The story unfolds...
Book festivals, musical journeys, favourite cartoon characters and fresh takes on our culture and heritage, will form part of a dazzling programme of events to celebrate Scotland's Year of Stories!
Article Source: VisitScotland
First Published: 15 December 2021 11:44
Updated: 15 December 2021 11:45
A nationwide programme of more than 60 events presented by a range of partners from national organisations to community groups has been unveiled in recognition of the wealth of stories inspired by, written, or created in Scotland. Additional events will continue to be added throughout 2022.
The programme was launched along with a new promotional video featuring the voice of Game of Thrones star James Cosmo. The Clydebank-born actor, known for his role in the fantasy epic as well as numerous Scottish film and TV shows, lends his distinctive timbre to inspire visitors and locals to explore Scotland and celebrate the Year of Stories.
The story begins across January-March with:
• Glasgow’s Celtic Connections presenting ‘Whisper the Song’, a series of five newly commissioned events celebrating Scotland's rich tradition of stories, interwoven with music, song and film.
• Once Upon a Time in South Ayrshire, beginning with a celebration of Burns then featuring a varied programme of events, exhibitions and experiences that will run across the year.
• Spectra – Scotland’s Festival of Light - returns to Aberdeen in February, celebrating the humour, seriousness and sheer gallus of Scotland’s storytellers, including ‘Writ Large’, which will beam the country’s finest contemporary storytellers’ prose and poetry in large scale projections and neon.
Turning the page into Spring 2022 (March-April) events:
• StAnza, Scotland’s International Poetry Festival presents Stories like starting points, exploring the role of stories in poetry and introducing a brand-new Young Makars poetry initiative.
• Stornoway’s An Lanntair presents Seanchas, a series of events, films and special commissions celebrating tales from the Hebrides both real and imagined, modern and ancient.
Summer (May-September) provides plenty to write home about:
• Borders Book Festival returns to Melrose with a special programme celebrating and exploring tales with themes from Walter Scott, to the Great Tapestry of Scotland
• The Wire Women project taking place as part of Perth and Kinross’ Year of Stories with community groups, creatives and cultural organisations sharing the stories of women, all connected through objects in the collections of the new City Hall Museum
• Celebrating its 75th anniversary, Edinburgh International Film Festival will bring Scotland’s Stories On Screen to iconic and exciting places and spaces
• The Dundee Summer (Bash) Street Festival will hail Dundee as the home of comics, celebrating its characters, stories, history and upcoming talent. The city will be declared as BEANOTOWN, with a pop-up comic museum, workshops, talks, film screenings, street fun and world record attempts
• The world-renowned Edinburgh International Book Festival presents Scotland’s Stories Now – proving everyone has a story to tell with tales gathered from across the country and then shared at the flagship event.
• In Skye, SEALL and Gaelic singer Anne Martin lead An Tinne, a collection of songs, stories and objects from across the centuries exploring the deep and fascinating connection between Scotland and Australia
• Moray’s Findhorn Bay Festival will offer a journey of exploration and discovery, celebrating the area’s heritage, landscape and people
• The Wigtown Book Festival in Scotland’s National Book Town will present two new commissions, Into the Nicht, an immersive Dark Skies tour, and Walter in Wonderland, a whirlwind theatrical tour through the history of the nation’s literature
• The Northern Stories Festival led by Lyth Arts Centre in Caithness promises a spectacular celebration of the stories of the Far North.
Continuing the story into Autumn and Winter:
• Transgressive North bringing us Map of Stories – in partnership with the International Storytelling Festival - ‘film ceilidh’ events celebrating the most iconic voices from Scotland’s oral storytelling traditions will invoke the places and landscapes from which they emerge
• Stirling Castle plays host to Tales from the Castle, an after-hours event that opens the gates to extraordinary stories and takes you on a journey through language and time.
• Scotland's Stories – Community Campfires, led by Scottish Book Trust will take place across the country, engaging with communities and showcasing people's tales from their own lives - featuring Luke Winter’s Story Wagon and culminating at Book Week Scotland in November.
There are also a number of events that will take place across the year, with some touring the country:
• Edinburgh, Benmore, Logan and Dawyck Botanic Gardens will host Of Scotland’s Soils and Soul - a multi-sensory journey celebrating stories inspired by Scotland’s rich and diverse plant life.
