by Tanera Bryden, Nairn Book & Arts Festival’s artistic director.
Many people might assume that we at Nairn Book and Arts Festival spend the autumn and winter hibernating, only to wake with the Spring, fresh to plan another festival. In fact, we begin planning 2025 as soon as 2024 is finished – and sometimes there is a bit of overlap! Aside from reporting back to all of our funders, we are already ricocheting from meeting to meeting with potential festival partners, fielding proposals from authors and performers, and adding daily to the draft plan for next year.
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Throw some creative plans outwith festival dates into the mix – an installation by a well-known Scottish arts company coming to Nairn in March, then Beach of Dreams UK – an exciting nationwide project of which we will be a tiny part – in May, plus creative workshops at Nairn Academy which will feed into a commemorative exhibition about Hiroshima at Nairn Community and Arts Centre in June, and we are already on something of a roll (or rollercoaster!).
Strong ideas for next year’s festival are often suggested to me during the current one – and this year was no exception – quick chats while helping to put out extra chairs for Irvine Welsh’s talk, or making a cup of tea for an author, or marshalling a queue of people waiting to get their books signed after an event, can plant brilliant seeds. It’s a creatively inspiring time for everyone involved, from participants to audiences, and so many people want to play a part, from our very varied local creative community, and our schools, to all the many ‘culture vultures’ – local and visiting – who soak up the events we put on each year and always come back for more.
It’s wonderful to have a partnership with Nairn Bookshop – we are lucky to have an independent bookshop in Nairn. They are such an important part of the festival, liaising with publishers across the UK to supply books for our author events. In fact, the festival came into being – almost 22 years ago – as a conversation led by the then-owner of Nairn bookshop George Gray. Nairn is such a creative town – we have a WASPS studios here packed with talented visual artists, the amazing Little Theatre, a powerhouse of a Community and Arts Centre, Music Nairn whose programme reflects the fact that they are inundated with talented musicians keen to play here, and Jazz Nairn – who programme some of the greats, and have a strong following.
This year we asked people how the events they came to made them feel – ‘Inspired’, ‘Happy’ and ‘Energised’ came top of the list. We are increasingly aware of the fact that the festival plays a growing role – perhaps more than ever since the pandemic – in boosting the well-being and mental health of the community. The festival provides a vibrant social hub, combatting loneliness and isolation for many.
Looking to next year’s programme with excitement and anticipation, one comment from a local child has stuck in my mind, and is helping to shape ideas for the 2025 festival. It came from a primary schoolchild to Gordon Maclellan, aka Creeping Toad, our visiting environmental artist, parade leader, weaver of magic and teller of tales.
She asked: “When are we going to make something big?”
Watch this space.
Nairn Book and Arts Festival will take place from 30th August to 7th September 2025, more information can be found at www.nairnfestival.co.uk
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