Fiona Hyslop gets expanded Scottish cabinet culture role

Fiona Hyslop is to remain as cabinet secretary for culture and external affairs in Scotland, but with an added remit of tourism.

Hyslop’s expanded role was announced part of the new Scottish cabinet earlier this week.

Despite the change, arts and culture will remain “at the heart of Scotland’s well-being”, the Scottish Government’s director of culture, tourism and external affairs, Karen Watt, said.

Watt was speaking at the launch of the £590,000 Made in Scotland programme for this year’s Edinburgh Fringe, which features 19 different productions.

The Made in Scotland programme is managed by the Edinburgh Festival Fringe Society. Watt took the opportunity at the launch to endorse recent comments by the society’s new chief executive Shona McCarthy on open access.

She said: “I particularly welcome Shona’s very recent comments about the fringe’s commitment to developing its offer, its approach in terms of open access, city-wide engagement.

“It underscores the importance of the festivals actually in being that open and relevant resource for people from Scotland – as well as performers and audiences from all around the world.”

The fund is in its eighth year and includes an element which is available to participants to help them take up onward international touring opportunities from contacts made during the fringe.

This year’s productions include a revival of Glasgow Girls, Cora Bissett and David Greig’s musical based on the true story of seven teenagers whose campaign over the treatment of asylum seekers in Glasgow went all the way to Holyrood.

Adura Onashile will present Expensive Shit, a new solo show based around the controversy of two-way mirrors installed in Glasgow’s Shimmy Club.

Puppet State Theatre, which took part in the first Made in Scotland showcase in 2009 and as a consequence toured internationally, will be staging Leaf by Niggle, its take on the Tolkien short story.

Other participants include Barrowland Ballet, Kieran Hurley and Will Pickvance.