Both Sides of the Tweed is a music festival with a difference. Set up in the year 2000 under the auspices of the Scottish Borders Tourist Board, as part of a year long programme called 'The Land of Creativity' the events' title demonstrates its commitment to placing music from these islands within a culturally seamless context, and juxtaposing it alongside music from other cultures in a way that mutually enhances all.

So it is that for 6 years there have been six festivals, featuring headliners from different nations. Scotland has provided such names as Archie Fisher, Eric Bogle and the Boys of the Lough, alongside their counterparts from the other side of the Tweed including Waterson/Carthy, Kate Rusby and Vin Garbutt. Such luminaries have represented the other cultures as Sean Keane (Ireland), Sliabh Notes (Ireland), Susanna Seivane (Galicia), Jaleo (Andalusia), Walt Michael & Company (USA) and Ken Perlman & Alan Jabbour (USA).

In addition to the bringing together of cultures there have been the projects that have derived from the best of available talents drawn from within local communities. So it is that Kelso High School Band were prominently featured along veterans of the scene in the very first festival, that local artists and writers have been drawn in e.g. Peter Aitchison author of 'Children of the Sea' in Eyemouth, the workshop and Studio Provision group in Selkirk and the bringing together of high school bands from Selkirk and its twin town in Bavaria at the most recent festival.

The festival has sought to create new works related to Border themes through commissions. Whilst it brought the homage to Border Shepherd Willie Scott performed by Alison McMorland to Kelso, its most notable movement in this direction has been the work 'Bringing it all back Home' which features local artistes using James Hoggs fiddle as a centerpiece for a commissioned work on his life, times and music.

Both Sides of the Tweed can truly claim to be different, not just in the ways described, but by its self-imposed regional approach. It has as a goal not to advantage any Border community over another, which means that the festival does not undertake to stay in any one place over three years.

One of the key areas that the festival takes to heart is the question of legacy and efforts are made when it departs from a community to leave a legacy behind. An example is the Innerleithen Folk Festival created in the wake of Both Sides of the Tweed after the festival was located there in the years 2001 and 2002.

In 2006 Both Sides of the Tweed will be pursuing projects other than a festival. The launch of the CD of Hoggs fiddle music with Lori and Innes Watson and John Nichol recorded at the 2005 festival is an example, and other projects are under consideration.

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