Letter from Edinburgh: Magic from everyday people

By MIKA*

The madness grows. This week I've been out and about teaching "Holiday Haka". We've been everywhere, from rough-neck Wester Hailes (picture Trainspotting) to the heritage-listed town centre.

Festival Edinburgh touches the whole city, especially with the wave of celebs who roll into town, their names too big for any brochure listing. Heard of Dionne Warwick, Paul Simon, Burt Bacharach, Van Morrison, Nancy Sinatra? Thought so. Nairobi Trio? Yes, our own jazz stars are competing in this arena, so think good Kiwi thoughts for them.

The book festival's village of tents is hot. Feminist queen Germaine Greer sits alongside Mo Mowlam (former British Secretary of State for Northern Ireland) who has suggested the way to fight the losing battle against abuse is to legalise all drugs - yes, she's brave. The Lord of The Rings is a top topic and a bag of Tolkien experts are feeding the Hobbit-mania. I spot just one New Zealand writer, C. K. Stead. One is not enough.

You'll recall from last week's diary - pay attention class - that India is flavour of the year here. Well, even the book festival has Hindi fever. Of course, it's more high-brow than movie and megastars: we have illustrious translator Indra Sinha, renowned for her work on the classic text Kama Sutra.

It seems Scottish arts planners have an eye on the broader audience. For the kitsch fans the literary feast hosts Gerry Anderson, creator of Thunderbirds and Stingray, delivering lectures on wobbly head puppets.

Sensing a culturally curious nation, South Korea is having a bash at self-promotion, too. Direct from opening the World Cup is Doodrock, a percussion-dance spectacular (Strike with fewer clothes) very generously supported by the Korean Ministry of Heritage and Culture.

Korea, India - it is a UN-style race to be the face of the festival. New Zealand next, I say. If the election can get British press coverage, our arts can, too.

In the middle of all this "high brow, low brow, no brow" arts debate the regular citizens of Edinburgh can be forgotten. But behind the PR and the marketing machines the real festival magic lies in reaching new local audiences.

Happily I know we reached hundreds, young and old, with our Holiday Haka workshops. Most exciting was 20 Scottish ladies in their 70s giving up their afternoon tea and bingo to watch us at work. Their magic matched everything we could share: watching them wiri their hands and scream out "Kapai" had to be seen to be believed.

* Mika is leader of Torotoro/Urban Dance Crew which is performing at the Edinburgh Festival.