Stories

Hello, I am an artist living in the beautiful city of Edinburgh with my young family. I have been sketching as the Edinburgh Sketcher for 15 years now and started drawing on my lunch breaks as a form of relaxation and escape from a sometimes stressful media job.

Drawing little bits of architecture took my mind away from things in the news I couldn’t fix, and also gave me a distraction when life was tough.

I sketch my life through ink and paint, and like to capture hidden scenes around the city. I love to highlight community projects and local businesses, sharing feel good stories from the capital with my watercolours.

Which is why I was honoured to be asked to get involved with Festival Stories. Seeing the great things going on in our community and meeting some wonderful welcoming people has been so pleasurable.”
– Mark Kirkham, Edinburgh Sketcher

EAF’s event for World AIDS Day 2025 (1 Dec) celebrated the ongoing work of Ally Van Tillo: Leith resident, and pioneering activist in the Scottish fight against the AIDS crisis. People gathered to watch There Is A Light That Never Goes Out, a 1995 documentary about the Hyde Park display of the UK AIDS Memorial Quilt: an immense community arts project founded by Van Tillo. As well as a discussion on the legacy of HIV/AIDS activism and the chance to see part of the Quilt itself, visitors were treated to a performance of 80s hits from a community choir, before congregating outside to light up the night with a torchlit gathering.

EAF are grateful for the collaboration of Ally Van Tillo, Ian Van Tillo, Dom Miller-Graham (OurStory Scotland), Christopher Ward (Waverley Care), Bob Orr (Lavendar Menace), Raymond Rose, Dr Cole Collins, Joe Magowan, and Caspian Alexander-Reid, alongside our venue and event partners Aids Quilt UK, Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop, and David McLean of Bona Varda.

“Seeing ‘There Is A Light That Never Goes Out’ was profoundly moving. The inclusive and personal nature of the documentary and ceremony brought people together to remember those lost to HIV and AIDS and those still living with HIV, myself included. What stays with me is the sense of togetherness and the knowledge that collective action still matters, with a younger generation now taking up the torch of activism to challenge the injustices facing our LGBTQ communities in growingly dark times.”
– Raymond Rose

The Generation Fringe project (formerly Fringe Young Ambassadors) helps a group of 12–15 year-olds from high schools around Edinburgh to explore career pathways in the arts. They meet with arts professionals to gain insights into the various aspects of the industry, such as technical theatre, performance, hair and makeup, costume design, artist services, customer services, marketing, programming and more.

The project aims to engage and inspire young people, introducing them to parts of the industry they might not have known existed. The group visits Fringe venues and arts spaces around Edinburgh, learning how they can become the artists and arts industry professionals of the future.

The groups have visited a mix of Fringe venues – including the Traverse, the Playhouse, the Festival Theatre, the Scottish Storytelling Centre and more – meeting cast and crew from a wide variety of shows, from smaller Fringe shows to big musicals. Fringe have partnered with Edinburgh College and their Performing Arts Studio Scotland (PASS) so the young people could experience workshops spanning various areas of the performing arts and try their hand at different skills, all while meeting industry professionals who have forged careers in these areas. Currently in its third cohort of young people, 2025 Generation Fringe is working with teenagers from Craigroyston High and Trinity Academy.

“This project has taught me that there are so many more jobs than just being a performer and you can work in the arts without being in the spotlight. It has given me an idea of what area I’d like to work in. My favourite bits of the project were the special effects makeup workshop and meeting the stage managers, it makes theatre seem more accessible to me, because there are so many jobs I didn’t know about.”
– Generation Fringe Participant

Paper Trails is Edinburgh International Book Festival’s multi-year communities project working to tackle literacy inequality and social isolation in partnership with Edinburgh Libraries. Over Autumn 2025, the Book Festival worked with the Mobile Libraries team to deliver five week poetry residencies in eight care homes across the city. The project provided a space for the residents to listen to and create their own poetry as well as bringing the joy of the Book Festival to people who may not be able to attend in person anymore. The work featured here was written by residents at Manor Grange Care Home.

“Our residents said they found the sessions relaxing and a nice pause away from the hustle and bustle of life in a care home. They said that they often felt transported to another time and place.”
– Activities Coordinator Glencairn Care Home

Creative Encounters was Imaginate’s landmark project placing children’s voices at the heart of the creative process. For three years, children took part in weekly artist-led activities that helped foster creative expression, build self-confidence, and create joyful experiences in a supportive environment. Election by Bishop May Down, commissioned by North Edinburgh Youth Arts Collective, imagined children as bigwig decisionmakers with the power to make real change. Three eleven-year-olds in oversized suits and fake moustaches delivered a political manifesto, offering a child’s perspective on what is valuable in the world.

