Edinburgh Festival Day 1 / Independent - Traverse Conferences

The Traverse Theatre and the Independent are again joining forces to present a series of eight free conferences with major figures visiting the Edinburgh Festival. Now in their fifth year, the conferences have become established as a vital and often controversial forum for leading international artists from around the world to engage in vigorous debate with the audience and each other. This year there is a special Conference Question Time with Secretary of State for National Heritage, the Right Hon David Mellor QC, MP in the company of Andreas Whittam-Smith, editor of the Independent. Also this year three conferences focus on the theatrical tradition and recent developments in new writing in Scotland, Ireland and Catalonia. The first is on Thursday 20 August and explores the importance of contemporary Irish writing.

All Conferences are at 11am and are free, in the new Traverse Theatre, Cambridge Street, Edinburgh EH1 (031-228 1404).