The Scottish Government

This item was published during the term of a previous administration that ended in April 2007

Listen

Smithsonian festival opens

25/06/2003

The Smithsonian Folklife Festival at the National Mall in Washington DC, featuring exhibitions of Scottish culture, opened today.

Culture Minister Frank McAveety said the event would show Americans how modern Scotland recognises its past, but that pride in the past did not overshadow our hopes and aspirations but instead spurred us on.

In Washington he said:

"Scotland is a country rich in its cultural diversity. Those of you familiar only with distant impressions of Scotland have a unique opportunity here to meet people from places like Skye, Moray, Angus, the Borders, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Shetland - all with their own very unique experiences and stories to share.

"We have a long history of cultural exchanges with our neighbours and a talent for cross-pollination with the cultures of other countries.

"I hope our participation in this wonderful festival will make new friends and see some interesting new partnerships and collaborations.

"The Executive is committed to promoting Scotland's traditional and contemporary culture and to raising Scotland's international profile in partnership with others.

"We want all Scots, all those who choose to visit and those who choose to live and work in Scotland, to be involved in a country which enjoys a thriving artistic and cultural scene, and we are also taking our place on the world stage."

Graham Berry, Director of the Scottish Arts Council, said:

"The Folk Life Festival is a unique opportunity to bring the cream of Scotland's traditonal artists to over a million visitors in the heart of America's capital city.

"The Smithsonian Institution has worked hard to recreate a slice of Scotland here on Washinton's prestigious Mall and our artists are, without exception, outstanding cultural ambassadors.

"The vibrant, friendly atmosphere of the Folk Life Festival provides audiences with a superb environment to enjoy Scotland's traditions at their best and we are confident that many of our performers and craftworkers will be welcomed back to America time and time again."

Philip Riddle, Chief Executive of VisitScotland, said:

"We are excited at the prospect of sponsoring the Smithsonian Associates programme and the Folklife Festival. Participation in these events provides an excellent platform for us to target a key group of US travellers. We are using this opportunity to run an extensive marketing campaign to encourage the Smithsonian's 57,000 members, and the wider US audience, to plan a visit to Scotland and experience our vibrant culture for themselves."

National Museums of Scotland are taking the 'Celebrating Scotland's Crafts' exhibition to the Smithsonian's Arts and Industries Building on the Mall from June 20 to September 12.

The exhibit's 106 present-day objects, produced by traditional methods, highlight the continuation of specialised skills and crafts passed down through the centuries from generation to generation.

Colin McCallum, Director of Marketing and Development at NMS, said:

"We are delighted to be involved with the Scotland at the Smithsonian initiative. We are confident that our exhibition Celebrating Scotland's Crafts will play a great part in communicating the vibrancy and breadth of Scotland's comtemporary culture. We trust the exhibition and the involvement of our curators in the Smithsonian's Associates programme will help encourage prospective American visitors to come to NMS and to Scotland in the future."

More than 120 Scots from every part of the country are at the Smithsonian Folklife Festival, including musicians, storytellers, craftspeople, dancers, scholars, cooks, historians, poets and linguists.

The Folklife Festival will run from June 25-29 and July 2-6, with more than one million visitors expected to attend this world-renowned outdoor event on the National Mall, surrounded by the US Capitol, the Washington Monument and Smithsonian Museums.

Festival performances take place on stages on the Mall, and the Festival also features workshops, interviews and discussion sessions at which participants have an opportunity to explain and discuss their particular art as well Scottish culture in general with Festival visitors.