Moray is set to take advantage of the growing interest in politics since the Scottish referendum by hosting a ground breaking political festival.
The ‘Festival of Conversation’ has been dubbed the ‘Fwd Festival’ by organisers who say that it will feature a mix of live music, local produce and high-profile figures from civic Scotland.
Discussion at the conference will centre around grassroots action that communities can take to affect change.
The referendum saw an unprecedented 97% of the Scottish population register to vote while in Moray turnout was at a record high of 85.4%. In the two weeks since the referendum local branches of the SNP and Green parties have seen phenomenal increases in their membership.
Festival organisers have claimed that the high levels of registration and turnout in the referendum means that more people are hungry to learn how they can take political action at a local level.
The opening festival gathering will be hosted by The Drouthy Cobbler café-bar and venue in Elgin and has been organised in association with Peat Marketing Management.
Paul Rollo, of The Drouthy Cobbler, said he could think of “no better time” to host a grassroots festival.
He added: “The referendum has driven lively discussion here over the last several months.
“Fwd. promotes the idea that individuals can come together at a grassroots level to be the change they want to see in our community.
“The Drouthy Cobbler was imagined from the beginning as a place where conversations could happen – a friendly, relaxed forum with unobtrusive background music and thought provoking events.
“The Fwd. programme is being finalised and we are delighted to have secured some leading lights to join us in this – a compelling addition to our local conversation.”
Alex MacLeod, Director of Peat Marketing Management, said that The Drouthy Cobbler was the “perfect place” for a festival of conversation, saying: “Most of our best ideas start out in pubs – even this idea for a groundbreaking new festival for Moray.
“I can think of no more perfect place to hold this event, which I hope will inspire key figures in our community to sit up, take notice, and think in new ways.”
‘Fwd.’ is due to take place at The Drouthy Cobbler from Friday November 21 until Saturday, November 22.
Ticket details for the event will be published later this month.