Summary

The inaugural Arran International Festival of Chamber Music and Song will launch between 22nd and 25th August 2024. A music festival for Arran that brings international artists to the island to perform for, meet and collaborate with the people of Arran. Cultural exchange to enrich the artistic landscape on the island and the lives of the local community.

Description

We are founding the Arran International Festival of Chamber Music and Song and the inaugural festival will run from 22nd to 25th August 2024. The festival's aim is to celebrate Arran's rich natural and cultural heritage, to promote international cultural exchange by bringing leading international artists to the island and to include the local community in the creative process. There's a wealth of local talent, creativity and culture on Arran and a key part of the annual festival programme will be performances by both young and established local musicians alike.

The beauty of music and art is the power it has to bring people together across borders. The founding ethos of the festival is, 'getting across borders', in a world where so many lines are being drawn in the sand.

Last summer, in collaboration with the Arran Theatre and Arts Trust, the local business, Arran Active, and the island community radio station, Arran Sound, we organised a free concert on 18th August in Corrie and Sannox Village Hall, as a prelude, an introduction to the proposed launch of the festival. We wanted to gauge the reception of the local community to the idea of the festival and to invite members of the community to be involved from the outset. The concert was a great success, standing room only, and we received universal approval, warmth and support for establishing the festival. (documents relating to this initial concert are uploaded with this application)

The inaugural festival programme is currently in development and will be officially announced in early spring 2024. As of the submission of this application, events look as follows:

22.08

Event 1, opening concert, an evening with Richard Morrison & Company, featuring The Songs of Travel by Robert Louis Stevenson and Rantin Rovin Robin, a musical show celebrating the life and work of Scotland’s greatest literary figure, Robert Burns, through his own songs, verse and letters. Whiting Bay Hall, 7:30pm

23.08

Event 2, an afternoon chamber concert featuring a string ensemble of local musicians, artists tbc. Brodick Parish Church, 2:00pm

Event 3, a candlelit evening concert featuring local young musicians, artists tbc. Brodick Parish Church, 7:00pm

24.08

Event 4, outreach event, an illustrated talk by Dr. Sigrid Rieuwerts of Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz, founder of the Society for Scottish Studies in Europe. Sigrid will talk about Culture and the beauty of nations, preserving the authenticity of cultures, heritage and the importance of local voices. Arran Heritage Museum, 1:00pm

Event 5, a unique concert event at Brodick Castle, International Cellists Gary Hoffman & Lydia Shelley will play Bach’s 6 Cello Suites, in three sittings, also including the UK Premiere of a work by the French Composer, Graciane Finzi. Brodick Castle Drawing Room at 3:00pm, 5:00pm & 7:00pm.

25.08

Event 6, a farewell musical get together and free-for-all featuring guest and local musicians at the Douglas Hotel, 12:00pm - 4:00pm

Budget

Artist fees: £8400; Artist & production travel: £2800; Accommodation & catering: £2400; Venue & event production costs: £1150; Festival administration costs, including management, promotion and publicity: £2000

Total budget: £16,750

The £400 would be spent on the purchase of special candles, which will adorn Brodick Parish Church for our candlelit concert on Friday 23rd August, featuring the young artists of Arran.  We are delighted to report that a World Premiere composition by the highly regarded young Arran composer, Electra Perivolaris, will be performed that night by the young local flautist, Lucy Walsh.  The candles in question are quite specific as we can't use real candles with naked flames - and once we have purchased these candles, we will be able to use them in other festival concerts and events in coming years.