Musical Talent Celebrated for 12 Days of Christmas
Virtual Arts Festival Launched with the Assistance of Witherbys to Celebrate New Musical Talent in Scotland
8 December 2020
An arts festival celebrating the best and brightest new musical talent has been launched to support young people across Scotland. Sponsored by the Witherbys Trust, the festival will bring together musicians, singers and performers in a ‘first of its kind’ online Christmas musical celebration.
Curated by Jamie Munn, an experienced arts professional and CEO of Nevis Ensemble, the festival includes 12 exclusive video performances to be released one per working day in the run up to Christmas.
All of the videos feature emerging talent from, or with a connection to, Scotland, with one performance featuring the newly formed Scottish Freelancers’ Ensemble, which brings together the many freelancers left without work as a result of the Coronavirus pandemic.
Against a backdrop of national shortages of arts funding, the festival ensured that all musicians were paid for their contributions and will be provided with a professional quality video of their performances to aid in their future careers.
Commercial Director and Fund Trustee at Witherbys, Kat Heathcote, said: “The Witherbys Trust actively looks for circumstances where our donations will make a significant difference to an individual or organisation. This year has been incredibly difficult for those in the arts, especially those at the start of their careers, with COVID-19 seeing many venues closed and bookings cancelled. This festival is our way of showing our support to young Scottish artists and performers and we look forward to being able to see them perform in person before too long.”
Videos are being released daily on the Witherbys Arts Festival YouTube channel and can be viewed at: www.youtube.com/channel/UCU9JWNWZfvmvvDpDUgug8MQ and follow the conversation on Twitter using the hashtag #WitherbysArtsFestival. For more information about Witherbys Trust, please visit www.wpgtrust.com.
About Witherbys:
Based in Edinburgh, Witherbys is one of Scotland’s largest and most successful publishing companies, exporting a portfolio of more than 400 specialist titles in the shipping, insurance and energy sectors to more than 110 countries.
The company brings together working groups, including specialist consultants from relevant sectors and in-house technical advisors, authors and editors, to produce top quality, well regarded publications from inception to distribution.
The Witherbys Trust, established in 2012, provides financial support for community and inspirational projects in art, music, sport and culture, aiming to inspire young people to explore the opportunities these fields present.
Performers and artists for the 12 Days of Christmas Witherbys Arts Festival are:
Live Music Now Scotland – Glasgow
- Hannah Rarity
- Luc McNally
- Barbara Cole Walton
- Jane Monari
- Sarah Shorter
- Grace Wain
Drake Music Scotland
- Andrew Giffin
Nevis Ensemble – Paisley, Gourouk, Glasgow
- Jesus Lorente Gonzalez
- Marcus Shanks
- Guro Skullerud
- Ben Keay
- Jake Nelson
Dunedin Consort – Glasgow
- Sam Leggett
- Tim Edmundson
- Hannah Leggatt
- Sally Carr
Scottish Freelancers Ensemble – Glasgow, Gartmore, Stirlingshire
- Katrina Lee
- Alice Allen
- Liam Lynch
- Colin McKee
Scottish Opera – Glasgow, Edinburgh
- Margo Arsane
- Arthur Bruce
Luca Manning – London
Jay Verma – London
Steph Burrell – Manchester
Heron Valley – Kilmun, Argyll and Bute, Glasgow, Isle of Lewis, Callander, Perthshire
- Abigail Pryde
- Nick Hamilton
- Keith Morrison
- Callum Cronin
- Alistair Maclean
- Darren Brown
St Andrew’s Voices – Glasgow
- Edward Cohen
- Ankna Arockiam
- Hardeep Deerhe
St Mary’s Music School – Perthshire, Glasgow
- Finn Mannion
- Ryan Corbett
