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Cultural Diplomacy programme

Challenge

How to build back, update and refresh a pioneering international cultural diplomacy programme established in 2011, for a post-Covid, post-Brexit Scotland grappling with the tension between supporting international cultural exchange and taking action to address the climate emergency.

Background

In 2011 Festivals Edinburgh established a partnership with British Council Scotland and Creative Scotland to deliver a programme of cultural diplomacy work, including:

  • the Cultural Diplomacy Partnership, a regular meeting bringing together British Council Scotland, Creative Scotland, Festivals Edinburgh, Scottish Government, the City of Edinburgh Council, Glasgow Life and Visit Scotland, to exchange information and discuss future ‘soft power’ opportunities. 
  • Momentum, an international delegate programme inviting key cultural players to Edinburgh during the peak festival season in August, with the aim to catalyse new international relationships for the Edinburgh Festivals and other Scotland-based arts organisations and artists.

Inevitably, the Momentum delegate programme did not run during the Covid pandemic, and on return to full operation in 2022, the partners found themselves in a changed world. Brexit, the pandemic, the climate emergency and continued funding uncertainty had knocked confidence around international working for Scotland-based artists and organisations.

Momentum - Delegate networking

Action

Momentum’s focus on catalysing and supporting long-term, sustainable international partnerships remains the first principle of the programme. The three partners retained this key strength, and leant into the opportunity to refresh some elements to enhance it further.

Updated format

On returning in 2022, the partners increased their focus on quality, not quantity; keeping delegations small and exclusive. This means:

  • Hosts can develop further Momentum’s existing focus on bespoke, individually designed programmes. They have more time for detailed pre-planning for each individual delegate and for very attentive and responsive hosting during the delegation dates.
  • Momentum plays better to its strengths as a programme which supports delegates to navigate the complex and busy Edinburgh August festivals landscape, offering personal, bespoke match-making.
  • Events offering Scotland-based artists the opportunity to meet the Momentum delegates are more personal and accessible. Facilitated round table conversations, or speed-networking formats, offer artists and delegates more time together.
  • ‘Meet the Festivals’ speed-networking events are an efficient and popular way to enable focussed conversations between delegates and representatives from Edinburgh’s festivals.
  • A bespoke, targeted approach which can catalyse long-term relationships offers more value for the associated financial and carbon costs.
  • The developments in online communication during the pandemic have informed and enabled better advance preparation for delegates and Scotland-based artists (online welcome meetings, information videos etc), enabling best use of the time in Edinburgh.

MOLIT23_Roundtables_creditJosephineYoungMorrison_033Response to Brexit

In line with British Council’s updated priorities following Brexit, the Momentum partners initially increased their focus on EU countries (2022 included both France and Germany), while retaining a global mix. As the landscape became clearer post-Brexit, Momentum countries showed an increased focus on wider Europe and European border countries, including the MENA (Middle East and North Africa) region. After pilot delegations in 2024, the Nordic region and Türkiye joined the programme for 2025-27.

To address the loss of confidence in working internationally, in 2026 the Momentum partners will pilot some capacity building development sessions for Scotland-based artists and organisations, led by sector leaders including representatives from Edinburgh’s festivals.

Response to Climate Emergency

Pre-pandemic, the partners had not yet developed a carbon management policy or plan for Momentum. Following the return of the programme, the partners worked together with Creative Scotland’s Climate Emergency and Sustainability Lead to address this gap.

Momentum’s carbon management policy now sets out the value of the project’s focus on long-term, generative, collaborative international partnerships; how the project will measure and reduce its environmental impact; how it will develop its role as a forum to discuss how best to enable international cultural exchange in the context of the climate emergency; and why that is important.

Results

The individual, bespoke Momentum programme leads to excellent outcomes for Scotland-based artists and the delegates. The programme includes a follow-up fund to support the development of new connections made in Edinburgh.

Some recent examples:

  • Thanks to a Momentum-facilitated meeting in 2022, Haven for Artists (Beirut) and the Edinburgh Art Festival have built an ongoing partnership centring solidarity and social justice. Haven for Artists have been part of each EAF edition since 2023, developing links with other artists, galleries and community organisations.
  • Scotland-based Wonder Fools were introduced to Korean delegate Minjin Hong by Momentum in 2024. Their international co-production will premiere at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2026.
  • Momentum Literature delegate Zoe Xie is working in partnership with the Edinburgh International Book Festival to support development of links with Chinese writers and the Beijing International Book Fair.

Importantly, the Momentum partners have improved practice around tracking these outcomes, modernising systems to better collect evidence, and producing Momentum case studies that can be shared to inspire others.

Lessons

  • Personal, human connections are vital. Bespoke ‘match-making’ – bringing together people with something in common and giving them time together – is as important in developing international cultural collaboration as it is in other kinds of relationships.
  • Stories matter. Sharing personal accounts of new connections, journeys and projects is the most powerful way to invite more people to participate.
  • When the world changes, it’s essential to adapt while retaining key principles and strengths.
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