Sustaining Rural Culture: A Saxon-Scottish Exchange on Community Arts, Community Benefit and Succession
Partners: Girvan Traditional Folk Festival SCIO (Girven, Scotland) and Kulturwerkstätten JohannesHof e.V. (Hainichen, Germany)
Image © Kulturwerkstätten JohannesHof e.V.
“Kulturwerkstätten JohannesHof e.V. and Girvan Traditional Folk Festival SCIO aim to explore how rural cultural spaces can thrive across generations. We seek to learn from each others funding models, share strategies for youth engagement and organisational sustainability all while exchanging artistic practices, documenting our journey, and empowering young adults as cultural leaders. We hope to create lasting connections between Scotland and Saxony—turning challenges like rural depopulation into opportunities for vibrant, inclusive, and resilient communities.”
Girvan Traditional Folk Festival SCIO and Kulturwerkstätten JohannesHof e.V.
About the partners
Girvan Traditional Folk Festival SCIO
Girvan Traditional Folk Festival promotes and enables participation in the traditional arts for people of all ages and backgrounds in Girvan, South West Scotland and beyond. Our main activity is our annual Festival, held every Mayday holiday weekend since 1975 (with the notable exception of 2020!) making it one of Scotland’s longest-established gatherings of traditional musicians – a significant economic driver for the local area and beloved by the many visitors who faithfully attend and participate each year. Additional activities include an ambitious programme of new work designed to showcase South West Scotland’s hidden heritage of traditional music and song and return this overlooked material to the repertoires of local, community musicians.https://girvanfolkfestival.org.uk/
Kulturwerkstätten JohannesHof e.V.
Kulturwerkstätten JohannesHof e.V. strengthens cultural life in rural Saxony by creating inclusive spaces for artistic exchange, community participation, and intergenerational learning. We encourage youngsters to experience their self- efficacy by playing various roles in cultural sections. We focus on heritage transmission, while connecting locals with international guests through music, storytelling, and democratic cultural practice. Our work promotes social cohesion, resilience, and sustainability in regions affected by demographic change, political polarization, and shrinking cultural infrastructure.https://www.kulturwerkstaetten-johanneshof.de/