• The Scottish Storytelling Centre & Edinburgh UNESCO City of Literature Trust present Figures of Speech with prominent and emerging figures responding to our iconic stories and imagining them afresh, sparking new dialogues and directions.
• The RSNO bring us Yoyo and the Little Auk, a new story celebrating our diverse cultures for Early Years Audiences with an animated film and live performances at events and festivals across Scotland.
• Songs from the Last Page from Chamber Music Scotland will take place at book festivals, libraries, and community spaces and will create new songs from the last lines of our great and favourite fiction: turning endings into beginnings.
The events programme will bring Scotland’s places and spaces to life, sharing stories old and new covering everything from local tales to oral traditions, iconic books, to tales told on the big screen. They will be told by diverse voices and discovered in many different places, showcasing the many sides of Scotland’s distinct culture.
Across the country, from national to community organisations and businesses, people are preparing to tell their tales of Scotland, shining a spotlight on iconic stories and storytellers, tales of our people, places and legends and stories inspired by nature.
For 2022 the Themed Year will include a brand new events programme strand. The Community Stories Fund has been designed to support organisations and community groups to take part in and celebrate the year, spotlighting the unique stories that matter to them. The fund is being delivered in partnership between VisitScotland and Museums Galleries Scotland with support from National Lottery Heritage Fund, thanks to National Lottery players.
Around 100 events will be supported through the Community Stories Fund including:
• Weaving with words: the magic of Highland Storytelling at Hugh Miller's Birthplace Museum will feature a series of guided storytelling walks around Cromarty from April to October, inspired by the life and works of the 19th century geologist, folklorist and social justice campaigner.
• In March the distinctive story of Easterhouse will be shared in Mining seams and drawing wells: a living archive for Easterhouse, led by Glasgow East Arts Company with local residents.
• A Yarn Worth Spinning led by The Great Tapestry of Scotland will tell the story of the history and culture of textiles in the Scottish Borders from April to June, including an exhibition and fashion show.
• A cross generational project led by Catherine Wheels Theatre Company, The Phone Box – East Linton voices shared down the line, will take place in August with a rich soundscape of stories, memories and music.
In addition to the directly funded programme of events, VisitScotland will work with the widest range of partners to showcase and promote the full gamut of events and activities that celebrate Scotland’s many and diverse Stories across 2022. From the wider programme of Burns events in January, including National Trust for Scotland’s Burns Big Night In on 22 January, to the 75th Anniversary of our World Festival City to wonderful stories from our National Theatre of Scotland, including Enough of Him a remarkable story based on the life of one man who changed the course of history, and the ambitious programme coming to Scotland as part of UNBOXED, a UK wide celebration of creativity and innovation, 2022 is going to be a year in which stories are shared, and created on a huge scale.
Many more partner events celebrating the theme will be joining the programme over the forthcoming months.
Scotland’s Year of Stories 2022 will begin on 1 January 2022 and run until 31 December 2022.
For more information www.visitscotland.com/year-of-stories
Join the conversation #YS2022 and #TalesOfScotland
Latest Renfrewshire News
Youngsters get to meet well known book characters at storytelling session in mall
Youngsters will get the chance to meet two of their favourite characters from children's books at Braehead shopping centre tomorrow!
Top Ayrshire hotel unveils plans for new autumn spa breaks
One of Ayrshire's leading hotels has unveiled its plans for new autumn spa breaks for men, women and couples from 1st September until 30th November 2022.
The largest visual arts show in the history of Paisley will open next week!
The biggest visual art exhibition Paisley has ever seen - The Big Art Show - will open on Friday 26th August and run until Saturday 26th November!
170M years in the making... GlasGLOW is back this October with an epic new dinosaur light show
itison has announced GlasGLOW will return to the Botanic Gardens between 26th October & 6th November, with a blockbuster new show... an epic dinosaur adventure into The Land That Time Forgot!
Hundreds come together to create spectacular outdoor artwork in Loch Insh in celebration of creativity
The UK's biggest National Park was the chosen location for the latest Green Space Dark Skies project, by the outdoor art experts at Walk the Plank.
Paisley to host spectacular ModStuff event
A scooter spectacular is set to take over Paisley next month as the popular ModStuff event returns to The Spree festival.
Join me in Paisley 10k Road Race, says blind runner Jay
Blind athlete Jay Semple is preparing to take part in his 11th Paisley 10k Road Race and he's encouraging others to join him racing around the streets of Paisley.
