Programme Development
A year round programme of education and audience development 2
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The Edinburgh International Festival works all year round on a programme of projects and events that encourage engagement with the Festival’s work and with the arts in general for people of all ages. Every year the Festival works with over a thousand primary and secondary school children, inspiring and challenging them through education and outreach projects which encourage a deeper understanding of the world in which we live. Our projects explore the diverse cultures and international artists we present, and over the years young people have been able to work directly with some of the world’s most accomplished and challenging artists, including the Mark Morris Dance Group, The Wooster Group, and New York City Ballet, to name just a few.
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Meanwhile our professional development workshops have given generations of Scottish-based artists the opportunity to engage with celebrated international figures such as theatre directors Peter Stein, Lee Breuer and Anne Bogart, director and composer Professor Heiner Goebbels, and Charles McNeal, Director of Education for San Francisco Ballet. During the Festival, talks, debates and discussions allow our adult audiences to explore the themes and ideas of the Festival programme and participate in a wide-ranging set of conversations about relevant political, cultural and social issues. In our Conversations with Artists and Masterclasses series, our audiences go ‘behind the scenes’ to meet our visiting artists and learn more about their lives and work.
‘A fabulous experience, which I would definitely recommend!’ Rhona Gallacher, Teacher, Fox Covert school about Art of Listening
Programme development
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The Programme Development department was set up in 1993 and is run by two full-time members of staff – the Head of Programme Development assisted by the Programme Development Officer. Freelance artists and staff are recruited to help deliver specific projects, allowing us to work continuously with new practitioners and specially-selected experts, whilst benefitting from the support and experience of long-time collaborators.
We are committed to presenting education and academic programmes which embrace individuals of every age and background. We encourage artists, educators, young people and audiences to meet, discuss and learn in a space of mutual understanding, openness and exploration. For further details of our work and how to get involved, please contact Sally Hobson at sally.hobson@eif.co.uk
‘I thought it was a great way to learn about classical music and an excellent way to find your inner self’ Pupil, Fox Covert school about Art of Listening
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Schools programme
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Working with young people aged 10 to 18, the 2011 schools programme drew on the overarching themes of the Festival, which showcased the diverse cultures of Asia and explored the cross-cultural influences between the east and the west. Song of the Earth, inspired by Kenneth MacMillan’s famous contemporary ballet based on the Mahler song cycle, was an art project for both primary and secondary school groups. Pupils created unique textiles and artist books whilst exploring Indian embroidery techniques and the seasonal rhythms of growth and decay. In A Letter to the Wind, pupils undertook poetry and art workshops to make their own personal responses to Buddhist prayer flags, while Enshrined saw primary school groups creating small personal art shrines. During the Festival, dancers from the Nrityagram
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Dance Ensemble of Bangalore visited primary and secondary schools to deliver bespoke dance workshops for the young people. Once again the highly successful Art of Listening project invited hundreds of Edinburgh primary 7 pupils to explore new ways of listening to music, with the help of performers. For the third year running, writers worked with higher and advanced higher students to encourage and develop creative writing. By exploring the fundamentals of writing and the expression of ideas, pupils were encouraged to find a voice for themselves. Another long-running project, The Herald Young Critics, saw professional journalists work with secondary school pupils on the art of criticism.
A selection of the work created by the young people over the year was exhibited at The Hub and the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh throughout the Festival and on into the autumn.
‘…packed with fun, I really enjoyed myself’ Pupil, Dean Park school about A Letter to the Wind, Prayer flags
Professional development
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In addition to our work with schools, we have continued to create opportunities for artists and practitioners aged 18 and over during 2011, working in collaboration with a host of local and national partner institutions. Godfrey Reggio’s The Qatsi Trilogy was the starting point for a project exploring film and music-making, delivered in collaboration with Screen Academy Scotland and BBC Scotland. Five emerging composers and filmmakers were selected to work with industry specialists as mentors during the summer to create short films with music to present as part of the Festival. These were viewed by Philip Glass, the composer of The Qatsi Trilogy score, whose Ensemble performed the Trilogy live during the Festival.
In November and December this year, Uncommon is a residency with celebrated Catalan dancers Cesc Gelabert and Lydia Azzopardi, aimed at participants over the age of 50. Held at Dance Base, Scotland’s National Centre for Dance and our project partner, this will be an eclectic, warm, flamboyant and spirited event offering an opportunity to broaden practice and redefine the role of the mature professional dancer.
‘…it was one of the best workshops I had ever been to.’ Pupil, Roseburn school about Song of the Earth, Kantha
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Festival programme
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The public events we run over the three weeks of the Festival are designed to enhance the Festival experience for audiences from all over the world. Continental Shifts, in association with the British Council, The Royal Society of Edinburgh and the Confucius Institute for Scotland, was a series of twelve talks and debates exploring the themes of Festival 2011. Artists, academics, intellectuals and cultural commentators came together to discuss topics and ideas affecting our understanding of the global landscape with special reference to Asia.
In the popular behind-the-scenes programme, our Conversations with Artists gave festival-goers exclusive access to performers such as Philip Glass, Bo Skovhus and Shen Wei. A series of Masterclasses allowed audiences to learn more about Korean performance techniques, Indian dance and gain a rare insight into the extensive teaching and training required to become a world-class recitalist. Our Fringe Prize events offered a glimpse into the creative process, as last year’s winners, Glasgow Girls and Meow Meow, presented works-in-progress to Festival audiences.
‘I thought this was a super experience for my pupils and myself. We all gained knowledge and a sense of satisfaction in completing the whole task’ Pam Watson, Teacher, Dean Park about A Letter to the Wind, Prayer flags
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Programme Development 1994 – 2011 Education programmes for school children and young people inspired by the Festival programme
Professional development opportunities for artists and practitioners
Audience development programmes (talks, debates, lectures, conversations and masterclasses)
Collaborations with further and higher education establishments in Scotland
77 projects 1,895 workshops 43,646 school children 23 programmes 535 artists and practitioners 28 Festival programmes 734 events 63,707 attendees 6 University Fellowships 7
Images Front cover: Song of the Earth Kantha Project with RBGE, 2011, photo: Rob McDougall 1. Niall Ferguson, Tarun J Tejpal & Shoma Chaudhury, Continental Shifts 2011, photo: Eoin Carey 2. World Dance and Music Residency, 1999, photo: Keith Brame 3. Preston Street Primary School wall mural, 2008, photo: Nigel Robertson 4. Alonzo King Lines Ballet School project, 2010, photo: Claudine Quinn 5. Cranes Letter Writing School Project, 2009, photo: Drew Farrell 6. Leith Multicultural Family Centre project, 2009, photo: Nigel Robertson 7. Song of the Earth Kantha Project with RBGE, 2011, photo: Rob McDougall 8. Enshrined Project, 2011, photo: Dawid Nabialek 9. Nrityagram Dance Company Masterclass, 2011, photo: Eoin Carey 10. Qatsi Masterclass film, 2011 11. Holy Rood High School Photography Project, 2010, photo: Nigel Robertson 12. A Letter to the Wind prayer flags project, 2011, photo: Eoin Carey 13. Pagoda installation, photo: Eoin Carey 14. Borders Project, Raploch Stirling, photo: Caroline Douglas 15. Twittering Machine Primary School Art Project 2008, photo: Caroline Douglas 16. Enlightenment Multicultural Garden Project, Dalry Primary School 2009
Edinburgh International Festival Society is a registered Scottish charity, No. SC004694