Australians will be invited to pay tribute to the art, music and culture of Scottish cities, highlands, lochs, moors and isles with 35 festivals across Australia signing on to participate in the Year of Scotland in Australia 2020.
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| Edinburgh, Scotland |
YOSA 2020 will begin at Woodford Folk Festival on December 27, 2019, going on to incorporate events in every Australian state and territory until January 1, 2021.
These two traditional Hogmanay celebrations will bookmark hundreds of activities across the year showcasing the quality and diversity of Scottish musical culture.
YOSA 2020 activities include expansions to the National Celtic Festival's annual ceilidh trail, Scottish artists touring regional and remote areas via the Festival of Small Halls Australia, food and drink events as well as a renewed focus on Scottish cultural celebrations such as Burns Night, St Andrew's Day, Highland Games and Clan Gatherings.
Festivals and events of all sizes – from a 125,000-capacity celebration to an intimate 50-person event – will experience the best of Scottish music and culture.
Organisers say the year-long program of events came about collaboratively after a group of festival directors and agents were welcomed to Scotland in August 2018.
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| Argyle, Tobermory |
As 2020 marks the year of Coasts and Waters in Scotland – a celebration of the country's 10,000km coastline and spectacular lochs, seas, streams and rivers – YOSA 2020 will incorporate a program of music, art and activities referencing the Celtic lifeblood.
Fiona Hyslop, Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External Affairs for the Scottish Government said: “Scotland maintains an enduring relationship with Australia that dates back many years, and this is a phenomenal opportunity to further this with musicians on both sides of the globe sharing our dynamic traditional music scene.”
“This will leave a lasting legacy for our artists and performers to tour in Australia and share our culture even more. My hope is that countless people 'down under' will be introduced to our music, heritage and culture, and that new working partnerships will be delivered creating demand from audiences for continued Scottish performances beyond next year.”
The 2016 Australian census showed 119,416 Australian residents were born in Scotland, while over two million claimed Scottish ancestry.
YOSA 2020 is supported by a range of organisations across Scotland including Showcase Scotland Expo, The Scottish Government, Visit Scotland, Creative Scotland and the Scottish Music Centre. In Australia, YOSA 2020 is produced by Woodfordia Inc.
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