August saw a visit to Scotland by 15 Cultural Diplomats, organised by Visiting Arts in partnership with the Scottish Arts Council, with additional support from British Council and DCMS.  The three-day visit, coinciding with the Edinburgh festivals, gave the diplomats the opportunity to make contact with representatives of the main Edinburgh festivals and other key institutions in Edinburgh and Glasgow, explore options for creative exchange, and gain an overview of arts and creativity in Scotland.
 
High Commissions, Embassies and cultural organisations represented on the visit were: the Cyprus High Commission, Embassy of Belgium, Taipei Representative Office in the UK, Embassy of Finland, Embassy of Panamá, Lithuanian Embassy in the UK, Royal Norwegian Embassy, Embassy of Belarus, Korean Cultural Centre, Québec Government Office, High Commission of Canada, Embassy of Costa Rica, Raitu Foundation UK / Romanian Cultural Centre, and the Mozambique High Commission.
 
The visit began with a welcome and context setting from Scottish Arts Council, followed by a meeting with Scottish Executive staff.  The group also met Linda Fabiani, Minister for Europe, External Affairs and Culture at the Scottish Arts Council’s reception.  Arts and cultural operators were met in groups focussing on festivals, performing arts, visual arts, craft, literature, museums and dance.  Performances seen were Scottish Dance Theatre’s tenderhook and Dog and the Palestinian National Theatre’s Jidariyya. 

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