The Beat the Street game is coming to Paisley for the first time!
Beat the Street returns to Renfrewshire and will be played in Paisley for the first time!
Green Space Dark Skies announces Ben Nevis as Scottish location in Finale Event
On Saturday 10 September, Ben Nevis in the Glen Coe National Scenic Area (NSA) will provide the backdrop to the last Scottish Green Space Dark Skies outdoor artworks.
Finalists Revealed for The Scottish Bar & Pub Awards 2022
Over 75 leading finalists have been revealed today for The Scottish Bar & Pub Awards 2022.
Green Space Dark Skies: The team of artists working with local communities to bring events to life
Green Space Dark Skies, produced by Walk the Plank and commissioned by UNBOXED: Creativity in the UK, has revealed the artists who will bring Scotland's August events to life!
Conifox Adventure Park officially breaks world record for the Longest Inflatable Assault Course
Conifox Adventure Park has today confirmed that they have officially broken a world record for the longest inflatable assault course which sits at a mammoth 568 metres.
Youngster Ide had a wizard time at Harry Potter Weekend
Ide MacNeil had a wizard time dressing up as Harry Potter at Braehead shopping centre at the weekend!
Irn Bru launches Sunshine Service
From the Costa Del Leith to the Clyde Riviera, IRN-BRU is set to deliver deckchairs and ice-cold cans to Scottish sun-seekers!
Youngsters have a ball at summer fun activities
Hundreds of children and young people are having a whale of a good time at Renfrewshire Council's summer clubs.
Renfrew welcomes top piping talent
Renfrew's Robertson Park was a sea of tartan on Saturday as Scotland's top pipers and drummers descended on the town for the Renfrew Pipe Band Competition.
A wizard way to raise funds for hospital charity
It's a kinda magic the way Braehead shopping centre plans to raise money for Glasgow Children's Hospital charity!
XSite Braehead encourages visitors to get arty for charity
XSite Braehead, Scotland's leading entertainment destination, is encouraging visitors to unleash their inner artist this weekend in a bid to raise funds for Glasgow's Children Hospital Charity.
Just over 24 hours left to submit your Scottish Album of the Year
Fans, artists and music labels have just over 24 hours left to submit their favourite Scottish album from the past year for this year's SAY Award.
Praise as active travel campaign in Renfrewshire passes 750 members
Walkers, cyclists and public transport users in Renfrewshire are benefitting from discounts at local businesses as part of a year-long active travel campaign.
Work now under way on refurbishment of Paisley Arts Centre
Work has now started on a transformation of Paisley Arts Centre which will add new modern performance facilities and an extension to the much-loved historic venue.
Views sought on regeneration plans for Causeyside Street in Paisley
Locals are being asked for their views on regeneration plans for Causeyside Street in Paisley.
New Paisley Town Hall room names to honour John Byrne and textile heritage
One of Paisley's most famous sons – artist and playwright John Byrne – will be honoured in the new room names for his birthplace's soon-to-be-transformed town hall.
Prizes up for grabs for gardeners
Gardeners in the West of Scotland can show off their green-fingered skills to win a popular gardening contest.
Vacation XSite returns for Summer 2022
XSite Braehead, Scotland’s leading entertainment destination, launches Vacation XSite, an exciting summer-long event.
Artist and playwright John Byrne talks about world premier of his latest musical play Underwood Lane
John Byrne could have ended up playing in a skiffle band like the hero of his latest musical play, Underwood Lane.
Renfrew set to welcome talented pipers and drummers to first competition in the town
Renfrew's Robertson Park will welcome some of Scotland's top piping talent this July for a new event in Renfrewshire's events calendar.
Thousands enjoy Sma Shot Day fun in Paisley
Thousands turned out to enjoy a day of spectacular parades, performances and live entertainment at Paisley’s annual Sma’ Shot Day celebrations!
Salon owners receive honour at Investiture
Alan and Linda Stewart, Co-Owners of Scotland’s largest salon group and multi award winners, Rainbow Room International have received their OBE Award for Services to Hairdressing.
Scottish Album fo the Year opens for eligible album submissions today
Today, the Scottish Album of the Year (SAY) Award returns for 2022, calling on artists, labels and music fans to submit eligible albums – for free.
Sponsored Links
