Funding boost for YES

The third YES (Yarrow, Ettrick and Selkirk) Festival is set to be the biggest yet, thanks to a funding boost from the National Lottery through Creative Scotland's Open Project Fund.
Edinburgh Festival favourites Dudendance will perform at this year's  YES Arts Festival.Edinburgh Festival favourites Dudendance will perform at this year's  YES Arts Festival.
Edinburgh Festival favourites Dudendance will perform at this year's YES Arts Festival.

This month organisers learned that their bid to secure funding for the festival, which takes place from September 14-17, has been successful. The grant of £29,377 means that this year’s festival can present the widest range of projects yet.

Confirmed for this year’s line-up are Scots Makar Jackie Kay, who will be giving a series of pop-up performances, as well as Edinburgh Festival favourites Dudendance. A specially-commissioned film will capture the voices of those who live and work in Selkirk and the valleys, while talented young musicians the Bannerfield Buskers will be popping up around the area, and local film-makers the Moving Image Makers Collective will be taking over the Haining.

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The Yarn-Stormers, who brought the festival to worldwide attention when they festooned pillar boxes, statues and railings with their knitted creations in 2015, will be back, though their plans are staying under (woollen) wraps for now.

As ever, there will be plenty of opportunities to get involved, from finding your inner bard with the Poetry Challenge, to adopting and decorating a Mile Marker – one of a series of signs which will decorate the valley routes. Find out more about the festival at www.yesartsfestival.com.