Alan Cumming's Celebration Of Scottish Culture Hits New York City

Olivier and Tony Award-winner, Alan Cumming, hosted a Showcase of Scottish Culture in New York City last night (19 October) to raise money for a major redevelopment in Edinburgh in his native Scotland.

The exclusive event featured cabaret performances from Alan Cumming, BRIT Award-winner KT Tunstall, Broadway's Alexandra Silber, and an emerging Scottish artist chosen by the people of Edinburgh.

Organized by The Quaich Project - a bold new partnership to design and redevelop the green heart of Edinburgh's City Center, West Princes Street Gardens - the redevelopment is a project close to Alan's heart. Set in an iconic location at the foot of Edinburgh castle, the Gardens is a must-see of the thousands of New York Scottish diasporas that visit the historic city every year.

More than 100 guests were entertained by performers on the night, including speeches from sculptor, Andy Scott, as well as Jules Haston, Director of Development at The Quaich Project.

The cabaret, held at the Stanley H. Kaplan Penthouse in the Lincoln Center, launched the international fundraising campaign to realize the architectural vision for the iconic green space in Edinburgh, Scotland.

Guests raised toasts of premium Scotch whisky from event sponsor Glenfiddich to the project and enjoyed performances from some of Scotland's best-known entertainers.

The word 'Quaich' is a traditional Scottish sharing cup, traditionally used to drink whisky. The topography of West Princes Street Gardens, which sits between Princes Street and the iconic Edinburgh Castle is a similar, bowl shape.

The Quaich Project is one of Europe's most significant green space developments and will see the Gardens emerge as one of the most acclaimed city gardens in the world on a par with projects such as New York's High Line and Singapore's Gardens by the Bay. Its vision is to reimagine the gardens as a space for all to celebrate and enjoy in new ways.

Design of the project has been produced by award-winning LA and New York-based architectural practice, wHY, and aims to create a space for all in the heart of Edinburgh. wHY's design triumphed in an international design competition to re-imagine the gardens which sit in the shadow of Edinburgh Castle.

Alan Cumming OBE, actor, The Quaich Project North American Ambassador and host of the New York event, said: "Scotland's ties with the USA and New York in particular are incredibly strong. Both are centres of excellence for the arts, and the Scottish diaspora helped to make New York the city it is today.

"Edinburgh has strong emotional connections for many New Yorkers, so bringing the best new talent from the city and outlining the plans to create an inclusive space in the heart of the city, was a great pleasure."

Jules Haston, Director of Development at The Quaich Project, commented: "All the performances were excellent and the interest in the project was remarkable. Guests were highly engaged with what's happening in Edinburgh and were excited to hear about our plans to create a space for all to enjoy in the heart of the city.

"The event officially launched our international fundraising campaign and we look forward to engaging with the Scottish diaspora around the world as we guide West Princes Street Gardens through the next stage of its evolution."

To find out more about The Quaich Project, please visit: www.thequaichproject.org.