News of Events in the Highlands

An action packed event will take place in Inverness city centre on Tuesday, July 8th 2008 in celebration of the continuing diversity of the Highland’s population.

Bha FilmG, an fharpais airson fhilmichean goirid Gàidhlig, air a chur air chois air Dihaoine 27 an t-Ògmhios le rionnag River City, an t-actair Tony Kearney. Ghabh seo àite ann an taigh-dealbh Grosvenor ann an Glaschu. <br />

FilmG, the Gaelic short film competition was launched on Friday 27 June by actor Tony Kearney, star of River City. The launch took place at the Grosvenor Cinema in Glasgow. <br /><br />

YDance (Scotland’s National Youth Dance Agency) has brought together twenty two of Scotland’s best young dancers for Project Y 2008 and the Company are in residence at The Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow from Monday 7 July. Over the following four weeks they will be working closely with guest choreographers and dance specialists on new pieces for a short Scottish tour which includes performances at <strong>Royal Scottish Academy of Music &amp; Drama</strong> (Glasgow), the <strong>Brunton Theatre</strong> (Musselburgh), <strong>Eden Court</strong> (Inverness) and as part of the <strong>Aberdeen International Youth Festival</strong> at <strong>The Lemon Tree</strong> (Aberdeen). <br /><br />

On 20th June, Lochgoilhead Fiddle Workshop (LFW) picked up a prestigious award at the Third Force News Scottish Charity Awards in Glasgow. Shortlisted for the second consecutive year, the Workshop went one better this year in scooping the Community Action Award, which recognizes outstanding achievement for work in the community.

On 20th June, Lochgoilhead Fiddle Workshop (LFW) picked up a prestigious award at the Third Force News Scottish Charity Awards in Glasgow. Shortlisted for the second consecutive year, the Workshop went one better this year in scooping the Community Action Award, which recognizes outstanding achievement for work in the community.

In 2008 Cove Park will award up to four Argyll and Bute Residencies. These residencies are for artists at all stages in their careers and working in all art forms. Since the programme’s launch in 2005, writers, musicians, visual and applied artists have all benefited from a unique opportunity to develop their own projects at Cove Park amid practitioners working in a wide variety of art forms. This year the residencies will run for two weeks from Monday 3-14 November. Each artist will be provided with high-quality accommodation on site, dedicated studio or work space and a fee of £500. The aim is to provide artists with the time and support to concentrate on their work within the context of a cross art form programme. <br /><br />

Highland Council has taken out a subscription to the Grantnet grant search portal and is offering access to all community groups in the Highlands and Islands. Registration is required. See link above.

<p><font size="2">The Highland Council has launched the Highland 2007 Legacy Programme, providing an annual fund of £500k in grants to build upon the success of Highland 2007.&nbsp;The programme aims to enhance and to promote the events, festivals and cultural programme of the Highlands.&nbsp;Community organisations, promoters, artists, performers, youth groups and schools are now being encouraged to create their own legacy of Highland 2007 and to submit their applications. </font></p>

<p>Belladrum is please to announce the Seedlings Stage line up. Again we are bringing you a selection of the stars of tomorrow, with a line up featuring some of the fastest rising talent in the UK. </p>
<p>Friday night will see Abagail Gray, Kazoo Funk Orchestra, Jocasta Sleeps, Jack Butler, Captain and the Kings, Rootsystem, Call to Mind, 28 Jacks and Manor Park Elite take to the stage. With Shutter, Twin Atlantic, Edgar Prais, Paper Planes, Alto Elite, Injuns, The Draymin, Jake Cogan and Dotjr performing on the Saturday. <br />This year the Seedlings tent promises to be the best place to catch some of the most exciting bands of the future, right now. </p>
<p>The festival also recently announced the addition of US alternative rockers The Lemonheads making their only Scottish festival appearance. Glam punk indie rockers The Long Blondes plus emerging indie band The Red Light Company who share management with The Editors and singer-songwriter Pete Molinari who has developed a cult following for his music harking back to the fifties and sixties rockabilly and folk scenes. </p>
<p>These join other recent announcements in the line-up of Cold War Kids, Cage The Elephant, Infadels, Elle S’Appelle, Brute Chorus, Twilight Sad and Frightened Rabbit, The Holloways, Sergeant and Angus and Julia Stone. </p>
<p>The event also now features by popular demand, festival favourites and breakbeat dub dance magicians, Dreadzone. These join headliners The Waterboys and current chart-toppers Scouting For Girls, plus Scots indie heroes Idlewild and heritage psychedelic rockers Jefferson Starship in a star studded line-up. </p>
<p>Belladrum Takes place on Friday 8th and Saturday 9th August in the beautiful Highland surroundings of Belladrum Estate, near Beauly in Inverness-shire. Now in its fifith year, the independent festival has built a reputation for its eclectic line-ups, its whacky non-musical entertainments and its all-ages approach. Capacity will remain approximately what it was in 2007 when 12,000 people attended the event. </p>
<p>Adult weekend tickets cost £80 and adult Saturday tickets cost £50. Both include parking and camping. As in previous years, tickets for children 12 &amp; under are free. Tickets are available from www.thebooth.co.uk; www.ticketmaster.co.uk ; www.ticketline.co.uk; and from Eden Court, HMV, Hootenanny and Mania in Inverness; One-Up in Aberdeen; Tickets Scotland in Glasgow and Edinburgh; Home &amp; Music in Tain.</p>
<p>Details of further music and performance artists will be announced in due course. </p>
<p>The line-up further features: French new wave lounge music exponents Nouvelle Vague; two Scots with successful solo careers – ex Del Amitri founder Justin Currie and former Orange Juice band member Edwyn Collins; Folk artists Rachel Unthank &amp; the Winterset, who won the Horizon Award at the 2008 BBC Folk Awards, Kathryn Williams and Mojo Folk Album of the Year 07 winner Lisa Knapp. </p>
<p>World music exponents include banghra-reggae-rock group Kissmet and afro-celtic crossover Baka Beyond and popular bluegrass exponents Southern Tenant Folk Union make an appearance. Celtic artists include popular western isles band The Vatersay Boys plus Salsa Celtica, Old Blind Dogs and borders pipe rockers The Dangleberries. Highland young Celtic musicians Caledonian Ceilidh Trail and Feis Rois open the event as always on Friday 8th and Saturday 9th August respectively. </p>
<p>Glasgow indie band The Attic Lights play the main stage and other Indie artists include The Wallbirds, Big Hand, Captain &amp; The Kings, and Friends Of The Bride. Highland indie bands Lowtide Revelry appear on the main stage backed by the Inverness Gaelic Choir, and The Leonard Jones Potential open the main stage on the Friday .</p>
<p>Dennis Hopper Choppers bring their inimitable form of rockabilly to the event and Union Avenue play their Johnny Cash styled covers and Glasgow’s The Parsonage Choir return to the event. <br /></p>