the minister.
The Scottish Conservatives are happy to put on record our gratitude to all the individuals in Scotland who do so much good in organising so diverse a range of festivals. We recognise the massive importance of the sector to Scotland's economy and we look to the Scottish Government to do what it can to underpin its future success.
I am looking forward to attending the new festival at Kelburn castle in Largs, which opens this weekend.
Like the other members who have spoken, I am delighted to participate in the debate and take the opportunity to talk about a couple of festivals that take place in my constituency. Like many of the festivals that we have heard about, both festivals that I will mention had humble beginnings but now occupy a prominent place in the local social calendar and bring economic benefit to the area.
The G66+Live festival—G66 is the local postcode—got under way this week with the official opening of an art exhibition in the Kirkintilloch campus of Cumbernauld College. It was unfortunate that Mr Russell, who was due to officiate, was unable to attend and do the honours. However, Mr Fergus Ewing pulled on the substitute's jersey and was an able deputy. Perhaps Mr Russell will make it next year, if he has not secured a lucrative recording deal by then.
G66+Live began in 2005 as a result of bad press about living in Kirkintilloch—goodness knows where anyone got that idea. Gordon Carmichael, a local parent and chair of the school board forum, whose cousin runs a festival in his home town in New Zealand, brought together a band of people, which became the committee that ran the first festival. The aim was to promote all the good things about living and working in and around Kirkintilloch and Lenzie, Milton of Campsie, Lennoxtown, Twechar and Torrance.
The festival's tag line is "celebrating success, developing potential". The aim is also to encourage local businesses to pick up on opportunities to generate more business and encourage local people to spend more of their money locally. G66 is intended to be an umbrella body that supports groups who want to put on an event during the defined festival period. Events are promoted free to every home in and around the G66 postcode area, using the Royal Mail's door-to-door delivery service, which is paid for by sponsorship from the local businesses who advertise in the programme. I have a programme with me: members might be able to see who is advertising in it—I refrain from mentioning names. Roughly 60 to 70 per cent of the funding comes from a community grant from East Dunbartonshire Council; the remainder comes from other grants and support from the local shopping centre. In practice, the committee organises many of the key events and an administrator is paid to organise the "our creative community" exhibition.
I am pleased to report that over the years the festival has grown steadily. It looks like this year's festival will beat all previous years, selling more tickets—that relates to a point that Dr McKee made, so it is sad that he has left the chamber—and generating more awareness. Many local groups are involved, including artists, dancers, musicians, businesses and charities. A browse through the programme reveals the variety of local organisations that take part.
The partnership between G66+Live and Cumbernauld College has been particularly successful and the "our creative community" exhibition involves many local artists. I am sure that if Mr Russell had been able to attend Monday's opening, he would have marvelled at some of the work that is on display.
Building up good audiences is a slow process and an active committee is needed to drive the process. At some point the festival must generate enough revenue to pay organisers and expenses. We are waiting to see what the future holds for G66+Live.
The Kirkintilloch canal festival is in its 10th year. Because the Antonine wall received world heritage status this year, the theme in 2009 is the Romans. The festival started life in 2000 as a small open day, which was entitled, "Coppers and Canals". Over the years, it has grown in popularity and size and it now attracts thousands of people every summer. Indeed, the minister for canals, Mr Stewart Stevenson, was a guest in 2007. He had a great time, although he did not sing for us, which was sad. The festival's profile has risen over the years. Indeed, it was nominated in 2000 for a VisitScotland thistle award in the best regional event category. East Dunbartonshire Council organises the canal festival in partnership with British Waterways Scotland, Strathclyde Police, Peel park community heritage association, the Seagull Trust, the Forth and Clyde Canal Society, the Auld Kirk museum, the Kirkintilloch initiative and the East Dunbartonshire campus of further and higher education. Last year's event was held on a particularly hot day and it attracted over 10,000 people, making a substantial contribution to the local economy. This year's event will be on the last weekend in August, which will mean another big boost locally, if the weather is kind. That is what happens with successful festivals, as we have heard.
Much has already been made of the impact of T in the Park, which is now second only to the Glastonbury festival in importance and audience numbers. However, just because it is sold out again this year does not mean that it will always be so—the experience of the Edinburgh festival tells us that. As the minister said, ways must be found to build and nurture successful festivals. With a captive audience at T in the Park, I suggest that the Government should, for example, put up its own culture tent and expose an enthusiastic young audience to the delights of, say, Scottish Ballet, the Royal Scottish National Orchestra or some of our more traditional music. For example, the Red Hot Chilli Pipers have shown what can be done to popularise bagpiping. Celtic Connections, which began in Glasgow to fill a wet week in January, now generates around £6 million in income for the city of Glasgow and around £8 million for Scotland as a whole. For every £1 spent by Glasgow City Council, another £37 comes back in income. In addition, it would be remiss not to welcome the minister's announcement of a £30,000 boost for the Edinburgh mela.
