Hands Up for Trad’s Women in Music and Culture 2023 list has been announced to celebrate just some of the women working in Scotland.
Launched as part of International Women’s Day 2023, we shine the spotlight on 15 women who all contribute towards Scotland’s cultural landscape through their work. Read the list here.
We asked Fiona Dalgetty to tell us more about there work, influences and ambitions for the future.
How did you first get involved in the arts and who were your early influences?
I started Highland dancing when I was four and remained a keen dancer until my teenage years. My earliest influence would be my dance teacher, Mary Watt. I went to my first Fèis Rois residential event in Ullapool when I was eight and tried playing the fiddle for the first time and loved it! Fiddle playing eventually took over from dancing and my fiddle teacher, Debbie Ross, and Tain Royal Academy’s principal teacher of music in the 1990s, Kathryn Wilkie were big early influences.
My Great Grandmother (my Granny Croft) was also a big influence in my life. She loved traditional music and would always have Robbie Shepherd on the wireless when we visited on Sundays. I play her father (my Great Great Grandfather)’s fiddle now.
After I graduated from Edinburgh University, I worked as a Cultural Coordinator at the City of Edinburgh Council for a couple of years. My boss there, Cerin Mills was a huge inspiration and undoubtedly influenced how I approach leadership in my role as Chief Executive of Fèis Rois.
I have been so lucky to have so many supportive, strong and creative women in my life!
At a time which has been very challenging for many people working in the arts, how did you use the last 3 years to develop your creativity?
A huge focus for me and the small staff team at Fèis Rois has been in finding new ways to support freelance musicians during this challenging (that’s an understatement isn’t it?!) time.
We created new online events, secured funding to enable us to distribute small grants to traditional musicians working across Scotland, and we collaborated with other organisations in the Highlands to set up Highland Culture Collective.
Personally, I have been very involved in the creation and delivery of Dandelion – a project that brought people together from STEAM (science, technology, engineering, the arts and maths) backgrounds and ultimately invited everyone in Scotland to “sow, grow and share” – food, ideas, stories, music and more! I was particularly involved in shaping the Dandelion Schools Growing Initiative, which involved 468 schools and has left a legacy of resources, including a traditional song resource which can be found at www.dandelion.scot/schools
Who or what interests you creatively?
I am interested in the connection between traditional music, language, place, community, people and the environment.
During my time at Fèis Rois I have commissioned three albums that all use music to connect to heritage, place and community: John Somerville’s album inspired by The Voyage of the Hector, a ship that left Ullapool for Nova Scotia in 1773; Lauren MacColl’s album inspired by the life and prophecies of The Brahan Seer and, most recently, Iain Fraser’s album, Gneiss. These albums are all available on the Fèis Rois Bandcamp page at https://feisrois.bandcamp.com
Ethnologist and writer, Mairi McFadyen’s work interests me creatively, and inspires me in my work. I had the joy of collaborating with Mairi on Dandelion. Read her work on her website at www.mairimcfadyen.scot
I am also interested in community music making and the important role that music has in reducing loneliness and social isolation, and the health and well-being benefits of music making. Everyone should have the opportunity to make music!
What are your plans for the next year or so and/or what are your longer term creative ambitions?
My plan for the next year is to unbusy myself. It is a work in progress!
I don’t think we can underestimate the impact of not only the last three years, but a decade and more of austerity before that, on the cultural sector and those who work in it. We are tired! At Fèis Rois, we have recently moved to a 4-day week for all staff and the health and well-being benefits are already clear to see.
We are looking forward to focussing on our grassroots work in Ross-Shire – lots of music workshops, sessions, ceilidhs… coming together in joyous ways!
Personally, I am looking forward to finding more time to play the fiddle and spending less time in front of a laptop!
Find out more about Fiona Dalgetty here.
Hands Up for Trad are an organisation who work with Scottish traditional music, language and culture. If you would like to support our work you can donate here.
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