LAND reform is to come under the spotlight in an ambitious nationwide festival. The use of land, who owns it and how the public access it, form an integral part of this year’s Architecture Fringe festival, which runs from June 7-23.
It is the fourth edition of the festival and the biggest yet, with almost 100 events across Scotland.
“These are critical areas of discussion at local, national and international level,” said the Fringe’s co-founder and co-producer Andy Summers. “Land is key to a sustainable, inclusive Scotland and how we manage the land under our collective environmental, cultural, social and political care is critical for our collective wellbeing and the wider common good."
Summers pointed out that land reform had gained more attention during the run-up to the independence referendum in 2014 and the Architecture Fringe was keen to keep the topic in the public eye.
“We are odd in European terms in that fewer than 500 people own half of Scotland but now more and more people are aware of that,” he said. “Indyref was crucial in bringing that up as an important part of the debate."
Events with a particular focus on land reform include House Rule, an exploration and critique of the current state of volume house building in Scotland. This will involve a panel discussion in Edinburgh between leaders in the industry and includes land reform campaigner and MSP Andy Wightman.
In the Highlands, National columnist Lesley Riddoch will talk about “reclaiming the commons” with regard to the Shieling Project, north-west of Inverness. Traditionally, shielings were structures where people collected in the summer to look after the land and the event will look at how they could be used today to help communities reconnect with it.
There will also be a day of talks, workshops and discussion exploring creative activism in response to land reform and the land question, led by ethnologist Dr Mairi McFadyen.
The Lighthouse in Glasgow will be the main hub for the festival.
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