Mr Russell spoke earlier of his recording career, but the debate has unearthed other talent in our midst: Dr Allan and the Back district choir and Elaine Murray and Jamie McGrigor at the festival fringe. Who knows? We may have the makings of a fringe event at the festival of politics, although I hope that Elaine Murray's horse will not make an appearance. We have also heard about Ted Brocklebank's nocturnal habits, and it is no wonder that he carefully marks in his diary all the festivals that he wants to attend. We also had the bizarre suggestion of Iain Smith challenging the minister to a game of beach volleyball. Could that be another fringe event for the festival of politics? Well, let us hope not. However, if the minister wants to visit Twechar beach day this Saturday, I am sure that people will be pleased to see him.
Dr Allan spoke also of events whose origins are lost in the mists of time rather than being manufactured in the way that the two festivals that I mentioned earlier were. However, many gala days in towns around my area go back through the years, including the Kirkintilloch agricultural show, which celebrated its 150th anniversary this year. Jamie McGrigor referred to Dizzee Rascals—I think—but I should tell him that Dizzee Rascal is, in fact, a person and not a band. The song that Jamie McGrigor mentioned—
"What's that coming over the hill?
Is it a monster?"—
is a particular favourite of my three-year-old grandson. However, the pay-off line for him is to say, "It's my grandpa!"
The festivals that we have heard about are replicated across Scotland. Indeed, the list of them with which I was provided is many miles long, so I will not bore members by reading them all out. However, one in particular has been mentioned a couple of times: the Edinburgh military tattoo. As has been said, it not only generates a huge amount of money for Scotland, but celebrates Scottish music and brings visitors and performers from across the world, which gives it its unique atmosphere. The tattoo has achieved all that without receiving any Government subsidy or grant in the nearly 60 years that it has been going. A recent survey found that, among those asked, it was the most highly recalled Scottish tourist event or attraction, and over 90 cent believed that it is one of the very best events of the year and truly unique.
What we have been talking about and what we are celebrating are unique events in each of our own areas, and we should continue to celebrate them.
It has been a good-natured and informative debate, although it has included some odd moments, to which I will refer, in passing, as I sum up. Before I do so, I want to respond to some of the positive and serious suggestions that have been made.
Karen Gillon suggested a festivals event in the Parliament, through which we could spread knowledge of the work that the festivals do and allow members to provide information about the festivals in their areas. That is an excellent idea, which we will try to take forward collaboratively. Another strong suggestion that I thought was a good idea was that festivals could share knowledge of what was taking place and art forms could speak to each other. There is an element of such collaboration already, and I think that some of the programmes that we are developing under the innovation fund that will be announced next week might give us an opportunity to resource such an intervention at a future festival. I thank Mr Whitton for that idea; we will take it away and see what we can do with it.
By and large, the points that have been made in the debate apply to us all. We have heard some interesting personal reflections. Karen Gillon said that we should ensure that events are drawn in from other places, including the rest of the UK. When the Music of Black Origin awards are held in Glasgow in September, it will be the first time that the event has been held outside London. The fact that that extremely important event was secured for Scotland was the result of a Scottish group of organisations ensuring that they could bid for an event that would make a difference in Glasgow.
I thought that Mr Brocklebank was a little churlish in his introduction to an entertaining speech. To suggest that the debate was a filler was probably the wrong thing to do; it has been an opportunity for the Parliament to exchange information and to celebrate good things in Scotland, and I know that Mr Brocklebank eventually came round to that point of view.
Iain Smith made some interesting points about the need to take a longer-term view of the resourcing of festivals. By and large, a long-term view is taken, but when that does not happen, which is often the case with smaller festivals—I have been working with Mr Smith on a festival in his area of which that is true—we need to help as much as possible. However, it is a two-way street. Organisations need to know what they will spend and to plan ahead. Before other organisations can join in, they need to be sure of what their commitment is. It is necessary for a longer-term view to be taken of certain events if we are to ensure that they are not single events.
Elaine Murray made an important point about licensing. I am happy to commit myself to speaking to my friend the Cabinet Secretary for Justice, who is now in the chamber, to see whether we can make progress on the issue. Repetitive form filling should not be necessary for local festivals, into which members of local organisations put a great deal of time and effort. They need to be helped as much as possible by the organisations that are there to support them, which should not hinder them. I will take the issue up and will ensure that I communicate directly with the member and with the organisations that have raised it with me.
I am not sure that I will do the same for the festival of guga hunting, to which Alasdair Allan drew attention. I am familiar with what takes place on Sula Sgeir and although I have supported it, and been condemned for so doing, it is perhaps stretching the idea of a festival just that little bit too far to define it as such.
