Listen
Promoting Scotland in Europe
28/01/2008
Brussels is to get a taste of Scotland's renowned cultural flair when Minister for Europe, External Affairs and Culture Linda Fabiani hosts a series of events tomorrow (Tuesday, January 29).
The Minister's engagements in the EU capital include opening a photography exhibition of Scotland's top entrepreneurs, promoting the Scottish Writers Series with author Iain Banks, hosting a policy seminar on the creative sector and celebrating with a Burns' supper with the Slovenian Permanent Representation.
Ms Fabiani will also attend the European Parliament and meet Scottish MEPs and British Council officials during the visit.
Linda Fabiani said:
"I am delighted to go to Brussels and highlight the best Scotland has to offer, whether it be business acumen or artistic creativity.
""Portraits of Inspiration" illustrates the diversity of skills, talents, beliefs and philosophies that Scotland produces and shows how Scottish entrepreneurs have played their part in making Scotland the confident, vibrant and modern nation it is today.
"I am also looking forward to hearing Iain Banks speak and to launching a new guide to contemporary Scottish literature, commissioned by the Scottish Government as part of the Scottish Writers Series. We are lucky in Scotland to have an extremely rich literary heritage but also to be blessed with wonderful 21st century writers, some of whom come from Scotland and some of whom have chosen Scotland as their preferred place in the world to live and write."
'Entrepreneurial Scotland - Portraits of Inspiration', which will be opened by the Minister at Scotland House, features some of the highest profile figures in Scottish business, including Tom Hunter, Tom Farmer, Jackie Stewart, Brian Souter and Arnold Clark.
The Minister will then attend a presentation by acclaimed writer Iain Banks, part of the Scottish Writers Series being hosted by the Scottish Government in Brussels, and launch a new guide to contemporary Scottish literature.
Ms Fabiani will also host a policy seminar on the contribution of culture to the Lisbon Agenda for jobs and growth, which aims to discuss how the public sector can best stimulate the cultural sector, at local, national or a European level.
She said:
"There is a flowering of the arts in Scotland at the moment, as there is across much of Europe, and this is something that we want to sustain. Cultural activity makes a significant direct and indirect contribution to the economy in Scotland. It is critical that we do whatever we can to sustain and develop the cultural and creative sectors if we are to be successful in building a European knowledge economy."
Finally Ms Fabiani will co-host a Burns-Prešeren Supper with the British Ambassador to Belgium celebrating Burns' Night and in honour of Slovenia taking over the Presidency of the European Union. The supper will honour the lives of Robert Burns and also France Prešeren, the national poet of Slovenia who was a close contemporary of Burns.
Guests will be treated to a full line-up of entertainment, including Scottish fiddle music, a piper and recitals of Burns and Prešeren. Scottish writers Iain Banks and Raman Mundair will give the Toast to the Lassies and Reply for the Lassies respectively.
Programme of Events
12pm - Scotland House: Minister opens new art exhibition, 'Entrepreneurial Scotland - Portraits of Inspiration'.
1pm - Scotland House: Minister attends Scottish Writers' Series: presentation by Iain Banks and launch of booklet on Scottish literature, 'Discovering Scottish Literature - a contemporary overview'.
2.30pm - Scotland House: Minister hosts a policy seminar on the contribution of culture to the Lisbon Agenda for jobs and growth.
7pm - Minister co-hosts, along Dr Rachel Aron, the British Ambassador to Belgium a Burns-Prešeren Supper for Scottish and Slovenian MEPs, senior officials from the Commission, the Council Secretariat and the Scottish, UK and Slovenian Governments as well as several prominent 'Euro Scots'.
The Entrepreneurial Exchange is an organisation founded in 1994 'to inform, motivate, educate, inspire and support entrepreneurs to build their businesses bigger, faster.' Under the motto 'for entrepreneurs by entrepreneurs' the organisation aims to raise and maintain the profile of entrepreneurship in Scotland by highlighting the importance of entrepreneurs to the Scottish economy.