Published: 11 Aug 2016
As the world’s leading festival city enters its peak summer season, Edinburgh offers an unparalleled opportunity for audiences from around the globe to experience the very best dance, theatre, music, opera, visual art and literature. Underpinning the wealth of events and performances for audiences lies a programme which sets the gold standard worldwide in cultural networking and business.
Momentum is a world-leading delegate programme that runs throughout the month of August in Edinburgh providing a dynamic platform for key cultural figures from across the world to engage and build relationships with Edinburgh, the wider Scottish cultural sector, and the international community that flocks to Edinburgh during the peak Festival season.
The programme, now in its sixth year, is managed by Festivals Edinburgh, British Council Scotland and Creative Scotland with additional support from City of Edinburgh Council, EventScotland and the Scottish Government.
Over 90 cultural policy makers, programmers and artists from Canada, New Zealand, Columbia, Japan, India, Taiwan, France, China, Germany, the Caribbean and Argentina, including the Ambassador and Deputy Cultural Minister, gather this month to meet Scottish artists, festival directors, programmers and partners in the context of Edinburgh’s famous festivals offering an opportunity unmatched anywhere else in the world.
By the end of August 2016, over 450 international delegates will have experienced the Momentum program: visits which have resulted in seasons of work by New Zealand and India at the Festivals and many opportunities for Scottish artists to tour to Brazil, India, Australia and many other countries around the world.
Julia Amour, Director of Festivals Edinburgh said: "We’re delighted to welcome cultural policy makers from around the globe as Edinburgh enters its peak summer season. Our festivals are distinctively Scottish yet profoundly international and Momentum delivers a dynamic platform for key cultural players from around the world to engage and build relationships with the world’s leading festival city."
Laura Mackenzie-Stuart, Head of Theatre, Creative Scotland said: “The Momentum International Delegate Programme provides a unique opportunity to connect our internationally ambitious artists with like-minded producers, presenters and makers from around the world. Now in its 6th year, the individually tailored programme is proven to facilitate long term engagement and we are now enjoying an ever growing number of fruitful collaborations.”
Jackie Killeen, Director of British Council Scotland said: “Edinburgh’s Festivals offer a context and an opportunity like no other. The world is here and Scotland is at the heart of that. Through the Momentum International Delegate Programme we’ve been able to connect international programmers, producers and artists with our own here in Scotland to further their cross cultural collaborations and world-wide opportunities.”
Jon Goransky from Metropolitan Citi Theatre, Buenos Aires in Argentina, who is attending Momentum for the second time said: “My visit in August 2015 as part of Momentum left me with one thing very clear: The desire to return year after year. It's very powerful to see that art goes out and takes over the city. A city taken by 5 festivals at once is something really different and for those who have a passion for the performing arts, Edinburgh in August becomes the place go be.
“Participating in Momentum, jointly delivered by British Council, Creative Scotland and Festivals Edinburgh, meant for me an unforgettable and enriching experience. Having access to the behind the scenes of the festivals, talking to their managers, who from first hand tell you why they do what they do with their successes and mistakes and having the possibility to connect and network with people who work for and to the culture globally honestly - It opened my mind.”
ENDS
For more information on Momentum, images or interviews please contact susie@thecornershoppr.com 07834 073 795
