Scottish-Irish cultural diplomacy and relations

Discussing the role of arts and humanities in the implementation of the joint Scottish-Irish bilateral review.

This half-day event, co-organised by the Scottish Arts and Humanities Alliance (SAHA), the Royal Society of Edinburgh (RSE) and the Irish Humanities Alliance (IHA), will explore the progress achieved in implementing the recommendations of the first Joint Bilateral Review of the Irish and Scottish Governments. Arts and humanities will have a major role to play in the successful implementation of Scottish-Irish cultural diplomacy and relations, and they form the basis for several of the recommendations in the official document.

The Scottish-Irish cultural diplomacy and relations event will focus on several themes of the review:

As human-centred fields of research, the Arts and Humanities are fundamental to fostering creativity, firing the imagination, navigating a shared history, and promoting inter-cultural dialogue. Both the Scottish and Irish governments emphasise that the bilateral review aims to consolidate and expand existing connections, thus acting as a springboard for cultural diplomacy and cultural relations on both sides of the Irish Sea. We will take this opportunity to reflect on the impact of arts and humanities on shaping these interactions and their impact on Scottish and Irish people within and beyond the two countries.

The Scottish-Irish cultural diplomacy and relations event brought together academics, cultural representatives, policymakers and diplomatic representatives with perspectives on culture, diaspora, and cultural diplomacy/relations. It will also reflect on past, present and possible future ways of working together as exemplified by jointly-funded Scottish-Irish research projects.