A number of festivals with interesting origins have been mentioned. Elaine Murray made an important point about the fact that some festivals arise out of the natural rhythm of the year and the age-old rhythm of communities, whereas other festivals—such as the G66+Live festival, to which Mr Whitton referred—arise out of a particular need. They are the result of people deciding that they need to do something about their community. I was extremely sorry that I was not able to attend the G66+Live festival—it was not my fault but Sir Kenneth Calman's. I hope that I will be there next year to take part.
Mr Whitton was right to say that one good year should, but does not always, lead to another, so festivals need to be constantly ambitious and constantly aware of the pitfalls that they might face. As several members have said, we do not know what effect the recession will have on the arts or the festivals in Scotland. It is possible—we hope that this is true—that there will be more people in Scotland this year. The idea of the year of homecoming is that not only will people come from other places, but that people from Scotland will travel around the country taking holidays and going to events. If that turns out to be the case—and the signs are good—that will be tremendous. However, we must always be aware that there are difficulties and pitfalls, and that nothing is guaranteed. Inventiveness and ideas are needed.
Mr McGrigor was right to draw attention to food festivals. Festivals should celebrate the best of Scotland, and we should certainly invest in the celebration of Scottish food. I did not learn from Mr McGrigor's speech whether Shed Seven was a place or a performance; no doubt he will tell me at some stage. I claim absolutely no cred. Karen Gillon asked me to get some cred, but I do not think that it would be legitimate for me to do so—I admit my ignorance on such matters. However, I recognise that T in the Park is a huge economic force, as well as a huge cultural and entertainment force.
Will the minister undertake to meet some of the industry organisers in Scotland to look at how we can make the lighting, staging and public address systems that are used at major events more vibrant and improve the ability of Scottish companies to compete in that area?
I would be happy to do so. I note the concerns that various social enterprise organisations have expressed on the matter—procurement is an issue. Last night I had a brief conversation with Pete Irvine, whom I have known for some time and who has been an important force in the area. He made the point, as he has often done, that festivals come and go and that sometimes opportunities exist and sometimes they do not. However, it would be excellent if we could smooth out the process for businesses in Scotland.
I will conclude by addressing the issue of economic impact. As I said earlier, in 2005 Edinburgh festivals were worth £184 million to the Scottish economy; I am sure that the figure is now much greater. Margaret Smith will be aware that statistics for festivals tend to be slightly outmoded. We should not spend all our time studying them—we should snapshot them.
Has the minister been contacted by Mr Ian McFarlane asking why no Burns productions are included in the Edinburgh international festival? If so, what reply did he give?
I am sorry that Lord Foulkes was not in the chamber for the rest of the debate, because he would have enjoyed it and would have found a range of issues to entertain him. I doubt that there is a living being in Scotland who has not been contacted by Mr McFarlane—he sends regular e-mails to Lord Foulkes and to me. I admire Mr McFarlane as a creator and writer of materials, but I disagree with him profoundly on this year's Edinburgh international festival programme. At issue is whether Mr McFarlane's work on Robert Burns should have featured in the programme. That is a decision for the director of the Edinburgh international festival and no one else. The accusation that having Handel's "Judas Maccabaeus" open the festival is an act of cultural genocide, in which I am complicit, is not one with which I tend to agree.
When Lord Foulkes distracted me, I was about to give figures for the period between August 2004 and July 2005.
One moment, minister. I ask members to be quiet.
There were 3.1 million attendances at festival events and an estimated 1.4 million trips to Edinburgh, which generated output of about £170 million in Edinburgh, £40 million of new income, support for 3,200 jobs and new visitor expenditure—an increase in income of £31 million from accommodation and £22 million for bars and restaurants. Those are significant figures.
Let us contrast them with the figures for public support, because the festivals provide very good value for money. Forty-eight per cent of the Edinburgh international festival's income comes from private funding. Public funding is the smallest part of the funding for the great infrastructure of the 12 festivals. In 2009-10, the festivals received £3.1 million from the Scottish Arts Council and £3.3 million from the City of Edinburgh Council, plus money from the expo fund, which started last year. There are announcements still to come for this year—I am glad to have made one of them this afternoon—but so far the children's festival has received £350,000, the film festival £110,000, the jazz and blues festival £100,000, the art festival £100,000, the Edinburgh international festival £180,000, the book festival £55,000 and the fringe £460,000, which includes an element for bringing more companies into the fringe. Today I was pleased to confirm that the mela will receive £30,000.
There is still work to be done for the storytelling festival, the winter festival, the science festival and the tattoo. A great deal of resource is being provided to festivals in Edinburgh through the expo fund and from public money, through the Scottish Arts Council and the City of Edinburgh Council, but a huge amount is coming from elsewhere. However, that is a small input compared with the output to which I referred.
This debate has shown the affection and support that exist for the Edinburgh festivals across the chamber. It has also shown that there is support for festivals of a variety of types throughout Scotland. It has been a productive and good-humoured debate. I hope that the chamber will support the motion in my name and, what is more important, that people will buy tickets and attend every event that they can at all the festivals in Edinburgh this year.