First Reading of a new play about the life of Belle Stewart, a cultural icon, and Scottish Traditional Traveller, feted throughout the world for her ballad singing.
Dementia is no respecter of persons or cultures. In this moving drama, a mother and daughter, famous in their own right, grapple with the challenges, and fight to hold on to memory and love.
Queen Amang the Heather takes its place in a series of events focusing on Scotland’s Travelling People at the Storytelling Centre. Following the recent Scottish Parliament report on Scotland’s Gypsy-Travellers, many of the key issues from land rights, to identity, belonging and prejudice feature from Tuesday 3 October.
Written by Sheila Stewart and Christeen Winford, Queen Amang the Heather is co-produced in a rehearsed reading by Luminate, Scotland’s creative ageing festival, and the Scottish Storytelling Centre. Directed by Liam Hurley, a stellar cast of Sheila Donald, Tam Dean Burn, Anna Hepburn, Alison Julie Taudevin and Stevie Ritchie, bring this original drama to life on Saturday 13 October.
We Have Won the Land (Tuesday 2 and Wednesday 3 October) is a bi-lingual Gaelic and English performance following, with sometimes hilarious effect, the communities battling for land buyouts, while Riders on the Storm: A Creation Myth for Scotland is a powerful and evocative storytelling performance by David Campbell and Janis Mackay, celebrating the mythic shaping of Caledonia, with music from piper Alan Macdonald on Thursday 11 October.
Café Voices: Take a Walk in My Shoes on Wednesday 10 October features Jess Smith, renowned Traveller storyteller, whose new book Way of the Wanderers: The Story of Travellers in Scotland is launched at the Storytelling Centre on Saturday 13 October at 6pm, before Queen Amang the Heather.
And before Jess Smith’s book launch there is the chance to get involved in a free, interactive afternoon of art, workshops and traditional crafts in Moving Minds Edinburgh at 1pm, in conjunction with support group for minority ethnic carers, MECOPP.
Once again in a week of premiere performances, talks and participative events, the Scottish Storytelling Centre brings arts and society together around key contemporary issues, in a unique Scottish blend.
To Book: www.scottishstorytellingcentre.co.uk or 0131 556 9579
Queen Amang the Heather gratefully acknowledges the financial support of Luminate, Scotland’s creative ageing festival www.luminatescotland.org
Lindsay Corr is Marketing Officer at Scottish Storytelling Centre
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