Hosted at the Scottish Storytelling Centre, Edinburgh, on 23 October 2026
Follow-up knowledge exchange session at the Scottish Parliament (date TBC)
Organised in collaboration with the National Theatre of Scotland (NTS), The British Academy Early Career Researcher Network (BA ECRN), Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities (IASH), University of Edinburgh, Research Institute of Irish and Scottish Studies (RIISS), University of Aberdeen, LLSETI Research Laboratory at Université Savoie Mont Blanc (Chambéry, France) and Robert Gordon University
Funded by the British Academy ECRN Development Fund, LLSETI Research Laboratory and Robert Gordon University.
Marking the National Theatre of Scotland’s twentieth anniversary, this one-day Unconference invites participants from across academia, theatre, literature, politics, activism, as well as cultural and community organisations to explore the role of theatre, literature, and cultural institutions in shaping democratic life in Scotland as a stateless nation.
Over the past two decades, the NTS’s repertoire has contributed powerfully to Scotland’s national storytelling, interrogating national myths and amplifying voices previously marginalised or absent from the national landscape. Still, as democratic norms come under strain globally and regressive nationalisms fuel division across Europe and beyond, cultural institutions find themselves operating within an increasingly complex political environment, further compounded by unprecedented financial pressures.
This Unconference asks what forms of storytelling, representation, and cultural participation are most needed now and how Scotland’s avowedly innovative and ‘radical’ national theatre might contribute to the formation of an inclusive, equitable, and democratically engaged public space.
The event embraces an open, conversational format which seeks to dissolve traditional hierarchies and academic–practitioner divides, fostering collective reflection, debate, and opportunities for cross-party and cross-community collaboration.
Themes
We invite proposals engaging with (but not limited to) the following:
- The role of theatre and ‘national storytelling’ in the formation of Scotland’s public sphere at a time of heightened socio-political tension
- NTS’s past, present, or future work and remit, including its potential impact, visions, and responsibilities in a changing civic landscape
- Local and national cultural organisations and their work and relevance in the shaping of Scotland’s stories and/or identities within the UK and beyond
- National theatre as a medium for national debate in the 21st century
- Radicalism — its cultural and political representation and influence on Scotland’s evolving self-image
- Marginalised voices: stories exploring questions of class, ethnicity, disability, gender, sexuality, language, neurodiversity, rural/urban inequalities, and other perspectives historically excluded from the national space
- De-colonisation of Scottish cultural practice and confrontation of inherited narratives and power structures
- Opportunities and challenges of cultural democracy and the democratisation of culture in the national space
- The place of Gaelic and Scots on the national stage
- Literary and dramatic works responding to themes of belonging, democracy, and national emancipation within a stateless nation
- Cultural and educational austerity: How can artists, educators, practitioners, and institutions navigate financial strain? Can conditions of scarcity spark creative resilience or alternative models of cultural participation?
We particularly encourage contributions from emerging artists, early-career researchers, youth participants, activists and community-based cultural workers.
Preliminary programme highlights
Main Event (Friday 23 October 2026)
1. Opening - Lightning Panel Session & Q&A (Hybrid)
A panel of invited guests will spark the discussion with 5–10-minute reflections on the NTS’s 20th Anniversary and Scotland’s culture and democracy today, drawing on their experiences from the theatrical, literary, academic, and participation development practice.
2. Nicola Sturgeon in Conversation with Joyce McMillan
Bringing together insights from political leadership, cultural advocacy and critical commentary, this conversation between Nicola Sturgeon and Joyce McMillan will reflect on some of Scotland’s most influential dramatic and literary works, and the ways in which they have shaped Scotland’s civic imagination. It offers a rare opportunity to hear Scotland’s longest-serving First Minister and one of the country’s most respected cultural critics reflect together on the power of dramatic and literary culture to influence national consciousness, foster dialogue and democratic resilience, and contribute to the making of contemporary Scotland.
3. Participant Papers (Hybrid)
Selected participants will deliver 15-minute presentations, followed by discussion. Contributions may include papers, provocations, conceptual interventions, practice-led reflections, artistic responses, or community-centred perspectives.
Follow-up Session
NTS@20: Culture and Democracy in Scotland – Knowledge Exchange Workshop at the Scottish Parliament (Thursday 29 October 2026 TBC)
Building on discussions emerging from the NTS at 20 Unconference, this knowledge exchange workshop, developed in partnership with Scottish Policy and Research Exchange, will bring together researchers, cultural practitioners and parliamentarians to reflect on the role of literature, theatre and cultural institutions in shaping democratic public life in Scotland.
The session will provide an opportunity to distil key themes emerging from the Unconference and explore how cultural organisations, policymakers and communities might work together to strengthen civic dialogue, participation and social cohesion at a time of increased political and social uncertainty. Through a series of brief expert reflections and structured discussion, participants will consider how Scotland’s cultural landscape might contribute to more inclusive and resiliently democratic futures.
Outputs from all sessions — including visual-notes material — will be collated into an edited volume, NTS at 20: Unconference Proceedings (TBC).
How to Participate
Please fill in the Expression of Interest form outlining your background and the idea, provocation, or question you would like to explore during the Unconference by 1 September 2026. Creative, interdisciplinary, and practice-based approaches are welcome. For any queries, please contact Dr Paula Sledzinska p.sledzinska@abdn.ac.uk and Dr Lauren Brancaz-McCartan lauren.brancaz-mccartan@univ-smb.fr.
We aim to make the Unconference fully accessible. Please let us know of any access requirements.
Context
This Unconference forms part of the organiser’s Visiting Research Fellowship at the Institute for Advanced Studies in the Humanities, contributing to IASH’s 2025–26 annual theme ‘Making a Nation.’ The events thus participate in a wider exploration of how nations are imagined, contested, and remade — culturally, politically, and democratically — and invites a polyphony of voices to shape that conversation.
In keeping with this outward-looking perspective, the Unconference encourages contributions from participants based outside of Scotland whose work engages with the themes outlined above, with the aim of fostering dialogue that situates Scottish Studies in a broader international context.
This international dimension is reflected in the partnership with the LLSETI research laboratory at Université Savoie Mont Blanc and the International Storytelling Festival.