Folk, Jazz etc.: Making Tracs the big story to grow grassroots interest in traditional arts

DONALD Smith, director of that crucible of creativity at the foot of Edinburgh’s High Street, the Scottish Storytelling Centre, recently had cause to evoke the shade of the Netherbow Port, the grim old fortified gate in the city walls which once stood beside where the Centre now is.

To be more precise, he cited an old Scottish country dance, The Netherbow Has Vanished, which referred to the demolition of the ancient citadel in 1764.

The establishment, suggested Smith, had been glad to see the building go, as it had been a rallying point for popular dissent. He was not intending to incite riot, however, but was speaking at the launch of a new umbrella organisation, aimed at giving the traditional arts in Scotland a greater voice with which to promote their cause.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

It was, he reckoned, a “quietly significant day for the traditional arts in Scotland”.

Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland (Tracs) has its roots in the Scottish Government’s Traditional Arts Working Group report, which among other things stressed the need for the disparate networks representing the traditional art forms of music, dance and storytelling to make common cause and work more closely together. Not only will Tracs provide – it is hoped – a more effective lobbying body in the perennial struggle of fund and profile-raising, but also act as a one-stop link for government or other organisations or individuals wishing to engage with the traditional arts, on a national or local basis.

“Every generation makes traditions relevant to its own needs, or they disappear,” said Gary West, chairman of the new organisation. West, a well-known piper and broadcaster who is also head of Edinburgh University’s department of Celtic and Scottish Studies and sits on the board of Creative Scotland, regarded the traditional arts in Scotland as “alive, growing and thriving. Though they have deep historic roots, they have much to offer the landscape of our 21st-century nation … and this exciting collaboration aims to celebrate their place in the contemporary world.”

He also emphasised, however, the importance of activity at grassroots level – a very relevant point as, in recent years, community-oriented organisations such as the Traditional Music and Song Association and the Scots Music Project have suffered through withdrawal of official funding. Encouragingly, the new umbrella organisation has been established with the help of £45,000 of seed funding from Creative Scotland and £27,000 from the City of Edinburgh Council.

Already, however, the constituent bodies within Tracs – the traditional Music Forum, the recently emerged Traditions of Dance Forum and the Scottish Storytelling Forum – have collaborated to produce a comprehensive programme of courses, workshops and other events, based at the Storytelling Centre. Running from next month until December, Connecting With Culture has been developed in association with the current Year of Creative Scotland, ranging through Gaelic and Scots language, song and dance and specific topics such as “Midwinter Songs and Music” and “Scotland’s Radical Traditions” (full programme from www.scottishstorytellingcentre.co.uk)

Tracs, however, wasn’t the only initiative announced that morning at the Storytelling Centre. The indefatigable Simon Thoumire, concertina wizard and moving force behind the Hands Up for Trad promotional organisation, announced a three-day “national songfest”, Scotland Sings, to mark this year’s St Andrew’s Day.

Thoumire was inspired by the “epiphany” of hearing youngsters at a Hands Up for Trad summer school singing their hearts out in a “mash-up” of Katy Perry and Bruno Mars numbers, led by singer Karine Polwart. The episode convinced him of the need to “bring Scotland together to sing”. He has already attracted the backing of The Proclaimers, Glasgow’s Pop Idol winner Michelle McManus and Gaelic star Julie Fowlis, and is drumming up support from choirs and other community organisations (keep an eye on www.scottishcultureonline.com for developments).

So, expect a highly vocal St Andrew’s Day – but not all Katy Perry numbers. That just might spark a riot.