Community orientated festival that celebrates the history and heritage of the Edinburgh Old Town in storytelling, lectures, tours, music, exhibitions, and other events. The Edinburgh Old Festival has a theme each year. In 2010, it's ‘Lives and Legends’ with a focus on the past, present and future voices of the Edinburgh Old Town.
The 50 or so events, aimed at all age groups, range from insights into the Old Town’s architecture and stories of past residents with author Ed Hollis in his lunchtime lecture Tenement Tales (Thursday 17 June), to a personal Scottish history with Millie Gray’s Voices of Scotland (Monday 21 June), to John Greig and Stuart McHardy’s explore The Singin’ Lands (Thursday 24 June) with their witty songs and stories.
Programme highlights include Scottish Caricatures & Characters at the National Gallery Complex (every day of the Festival), and live tales of the Old Town’s mystery and intrigue at Guid Crack (Friday 25 June).
You can also discover the People of the Old Town through community art and project displays at the Blackfriars Residents’ Community Rooms (Tuesdays and Fridays during the Festival), plus a free afternoon of music from the Scots Music Group with their Old Town Café Ceilidh at the Storytelling Centre (Tuesday 22 June).
The Scottish Storytelling Centre hosts the Festival finale, with Storyfair (Sunday 27 June), a story-filled, family-friendly open day and which sums up the celebratory mood of the Festival with storytelling, craft activities and a special Meet the Authors for Children! (4pm, 50mins) which features Lari Don and Janis Mackay reading excerpts and explaining the inspiration behind their books.
The Tales of Auld Reekie story sessions(11am, 12pm, 2pm and 3pm, 30mins) explore the colourful characters of Georgian Edinburgh for this final day of the Festival. (Auld Reekie is also on Saturday 19 June at Gladstone’s Land and Saturday 26 June at the Storytelling Centre).
Old Town Festival Background
The Old Town Festival originated in the 1980s, and grew into a lively community event. The Festival included a Gala Day parade and was led by the then Netherbow Arts Centre. The Scottish Storytelling Centre revived the Festival as part of its June events programme in 2006 with the support of heritage association Edinburgh World Heritage Trust (EWHT).
In 2007 the Festival became a two-week programme, with 25 events held by partner venues, community groups and local cultural organisations, as well as at the Scottish Storytelling Centre. David Hicks at EWHT says the festival is an opportunity for residents "to explore and re-discover the world-class heritage on their doorstep, and help visitors to experience the unique historic atmosphere of the Old Town."