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.  

Irvine and Dreghorn Brass provides opportunities for young people in our community to learn music, play in a group and perform at competitions and concerts. Playing and experiencing music has major health and well-being benefits for participants and audiences alike.

We provide free music lessons and access to brass and percussion instruments for young people to learn. There is a learning pathway and once young people learn the basics of playing they can join our youth band. The youth band has members from various schools in North Ayrshire including Dreghorn, Glebe, Ardeer, and Springside Primaries, Greenwood Academy, Irvine Royal and St. Matthews.

We perform at 5 - 6 concerts each year, also competitions, festivals and some school events. Young people can also play with our other bands at community events e.g. Marymass parades.

Our request is for £400 to be spent as follows.

Musical instruments - £350.  Sheet music £50

Project supports health and well-being

Most of the funding would be spent on instruments that enable more people to play. Learner cornets and trombones cost between £150-200 per instrument. Demand for our services is growing and our membership has growing  significantly in the past 2 years.

The project runs along with term time, with lessons after school in half hour blocks for groups of up to five.

The tutors are paid at a rate of £40.50 per hour, and work a combined three hours each week.

40.50x3 = £121 per week.

This fund will provide tuition fees for our tutors. The feedback we have had from this project so far has been fantastic, and is only possible with continued funding & fundraising efforts.

I will upload a file documenting the feedback we have had from the first few months of the project.

In order to develop this project, the Parent Council aims to assist the Art Department with provision of cameras.  Existing photography equipment is in short supply within the school, so in order to ensure that each pupil has access to a high quality, specialist camera, we aim to purchase two bridge cameras.  This will allow pupils to develop and demonstrate skills in photography beyond that of a mobile phone camera.

The cost of an entry level bridge camera is around £200.  We would like to ask for funding to purchase two, costing £400 in total.

The exhibtion costs will be minimal, as it will take place on screen within the school and the Parent Council meeting any additional expenses such as refreshments.

I moved to Largs late 2022 and created Largs Music Club soon after in response to the interest I received since floating the idea on social media.

LMC offers an informal setting for amateur musicians to meet on a regular basis and encourage and teach one another to improve their skill-level on their preferred musical instrument.

The club is growing in popularity since word is out that we existing members offer a friendly and relaxed environment for those keen to learn at their own pace without fear of judgement or impatience. As membership is growing, so does the variety of instruments being learned and taught.

The club relies on individuals contributing their time and equipment to teach fellow members how to play their preferred instrument. With funding, I would aim to purchase equipment to make that teaching more accessible – music stands, microphones, microphone stands, a Public Address system, amplifiers, mixing desk and some basic entry level instruments to encourage those who do not own an instrument (but who wish to learn one), to join us. These items are expensive and realistically will require additional funding from me and some other willing members to supplement any money issued following this application. However, I am confident that your contribution will assist LMC continue to grow in membership and reputation and eventually lead to the club playing music for the community.

The Public Address system is approximately £500. A couple of small amplifiers will cost an additional £500.

Our club assists develop confidence as well as musical literacy, with participants being encouraged to play live for friends and family and in time, for larger audiences, once the club starts playing local live shows as per my vision.

Feedback from participants so far evidence the mental health benefits of playing and learning in our community, a benefit I will highlight as I further promote our initiative in the community. Our regular attendee told me that since moving to Largs very recently, she was delighted when, a chance encounter with a then stranger in the park led to her learning about our club. Nervous but curious, she came along with her new friend and has made many more new friends through our practice. That she is also getting better at playing her guitar, almost now seems like a bonus.

We at LMC are extremely grateful for your consideration.

Kind Regards

Tom

Unlike the previous three festivals we are going to Lochranza this year. The primary reason for this is the need for accommodation.  We are working in collaboration with the Lochranza outdoor centre, the hotel, campsite and youth hostel to ensure we can host our visitors. We believe the commercial input to all of these businesses will help them survive as in recent years they have struggled.  We are giving opportunities for young people to play at the festival and particularly encouraging original Scottish artists.  We are also hoping for a small acoustic stage for local musicians too.  We have a large following of blues fans from previous festivals and are well know by the Blues music press.  We wish the £400 to help support the cost of hiring the hall to allow us to give the artists the best possible experience.  We will also run a market similar to ones on the Green in Lamlash and at Santa’s Sparkles.  We have a market license.  Our biggest cost is paying for band accommodation & fees.   Our provisional costings are shown on the attached document and we need to raise money to ensure we can cover our costs. 

The funds would cover 4 x 2 hour creative sessions. Sessions would be completely free to attendees and we could facilitate 12 individuals attending per workshop. Workshops would include Silk painting, felt making, and glass painting. We are applying for £400 to cover tutor fee of £240 per 4 sessions and £160 to cover materials (Silk, paints, merino wool, glass products, glass paints for 12 attendees). The project will aim to bring people together who may otherwise be isolated. The purpose is to improve social isolation, mental health and well being, improve skills and confidence as well as create some community spirit amongst attendees.

Last year, Everyone an Artist allowed a group of adults from across North Ayrshire to take part in a free six week art workshop where we used clay, learned how to cut and print lino blocks, and drawing techniques. Alongside the practical skills they gained, this opportunity offered the artists to build upon their self confidence, boosted their mental wellbeing and allowed them to meet new people. We would like to run this workshop again this year, but offer new techniques to learn with more materials. The project will run from the North Ayrshire Foodbank's new space on Glasgow Street, for six weeks (once a week) at evening time, to allow people time to come in from work.

proposed project breakdown: Lead artist - £168 hall rent and materials - £232