Moderated by Molly Gawler, with panellists Emma Björling, Neil McDermot & Esbjörn Wettermark.
This panel explores songs as tools to put in your pocket to take out at the right time. Work songs, lullabies, sea shanties, rowing songs, songs for social change and songs of the land and place, there is a song for every season and occasion. But how do folk songs fit into contemporary lives? Discussion will cover how we can embrace songs in our own homes, kitchens, fields, towns, pubs, forests and song circles of all kinds.
Connecting singing and songs with everyday life allows us to connect across cultures and be part of a global song circle.
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The North Atlantic Song Convention (NASC) returns to the Scottish Storytelling Centre, Edinburgh, for three days of traditional song celebration from 11-13 April 2025. Through concerts, workshops, talks, and informal song circles, this welcoming gathering brings together singers and enthusiasts from across the North Atlantic region. Whether you're a professional performer, an academic researcher, or simply love traditional song, NASC offers an inclusive space to share, learn, and celebrate our rich, diverse singing heritage. Guests attending hail from Scotland, Ireland, England, Sweden, Canada, the USA, and beyond.
Purchase a Weekend Pass to make the most of the Convention. Passes are priced £45/£35 concession. These will allow you to book free tickets for all events; if you are planning to attend five or more events across the weekend the Pass will pay for itself (six events if you are eligible for a Concession Pass).
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!Following a sold-out, standing-ovation premiere at the Scottish Storytelling Centre in 2025, Balancing in Freedom returns to the stage in 2026.
READ MORELoud Poets invite poets to share their work at their regular open mic, taking place monthly at the Scottish Storytelling Centre!
READ MOREDon't miss this unique exhibition at the Scottish Storytelling Centre as artist Lizzie McDougall breathes new life into Highland stories using scraps of discarded fabric!
READ MOREExploring the very early historical to contemporary interactions between Celtic & Nordic cultures will feature in the Northern Streams Festival of Nordic & Scottish Music, Song & Dance 2026!
READ MOREEnjoy an evening of books, film, and live performance as The Vertigo Project showcases its creative and therapeutic journey for people living with dizziness, vertigo and balance disorders!
READ MOREJoin artist and storyteller Lizzie McDougall and friends to explore how the quilts came to be and hear some of the stories that inspired them, and maybe a tune or two!
READ MOREExpect fist-thumping, heart-wrenching, side-tickling poetry performances with live musical accompaniment at the April edition of the Loud Poets Spoken Word Showcase!
READ MOREJoin the Scottish Storytelling Centre on Friday 1st May for their quarterly series of full-moon celebrations, this time celebrating Beltane and the full Flower Moon!
READ MOREJoin Scottish Storytelling Centre for a fun-filled morning as The Beltane Fire Society share the magic of the spring and summer through storytelling and craft!
READ MOREExperience an immersive, moonlit world of Gaelic song and sensory play in this gentle performance designed for babies and their grown-ups to bond and explore together!
READ MOREJoin friends from the Scots Music Group for Cafe Ceilidh... an afternoon session of traditional songs, music, poems and stories at the Scottish Storytelling Centre!
READ MOREArtist Sylvia Troon invites you to the Scottish Storytelling Centre to step into Pathways! An exhibition of paintings accompanied by poems, exploring the journeys we all take!
READ MOREJoin Jan Bee Brown and the Scottish Storytelling Forum in this Dementia-Inclusive Storytelling workshop giving you guidance on improving your practice and discovering your own talent.
READ MOREJoin Balancing Act Theatre at the Scottish Storytelling Centre for a night that brings together writers, directors and performers to share fresh ideas with a live audience!
READ MOREJoin storyteller Jan Bee Brown and musician Toby Hawks for a collection of memorable, thought-provoking and dementia inclusive stories and songs from Scandinavia and Scotland.
READ MOREJoin some amazing apprentice storytellers in the relaxed setting of the Netherbow Theatre, where they will be showing off their skills and exploring a different theme with every performance!
READ MOREJoin the Scottish Storytelling Centre on Wednesday 24th May for Between the Echoes book launch by the well-known Lewis-born poet and writer Angus Macmillan which describes his upbringing in Lemreway!
READ MOREDon't miss a gruesome yet tender celebration of the joys and paranoias of girlhood when Audaciously Tenacious Theatre company bring Perfect Dead Girls, to the Scottish Storytelling Centre!
READ MOREFast-paced, funny, and painfully true, Cringe is a story about surviving the minefield of growing up, standing up to bullies, and finding the friend who makes you braver than you ever thought!
READ MOREViolette dives into her wild imagination with humour and tenderness to bring everyday objects to life, and draws the audience into accomplices in her whirlwind adventure!
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Explore a different theme each week on Friday afternoons, during school term-time, with our Learning team at the National Museum of Scotland.
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Join Fiona Johnston, audio describer, as she describes various artwork and objects from the Royal Collection at the Palace of Holyroodhouse!
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A lecture about spiritual healing and help through the teaching of Bruno Groening is taking place at The Open Door Community Centre, Edinburgh on various dates throughout the year.
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Tribe Talks bring together bright minds and engaging topics to spark inspiration, encourage meaningful conversations, and help the community learn, grow, and do better together!
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Many authors have been inspired to pick up their pen to write about the Palace of Holyroodhouse... the Palace Page Turners sessions explore these literary works followed by a hearty discussion!
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From April to October, learn more about the collections and the history of East Fortune Airfield with the National Museum of Flight's series of free expert talks!
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Join an international team from the Research Institute for Bioscience and Biotechnology in Nepal and the University of Edinburgh to explore the urgent issue of Antimicrobial resistance (AMR).
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Join Dr Shane Strachan and Christine Rew at Dovecot Studios for a special talk and book launch celebrating the life and legacy of pioneering British fashion designer Bill Gibb!
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Join two expert panels at Edinburgh Futures Institute to discuss the latest developments in the international trade system and what they mean for Scotland and the UK.
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