News 
Minister attends Mela world premiere as spectacular Festivals season draws to a close
31 August 2008
Yatra//Journey
The Minister will attend the world premiere of Yatra//Journey at the Edinburgh Mela Festival this evening, with the performance at Ocean Terminal in Leith marking the end of Mela 2008 following a highly successful week. Supported by £41,492 from the Scottish Government’s Edinburgh Festivals’ Expo Fund, Yatra is a collaborative performance between 20 musicians from The Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama, Adeo Records and Publishing (South Asian musicians), and Japanese Mugenkyo Taiko Drummers.
Minister for Culture Linda Fabiani said:
“The performance of Yatra//Journey promises to be a suitably spectacular climax to the Edinburgh Mela as the Festivals’ summer season draws to a close.
“The growth of the Mela – extending to a full week and moving to a larger site - is evidence that Edinburgh is flourishing as the world’s foremost festival city. As we look ahead to the Year of Homecoming, Edinburgh’s Festivals are a living, vibrant invitation for people around the world, including the Scottish diaspora, to return in 2009 to celebrate Scotland's creative connections.
“We will continue to build on Edinburgh’s success, supporting our Festivals and everyone who makes them a success – our artists, thinkers, producers, programmers and curators. I am delighted that our first round of Expo funding has produced such exceptional work this year, supporting the wonderful Festival programme.’’
Liam Sinclair, Director of Edinburgh Mela Festival, said, “The Mela’s closing piece epitomises what this Festival is about - celebrating Scotland’s cultural diversity and providing a platform for innovative new work that helps put Scotland’s artists on the international stage. Yatra//Journey is a fantastic example of what home-grown talent can achieve when the right kind of support is available.
“As we approach the Year of Homecoming and the Scots diaspora are encouraged to return to Scotland, the Mela will continue to explore how immigrant communities who made Scotland their home have enriched our culture. The Mela plays a valuable role in promoting understanding between different communities – this finale is just one of many performances from this year that will help achieve just that.”
-ENDS-
For more information contact Esther Black 0131 556 0770, 07766 493 163 esther.black@pagodapr.com
Hi-res pictures of Yatra//Journey are available at: www.lunaria.co.uk/client/mela-08/yatra-expo/
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Notes to Editors
1. Mela key facts:
• The Edinburgh Mela Festival was founded in 1995 by the city’s minority ethnic communities with the aim of celebrating Scotland’s cultural diversity. It now features acts from around the world.
• Having outgrown Pilrig Park this year it has moved to beside Ocean Terminal, Leith, and expanded from a weekend to a week.
• 2008 is the debut of the first full-time director, Liam Sinclair. Aged 29, he is the youngest ever director of an Edinburgh Festival.
• The Mela is funded by the City of Edinburgh Council, the Scottish Arts Council and Scottish Government. Its major sponsor is Forth Ports plc with additional sponsorship from Lothian and Borders Police, NHS Scotland, Forestry Commission Scotland, Unison and Lothian Buses.
2. Forth Ports PLC owns and operates the Ports of Grangemouth, Leith, Rosyth, Methil and Burntisland on the River Forth, the Port of Dundee on the River Tay and Port of Tilbury on the River Thames. Forth Ports PLC is also a significant landowner with extensive property interests and a number of high profile developments. These include the Scottish Government offices and Ocean Terminal shopping centre – home to the former Royal Yacht Britannia - at Leith, the Western Harbour, Granton Harbour and Leith Docks developments on Edinburgh’s waterfront, and the City Quay development at Dundee.
3. The projects which have received funding from the Scottish Government’s Expo fund, to date include: Edinburgh International Festival (£277,000); Edinburgh’s Winter Festival (£225,000); Bank of Scotland Imaginate Festival of Theatre for Children and Young People (£26,400); Edinburgh Mela (£41,492); Edinburgh International Film Festival (£60,000); Edinburgh Jazz & Blues Festival (£41,370); Edinburgh Art Festival (£45,000); Edinburgh Fringe Festival (£200,000) and Edinburgh Book Festival (£32,568).
