SYN FESTIVAL EDINBURGH

Syn means “with” or “together with”, as well as signifying mathematical addition in Greek. As a noun it translates as a pro, as opposed to a con. Syn Festival, which started in Edinburgh in 2014, constitutes a multi-arts festival which promotes intercultural dialogue. Taking into consideration that Edinburgh and Scotland in general are considerably multicultural areas, Syn, through various art, musical, cinema and theatre events, brings to the fore the cultural discourse between South and North, the Mediterranean and Great Britain. To date, Syn has hosted five festivals in various venues of the city (Upper Church at Summerhall, Adam House, Teviot Row House, Out of the Blue Drill Hall) showcasing local creative talent. Syn started in 2014 as an initiative of the Edinburgh University Hellenic Society, but since then our team has grown by students and professionals from a diverse range of cultural and professional backgrounds joining our volunteers team and/or our organising committee. Throughout the years, Syn has forged links with the Drama Short Film Festival (Greece), Be-There Corfu Animation Festival (Greece), Alba New Music Festival (Edinburgh), Edinburgh Greek Film Festival, Rebetiko Carnival (London) and the Italian Studies, University of Edinburgh. Syn Festival is a purely volunteer led organization and prioritises on making art accessible to all by entry by donation events. Additionally, each year, fundraising is held during the festival in support of vulnerable social groups such as refugees and the homeless.