Hearth Fire Sessions
Welcome to the Scottish Storytelling Centre's Hearth Fire Sessions with June Dougie Mackay, Daiva Ivanauskaitė, Miwa Nagato-Apthorp & Josie Vallely (Quinie) on Thursday 10th July!
About Hearth Fire Sessions
Welcome to an eclectic night of ancient myth, contemporary storytelling, post-folk music, and physical artistry. Steeped in the traditions of Scottish storytelling, we evoke the warm atmosphere of peat-smoked hearthsides and ceilidh house revelry, presenting timeless motifs relevant to a discerning modern audience. Join host Dougie Mackay as he invites a different selection of Scotland’s finest storytellers, songwriters, musicians, and performing artists to each bi-monthly Hearth Fire Session to create an innovative showcase of Scotland’s contemporary culture.
July's session features storyteller Daiva Ivanauskaitė, singer/songwriter Miwa Nagato-Apthorp and multi-disciplinary artist and Scots singer Josie Vallely (Quinie).
~~~~~
Dougie Mackay hails from the Scottish Highlands, from a lineage of natural storytellers. He is fascinated by the wild northern tales of Scotland, Scandinavia, Ireland and the Baltics, with a practice steeped in group-work facilitation and storytelling as a tool for development, connection and empowerment. He has been telling stories professionally for over 10 years and has developed successful long-form shows including Animate Lands and A Wolf Shall Devour the Sun. He co-curates and hosts Hearth Fire Sessions throughout the year.
Daiva Ivanauskaitė is an engaging and inspiring storyteller who loves to tell tales inspired by real life, myths and folk tradition from Lithuania, Scotland and other lands. Daiva is the curator of SEKAS, Lithuania’s first storytelling festival and regularly performs in her native land, her adopted home of Scotland, and internationally on stage and at community events. Daiva lives in Glasgow and works at the Village Storytelling Centre. She also co-curated the storytelling programme for Kaunas – European Capital of Culture 2022.
Miwa Nagato-Apthorp is an artist and musician based in Hawick in the Scottish Borders. Her practice is often collaborative and draws on folk traditions to explore multicultural understandings of history, climate, gender and home. Miwa has performed her music at various festivals, including Celtic Connections, and recently supported Eddi Reader on tour.
Josie Vallely (Quinie) is a multi-disciplinary artist and Scots singer, whose work explores language, landscape, tradition, identity, and alternative histories. Her new album Forefowk, Mind Me was released in May 2025 to critical acclaim. The songs on the album are sung in Scots and draw from Scottish Traveller singing traditions. A screening of the Quinie's accompanying film will precede Hearth Fire Sessions, with Josie and filmmaker Lizzie Mackenzie. Tickets for the film are available here.
Where possible we will update our listings to notify of cancelled, postponed and rescheduled events, however we STRONGLY ADVISE that you check with the venue/organiser in the first instance for updates.
All information (whether in text or photographs) is supplied in good faith but should not be relied upon as being a statement of representation or fact.GOT AN EVENT TO SHARE? It's free to post your events on What's On Edinburgh, click here to find out more!
Want to be the first to hear about what's happening in Edinburgh? Follow us on Facebook and join the What's On Scotland Group!Sponsored Links
Other Events at Scottish Storytelling Centre
Loud Poets Open Mic
Loud Poets invite poets to share their work at their regular open mic, taking place monthly at the Scottish Storytelling Centre.
READ MOREMortality & Making: Crafting Conversations About Death
Join us for a taboo-breaking, liberating workshop that explores death through storytelling, coffin crafting, and open conversation.
READ MORE
Mind of Man
Inspired by the experiences of Scottish prisoners and the author's own journey with undiagnosed ADHD and autism, this is a powerful play about the struggle to claim your place in the world.
READ MORE
The Oor Vyce Gaitherin
Jyne us on 7th November for a powerful day where the Scots-speaking community comes thegither at Edinburgh’s Scottish Storytelling Centre.
