THIS Monday, 8 August 2016 at 2.00pm, the Fair & Ethical Trade on the Fringe will launch in style on Castle Street, in Edinburgh, with a colourful performance by India Flamenco troupe.
They will perform for the Lord Provost of Edinburgh, The Rt. Hon. Donald Wilson, as both local and international exhibitors showcase their Fairtrade arts, crafts and products from around the world.
Every year since 2009, organisers, Hand Up Events, have brought together an unique offering to Edinburgh – during the international Edinburgh Festivals – with a range of fair trade, ethical as well beautiful Scottish hand-crafted gifts.
Exhibitors from as far Peru, India, Zambia and Kenya give shoppers a truly international shopping experience and where monies are reinvested to help others in communities around the world.
Edinburgh’s Lord Provost, Donald Wilson, will officially open the Fair & Ethical Trade on the Fringe.
He said: “I am very proud of Edinburgh’s long-standing commitment to ethical business and the Fair Trade City status we have earned for 12 years running.
“This event provides the city with an excellent opportunity to showcase the contribution individuals and businesses are making to fair trade to the hundreds of thousands of visitors to Edinburgh during the Fringe.”
Tania Pramschufer, director, Hand Up Events and LocalMotive Markets, added: “Fair & Ethical Trade on the Fringe provides a unique opportunity for UK shoppers to buy such a great variety of fair and ethical gifts as well, to meet so many international exhibitors who support their communities through our events that put fair and ethical trade on the best possible high footfall locations.
“We are delighted to be on Castle Street again this year and for the first time on Waverley Mall.”
New Fairtrade exhibitor, Elaine Lowe, from Blue Llama, is attending for the first year from Peru. From Edinburgh, originally, Elaine works with small, family-run workshops, thus ensuring Fairtrade standards are met, and at the same time empowering these artisans and their families.
She said: “Fair and Ethical Trade on the Fringe is exactly the sort event I hoped I’d be working with when I set up Blue Llama. For us, it’s the perfect chance to show our sustainably produced alpaca knitwear to customers from all over the world. I’m really looking forward to being part of it.”
Saliha Haouachi, artistic director of Alba Flamenco, said: “I am thrilled to be able to show case our performance India Flamenco dance at this international launch of fair and ethical trade. Our dance style is a fusion of different cultures blended together with real harmony and grace to complement the colourful exhibitors from around the world.”
Fair & Ethical Trade on the Fringe has been taking place on Castle Street since 2009 and will be running the following week on the roof of Waverley Mall.
It promotes fair and ethically-sourced and traded products as well as local arts and crafts. It attracts exhibitors from across the globe, from as far as Zambia, Kenya, India, Chile and Bali and this year space is being offered to Fairtrade organisations, ethical businesses and local makers/designers on a first come basis.
Suppliers can sign up by contacting tania@handupevents.co.uk
Tania added: “There are some great eating and shopping experiences on Castle Street and Princes Street so we encourage our visitors to make the most of the fair and the shops, cafés, restaurants and businesses nearby.”
The Fair & Ethical Trade on the Fringe will run on Castle street until the 13 August and then next to Waverley Station from the 14 August – colourful flags will be in place to showcase the event.
ENDS
For more event information and photos:
Tania Pramschufer, event organisers at Hand Up Events; tania@handupevents.co.uk www.handupevents.co.uk 07914 254 334. Our twitter handle is @handupevents and we hope you can join us on twitter for both events.
For further press information contact:
Fiona Stewart, PR consultant, Interwoven PR
E: fiona@interwovenpr.com M: +44 (0)7940560453
Notes to editors:
About our performers India Flamenco
Three passionate and talented dancers and a traditional vocalist and musician make up this act ‘India Flamenco’ who tell the story of gypsies who travel and share their knowledge, and it is by means of this story that the fusion of dance styles comes about. This link between the dance styles is fluid and mesmerising – with striking and memorable dancers.
About our exhibitors @ Fair & Ethical Trade on the Fringe
The back stories….
Elaine Lowe from Blue Llama is attending for the first year from Peru, working with small, family run workshops, thus ensuring Fairtrade standards are met, and at the same time empowering these artisans and their families. Creating sustainable, ethical, beautiful textiles. Their objective is to combine natural materials, such as alpaca, wool, and cotton, using traditional artisan techniques along with creative, contemporary design.
Dorostel International represented by Dorothy Taro from Kenya who has been attending since 2009 with handcrafted woven baskets, original artworks, traditional soap stone animals and bags. Profits and products supporting women within her community who have lost children through HIV.
Sanyo Crafts represented by Sarah Ngechu also from Kenya, an university lecturer who gained her qualifications at Napier many years ago. Sarah provides food and education for 14 children she has adopted but runs a daily rota for them to sleep with locals as her own two-bedroom home not big enough.
However, since she has been coming to our events since 2008, some of the income from sales of her products has bought a piece of land back and now she has set her heart on raising more funds to build a warm home for all of them, brick by brick.
Sarah brings with her arts and crafts made from sand stone, soap stone, bone, wood, and clay.
Chipo Mutena Mdaitzaida travels from Zambia. Recently, she has gained recognition for her work and promoting Zambia in Edinburgh by the Zambian president as well high commissioner.
She sources handpainted batiks, hand woven shawls and scarfs and many other traditionally handcrafted gifts that are mostly sourced from cooperatives support women out of poverty through trade.
Other exhibitors who attending again this year include:
Gecko Galleries - ethically-made handcrafted leather journals and bags from India.
ACTSA - South African Fairtrade products supporting anti-apartheid. John Nelson who most often runs the stall which is filled with beautiful arts and crafts from South Africa has recently been given the MBE by The Queen for his 40 years of service. ACTSA is the successor to the Anti-Apartheid Movement (AAM) and is a democratic, member led, campaigning organisation.
One World Shop - Fair Trade shop in Edinburgh selling a wide range of Fairtrade products all around the world.
Santosa – ethically-sourced gifts made in Nepal (just opened new yoga shop on Leith Walk).
Lumina Fair Trade Jewellery Picky Saud has attended Fair & Ethical Trade on the Fringe event since the start in 2009, with magnificent gemstone jewellery.
ME and You has been trading since 2009 with workers in a small rural village called Tilora in Rajasthan. During this time, this small family business has steadily grown to employ 100 workers who in the beginning started off as family and close friends and now trained as professional tailors.
Karibu Kilimanjaro - Edinburgh-based Tanzanian Social Enterprise specialising in hand made, fairly-traded jewellery and fashion from Maasai of Tanzania.
Scottish Exhibitors, to name but a few…….
The Scottish Wildlife Trust - engage shoppers with their environmental and conservational projects across Scotland.
Fern Glass – beautiful glass window hangings.
Calzeat – Celtic throws and scarves.
Cabbie Kids – organic kids clothing company.
Jan Milne – hand-crafted jewellery.
Ali Furniture Farm – hand-crafted farm animal stools.
Eclectic Shock – recycled jewellery.
Kylie Campbell – jewellery.
Dragonfly Dichroic
Hand Up Events is an Edinburgh-based events company that focuses on a positive social impact to everyone involved. Social responsibility means trying to ensure everyone benefits, from our suppliers, our exhibitors, our customers and that our ethos remains at the fore of whatever we do.
We particularly aim to support people through trade, not aid. We are connected with international exhibitors across the globe and seek to continue developing these lifelong relationships.
Performers – India Flamenco can be seen at the Fringe https://tickets.edfringe.com/whats-on/india-flamenco
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Contact: Fiona Stewart
Phone: 07940560453
Email: fiona@booktrawler.com
Website: http://www.handupevents.co.uk
