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Festival of Politics news archive
These news releases relate to the Festival of Politics in 2006. See news of the 2007 event.
| Festival of Politics nominated for Channel 4 Political Award |
| The Scottish Parliament’s Festival of Politics has been nominated for a Channel 4 Political Award in recognition of its success in engaging with the public and introducing politics to new audiences. |
| Festival photo gallery I Watch events again in the video archive |
| Festival of Politics attracts 6000 people ahead of final day |
| This year's record-breaking Festival of Politics is set to finish on a high note after three successful days of bringing together the worlds of politics, media and the arts through performance, discussion and debate. |
| Dr Tommie Stewart on 'Remembering Slavery' |
| Full house for 'A Life in Politics' with Tam Dalyell |
| Former Father of the House of Commons and tenacious campaigner, Tam Dalyell recalled 'a life in politics' before a full house at Holyrood today, at the Festival of Politics. Pulling no punches in a career-spanning interview with Presiding Officer George Reid, the former MP revisited defining issues of his career. |
| Armando Iannucci gets into the thick of Scottish politics |
| Acclaimed satirist and writer, Armando Iannucci, gave his take on current politics and the place of satire in our democracy. |
| Sir Menzies Campbell in conversation |
| Sir Menzies Campbell spoke to a capacity crowd on the second day of the Festival of Politics. The Liberal Democrat leader covered topics including young people's engagement in voting, his own political aspirations, and his thoughts for Scotland. |
| Award-winning performance for Scottish Parliament's Festival of Politics |
| Award-winning Hollywood actress, Dr Tommie Stewart, will take centre stage at Holyrood on Friday, when she performs as part of the 2006 Festival of Politics. The celebrated actress - famous for her TV and film roles in the US including "I Know why the Caged Bird Sings" and "Mississippi Burning", will perform for the first time in the UK at the Scottish Parliament. |
| See pictures from the World Press Photo exhibition launch |
| Scottish Information Commissioner asks: "Is Knowledge Power?" |
| Scottish Information Commissioner Kevin Dunion gave a lively account of the Freedom of Information Act on the opening day of the Festival of Politics. The event, entitled "Is Knowledge Power?", gave a comprehensive account of his involvement with Freedom of Information (FOI) proceedings. |
| MSPs' economic vision gets thumbs up from top business brains |
| Top business gurus and leading entrepreneurs got their chance to grill parliamentarians when they pitched their vision for the Scottish economy on Wednesday as part of the 2006 Festival of Politics. MSPs Christine May, Jim Mather, Murdo Fraser, Jamie Stone and Shona Baird faced a tough panel of experts when they took part in the debate entitled Could you Make a Fortune in Scotland?. |
| More famous faces for the Festival |
| Two of Britain's most distinguished politicians will share their wealth of political experience on Thursday (24 August), the second day of the Festival of Politics. Leader of the Liberal Democrats, Sir Menzies Campbell, and former Father of the House of Commons, Tam Dalyell, will speak in depth about politics on both sides of the border, and also about life away from the front benches. |
| First Day for Holyrood's Festival of Politics |
| The second Festival of Politics gets under way on Wednesday with a range of topical events designed to engage people of all ages in the world of politics. From Wednesday to Saturday, 23-26 August, this award-winning four-day festival has something for visitors of all ages - and brings together the worlds of politics, media and the arts through performance, discussion and debate. Some of the famous faces taking the stage at the Scottish Parliament are newsreader George Alagiah, TV historian Dan Snow and comedian and writer Armando Iannucci. |
| Holyrood's Festival of Politics opens with prestigious World Press Photo Exhibition |
| The World Press Photo exhibition, showing in Scotland for the first time, opens to the public on Tuesday 22 August. The exhibition contains more than 200 striking images from leading photojournalists, agencies, newspapers and magazines around the world. Among the prize-winning photojournalists is Kieran Dodds of the Evening Times and The Herald who was awarded first prize in the nature section for his photo story on the estimated eight million straw-coloured fruit bats that arrive in the Kasanka National Park in Zambia each October. |
| Lung Ha's Theatre Company gets ready for Festival of Politics |
| Holyrood will be home to a unique dramatic event this summer, when a group of disabled actors take part in a specially-written performance for this year's Festival of Politics (23-26 Aug). The Edinburgh-based Lung Ha Theatre Company will be performing a piece of 'legislative theatre' designed exclusively for the Scottish Parliament looking at three key issues - accessibility, attitude and education - that effect adults with learning and physical disabilities. |
| International flavour for Holyrood's Festival of Politics |
