Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland (TRACS) challenges the perception that traditional music, dance, and storytelling belong only to history. Officially constituted in 2012, TRACS was born out of a government report commissioned by the Minister for Culture. The report put forth the idea of an organization that could bring together different aspects of traditional arts and, as CEO Steve Byrne puts it, “give a collective voice” to those arts.

“TRACS is essentially about raising up traditional arts as a central part of life and communities in Scotland,” he shares.

The Scottish Storytelling Forum, the Traditional Music Forum and the Traditional Dance Forum of Scotland together make up TRACS. The goal is for each sector to get equal representation, although Byrne admits it can be a challenge. Music tends to get more engagement than storytelling and dance, “but that doesn’t mean that the importance of the others are any less. I suppose we exist to try to readdress that balance, in a sense.”

So, why is trad music often at the forefront? It’s a tough answer to pinpoint. Byrne, however, has his theories. The bagpipes and fiddles, for example, are still very present in the modern lives of Scottish people. These traditional instruments are regularly seen and heard at events or ceremonies. The folk music boom of the 1950s may have also played a role. Ceilidhs are still widespread as well, but Byrne notes that they are usually confined to certain times of year, such as Robbie Burns Night. When it comes to day-to-day life, these aspects of the culture are often overlooked.

Byrne explains that none of these art forms could exist without the others. “You don’t get traditional dance without traditional musicians and traditional music forms don’t exist without dancers. Traditional ballad-singing is greatly aligned with traditional storytelling.”

The dwindling of such traditions can be traced back to both major legislative change and seemingly small cultural shifts. The 1872 Education Act, for instance, stated that education in Scotland must be conducted in English. This “had a huge impact on Gaelic-speaking communities, which we are still trying to repair to this day,” says Byrne. Then there are the more mundane changes, such as the removal of CD players from cars, which has altered how people consume music.

There have also been beneficial shifts, however – including what Byrne refers to as “the rise of summer festival culture” on the north and west coasts of the country. “That’s definitely vibrant.” In addition, some schools are offering dance as part of their physical education programs.

“We do still have to grapple with areas of the tradition that we feel need a bit more support,” says Byrne. When it comes to the next generation, there are not many young singers in Scots language song, nor are there many young storytellers. “We are looking at a range of apprenticeship programs as well as young storyteller development work.”

The Scottish International Storytelling Festival aims to engage people in this oft-neglected art form. The event has taken place annually for more than 35 years, evolving as part of the Scottish Storytelling Forum and the Scottish Storytelling Centre.

Spearheaded by Byrne’s predecessor, Donald Smith, the festival brings together bearers of the storytelling tradition. “There was a recognition that it needed a bit of an intervention,” says Byrne. “That has blossomed into the centre, the festival and the forum, which all offer avenues for people to learn.”

The storytellers aren’t exclusively Scottish – professionals come from various cultures and parts of the world – but the festival keeps the Scottish storytelling tradition at its heart. Ging forward, Byrne hopes that the gathering will offer even more collaboration and learning opportunities about safeguarding the tradition.

“We have a role to play in helping people to develop their sense of place and identity in relation to these traditional arts. I often liken it to people looking up and elsewhere for culture when in fact, there’s wonderful traditions on their doorstep.”

Having recently been approved for multi-year funding from Creative Scotland, Byrne says TRACS will be making the most of the years ahead “to ensure that traditional arts do become more a visible part of everyday life in Scotland and in our communities.”

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