Heritage And Culture on Show for Lord Provost Visit

Dunedin (Thursday, 18 February 2016) – Dunedin's heritage, culture and status as a UNESCO City of Literature will be showcased during a brief visit by the civic head of the City of Edinburgh Council later this week.

The Lord Provost of Edinburgh, the Rt Hon Donald Wilson, and the Lady Provost, Ms Elaine Brand, arrive in Dunedin on Friday evening and will spend most of Saturday in the city.

Mayor of Dunedin Dave Cull says the Lord Provost is taking the opportunity to visit Dunedin as part of an Australasian visit for Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo shows in Melbourne and Wellington respectively.

"Dunedin's proud Scottish heritage and links with Edinburgh remain as evident and as keenly celebrated today as they did when the first Scottish settlers arrived here over 160 years ago, so I'm delighted to be able to welcome the civic leader of our sister city," says Mr Cull.

During his visit, the Lord Provost will be taken on a tour of Dunedin's Warehouse Precinct, looking at restored buildings and buildings currently being restored.

The Lord Provost will also visit Toitū Otago Settlers Museum, including a tour of the museum and a lunch hosted by Dunedin City of Literature.

The Lord Provost will be one of the first visitors to see the new Poetick poetry machine which has been installed in Toitū in time for his visit. Created by Dunedin Design students Benjamin Alder and Liam Bigelow from recycled parking machines, Poetick is a poem-sharing project aiming to enhance the pay and display parking experience and promote literature around the world. Poems by published and unpublished poets from the various UNESCO Cities of Literature are printed to the Poetick machine.

Edinburgh was the first designated UNESCO City of Literature in the world, while Dunedin became New Zealand's first UNESCO City of Literature in December 2014.

"Scottish migrants brought the literature of Robert Burns to Dunedin and many talented writers today continue to draw their inspiration from Scottish tradition," says Mr Cull.

"This is fantastic opportunity to showcase not only Dunedin's Scottish links, but also the many other elements which have been woven into our city's multi-cultural tartan."

Dunedin's relationship with Edinburgh has obvious historic links, not least the 1843 decision to name the New Zealand Company's new Scottish settlement Dunedin, the Gaelic form of Edinburgh.

The cities' bond was formalised in 1974 with the establishment of an official sister city relationship.

Recent official activities between the two cities have focused on cultural exchanges.

Dunedin musicians Robert Scott and Jay Clarkson recently toured Scotland as part of a reciprocal visit which saw Edinburgh artists perform in Dunedin as part of St Andrews Day celebrations last year.

ENDS

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