And it's a Wrap - OttScot Festival 2020-21, plus news about our spring plans
The OttScot Festival 2020-21 has come to an end and it feels like such a great victory! We started planning during the pandemic, and we were so hopeful to be able to host at least a hybrid in-person/virtual festival. One-by-one the events became virtual only, like dominoes racing towards the finish line. We worried that we did not have the volunteer experience to manage virtual events, that performances and material would be flat and that people would not attend.
In spite of all our concerns, what really happened?
Our St. Andrew’s Day Tutored Whisky Tasting was presented on Zoom and sold out (maximum 50 people) in record time! The fabulous tasting hosted by Emmett Hossack, our whisky enthusiast and presented by Mike Brisbois, The Whisky Explorer and brand ambassador for Bunnahabhain, Deanston & Tobermory was given all-time high thumbs up!
Hogman-eh! ‘20 Fiery & Bold was presented on YouTube and Facebook Live, and included messages from Canada’s Prime Minister and Scotland’s Cabinet Secretary for Economy, Fair Work and Culture featuring many red-hot entertainers, was enjoyed by over 11,000 people! And we grew the event, adding festive celebration bags to aid in your at-home celebrations, as well as Scottish cultural activities leading up to Hogman-eh!
Our Burns Supper and Ceilidh was presented on YouTube and Facebook Live, and enjoyed by over 8,000 people, many of whom ordered their Burns Suppers from local SSO partner restaurants
2021 Great Canadian Kilt Skate was presented as a Home Edition with almost 200 pictures and dozens of videos submitted by people across Canada from backyard and community rinks, culminating in a Zoom party!
Our vibrant OttScot Festival 2020-21 was a success beyond our wildest dreams! Performances were fantastic, attendance was higher, participation was enthusiastic, our directors and committee members stretched their creativity and excelled, and we received excellent reviews of the festival! On top of that, we have built and strengthened some incredible relationships with our sponsors and partners from Ottawa, the Ottawa Valley, and across Canada.
We know that we Scots are a resilient bunch, but I think this festival caught us all a little off-guard in its success. Our members and followers have risen to the challenge of this pandemic and refused to stop celebrating! Your positive response has offered us such encouragement. From the bottom of our hearts, we thank you for your continued support of the Scottish Society of Ottawa, and for skating beside us through this exhilarating OttScot Festival!
We are spring boarding forward with brilliant enthusiasm. Through the spring and summer seasons, we will celebrate Poetry Month in April, the Scottish gin industry, the 225th anniversary of the passing of Robbie Burns and we’ll take a close look at Ottawa’s Scottish heritage. We invite you to join us as we continue sharing Scottish celebrations and culture.
Slàinte mhath,
Jane Torrance, Chair