Culture Perth and Kinross have announced that the Soutar Festival of Words will return later this month to celebrate Scots language and Scottish culture.
The festival will run from April 26th to 28th at the AK Bell Library and Perth Art Gallery in Perth and will feature a range of events and performances for all ages and interests, including poetry, spoken word, talks, and workshops, all celebrating the Scots language and contemporary culture.
To kick off the festival on Friday, April 26th, the Friends of William Soutar Birthday Lecture will feature Frieda Morrison, one of Scotland’s best-known broadcasters and a strong advocate for the Scots language through her work. Frieda will discuss her passion for the language and its importance, including her creation of ‘Scots Radio’. Frieda is Chair of the Doric Board which supports around 79 projects promoting and celebrating culture and language in the North East of Scotland and she has won multiple awards for her services to Scots language.
On Saturday, Iain Mackintosh will lead a walk through Perth to discover William Soutar’s inspirations, Ishbel McFarlane will lead a fun storytelling session for bairnies and babbies. and Billy Kay will celebrate the launch of his latest book, “Born in Kyle – A Love letter tae an Ayrshire Childhood“. He will share stories and passages with humour. Billy is well known in Scottish culture for his radio and TV documentaries for the BBC as well as his books including “Scots The Mither Tongue”, “Odyssey”, “Knee Deep in Claret” and “The Scottish World”.
The Soutar poets, Ross Mackay, Imogen Stirling and Hannah Lavery, will return to Perth to discuss their recent work, creative processes and the shared experience of becoming a Soutar Poet.
On Sunday, April 28th, Perth Art Gallery takes centre stage, as award-winning writer and magician Ross Mackay will host an interactive workshop diving into the magic of fairytales. Ross will tell a variety of weird and wonderful fairy tales all based around some of his favourite magic tricks. This fun, relaxed workshop is ideal for anyone with an active imagination who loves to tell a story. Rebecca Sharp will also deliver a poetry writing workshop at Perth Art Gallery on Sunday. This workshop pays homage to Soutar’s experience of the world through his window and his intimate observations of the outside world.
The complete programme is available at www.culturepk.org.uk/soutar24
The Soutar Festival of Words will run from the 26th to the 28th of April 2024. The Festival has been made possible with support from Perth and Kinross Council and The Friends of William Soutar.
Tickets are available via Perthshire Box Office.