Published: 07 Aug 2023
Monday 7 August kicks off the first day of the Momentum Delegate Programme which provides a dynamic platform for key cultural players from across the world to engage and build relationships with the world leading Festival City, the wider Scottish cultural sector, and the international community that flocks to Edinburgh during August.
Image credit: Photography by David Monteith-Hodge
Each year, Momentum invites a hand-picked selection of producers, government agencies, funders, stakeholders and programmers from invited countries to develop long-term self-sustaining collaborations with creative practitioners, policymakers and educators in Scotland through a tailored programme of individual introductions, group meetings and sector networking.
A team of specialist staff led by Festivals Edinburgh, in partnership with Creative Scotland and British Council Scotland, open the doors today to a buzzing delegate hub at Creative Scotland’s Edinburgh city centre headquarters at Waverley Gate, ready to welcome this year’s first arrivals.
This year’s 40 delegates are from Viet Nam, South Korea, Poland, France, Lebanon and Mexico as well as artform specific delegations in Literature and Visual Arts; all invested in broadening cultural collaboration and sharing artistic offerings between Scotland and their home countries.
In its twelve years, the Momentum ripple effect has stimulated career changing opportunities like Scottish playwright, Jo Clifford’s groundbreaking Edinburgh Fringe Festival hit transforming trans perception, The Gospel According to Jesus, Queen of Heaven.
On seeing the show in Edinburgh,Brazilian Momentum delegate, Director, Natalia Mallo recalls that she, “...decided immediately that I wanted to take Jo to Brazil and produce the show there in Portuguese. I stayed up all night translating it.” This trans story resonated and led one of the play’s actors, Renata Carvalho forming the trans campaign T Collective working towards creating better opportunities for trans artists and reaching areas with limited access to culture for free.
Outriders continues its extraordinary literary odysseys this year, pairing Scottish writers and their international counterparts to embark on unique transglobal journeys together to gather insights, delve into new cultures and produce new work for sharing at Edinburgh International Book Festival and beyond.
It all began in 2016 with an ambition to strengthen connection between Scotland and Central and South America and a Momentum delegation that resulted in the first Outriders adventure across Mexico and Argentina. Writer, Mariana Enriquez, said: “It showed me that two writers from very different backgrounds (and languages!) can have common ground, work together, and exchange opinions and different readings.” Writers have explored Africa and Europe and this August, spoken word, performance and written poets; storytellers, novelists and journalists offer insights into their voyages together across Scandinavia, hiking in mountains of Transylvania, and expeditions from Glasgow to Gdansk and Krakow, and from Belfast to Drogheda and Achill Island.
For Bose Krishnamachari, Founding Director of Kochi-Muziris Biennale (KMB), India’s first major visual arts biennale, taking part in Momentum provided an inspiring introduction to the Edinburgh Art Festival and the wider visual arts sector in Scotland. The effect was immediate and four Scottish artists were invited to showcase at KMB, opening the doors for regular collaboration between the Indian visual arts sector and Scotland, and the development of projects together, since.
On behalf of Momentum partners, Julia Amour, Director of Festivals Edinburgh said:
“The Momentum programme nurtures an international exchange of ideas, using a unique moment in the Scottish cultural calendar to plant hundreds of seeds that go on to grow roots all over the world.
“By working together we continually create new pathways to connect Scotland’s internationally ambitious artists, writers and performers with like-minded thinkers and makers, and encourage an ever-growing number of fruitful collaborations.
“Ultimately, building these global relationships strengthens the vital role of the arts in helping us understand each other and our place in the world.”
A partnership between Festivals Edinburgh, British Council Scotland and Creative Scotland with additional support from City of Edinburgh Council and Event Scotland, since 2011 Momentum has brought over 850 international delegates to Edinburgh during the city’s world leading August Festivals. These visits have resulted in seasons of work being presented by countries including India, New Zealand and Argentina within our festivals and opened up opportunities for delegates to forge new connections with their counterparts in Scotland and internationally.
Momentum is a central element of British Council and Creative Scotland’s wider strategic partnership developed over eleven years, identifying and investing in long-term international cultural relations to help create new opportunities globally for the Scottish arts sector. Further information about Scotland’s cultural standing on the international stage and how these global connections contribute to the unique assets of Scotland’s creative sector, is available in the Arts and Cultural Assets Report (2022).
Creative Scotland is the public body that supports the arts, screen and creative industries across all parts of Scotland distributing funding provided by the Scottish Government and The National Lottery. Further information at creativescotland.com. Follow us on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Learn more about the value of art and creativity in Scotland and join in at www.ourcreativevoice.scot
The British Council is the UK’s international organisation for cultural relations and educational opportunities. We support peace and prosperity by building connections, understanding and trust between people in the UK and countries worldwide. We do this through our work in arts and culture, education and the English language. We work with people in over 200 countries and territories and are on the ground in more than 100 countries. In 2021-22 we reached 650 million people.
Festivals Edinburgh is the high-level organisation, created and driven by the directors of Edinburgh’s 11 major international festivals, to take the lead on their joint strategic development and work to sustain their leadership role locally and globally.
Jacqueline Munro, Media Relations & PR Coordinator, Creative Scotland
Jacqueline.Munro@creativescotland.com
+44 (0)7967 822 266
