New chapter for music and arts festival at Storytelling Centre

The Scottish Storytelling Centre is to take over the running of a festival for traditional music and arts.

Ceilidh Culture is celebrating its tenth anniversary this year and three weeks of performances will take place over March and April.

But city council officials have announced plans for the 2013 event to be organised by the Scottish Storytelling Forum (SSF), based within the Royal Mile venue.

The forum already organises International Scottish Storytelling Festival in October and a year-round rolling programme of storytelling, music, puppetry, theatre, song and educational and outreach programmes.

Control of the event will be handed to the forum by the council for 2012-13 on a pilot basis, although the Usher Hall will continue to remain a part of the programme. An £11,561 grant for Ceilidh Culture is to be redirected to the forum instead.

Alastair Maclean, director of corporate governance at the city council, said: “The SSF has contributed and participated in the Ceilidh Culture programme since its inception and is a well regarded ambassador for traditional arts.”