Edinburgh Festival of the Sacred Arts

August is an extraordinary month in Scotland's Capital, home since 1947 to the Edinburgh International Festival. Founded just after World War 2, on optimism that the arts might take us beyond conflict, political divisions and boundaries by means of an open exchange of ideas and cultures, it has since become the world's largest cultural festival, exceeded in numbers attending only by the Olympics and the football World Cup.

Alongside it, there sprung up the Fringe, promoting over 3,700 discrete events this summer as well as significant platforms like the Book Festival, and several others forbye. Into the heady, giddy streets and squares, some nine Edinburgh churches have created, in 2018, the Edinburgh Festival of the Sacred Arts.

The founders wanted to recognise the profound relationship between the arts and the theology, culture and worship of the Christian faith. It's a way of ensuring that the voice of Christianity, from which so much of our cultural heritage derives, is seen and heard on the Fringe and around the city. The 2023 festival begins on Sunday, 13th August, and runs for a week. A rich agenda of worship and events is already attracting strong interest and ticket sales.

The programme comprises several exhibitions, seven musical events, drama, poetry and film. A sung Eucharist at St Mary's Episcopal Cathedral launches the festival. Events include an exhibition and talk on icon-making, organ and choral music and discussions on spirituality in literature.

Here at Edinburgh Jesuit Church of the Sacred Heart, we are eagerly awaiting Dr Jan Graffius who will present Sanctified Royalty: Jacobite Relics and the Divine Right of Kings twice next week ( August 16th, 19.30 & 17th, 11am ). Dr Graffius, Curator of the Stonyhurst collections and an internationally acclaimed expert, tells us that she will use some precious artefacts to explore the cult of divinity that surrounded the Scottish royal family, from Mary Queen of Scots to Prince Charles Edward Stuart. The talk will include an opportunity to see extraordinary Stuart relics and memorabilia up close - as well as a unique recipe for King James's Gingerbread!

Full details of this, and all the Festival of the Sacred Arts' events, are on: www.edinburghsacredartsfestival.org/