Route to cultural self discovery

AS EDINBURGH braces itself for another Festival, another influx of millions of visitors, and another billion pounds plus to the local economy, the same questions come up. How much longer, bigger and better can it become and, if it is to change, in what direction?

The Festival’s Director, Nicola Benedetti, is on the case already, highlighting the contribution music makes to wellbeing, with live performances in Edinburgh’s Royal Hospital for Children.

For Benedetti it is all part of a wider vision to make the Festival programme both more affordable and more accessible, and to remove barriers to cultural discovery.

More important than ever, therefore, that the government, having just announced its ‘Best Start’ strategy, recognises the value of investing in arts education now. Culture is a golden egg for the tourist industry, as is adventure. The further out, the more frequent, the more expensive and exclusive the better. Ideally following the example of certain individuals who shall remain nameless (you know, and they know you know!) rocket trips into space and taking over a whole city for a wedding.

Equally important, though, is self-discovery, finding inner creativity and fulfilment alongside the stimulation of new places and experiences. Ideally both.

The opportunity to see a particular painting, hear that piece of music, read this novel, or see that performance can unlock individual creativity and, given the right support and encouragement, open the doors of perception, imagination, and self-expression.

It’s moments like these that can sow the seeds that flower into the great performers of the future.

In search of the Truth we Seek

IN A CANNY move The Observer recently devoted its entire front page to the revelation that “The Salt Path”, a blockbuster book and now a film, was spun from lies, deceit and desperation.

After months of Trump, Musk, Gaza, and Ukraine, and with the holiday season in full swing, the editor sensed that readers needed a break. What better than a heart-rending story that everyone thought was true?

The line between truth and fiction can be a fine one, and that’s before human error and frailty are factored in; we all make mistakes.

Despite howls of protest even Wimbledon has adopted ELC, electronic line-calling. After all, robots are so much more reliable and efficient than humans! But so much more boring too.

Virginia Woolf and her Cambridge friends hoodwinked the Admiralty in 1910, pretending to be Abyssinian royalty, invited to a state visit to HMS Dreadnought, flagship of the Channel Fleet. Piped on board, they spoke gibberish, shouting “Bunga bunga!” to express astonishment. Nobody rumbled them, and it gave her career quite a boost!

It’s accepted that governments, royalty and the military routinely withhold information in the interests of national security, but also to cover up embarrassing blunders.

In these times of fake news verity is more important than ever, so it’s good to see that Nicola Benedetti has chosen “The Truth We Seek - a journey into the elusive nature of truth, in our personal and public lives”, as the theme for this year’s Edinburgh Festival.

Important, too, that the Fourth Estate holds the line. Let George Orwell have the last word: “In times of deceit, telling the truth is a revolutionary act.”

Time to speak up for the truth

THE BBC comtimues to receive more than its fair share of criticism over its coverage of the truly heart breaking events in Gaza. A second film – covering the work of doctors in Gaza – has been withdrawn on the slimmest of grounds.

Banned as they are – along with all the world's free media – from reporting first hand on the truly shocking goings-on in Gaza and the Occupied West Bank, it is impossible for them to ascertain what is really taking place.

The Starmer government, which seems to find it difficult to take any sort of strong line with leaders like Messrs Netanyahu or Trump, should demand proper access for the BBC and all free media.

The world‘s media should be far more vociferous as well. History well not judge us kindly for our abject timidity.