GRASSROOTS independence group Believe in Scotland has announced it is holding a virtual Burns Supper to raise funds to kickstart the 2021 Yes campaign.
It attracted nearly 200 local campaign organisers to its first online conference last year and is hoping to build on that success with the January 23 event, for which it has already sold 200 tickets.
The line-up includes readings from Brian Cox, Lesley Riddoch, Eunice Olumide, Alistair Heather, Billy Kay, Kate Forbes MSP and Brandon Malone, with musical performances from Iona Fyffe, John Hutchison and youth performers Rhianna Porch and Eala MacDonald, toasts and talks by Michael Russell MSP and Philippa Whitford MP, Alistair Heather and Bill Nolan, all hosted by Gordon MacIntyre-Kemp.
Believe in Scotland is a spin-off from independence campaigning group Business for Scotland. It was awarded 2020 Independence Campaign Group of the Year last month in the Independence Awards organised by The National and the Scottish Independence Foundation.
All of the funds raised from the event will go towards new independence campaign materials, to be delivered in partnership with local Yes groups.
Business for Scotland chair Rob Aberdein said: “We can’t get together physically due to lockdown restrictions, but that won’t stop us celebrating the life of Scotland’s iconic national Bard.
“We have a track record of delivering high quality online events and our virtual Burns supper format is innovative; it has not been done before on this scale and it will be great fun as well as providing a high profile event for the Yes movement.”
There will be two main online areas – a main stage where all the performances will be broadcast (some recorded and some live) and the virtual tables where guests can chat and mingle.
Guests can buy an individual ticket or a table for 10, which acts as a breakout room to video chat with friends as they eat and drink. Book tickets at shorturl.at/oxCR1.
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