Multicultural Homecoming 2014

Multicultural Homecoming 2014 Documentary

What is “Homecoming”?

“Homecoming Scotland 2014” is a Scottish Government initiative run by Visit Scotland to promote Scotland internationally, and to celebrate both the country’s heritage and the diverse communities that live here. “Homecoming” includes a wide range of events and activities in each of the following categories:

sports, including the Commonwealth Games, and various outdoor activities;
the Commonwealth, history, and the Scottish diaspora;
music, arts, dance, architecture and design, literature , digital media, fashion and textiles;
whisky and food festivals ;
the natural and historic environments, and wildlife

The 2011 census showed that Scotland is a more diverse community than ever with more than 8% of people coming from an ethnic minority background. These include long-established communities such as people with Pakistani, Indian, Irish, Italian, Bangladeshi, Afghani, and Arab heritage, as well as more recent migrants from Africa, the Caribbean, Poland, Latvia, and other Eastern European Countries, Gypsy Travellers, and people with English or Welsh heritage. “Multicultural Homecoming” events will celebrate this diversity through the oral traditions, experiences, and craftsmanship of people living in Scotland today. BEMIS Chief Executive Rami Ousta commented:

The Scottish Government’s support to this programme reflects a serious commitment to stimulating and empowering active participation of the diverse communities in line with the wider civic society.

Not just tourism

The Scottish Government’s intention is that “Homecoming” events should not only be targeted at tourists and people with a Scottish heritage whether living in Scotland or the rest of the world, but that they should also attract people from a wide range of ethnic backgrounds who live in Scotland. This has been emphasised by the Scottish Government Culture Secretary, Fiona Hyslop MSP, who said:

Ethnic minorities have a vital part to play in the fabric of Scottish society and, working with partners like BEMIS, the Scottish Football Association and Glasgow University, ethnic communities across the country will be invited to celebrate what Homecoming means for them.

Partnership with Communities

In order to achieve this aim, the Scottish Government has provided funding for BEMIS to facilitate “Homecoming” events that showcase Scotland’s rich cultural diversity. In partnership with major organisations such as GRAMNet (Glasgow Refugee, Asylum,and Migration Network), the Scottish Refugee Council, and the Scottish Football Association, BEMIS is staging a series of national “Homecoming” events that will include:

the “Homecoming 2014 Multicultural Cup”, a football tournament that will take place at Hampden;
a series of free film showings;
a series of seminars about diversity, identity, and citizenship;
“Multicultural Homecoming Week”.

Grants

And because the Scottish Government want to hear what “home” means to as many of Scotland’s communities as possible, BEMIS is also setting up a small grants programme that will provide community groups with up to £1,000 to put on local events. Since “home” means very different things to different people, some of these events may have a very local focus, perhaps just on a single street or the local neighbourhood, while others may look at the way people feel about the city they live in, or about another country that has special significance for them.

Applications for the grant programme are now closed.

A summary of the events that have been funded through this programme is available below.

Multicultural Homecoming Small Grants Overview

Useful Links

Homecoming Scotland 2014
http://www.visitscotland.com/see-do/homecoming-scotland-2014/

Homecoming Scotland Events
http://www.visitscotland.com/see-do/homecoming-scotland-2014/events/