15 October 2014 History like you’ve never heard it before. Encore! ‘Previously…’, Scotland’s History Festival is back! November 2014 sees the fourth ‘Previously…’ taking place with events in Edinburgh, Glasgow, Stirling, St Andrews, Dunfermline and Moffat. It all kicks off on 13 November to coincide with RLS (Robert Louis Stevenson) Day, which features a whole host of events to celebrate the life of one of history’s most incredible writers and one of Scotland’s own. Highlights of RLS Day, organised by UNESCO City of Literature Trust, include an evening session with actor and RLS fan Nigel Planer and award‐
winning author Louise Welsh. ‘Previously…’, supported by the City of Edinburgh Council, is the largest festival of its kind in the UK. It continues until November 30, ending on that most Scottish of Scottish celebrations ‐ St Andrews Day. Join in the fun for three days of events in St Andrews itself, including an exciting day of music and dance, with musician Eddi Reader and a street ceilidh, and an historic dinner at The Old Course Hotel, supported through Scotland’s Winter Festivals, a programme of events managed by EventScotland on behalf of the Scottish Government. In between there’s something to tickle everyone’s historical fancy, with events to appeal to families, students, history buffs, beer drinkers, foodies and anyone with an interest in Scotland’s past and what it can mean for our present and indeed future. Generously supported by Historic Scotland, ‘Previously…’ will be holding the first careers fair dedicated to career opportunities in the history and heritage sector on November 18. Festival Director, Susan Morrison said: “Previously… is not just Scotland’s showcase for its history, it’s also a great time for Scots themselves to treat themselves to that history. This year’s festival has expanded in terms of both geography and content. We have an incredible story to tell of a small country with a big impact, so let’s immerse ourselves in that extraordinary heritage. “Our aim remains the same as always, to get history out and about ‐ to put it in the hands of the public and demonstrate, once again, that history isn’t about dusty rooms or books but about vibrant, informative, incredible, terrifying, heart‐stopping and engaging stories that are and should be important and relevant to all of us.” Other highlights in the festival calendar include: Authors Events: Writer events spanning the whole 18 days including a range of events in association with Scottish Book Trust, Blackwell Books and The Historic Writers Association. Family history: join comedian Frankie Boyle as he explores the family tree that produced him; learn how to navigate your way through the branches of your own family tree with Scotland’s foremost experts at a pop‐up event in the National Museum of Scotland; find out what sort of world those ancestors lived in with the help of the National Archives of Previously press release 1of 2
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Scotland; or consider turning the entire saga into a book, with helpful pointers and tips at a session with a professional writer at the Central Library Carnegie Day, November 25: Andrew Carnegie Day is a partnership between ‘Previously…’ and Visit Dunfermline, supported by Fife College and Carnegie Conference Centre. Lord Ashdown, the UN’s former High Representative in Bosnia, and Professor Ilan Pappé, historian and author of The Ethnic Cleansing of Palestine, take part in a panel discussion on ‘Peace & Reconciling the Past’, hosted by filmmaker and Dunfermline born Richard Jobson. The full programme of events, with details of times, venues and tickets, is available on the ‘Previously…’ website: http://www.historyfest.co.uk/ ‘Previously…’ is on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/historyfestscotland?fref=ts And Twitter: https://twitter.com/prevhistfest ++++ ends NOTES TO EDITORS Please find attached to this email a PDF of the full ‘Previously…’ programme. For further information, please contact: Susan Morrison, Festival Director, tel 07709508356 or Ian Harrower, Festival producer, tel: 07971 858581. Alternatively, email: press@historyfest.co.uk Background information: ‘Previously…’ exists as an educational, heritage and cultural festival. Its aim is to celebrate Scotland’s history, to widen access and participation, to create connections and threads between our past, our present and our future. ‘Previously…’ has enjoyed a 30% audience growth year on year since launching in 2011. Last year saw almost 10,000 visitors enjoy events provided by 80 + Partners. This year, ‘Previously…’ has expanded from Edinburgh to Glasgow, Stirling, Moffat, Dunfermline and St Andrews. Partnership events include Andrew Carnegie Day, St Andrews Day Celebrations, Gyre in Moffat, Flyting in Stirling Castle and Heritage Career Fair with Historic Scotland, school events with the University of Edinburgh and University of St Andrews, and author events with the History Writers’ Association and the Scottish Book Trust. “Previously…’was a triumph in imagination and challenging our citizens to think differently about history and how it has affected and shaped our country and our lives.” The Observer, Sunday 14 December 2013 Previously press release 2of 2
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