We work year round to open doors, spark curiosity and offer meaningful, unforgettable encounters with music, theatre, opera and dance. 

Our Discovery and Participation work covers three strands,Youth, Community and Industry, each designed to build connections between the people of Edinburgh and the International Festival. Read about some of the Discovery and Participation work happening this year.

Youth Connections: Bringing World-Class Performance to Edinburgh Schools

For many Edinburgh-based young people, a first encounter with art might begin with the Youth Connections Discover series.

Youth Connections invites secondary school pupils to experience world-class performances for free, inspiring curiosity, enriching learning and deepening young people’s connection to music, opera, theatre and dance.

Discover Opera 2026: Verdi's A Masked Ball

This June, Discover Opera returns with a group of professional opera singers and a pianist touring 15 Edinburgh schools to perform a specially created version of Verdi’s A Masked Ball. 

Through a live performance and Q&A, around 1,000 music pupils will have the exciting opportunity to explore the opera’s music, themes and story up close. In bringing a live operatic experience to pupils, Discover Opera deepens musical knowledge and encourages conversations about storytelling, musicianship and performance. 

From the Classroom to the Festival Theatre

For many, the experience continues beyond the classroom. Discover Opera offers a direct pathway to the International Festival with hundreds of free tickets available for participating pupils to attend Zurich Opera House’s production of Verdi’s A Masked Ball at the Festival Theatre in August. 

Discover Music 2026: Careers in the Creative Sector

As part of the Youth Connection's Discover series, we are hosting a careers event for local schools. Young people will have the opportunity to hear a panel of industry experts talk about their career journey within the creative sector. 

Emerging artists and established voices such as Martha Barr aka Indoor Foxes and Marianna Hay MBE the Founding Director of Orchestras for All will meet for a morning of panel discussions to discuss the future of the creative sector in Scotland and internationally. This event specifically poses the question, what does success in the performing arts look like for young musicians? and will offer advice to young people who are inspired to explore creative careers.

If you are a teacher or administrator at a school in Edinburgh and its surrounding areas that we do not currently run workshops for, you can reach out to us directly via [email protected] 

Community Connections: Celebrating Collaboration through Creativity

Through our Community Connections programme we strengthen communities through fostering lifelong relationships with the performing arts and removing barriers to accessing live music and performance. 

Community Connections Hub

Our annual programme which runs throughout the year delivers projects in partnerships with organisations such as the RNIB, NHS Lothian and in partnership with our Community Connections Hub at Space @ The Broomhouse Hub.

Art of Listening Workshops 

This August, our Art of Listening Workshops present a shared opportunity for children between 7-11 years old and their grown-ups to explore classical music and encounter live music together. These workshops are based on our flagship project, Art of Listening which celebrated its 25th year in 2025.

Free tickets are available to those living in EH11 postcodes and all tickets include a free community lunch. Art of Listening Workshops take place on 15, 22 and 29 August at Space @ The Broomhouse Hub, our Community Connections Hub. 

Dementia Friendly Concerts

At the Dementia Friendly concert in August, our Rising Stars of Jazz present an hour of jazz, in a relaxed environment with tea and cake at The Queen’s Hall. This is following on from our successful Dementia Friendly Concert in 2025.

These relaxed performances are designed especially for people living with dementia and their caregivers, family and friends to enjoy familiar music in a comfortable environment. Audiences are allowed to make noise, move around and leave the auditorium to take breaks in a quiet area. Discover more.

NHS Festival Sessions

Our NHS Festival Sessions take place in healthcare settings across the city and wider Lothian area. They create moments of joy and respite for NHS Lothian’s staff, patients and service users through light touch musical encounters with world class Edinburgh International Festival associated artists. 

This year, we are bringing live music into communal spaces, creating unique community-led moments and wards where patients often feel increasingly isolated or have less moment-to-moment social activity. 

Read about previous NHS Festival Sessions.

Industry Connections: Inspiring the Next Generation of Creative Talent

We support emerging and established talent plus educators to connect with world-leading performers and local creatives.

We run professional development events exploring a variety of different creative disciplines across dance, opera, theatre and music offering opportunities for meet and greets with artists, panel discussions and workshops. 

Rising Stars: The Next Generation of World-Class Performers

Chosen via audition, our annual Rising Stars programme connects up-and-coming musicians with professional mentors and their peers to rehearse and take to the stage at our International Festival hosted in the summer. 

In 2026, the Rising Stars are performing in:

• Classical Jam with Festival Director Nicola Benedetti
• Rising Stars of Voice with Louise Alder
• Scottish Rising Stars of Jazz in the Dementia friendly concert

Meet our 2026 Rising Stars.

Curious to learn more or interested in working with us? Speak to Caroline Donald, Head of Discovery and Participation, by emailing [email protected].