World Hope Forum Scotland: Reshaping Traditions, Retelling Stories

Scotland is a land shaped by makers and storytellers, a place where landscape, lore and lived experience weave themselves into every craft. From the ancient rhythms of wool-working and weaving to the contemporary voices redefining art, design and culture today, Scotland’s creative spirit has always been rooted in tradition while reaching restlessly toward the new. Ours is a nation of travellers and tellers, carrying ideas across borders, inspiring wherever we go, and drawing deeply from the stories and materials of home.

This edition of the World Hope Forum brings together established artists, curators and emerging creatives — photographers, weavers, writers, makers and advocates — whose practices honour lineage while imagining fresh possibilities for the next generation. These are individuals who sustain heritage crafts, revive forgotten skills and reshape what creativity can mean in a modern Scotland. Their work spans mediums yet shares a common thread: a belief that craft, culture and community hold the power to spark connection, resilience and hope.

Gathered from across the country and the globe, from remote studios to working farms, these Scottish voices invite us to explore how the country's traditions are being reinterpreted and retold. Through wool and wood, clay and camera, theatre, story and song, they reveal a nation both deeply rooted and boldly forward-looking — a Scotland whose creativity endures, adapts and continues to inspire far beyond its shores.