Edinburgh 2020, MY LIGHT SHINES ON!

August means Edinburgh festivals and in particular its international book festival. I grew up in this northern capital, dominated by its castle, Arthur seat and historic Royal mile. The Edinburgh festival has been taking place each August since 1947. After the devastation of war Austrian Rudolf Bing, decided Europe could be brought together to heal by a large scale cultural festival. He decided on Edina, as it reminded him of Salzburg, and it became the worlds biggest cultural arts event. This is the first year for 72 years since 1947 the Edinburgh festival has not been held.

There is the main international festival, the fringe, the comedy, dance, opera, musicals, drama, concerts, mime, art, debates and of course the performers in the high street..

Edinburgh is a great cultural city, with a rich past and present, and hosts the world’s biggest multi national major festival, that celebrates not only comedy, theatre, music, dance and the arts – but the intersections and connections between and the significance of the arts for all of us. Glasgow has a wealth of iconic music venues – King Tuts, Barrowlands, Oran Mor and celebrates all the genres as well as its links via shipping to America and beyond. It was the once world’s shipbuilder.

The Edinburgh International book festival EIBF, the first of its kind is where Charlotte square Edinburgh comes alive with the written and spoken word.

welcomes many well kent faces – celebrities, scientists, academics, historians, illustrators, children’s authors, politicians, economists and more. Its such an adrenalin buzz of coming together, informed debates and renewal, a chance to recharge and be inspired by other creatives..

Instead this year the EIBF will host 140 events online program  - https://www.facebook.com/edbookfest/

 

Charlotte Square gardens

Of course many Edina locals have been finding the surge of crowds overwhelming the city as the festival got bigger and bigger every year. While many others enjoy and attend events. Another issue has been that the global companies involved which has meant money going off to London and elsewhere. More money needs to be kept back to be spent on Edinburgh infrastructure and roads. 

 MY LIGHT SHINES ON .....

I took a trip over the Edinburgh - it was strange to see the quiet streets and I hope these times of reflection will bring us all deeper appreciation of what the ARTS mean for our lives. 

 **Strange and Challenged Times

Art is crucial

Art is how we move forward, broaden horizons, question and exchange ideas, culture and heritage ultimately matters more – more than any political rhetoric. 

We had lockdown from March for three long months until easing began. Its been a worrying, disconcerting experience. There have been plus sides too - less pollution noise, clear air, no crime!

Prices will be low this year, perhaps I might go over and just walk about – down the Dean village, the water of Leith, the forth estuary harbour front of Newhaven (where I went to secondary school) or Cramond walks or the famous Royal mile. Will anything be open though? 

“Creative families want to be back together felt quite emotional – its a vocation, we love it – to feel it coming back.  So much talent in Scotland. “

I have been taking photos at the Edinburgh Festival since 2007. Perhaps this is a year to step back, and renew our attitudes and ideas or make a change of direction. Perhaps this is much needed reflections and contemplations.

So this year is very strange for me, August is Edinburgh! EIF is a great melting pot. 

There will be online performances from the SCO, RSNO

Aiden O’Rourke, Rachel Sermanni, Allan Cumming, and many more.

For details BBC Scotland

Festival facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/edfringe/

WHY EDINBURGH?  “Certain preconditions were obviously required of such a centre. It should be a town of reasonable size, capable of absorbing and entertaining anything between 50,000 and 150,000 visitors over a period of three weeks to a month. It should, like Salzburg, have considerable scenic and picturesque appeal and it should be set in a country likely to be attractive to tourists and foreign visitors. It should have sufficient number of theatres, concert halls and open spaces for the adequate staging of a programme of an ambitious and varied character. Above all it should be a city likely to embrace the opportunity and willing to make the festival a major preoccupation not only in the City Chambers but in the heart and home of every citizen, however modest. Greatly daring but not without confidence I recommended Edinburgh as the centre and promised to make preliminary investigations.^”

Art is how I imagine and visualise my references.

Music is my main point of wonder, escape and emotional release. 

Poetry is how I make sense of the turmoil, confusion and troubles. 

And the stories we tell ourselves. 

Photography & Journeys 2018

2018 has been a constructively rewarding year.

