Exploring Events: Spotlight on Burns&Beyond by Unique Events

2022 started on a positive note for the events industry, as the recent easing of government restrictions is allowing audiences to return to events and festivals in person. This exciting development allows us to come together again and brings a greater sense of normality nearly two years into the pandemic.

With an exciting programme of events to look forward to this year, we’re kicking off our Exploring Events series for 2022 by looking back to last month’s Scottish Winter Festival activities and reflect on how event organisers delivered events to audiences online prior to the change in restrictions.

Burns&Beyond returned for its fourth annual celebration of Burns Night (25 January) and provided a free online programme of quintessential celebrations for the Bard, including music, whisky, haggis and poetry.

We took some time to talk with Unique Events, the brains behind the operation, to reflect on many things, including: the importance of delivering their annual Burns Night event, how they were able to coordinate this online, and other exciting activities they have in store for 2022.

What was included in this year’s programme of Burns&Beyond?

Unique Events’ flagship Burns Night event Burns&Beyond celebrates the life and legacy of Robert Burns through traditional and contemporary art and culture from across Scotland and beyond.

It is a celebration of Burns, which goes beyond the image of the traditional Burns Supper, presenting live music, art installations, comedy, spoken word, food and drink, allowing audiences to engage with global celebrations for the Bard, with an accessible programme of free and ticketed events.

Working in collaboration with our friends at Neu! Reekie! a wonderful new film Burns On Fire was produced for this year’s event, presenting a fiery mix of music, poetry, hip-hop and avant-garde animation.?

Why was it important that Burns&Beyond went ahead for audiences at home despite changes to government restrictions?

The change to public health guidance during the Christmas period provided us an opportunity to create new and exciting performance-led content for our online audiences, adding to our extensive portfolio of events and festivals hosted throughout the past 18 months.

It was wonderful to see the enthusiasm and global reaction to the feast, as people were joining in from Scotland and beyond for Burns Night.

Providing a Burns Night experience people could enjoy in the comfort of their homes meant Burns&Beyond could reach new audiences and international viewers, widening our scope and spreading awareness of Scotland’s culture.

Thanks to the support from our festival partners, all our online content is free to view at burnsandbeyond.com, allowing people to relive the excitement of our Burns Night celebrations. ?

With multiple events being streamed online across Burns Night, how were you able to coordinate this to ensure a seamless experience for performers and audiences at home?

The premiere of our Burns On Fire film was scheduled for release on Burns Night itself, but we ensured it was available to view at any time thereafter, allowing our audiences to tune-in to new content whilst tucking into their haggis, or enjoy later that night after viewing other events online.

With so many online events and performances taking place across Scotland on Burns Night, it was important to us that we weren’t competing for viewers at the same time, therefore allowed open access to our online content, giving audiences the choice of when they could view our programme.

The event on the 25th wasn’t the only activity you have planned. What else do you have in store for 2022?

We are pleased that our flagship art installation, Michael Pendry’s Les Colombes at St Giles’ Cathedral, has now been rescheduled to take place from Saturday 26 March.

This spectacular multi-media art installation presents over 2,000 origami doves taking flight the length of the Cathedral, transforming the space with a light and sound installation, embodying the festival message of Love, Hope and Kindness.

Special live music performances will take place under the doves featuring an evening of choral music from The Choir of St Giles’ Cathedral, award-winning pipes and fiddle performance from the incredible Brìghde Chaimbeul and Aidan O'Rourke, and a special solo performance from singer and harpist Rachel Newton.

We’re also inviting people to make their own origami doves at St. Giles’, to include in the Les Colombes installation, with full details and tickets at burnsandbeyond.com.

To find out more about upcoming events and for general information visit Unique Events website.

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