Edinburgh International Festival celebrates International Poetry Day by releasing a newly commissioned poem ‘Edinburgh is a Story’ by Edinburgh poet Hannah Lavery. The poem is a trailer for the 2022 digital programme, Edinburgh International Festival At Home, to be released throughout October and November in partnership with abrdn.

• Watch Hannah Lavery’s poem

Hannah Lavery by Jess Shurte

The At Home programme takes place October 27 - December 1 with three digital releases per week, free to watch internationally online and on the festival's YouTube channel.

The digital releases will include five short films, Edinburgh is a Story, creating portraits of some of the summer’s festival artists, filmed in iconic Edinburgh locations. Alongside this, two full-length concerts performed at the 2022 International Festival will be released, as well as a series of six intimate music sessions, captured backstage throughout the festival.

The six music videos will include a performance from the Takács Quartet, early musician and viol player Jordi Savall with members of his Hespèrion XXI ensemble, and the Gaelic vocal trio Sian. The full-length concerts will showcase the festival’s closing concert with Sir Andrew Davis conducting the Royal Scottish National Orchestra in Elgar’s Dream of Gerontius, as well as a concert with harpsichordist Richard Egarr as he leads an ensemble of period musicians to perform Bach’s Brandenburg Concertos.

Speaking of the ‘At Home’ programme, the festival’s CEO Francesca Hegyi mentioned their goals for inclusivity, ‘Not everyone can make it to our live performances …  At Home gives a taste of what we have on offer at the International Festival.’

At Home will culminate with St Andrew’s Day on 30 November, when audiences are can join the Festival on YouTube and can watch a journey across Edinburgh as world class artists perform at some of the city's defining landmarks.

Find out more about the Edinburgh International Festival's At Home programme