Communities across Glasgow and Scotland will be buzzing with activity during the summer of 2018 as a dynamic cultural festival runs alongside the Glasgow 2018 European Championships.

Professor Dee Heddon, James Arnott Chair in Drama, is one of 34 individual artists and organisations awarded funding to develop an inclusive and innovative programme of dance, film, music, visual art, theatre and literature for Festival 2018.

Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Tourism and External Affairs, Fiona Hyslop said: “Festival 2018 offers an excellent platform to strengthen connections at home and internationally. Today’s unveiling reflects the ambition of the Festival 2018 Fund - to support an inclusive programme of artists and organisations across Scotland who will showcase Scotland’s talent and international reputation for cultural brilliance by creating new and vibrant experiences for visitors and those who live here.”

Professor Heddon is collaborating with artist Alec Finlay and poet Ken Cockburn to deliver Wild City. At the centre of the work is Professor Heddon’s ongoing creative research project, The Walking Library. 

The Walking Library for a Wild City will explore wild nature across Glasgow, bringing walking, literature and landscape into dialogue. Alec Finlay, working with colleagues from Celtic & Gaelic, will encourage place-awareness through place-names, translations and community maps. Ken Cockburn will develop walkshops with young people to explore the sense of place and experiences of wildness. Wild City's ambitious programme of participative walks, public readings and workshops will culminate in a book and blog mapping new walks through ‘rewilded’ streets of the city.

First published: 12 January 2018

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