On the 25th January Scotland celebrates the 250th Anniversary of its national bard. Continuing the celebrations into late Spring, the Burns an ‘A That Festival kicks off in Ayrshire with a superb offering of themed Scottish work to a dedicated festival audience. Featuring both local and international artists, the Festival enjoys a weeks long programme of peotry, music, dance, whisky tasting and debates.
With such a milestone heralding 2009 there has been a dirth of marketing and propeganda and much commentating. Jenny Hjul’s excellent article in The Sunday Times entitled, “Beware Salmond’s bid to hijack our cultural festival” proved a most interesting read. Her article highlights the Nationalists’ offer to fund and “promote Scottish themed work”. On first reading this is a superb offer for any artist performing Scottish themed work. But as Jenny Hjul writes, such selective funding may be viewed as political manoeuvrings by the Scottish National Party and you have to question, what about funding the rest of the arts?
Like Chaucer, Burns was a great moralist for all his worldly ways. His eye for detail and the ability to capture with absolute sincerity, natures unfathomed dialogue, reveals what a genius he was. As the year’s celebrations unfold, we have yet to see what the Burns An ‘A That Festival will showcase in May. But for now we’re off to our local village hall to celebrate his birth with the most humblest of foods – the haggis!
Have a great Burns Night!
