Celtic Connections and is an integral and vibrant part of cultural life in Glasgow, with the economic impact on the city reaching £5.8 million in 2007. The festival actively promotes artistic links and cultural exchange across countries, reinforced by Showcase Scotland which brought 200 music industry delegates from 35 different countries to Scotland looking to book Scottish bands for festivals abroad in 2008. The 2008 festival opened with the Common Ground concert where many of the artists taking part in the event performed together. Donald Shaw, artistic director of the festival, spoke about the future of Celtic Connections as well as the
Watch City Steampunk Festival Watch City Steampunk Festival Watch City Steampunk Festival, previously known as "International Steampunk City" and the "Watch City Festival," is the oldest annual open-air, indoor/outdoor steampunk festival in the United States and is held in Waltham, Massachusetts. The Watch City Festival invented a new model of science fiction convention in which the larger community was deliberately engaged by holding events and programing in city spaces and local businesses often free to the public. It began in 2011 as a fundraiser by and for the benefit of the Charles River Museum of Industry and Innovation, which suffered significant flood damage in