Imaginate is the national organisation in Scotland, which develops, presents and celebrates theatre and dance for children and young people. As well as producing the Edinburgh International Children’s Festival, Imaginate develops exciting schools projects, runs a schools touring programme all over Scotland, and supports artists to make inspiring work for young people.

“You can actually talk freely, you can state your opinions… I feel like I can express my emotions better here than anywhere else and it feels like I’m free”
– Project participant

The values of discovery and connection guide the work of Edinburgh International Festival both on and off stage. Their multi-year Community Connections Hub partnership with Space @ The Broomhouse Hub works year-round to build co-created programmes rooted in the local community’s ideas.

The Welcome to the International Festival course was tailored for international residents of Edinburgh, inviting group members to explore how experiencing different cultures connects us. Developing conversational skills through engaging with creativity, participants took part in workshops with International Festival artists and found out more about the different job roles involved in welcoming audiences to the Festival. This all culminated in August, with course participants helping to organise an international community meal which featured dishes from their cultures and welcomed International Festival musicians to perform. Working together, this project created a shared space celebrating culture and connection.

“It was interesting to learn about how Edinburgh International Festival is created, about the artforms the festival presents. I loved helping organise and plan the event. It was a great success. I feel excited, inspired and very creative.”
– Hazel, Participant of Welcome to the International Festival

Edinburgh International Film Festival (EIFF)’s dynamic programme offers audiences the opportunity to engage directly with filmmakers and creative talent. In Conversation events and post-screening Q&As provide deeper insight into the craft of filmmaking while strengthening the connection between artists and audiences, reinforcing our commitment to supporting emerging voices and fostering meaningful dialogue around independent film.

The 79th Edinburgh International Film Festival will run from 13–19 August 2026 - the home of independent cinema. In Conversation events and Q&As, will continue to be an essential part of the programme in 2026. The festival will showcase new work and distinctive voices from around the world.

“Brought people together with a common interest. It was great to get an insider’s view on making films”
– EIFF 2025 Audience Feedback

Run by Latin dance specialist Albi Mendoza, from Bolivia, Latin Dance Inclusive is a community-based project that introduces young people with disabilities, alongside their parents, carers and families, to the joy of dance in a fun, friendly and inclusive environment.

The weekly sessions allow participants to follow or create their own movements through choreographies inspired by different Latin rhythms. Friends, family members, and support workers are all warmly welcomed to join in, helping to create a supportive, joyful atmosphere where everyone feels included.

Young people who initially observed from the doorway have gradually grown in confidence, moving into the space, participating fully, and eventually leading dances with their own favourite moves. Alongside this growth, strong and meaningful friendships have formed among the young people, and also between parents and carers.

Participants are offered opportunities to take part in public events such as the Edinburgh Festival Carnival, giving them the chance to take centre stage and proudly share what they have learned and developed along the way. Latin Dance Inclusive highlights how dance can bring people together across generations, promote healthier lifestyles, and create spaces where diversity, expression, and belonging are actively celebrated.

“I love the inclusiveness of the workshop. The fact parents and young people are dancing and having fun together, as equal participants.”

– Latin Dance Inclusive participant

Storytelling is an important part of Deaf culture. The Scottish International Storytelling Festival set up the BSL storytelling workshops at the Blackwood Bar, to provide a welcoming space where the Deaf community can come together to share stories, humour, memories or anything they feel inspired to perform in BSL.

Just as people share music or poetry in bars, this is a space for visual storytelling, connection and creativity. The workshops are open, relaxed and community-led, encouraging people to build confidence, develop storytelling skills and celebrate Deaf culture together. Everyone is welcome, whether they want to perform, learn or simply enjoy the stories.

The Scottish International Storytelling Festival is the world’s largest celebration of storytelling, anchored in Scotland, a nation of storytellers. The Festival takes place in October each year, as the seasons change and inspired by the Scottish ceilidh tradition – a community gathering full of traditional tales, music and song.

“One of my most memorable moments was sitting around the table sharing stories that all varied, yet all had similar themes. It was amazing to connect with others with shared lived experiences, and this artwork really reflects the connection” 
– Participant of the programme