The benefits of a broader outlook: how the arts can inspire the professions

This year marks 75 years of the Edinburgh International Festival, and Burness Paull is delighted to be co-sponsor of the Richard Demarco exhibition at the Signet Library as part of its 200-year celebrations.

As Deputy Keeper of the Signet Library, I am particularly proud to have my “two families” collaborate to support the exhibition, which showcases Richard’s impressive 75-year archive of Edinburgh Festival programmes, literature and works of art. To launch the exhibition, Amanda Catto, Head of Visual Arts at Creative Scotland, led a ‘conversation with Richard’ which strongly promoted the need for art and culture to permeate all areas of life, particularly business and the legal profession. Richard championed his passion of the critical role the language of the arts plays in enabling us to stay connected to those around us and to communicate in a human way.

Reflecting on this, and recognising the Signet Library’s unique platform to allow the arts, culture, education and law to come together, Richard captured perfectly what it means to be a Writer to the Signet. In holding Richard’s message as a mirror to my Burness Paull world, I am pleased it chimes with the firm’s ethos of aspiring to be a “human and high performing” business, understanding that a broader outlook is essential to being a good lawyer and colleague. As Richard spoke about the journey and evolution of the important role the Festival has played in making Edinburgh the cultural capital of the world, it reminded me of my own firm’s long history and development. Like the Festival, we operate from a Scottish stage and attract an international audience . However, even more powerful was Richard’s call to challenge our motivations as professionals and organisations, and for me as a lawyer to ask myself and colleagues to remind ourselves of our motivation to join the profession. For most, I hope, it would be a belief that they could be catalysts for change, and we should never lose sight of that.

In a war-torn, post-pandemic world, where poor mental health and burn out is becoming all too commonplace, I am inspired by Richard’s words and the power of greater engagement with arts and culture in the workplace as a form of self-care, helping us to better connect with colleagues and be more engaging as communicators with clients. It’s no small coincidence then that the founding vision for the Edinburgh International Festival was to reunite people and lift their spirits after the darkness of World War II .

So today, as good stewards of our firms or organisations, no matter the sector, I would encourage you all to consider the legacy you leave behind and ensure there is evidence of a connection to a world beyond law and business.

So work hard, be mindful of the world around us, and enjoy the arts (not just during three weeks of the Festival, as Richard reminded us). We may just become better and more considered at what we do as a result.

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