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Plenary, 18 Jun 2009

18 Jun 2009 · S3 · Plenary

Item of business

Scotland's Festivals

Smith, Margaret LD Edinburgh West Watch on SPTV

I thank the minister for his optimistic contribution, if only for a highly unusual show of modesty—that leaves only 999 things to do before I die. He was absolutely right to refer to Scotland's festivals as living things; contributions from throughout the chamber this afternoon have shown that festivals are alive and kicking. Although, as we heard from Alasdair Allan and others, many festivals are reminders of the histories and traditions on which they are founded, many others are modern—our festivals are always changing.

Ted Brocklebank said that no local festival is going to go unmentioned. We will probably find that we are wrong about that; there are probably hundreds that have not been mentioned. Nevertheless, this afternoon we have travelled the length and breadth of our country, from the Borders ridings and marches to Celtic Connections, Up-Helly-Aa and events in the Western Isles.

As an Edinburgh MSP, I welcome the opportunity to speak in the debate, which is timely given that Edinburgh's 63rd film festival opened just last night with the world premiere of "Away We Go" by Sam Mendes. I enjoyed it very much and recommend it to members as an ideal film for homecoming.

Any time would be equally suitable for this debate given that Edinburgh hosts festivals for nine months of the year, starting with hogmanay. The science festival and the Imaginate festival have already taken place and the jazz festival and book festival are still to come, along with the fringe, the international festival and our own successful festival of politics, which involves MSPs as contributors, hosts and audience members. There are also 12 younger festivals growing up in the gaps between Edinburgh's other festivals and there are a wide range of attractions all year round.

Edinburgh is quite simply a world-leading festival destination. As a local resident, I am grateful to have such a fantastic array of events on my doorstep. The festivals not only bring quality work to Scotland but allow us in Scotland to showcase our talent and cultures—and our capital city—to the world. They present incredible opportunities for Scottish artists and performers, so I agree totally with the point about the difference that Edinburgh's festivals make to the quality of life of its residents.

I have an array of memories thanks to the festivals, such as my earliest experiences of Ibsen, Shakespeare and stand-up comedy. Along with other highlights such as the festival fireworks every year, I have memories of those wonderful performances, which we might call fringe-cringe performances, that end up with more people on the stage than in the audience. When I was a student I flew around from venue to venue trying to cram as much as possible into those few summer weeks when it felt as if the whole world was on the streets of Edinburgh and in every church hall in the city. I believe that Edinburgh has drawn the line at performances in caves—which seems to be something that happens in Fife—but most places in the city have been used for performances at the festival at some point.

The festivals contribute to the unique Edinburgh summer mix of the genteel and the cosmopolitan. A few years ago, I read an article about a man who, one day in August—I hope it was a sunny day—shopped naked the length of Princes Street. He had gone in and out of the major stores, all the way from the west to the east end, before he was finally arrested. When the Edinburgh Evening News interviewed a local elderly lady who had witnessed it all—she had probably followed him the length and breadth of Princes Street—she said, "I saw him shopping in Marks and Spencer, but I thought it was something to do with the fringe."

The festivals are a serious business. We have 12 major festivals that bring in a total of 4 million ticket sales and contribute around £184 million to our national economy. The fringe remains the world's largest arts festival. Each year, the festivals deliver 40,000 individual performances in more than 300 venues and involve more than 25,000 artists.

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Plenary, 18 Jun 2009

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