An amazing array of artists including Julie Fowlis and Éamon Doorley as well as Whisky Kiss member and BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year Ali Levack, will get together to present The University of Edinburgh’s Celtic & Scottish Studies online event on 22 August 2020.
The day is entitled In Light and will feature new work by Mhairi Hall and Rachel Newton as well as film screenings and panel discussions, all followed by an evening concert hosted by Professor Gary West Chair in Scottish Ethnology.
Dr Neill Martin, Head of Celtic & Scottish Studies said ‘We conceived this event amid the bewildering early stages of lockdown, when it seemed that the music stopped and all around became still and eerily quiet. This is our response; an assertion of the power of music, song and the traditional arts of all kinds to create and sustain community in times of adversity. We hope you will join us.’
School of Scottish Studies Archives Traditional Artist in Residence Mike Vass said ‘It has been a privilege curating this online event – many of the artists have a long association with the Archives and have drawn inspiration from them. Hosting this event online allows us to shine a light on the creativity that springs from this amazing resource, and on the wealth of material contained within it. We look forward to sharing this fantastic line-up, bringing together different audiences, and making connections through our shared cultural heritage.’
The online event will serve as a taster of what’s to come in 2021, as the department of Celtic and Scottish Studies prepare to celebrate the 70th anniversary of the founding of the School of Scottish Studies, and launch a brand new Master’s programme for traditional artists (musicians, dancers and storytellers) – the first of its kind.
The day of events will be streamed on the Celtic & Scottish Studies Youtube channel https://www.youtube.com/CeltScotVideos and Facebook page https://www.facebook.com/traditionalartsperformance/ on Saturday 22 August 2020 from 2pm.
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