Creative Scotland, the Baring Foundation and Age Scotland are delighted to announce Anne Gallacher's appointment as Festival Director for a new national festival that will celebrate arts, creativity and ageing.
Launching in October 2012 the festival will showcase the arts, creativity and ageing in a diverse and large-scale celebration of older artists, performers and participants.
The festival is part of Creative Scotland’s drive to increase the numbers of older people enjoying high quality arts activities, whether as artists, performers, participants or consumers, as research has shown that older people are less likely than other groups to take part in cultural activities.
Anne Gallacher has had an extensive career within the cultural sector, including senior posts at Birmingham Royal Ballet and Watford Palace Theatre. She was awarded a Clore Leadership Fellowship in 2005, and since spring 2009 has worked as a freelance arts consultant for a wide range of organisations including Salisbury International Arts Festival, Balletboyz and Norfolk Dance. Anne is the Chair of DanceDigital, the dance development agency for Essex and Hertfordshire.
Welcoming the appointment, Iain Munro, Director of Creative Development at Creative Scotland, said; ‘Our ambition is for the arts and creativity to play a central part in the lives, education and well-being of Scotland’s population and this festival is a significant milestone in achieving this ambition. Our vision is to create an inspiring and ambitious annual festival of arts for, by, with and about older people.
‘The first festival will take place during 2012, designated as the Year of Creative Scotland, and it will form part of a wider programme of events that will provide opportunities for communities across the whole of Scotland to access and participate in cultural activities.’
Learning from existing festival models, including Bealtaine in Ireland and Gwanwyn in Wales, the festival will bring social, economic and health benefits to older people and the wider community, and will encourage intergenerational connections.
Festival Director, Anne Gallacher, said; ‘I am thrilled to have been appointed to the new role of Festival Director, and I’m looking forward very much to collaborating with communities, artists and creative organisations as the festival develops.
‘I have been inspired by the commitment of the partners to enable people to access the arts and creative activities in their later years. I want the programme to celebrate and support creative ageing, to reflect the distinctiveness of Scotland, and to build new international relationships. Scotland is already home to some exciting work for, by, with and about older people, and I’m keen to build on this, adding new opportunities and reaching more communities and audiences. There will be many ways for people to become involved, including projects which bring the generations together, and a programme of creative work with older people living in care homes.
‘I am grateful to the partners – Creative Scotland, The Baring Foundation and Age Scotland – for providing a strong springboard for the festival’s launch in 2012, and I am hugely excited about the opportunities that lie ahead.’
Katie Docherty of Age Scotland, said: ‘We believe this to be a positive development that in the longer term will have a major impact on Scotland’s older population and their involvement in and appreciation of the arts.
‘In the recent past the emphasis appears to have been mainly on the younger artist, perhaps contributing to a bit of a cultural vacuum as far as older artists and those in later life who appreciate and enjoy the arts are concerned.
'We are confident that this festival will address concerns in this regard and result in improved intergenerational co-operation to the benefit of all of Scotland’s communities.’