Live-streamed Conversation

We were commissioned to operate a live-streamed conversation between Nicola Benedetti and Joyce McMillan, for Edinburgh International Festival and The Scotsman. We streamed their fascinating discussion in front of a small audience in the magnificent Festival Hub, at the foot of the Royal Mile.

A world-class violinist and passionate advocate for the arts, Nicola Benedetti was recently appointed Festival Director of EIF. Her first festival is framed by the question: 'Where do we go from here?' Her question is asked in response to recent funding cuts and the changing landscape surrounding the arts.

As part of the conversation, Joyce asked Nicola a series of stimulating questions, allowing her the opportunity of outlining her exciting ambitions for the festival over the next few years, as well as her responses to the challenges that she identifies. Nicola’s aim is to deliver ‘the deepest possible experience, with the highest quality performances, to the broadest possible audience.’

We used a three-camera setup, which (hopefully!) didn't interfere with the live audience's engagement, to stream the conversation live to The Scotsman and EIF's Facebook pages. Following their conversation, members of the live audience and those watching the stream were invited to submit questions to Nicola online. It was enlightening to hear both the audience’s questions and Nicola’s perceptive responses to them. 

You can watch the stream back on Facebook, but definitely check out the full programme for this year's Edinburgh International Festival, which runs from 4-27 August with some 295 amazing events on their website.