I was delighted that one of Scotland’s top singer song writers Rab Noakes has used my photos from his Celtic Connections gig 2017 - on his new album Anniversarywille. Back in the 60s and 70s, Rab played with greats such as Gerry Rafferty and Lindisfarne. When I hung out in the folk scene then, I remember well the harmony singing of Noakes songs, such as Branch, Clear Day,To each and Everyone, Somebody Counts on Me. In 2007, I saw Noakes still going strong at an Oran Mor gig. He often includes a fifties classic, and this time a song my husband remembered his mother singing. He is also a dedicated Bob Dylan follower – check out his interpretation of Dylan’s Mississippi. 

Rab Noakes Old Fruitmarket Celtic Connections

I also had my first front page in the Scotsman of Chelsea Clinton, in Edinburgh to promote her book, She Persisted. Also photos used by major media (the BBC, Albert hall, Celtic Connections and more) and by press outlets. I have exhibited at Celtic Connections music festival.

I need to allow space, movement, escapism, movement and time for dreams in my images. There have been times when I was so in the moment. I’ve had shoots with hours of time when the artists, the musicians, the dancers who have put their hearts on the line over their commitment to hours of hard graft.  

Journeys

I have been travelling the Scottish islands – first to Orkney, which was awesome, and all its history. Orkney gently tells many stories – ancient sagas from its rich past. Second the outer Hebrides and the beauty of the shimmering soft blues of these landscapes is breathtaking, and its expanse of sands and surging seas....

 

V & A Dundee

Other Projects

I’ve been pursing many projects - too many perhaps! - and I’m often inspired. Hopefully.

My interest and love of history continues apace – this began as a child and with visits to Edina’s historic castle and the Holyrood palace, where I purchased a small blue book on the Stewart kings. At school though, I only learnt of the Tudors and European history.

We learn invaluable lessons by following those who walked before us. I’ve been searching for Scotia – in Edina’s ancient streets and reading Robert Crawford’s The Bard, a very well researched Robert Burns biography that focuses on his poetry and songs. Writing requires a great deal of research, time, commitment, editing, resources and mostly patience too – as do all the arts. We need many skills. 

In these strange times, the arts matters more than ever. 

Culture matters. Our stories matter.

Globalization versus identity

There is a significant struggle going on between remote, soulless, faceless, one size fits globalization – and our need for a sense of belonging and our roots, stories and identity. 

Many misunderstand what they term ‘Identity Politics’, as something harmful and isolationist. 

This is not the experience here in Scotland. Here it has nothing to do with race, and it is inclusive and about all who want to make a home here. Its about appreciating place, heritage and difference as positive things. The stories that make us who we are – our values, culture, 

Its also crucially important for Scotland to be international in out look and our major festivals are centred around welcoming the world to our doorstep.  

There are good aspects about globalization: ease of communication, progress, travel etc.

But there are many negatives too: giant exploitive corporations, reduced workers rights, pollution, its being characterless.  Our world has become so fast speed and automated and many of us spend so much time online interacting with a machine. 

I see young people returning now to valuing the real, authentic, local and the independent – hardback books, vinyl, traditional music, vintage clothes – something tangible and real to hold on to.

Also those posh socialists simply want to replace one elite with another. This is no answer. I want to se progressive, co-operative answer is to reform from within – by offering decent childcare, co-operative education, fair opportunities, improved healthcare. 

I want Scottish independence, because I believe in progressive and fair democracy.

'enLIGHTen' Edinburgh City of Literature

enLIGHTen is an exciting new project by Edinburgh City of Literature –  that will fuse words and cutting edge technology to light up the night sky during March. 

Projections of famous quotes from the Scottish Enlightenment period will illuminate buildings along George Street and Rose Street in March. The event celebrates the literary and built heritage of locations including Charlotte Square and the Melville Monument in the city’s Poetry Garden, enLIGHTen will respond to the wisdom of great Enlightenment thinkers through new fiction and poetry by Gavin Inglis, William Letford, Kirsty Logan, Ken MacLeod, James Robertson and JL Williams, specially commissioned by Edinburgh UNESCO City of Literature Trust. enLIGHTen will be the first time dynamic projection mapping has been used for cultural purposes in Scotland. 

http://www.cityofliterature.com/