| There will be a distinct international flavour to the Scottish Parliament next week, when poets, musicians and performers from around the globe take to the stage in Edinburgh during this year's Festival of Politics (23-26 August). From America there will be a powerful performance from celebrated Hollywood actress Tommie Stewart as she looks at the legacy of slavery and the civil rights movement. Dance will be celebrated internationally too, with Scotland 's first Asian language musical group Sangeet Mala and on Saturday 26 August, the whole family can celebrate Malawian culture through music, dance and games. |
| MSPs' economic vision to be tested by top business brains |
| Top business gurus and leading entrepreneurs will grill parliamentarians when they pitch their vision for the Scottish economy during a unique event at the Festival of Politics on Wednesday 23 August. Rachel Elnaugh, star of the BBC's business talent show Dragon's Den, will be one of a panel of experts casting a steely eye over MSPs' economic and entrepreneurial plans for Scotland. |
| BBC’s Heather Reid Talks ‘Climate Change’ |
| BBC Scotland's Heather 'the weather' Reid is to chair an international discussion on climate change at this month's Festival of Politics. The eminent scientist and weather forecaster will lead the first ever Café Politique titled "Whose Climate is it Anyway?" highlighting issues of worldwide climate changes. |
| Broadcaster Dan Snow talks Culloden |
| The impact of the bloody battle of Culloden and what it meant for the future of Scotland and Britain will be examined during a thought provoking lecture at Holyrood's Festival of Politics. Dan Snow, presenter of the acclaimed BBC series Battlefield Britain, will discuss the last major battle fought on British soil and its legacy for Scotland and Britain. |
| Fun for all the Family at Holyrood’s Festival of Politics |
| It's fun for all the family at Holyrood this summer, when they get the chance to sing, dance and even play snakes and ladders in the Scottish Parliament, thanks to the Festival of Politics' family day on Saturday 26 August. The award-winning four-day festival as a whole has something for visitors of all ages – from storytelling workshops filled with fairies and giants to cutting-edge political debates. It is also packed full of talks from famous faces, like newsreader George Alagiah, TV historian Dan Snow and comedian and writer Armando Iannucci. |
| It's child's play at Holyrood's Festival of Politics |
| Primary and secondary school students will prove that politics can be for everyone when they take part in a fun programme of events during this summer's award-winning Festival of Politics at the Scottish Parliament in Edinburgh. Almost 80 P6 and P7 pupils from St Stephens Primary, Coatbridge and St Columba's Primary School, Boghall, West Lothian, will take part in a unique Parliamentary Treasure Hunt where they will use their super-sleuthing skills to track down hidden clues from spotting shapes and flags in the building to identifying flowers in the gardens. |
| Teenagers gain hold of Scotland's purse strings at Holyrood's Festival of Politics |
| Teenagers will have a grip on the nation's purse strings when they go head to head in a Holyrood debate over how to Spend Scotland 's Money as part of this summer's Festival of Politics taking place at the Scottish Parliament. Six teams of 14 to 17-year-old students, gathered from schools from Inverness to Motherwell, will be provided with the actual figures and real bills presented to Parliament, asked to devise a budget and then debate which reforms they can afford to make as they bid to 'run the country'. |
| Asian dancers launch Holyrood's Festival of Politics |
| Sangeet Mala, Scotland's first Asian language musical group, brought a taste of Bollywood to Holyrood when they launched the Festival of Politics programme 2006. Leading entrepreneur, Michelle Mone and Liberal Democrat leader, Menzies Campbell, also gave their support to the Festival. |
| Holyrood's Festival of Politics returns with an extended and more varied programme |
| Holyrood's award-winning Festival of Politics will return to the Scottish Parliament in August with an extended programme of events to suit all ages and interests. Last year's critically acclaimed inaugural event proved so popular the Festival has been extended from three to four days, has more than twice the number of events and includes the World Press Photo Exhibition - held for the first time in Scotland. Taking place from 23 to 26 August , this ground-breaking festival brings together the worlds of politics, media and the arts through performance, discussion and debate. |
| Festival of Politics to host prestigious World Press Photo Exhibition The Scottish Parliament will host one of the world's most prestigious photographic exhibitions as part of this year's Festival of Politics. The exhibition will be free to view and will be held at Holyrood from 22 August 2006. Showing in Scotland for the first time, the World Press Photo exhibition is the result of a worldwide annual competition attracting entries from leading photojournalists, agencies, newspapers and magazines from all corners of the globe. |
| Naidheachd anns a' Ghàidhlig mu Fhèis nam Poiletaigs |
| View reports and news from the 2005 event |
| For media enquiries please call 0131 348 6245. |