Charlotte Runcie asks why the Edinburgh International Festival is shying away from the Scottish independence debate. Could it have something to do with the nationalities of those in charge?
To understand the Scottish independence movement, you have to understand Scottish arts.
When I moved from Edinburgh to London last October, I was surprised by a lot of things (not every corner shop sells Irn Bru – how do people live?), but most of all by the difference in the independence debate south of the border. Everyone in London was talking about oil, sterling and Salmond. Nobody was talking about theatre.
That has changed a little this week with the announcement of the programme for the 2014 Edinburgh International Festival. Last August, festival director Jonathan Mills was criticised for not planning anything independence-related for the 2014 event, which will close just a few weeks before the vote. He said at the time: “I’m not anticipating anything [about the referendum] in the programme at all.” It was a strange statement to make... Keep reading on Telegraph
To understand the Scottish independence movement, you have to understand Scottish arts.
When I moved from Edinburgh to London last October, I was surprised by a lot of things (not every corner shop sells Irn Bru – how do people live?), but most of all by the difference in the independence debate south of the border. Everyone in London was talking about oil, sterling and Salmond. Nobody was talking about theatre.
That has changed a little this week with the announcement of the programme for the 2014 Edinburgh International Festival. Last August, festival director Jonathan Mills was criticised for not planning anything independence-related for the 2014 event, which will close just a few weeks before the vote. He said at the time: “I’m not anticipating anything [about the referendum] in the programme at all.” It was a strange statement to make... Keep reading on Telegraph