Congratulations to Fèis Air an Oir who has been nominated in Community Project of the Year sponsored by Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland in the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards 2024. Vote for Fèis Air an Oir now!. It’s going to be another great night at the MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards on Saturday 30th November in Inverness Leisure. Why not join us for a brilliant night of music and awards. Buy a ticket here.
We asked Mhairi of Fèis Air an Oir the following questions.
Tell us about yourself
Fèis Air an Oir is centred within the fragile rural communities of North Sutherland. For the past 24 years, our Feis has been run by a committee of dedicated local volunteers with the support and guidance of Fèisean nan Gàidheal. We raise and source funding, coordinate classes, workshops, ceilidhs, concerts, and our week-long summer Fèis. These activities provide music tuition and encouragement for local children and people of all ages whilst also providing fun and social events for all generations, endeavouring to make traditional music accessible to all despite our geographic barriers.
Due to our rural location, we must continually think of innovative methods to sustain music and culture within our area. Children and young people would have to travel a significant distance to access regular tuition, making it almost impossible for families. To address this challenge, we bring tutors to Strathy Village Hall on a weekly basis during term time, providing individual lessons to participants. Secondly, we endeavour to make the Feis accessible to all, which can prove challenging in our sparsely populated communities. We ensure all the local villages are included in our Fèis week; whilst the main classes are situated in Bettyhill, we provide participant transport to and from the Fèis to the surrounding local villages. Furthermore, we work in partnership with other community groups and have established an extended fringe programme of events within our Fèis week, which hosts ceilidhs, concerts, and cultural-related activities in the surrounding villages and local residential care homes and facilities. We pride our summer Fèis week on ensuring that all the generations, from the very youngest to the oldest, can access enjoyment of the week.
Why are you involved in Scottish music?
North Sutherland forms part of Dùthaich Mhic Aoidh and has a rich history in traditional music, story telling, piping, poetry and Gaelic language. Fèis Air an Oir was established in 2000 by a group of local parents and community residents who recognised the decline in traditional music, Gaelic language, and culture in the north of Sutherland. The group's objective was to ensure the survival of highland culture by passing on skills in the Gaelic language, song, traditional music, dance, and drama within the sparsely populated communities of North Sutherland. Whilst being aware and sensitive to our past traditions, Fèis Air an Oir has created many young musicians, providing them with opportunities to showcase their talents at local ceilidhs and concerts, boosting their confidence and encouraging them to pursue their passion. Many have gone on to follow careers in Music and Gaelic.
Any particular career highlights?
Our most recent highlight was the moment we performed for HM King Charles at a local event. The young Fèis participants not only shared their music with the king but also engaged in heartfelt conversation about the Fèis, creating memories that will inspire them for a lifetime.
In the past six years, our summer Fèis week has flourished, transforming into a vibrant annual highlight of the North, unmatched by any other event in the area. The community buzzes with life, where music, culture, and the Gaelic language come alive through the shared joy of locals and visitors alike. We are truly fortunate to welcome some of the finest traditional musicians as tutors and performers, enriching our Fèis week with their talent and passion.
The establishment of weekly lessons has fostered a powerful continuity in the progression of participants' learning, earning recognition from participants, their parents, and tutors alike. This success shines particularly during Fèis week, when participants proudly ascend to the next level.
The first-ever Fèis Air an Oir Ceilidh Trail launched in the summer of 2023, offering advanced participants incredible opportunities to perform and collaborate with professional musicians in the traditional music scene, culminating in a performance at the prestigious Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
What are your plans for the future?
In 2025, we will proudly celebrate the 25th Anniversary of Fèis Air an Oir. We are beginning to plan a special year of celebrations alongside our regular weekly lessons, the summer Fèis week, and hopefully, another Fèis Air an Oir Ceilidh Trail. We are excited about the future and are committed to evolving in order to meet the needs of our local community and participants. Our goal is to sustain and develop traditional music along the very north coast.
Fèis Air an Oir Social Media
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The 2024 MG ALBA Scots Trad Music Awards are on the 30th November 2024 in Inverness Leisure Centre! You will be able to watch it live in person (buy a ticket here). Watch it live in the UK at 9pm (GMT) on BBC ALBA and and around the world here. Bands performing on Saturday 30th November include Julie Fowlis, Skipinnish, Laura Wilkie and Ian Carr, Highland Young Musicians and Arc Fiddlers, An Dannsa Dub, BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician Award winner 2024 Calum McIlroy and more!
If you would like to support Hands Up for Trad in their work with Scottish trad music and musicians why not become a friend of Hands Up for Trad. In addition to our high profile events like the Scots Trad Music Awards, we also deliver a less well known, education programme for young people from 8yrs right through to young adults at the start of their careers. Read more here.
