TRACS has announced that Daniel Abercrombie has been appointed as the new Director of the Scottish International Storytelling Festival, taking up the role from April 2026.
The announcement was made on World Storytelling Day as the organisation marked a new chapter for the festival.
Abercrombie has served as Associate Director of the festival for the past five years and has worked at the Scottish Storytelling Centre since 2010.
He has played a key role in the resurgence of interest in both traditional and contemporary storytelling, with his work rooted in collaboration and community.
Under his leadership, the Centre’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe programme has become a major platform for storytellers and trad-artists.
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He was also part of the team that created Edinburgh Tradfest in 2013.
Raised in Edinburgh, Abercrombie brings a deep understanding of the city’s festival landscape as well as the role SISF plays across Scotland and internationally.
He will also join the Directors of Festivals Edinburgh as part of his new role.
Founded in 1989 by Donald Smith, SISF now welcomes more than 40,000 participants each year and is recognised as the world’s largest celebration of storytelling.
The 2026 festival will run from 21 to 31 October.
Daniel Abercrombie, new Director of the Scottish International Storytelling Festival, said: “It’s a great joy to be tasked with continuing the great work of the Scottish International Storytelling Festival. I have seen first hand the natural evolution of the festival into the thriving cultural community force it is now and I look forward to being a steward, celebrant and advocate for the great stories, storytellers and traditional artists that make our festival a light in a world in need of stories.”
Beverley Bryant, Chair of the Scottish Storytelling Forum, said: “Daniel absolutely understands the importance of storytelling; both the tradition and culture we are preserving and the need for storytelling in contemporary settings. He is a passionate advocate of the art form and of the Scottish arts scene more broadly. It will be exciting to see the SISF develop in new ways under his direction.”
Steve Byrne, CEO of TRACS, who led the recruitment process, commented: “I am delighted to welcome Daniel to the TRACS team after many years of working alongside him in partnership, having long admired his innovative programming work at the Scottish Storytelling Centre. His track record speaks for itself – he is an outstanding candidate whose commitment to traditional arts is first rate. I look forward to seeing SISF flourish under his leadership.”
More information can be found here.
