The Grand March is still occasionally performed - to the accompaniment of bagpipes or (in places such as Shetland and Orkne)a band - as the first 'dance' at a Scottish wedding. Strictly, more of a march than a dance it is led by the bride and groom followed by the maid of honour (chief bridesmaid) and best man then both sets of parents followed by the wedding guests. Variations may continue elsewhere in Scotland ... Read More

Programme strand in the Hippodrome Silent Film Festival March 2022. The strand included a new commission for Marion Kenny: one of Scotland’s leading storytellers, and award-winning musician, singer and songwriter: Mairi Campbell, to respond to two films in the National Library of Scotland (NLS) Moving Image Archive featuring Marjory Kennedy Fraser (1857 – 1930). Fraser was one of the foremost folksong collectors and composers in Scotland. She visited many of the islands to the west of Scotland, recordi... Read More

The Garidge Theatre produced a brand new play about the life of local suffragette and journalist, Caroline Phillips, called A Monstrous Regiment of Women. It not only looked at women's place and struggles in that era, but looked briefly at the fact that there is still much to be changed. This was based on letters that exist between Caroline and the Pankhursts and their takeover of the Aberdeen movement of the Women's Social and Political Union. It used the Doric language as well as English for the Pankhurst... Read More

Evanton Community Wood celebrated their 10th anniversary by involving their regular users and new visitors in creating, enjoying and being inspired by stories relating to the wood, the wider local area and participant's imaginations. Storytelling events took place throughout the year exploring themes of midsummer, environmental champions, stories from other cultures, Samhain and midwinter. The programme culminated with a mini festival of storytelling, artwork and music. This event was supported by the Ye... Read More

The Beatles played 22 times in Scotland. One of the shows was at Bridge of Allan’s Museum Hall, north of Stirling. The gig was to shape the Forth Valley music industry landscape for generations, as well as having an untold impact on local music fans and the wider culture of the area. To celebrate these memories and the stories of those whom it effected, ‘Superfan – Stirling’s Story of The Beatles - Music, People and Place’, was collaboratively curated by Creative Stirling and Stirling’s iconic r... Read More

THE DANCE AND THE STORY consisted of two activities for adults and children. ROBERT BURNS LEARNS TO DANCE : Storytelling and Historical Dance project for the adult community of Sanquhar, Scotland. Dance was also one of Robert Burns great passion's and influenced many of his songs and poems it is said that he loved to step onto the dance floor. In 1779 he took his first lesson aged 17 yrs in Tarbolton,Aryshire, against the wishes of his father. The project worked with researcher Sue Knight and her published ... Read More

The project shone a light on the Crichton Royal in Dumfries; an asylum with many hidden histories. Patients’ and staff’s first-hand stories were shared, in words and songs, as well as tours of the landscaped estate. ‘Up the Middle Road’ is the local name for the former Crichton Royal Asylum, founded 1838 in Dumfries. This event shared its lived experiences of mental health – until recently, buried in a culture of silence. Through words and music, the voices of former patients, nurses, support s... Read More

Among the practitioners in this field are The Meadows Mummers. This Edinburgh-based all-female group have taken the traditional folk drama “Galoshins” (in all its various spellings) and updated it with a modernised and expanded script, written in rhyming couplets, while still respecting its traditional form and Commedia dell'Arte roots. It was associated with Hogmanay, but the Mummers largely perform at community festivals in the summer, so performances are open-air. Through collaborations with the... Read More