READ MORE
Bothan Dhùn Èideann
Join us at the Scottish Storytelling Centre for our November Bothan, a monthly session of Gaelic culture and community in Edinburgh!
READ MORE
Silver, Salt and Songs: Exhibition Launch
Join Jill de Fresnes, Christine Kydd and Patsy Seddon to celebrate the launch of the Silver, Salt and Stories exhibition, running at the Scottish Storytelling Centre during November.
READ MOREExhibition: Silver, Salt and Stories - Images and Memories of the Scots Herring Women
The exhibition by Jill de Fresnes is centred around filmed interviews with 12 Scottish women who worked as herring gutters from the 1920s through to the 1960s.
READ MORE
Easy Sundays: The TAM Sessions
The TAM Sessions is an open and informal trad session, but with the lovely additional invitation to bring your sewing, knitting, crochet, or any other crafting project that you enjoy.
READ MORE
A Wheen o’ Wimmin: Singing Our Stories
A Wheen o’ Wimmin present Singing Our Stories, featuring five celebrated Scots singers who’ve shared many a stage both great and small.
READ MORE
Scottish Traditional Music Hall of Fame 20th Anniversary Celebration
Join Hands Up for Trad on 18th November for an intimate celebration marking two decades of the Scottish Traditional Music Hall of Fame, with David Francis and Louis DeCarlo!
READ MORE
Return of the Swallows: Susanna Orr Holland Album Launch
Catch Susanna Orr Holland, an experimental world folk singer-songwriter, at the Scottish Storytelling Centre on 21st November for the launch of her second album!
READ MORE
The Work that Reconnects: Workshop with Chris Booth
To accompany the launch of Susanna Orr Holland’s new album Return of the Swallows, Chris Booth will offer a Work That Reconnects workshop.
READ MORE
Insane Christmas Magic
Insane Magic finally make their MagicFest debut, ending the year with a bang in a Christmas special packed with festive wonder, jaw-dropping illusions, and a sprinkle of fan-favourite classics!
READ MORE
Balancing in Freedom
Join us at the Scottish Storytelling Centre for this world premiere performance of an enthralling new work, written and performed by Iddo Oberski!
READ MORESponsored Links
Similar events you might like...
My Grandmother Taught Me To Knit
My Grandmother Taught Me To Knit is an Original horror storytelling on knitting, grief, and perfection. Catch it at The Banshee Labyrinth!
READ MORE
Of Moths and Flames
Three stories. Three irresistible flames call. The moths fly towards them, willing, trembling, and doomed. Come closer.
READ MORE
Peter Mitchelson Horror Storyteller
When children play, they create the scariest horror stories. My friends and I would bunk off and hide in the attic. I try to recount those stories told there that still haunt me.
READ MORE
Voices: A Neurodivergent Open Mic
Join us at Slow Progress Coffee and Records for a laid-back open mic event for young people with neurodivergence to share songs, poetry and stories, and meet like-minded people.
READ MORE
Storytime Halloween Special: The Ghost, the Cat, and the Loch Ness Mystery
Join us at Institut français d’Écosse for a spooky and magical storytime on Saturday 25th October!
READ MORE
Ghost Stories by Candlelight
What better way to kick off your Hallowe’en night than with some ghost stories in the Banshee Labyrinth!
READ MORE
Peace in Progress - Concert
Join us for a special evening of music, storytelling and hope in Edinburgh as Firefly celebrates 30 years of overcoming boundaries through friendship, education, and the arts!
READ MORE
Mortality & Making: Crafting Conversations About Death
Join us for a taboo-breaking, liberating workshop that explores death through storytelling, coffin crafting, and open conversation.
READ MORE
Meet the Gruffal...Oh! Storytelling Event
Join Whirly Gig at Bridgend Farmhouse Cafe for a fun and engaging session including a fox in a suit, a rather dashing owl, and who knows.. maybe there is such a thing as a Gruffal.....O!
READ MOREFind other events in Edinburgh
Sponsored Links