THE Declaration of Arbroath, the 701-year-old document calling for Scotland’s independence, is being refreshed for new generations.
Literary group Scottish PEN and Arbroath Festival are calling for 16 to 25-year-olds to submit updated versions of the letter “inspired by the principles of the historic document” for a project called New Declarations.
The outcome will be shared on TikTok and Instagram, as well as being performed at a spoken word performance at the Arbroath Festival and physically crafted to sit in a writing room at Arbroath Abbey.
The Declaration of Arbroath was written in 1320 by Scottish barons and earls asking the Pope to recognise Scotland’s independence and acknowledge Robert the Bruce as the country’s lawful king. It was created during Scotland’s long war of independence with England.
Rebecca Sharp, a writer and mentor on the New Declarations initiative, said: “We studied the Declaration of Arbroath and how it functioned at the time of 1320 – background factors that influenced how it was written and who sent it, who it was for and how it was received.
“That led us into thinking about how to write a New Declaration, in the context of where we are now.
“The role of technology is always a factor, and clearly influences how we communicate now.”
Today marks the 701st anniversary of the letter. The Arbroath Festival runs from July 2 to September 12 and is described as “an apolitical cultural celebration of the legacy of the declaration”.
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