Arcadia Scotland
Spring 2016 Events
Date
November 19, 2015
There is much to look forward to during the Spring 2016 Semester in Scotland. Here is a first glance at the events that will be taking place during your time in Scotland.
Registration opens Thursday, December 3 at (EST) in your Arcadia Passport.
Author, Alan Bissett Talk - Boyracers
Theme: Bookclub
As part of our lecture series Alan Bisset, a Scottish author from Falkirk, will be joining us at the Edinburgh Center to talk about his novel, Boyracers. The tragi/comic novel is about the freedom of youth in the Noughties, exploring the formative years of four Falkirk teenagers and their journey through adolescence. It delves into the influences of popular culture, global capitalism and social class on the lives of young people in contemporary Scotland.
“Boyracers fire off a Techicolor display of Falkirk special effects. There is real emotion here and gutsiness…a feeling for language so passionate it shames the fullness of so many sentences that make it into print” – Sunday Herald
Alan Bissett’s writing deals in unlikely combinations: racy young blokes in touch with their feminine sides, Scottish culture wedded to Americana, socialism married to commercialised popular culture, genre fiction matched with formal experimentation. Alan Bisset lives in Glasgow and is also a regular contributor for the Guardian newspaper.
Falkirk Day Trip
Theme: nature and invention scotland, bookclub
A day excursion to explore the fascinating history of Falkirk, a town sitting within Scotland’s central belt, located between Edinburgh and Glasgow. The Kelpies are one of the largest steel equine sculptures in the world. A guided tour will explain their history, design, and engineering. Next on the excursion will be a boat ride on The Falkirk Wheel, a piece of modern engineering that has been recognised as an inspirational sculpture for the 21st century. Connecting two canals, this masterpiece is the only rotating boatlift in the world. At Rough Castle, we will visit a well preserved part of the Roman Antonine Wall, with archaeologist, Dr Jennifer Novotny. The Callendar House, which dates back to the 14th century and is positioned on the Antonine Wall, will be the final stop. The house has played host to many prominent historical figures over the centuries, including Mary Queen of Scots, Cromwell and Bonnie Prince Charlie as well as Roman display.
ROSSLYN CHAPEL AND THE SCOTTISH BORDERS
THEMES: ORIGINS, SCOTLANDS
The Scottish Borders is full of beauty with sweeping valleys, forests and heather-clad moorlands. The day excursion to the Scottish Borders will begin with a visit to the Rosslyn Chapel which was founded in 1446 using ornate stonework and mysterious symbolism. The Abbotsford House is also an important part of the enthralling history of the Scottish Borders and will be included in the day excursion. The Abbotsford is the home of Sir Walter Scott, the 19th century novelist and poet. There will be free time to explore Melrose village and the ruins of Melrose Abbey which was founded in 1136 for the Cistercian Order and largely destroyed by Richard II’s English army in 1385.
FIRBUSH ACTIVITY WEEKEND
Theme: ACTIVE SCOTLAND
Firbush Outdoor Centre is an activity filled weekend run by the University of Edinburgh’s Centre for Sport and Exercise staff. Firbush is based in a spectacular location –in the southern Highlands on the shores of Loch Tay. There are a broad range of activities on offer, dependent on weather conditions, such as: hillwalking, mountain biking, road biking, kayaking, canoeing, orienteering and a historical tour. There will be a ceilidh dance and burns supper on one of the evenings.
Dublin Weekend: Centenary of a Nation Rising
Theme: Life of the Mind
This semester as part of the Life of the Mind theme ‘Protest!’ we are bringing students together from Ireland, Scotland and London for a Centenary co-curricular weekend in Dublin. The Easter Rising in 1916 was a public event that shaped both Ireland and the Modern World. While armies collided on European battlefields, a small but determined band of Irish rebels assembled on the streets of Dublin to proclaim an independent Irish Republic. Now, a century later, we invite students to interrogate this ‘bloody protest for a glorious thing’ by participating in Arcadia’s Easter 1916 weekend. Students from Irish, Scottish and English programmes will tour Dublin battle sites, have an opportunity to visit Kilmainham Jail, view historical exhibitions, and attend a lecture on the role of women in the Easter Rising. Students will also take part in the ‘Waking the Nation’ programme by attending a play commissioned by the world famous Abbey Theatre. With accommodation and most meals included and free time to explore Dublin built into the schedule, this regional co-curricular activity is not to be missed.
Please note this event leaves on a Friday morning, it is your responsibility to check for academic clashes.
CEILIDH DANCE
Theme: CREATING & IMAGING
Ceilidh is the Gaelic word for a visit or gathering and involves Scottish country dancing to traditional Scottish folk music. Ceilidhs have played a vital role in Scotland’s cultural and social life for many years. The ceilidh is a fun opportunity for all of the Arcadia students to come together to celebrate Scottish culture. The Scottish dance will take place in Stirling, a beautiful historic city in the heart of Scotland’s central belt.
Concert - The dead Stations: Mike Vass and Mairi Campbell
Theme: CREATING & IMAGING
The Dead Stations is a story told through traditional Scottish music and animation which combines live performance, recorded actors and projections. Written by Charlotte Hathaway with music and lyrics by Mike Vass, the live score is performed by a variety of performers.
Mairi Campbell is an influential Scottish musician whose songs and soundings reflect Scotland’s dynamic energy. In recent years, Mairi Campbell has been awarded ‘Scots Singer of The Year’ and ‘Tutor of The Year’ at the MG Alba Scots Trad Music Awards. Mairi’s version of Auld Lang Syne was used in the pivotal New Year’s Eve scene of the film ‘Sex and The City’.
RBS 6 Nations Rugby Championship - Scotland v France
Theme: active scotland
Scotland will be playing France at the Murrayfield stadium in Edinburgh. Scotland came agonisingly close to winning the last time France came to Murrayfield. Will the Scots win this time? The sport of rugby, invented in England in 1823, is a popular sport throughout the United Kingdom and Ireland. Rugby can best be described as a cross between American Football and Soccer. The game is played by two teams of 15 players on a pitch 100m (110 yards) long, and 69m (75 yards) wide. The rugby ball is an oval ball, blunter than an American football. The object of the game is to score as many points as possible, either by kicking the ball through the posts, scoring 3 points, or by placing the ball on the ground with downward pressure in the opposition's try zone, scoring 5 points. After scoring a try, the scoring team attempts to kick the ball through the posts, scoring 2 points. You can only pass the ball backwards!
Learn more about Co-Curricular Themes & Excursions in Scotland.