Projects @ NAFCo 2012
As part of NAFCo 2012 a number of exciting new works have been commissioned from world-renowned musicians and dancers.
100 Fiddlers at 55° North is a new piece by Belfast’s Neil Martin composed specifically for the NAFCo youth camp participants who will showcase it as part of the Fiddles on the Foyle – Family Day Out. Sail/Seol is a composition by Shetland’s Chris Stout which will feature world class performers and dancers including Alasdair Fraser, Natalie Haas, Catriona MacKay, Nollaig Ní Chathasaigh, Zoe Conway, Lauren McColl, Adam Sutherland, Mike Bryan, Joe Csibi . Dancer and choreographer Breandán de Gallaí has created a new Irish dance piece – Ais Éirí Ailigh – for dancers from Schools in both Derry and Donegal and Step-Off is a newly created dance piece which will feature sean-nós and other step dancers from Ireland, Scotland, Canada and the US. The premiere performance of each of these new works will take place as part of the Fiddles & Feet concert, Thursday June 28th at the Millennium Forum.
NAFCo 2012 will host the first NAFCo International Youth Camp. Over 200 young fiddlers from Sweden, Scotland, Ireland and Canada come together to participate in a week of workshops, sessions and other activities and will showcase their work on Saturday June 30th as part of the Fiddles on the Foyle – Family Day Out.
More Strings Attached involves university students and other young emerging talent from Denmark, Scotland, England, Ireland and Canada who will work with a week with music maestros Brian McNeill (Scotland) and Niall Keegan (Ireland) and showcase their work at the Fiddles on the Foyle – Family Day Out and other NAFCo events.
Strathspey Stories is a unique narrated concert telling the story of the musical links between Donegal, Scotland and Cape Breton Island, Nova Scotia. With words by Caoimhín MacAoidh and music/dance performances by Tommy Peoples, Fidil, Andrea Beaton, Janine Randall, Dawn and Margie Beaton, Paul Anderson, Finn Moore, Mary Anne Kennedy, Frank McConnell and Paddy McMenamin. Part of the Donegal Fiddle Day, Saturday June 30th, Highlands Hotel, Glenties, Co. Donegal.
Fiddle Case is a large-scale art and social history exhibition that explores the North Atlantic Fiddle Tradition as a living tradition encompassing both music and dance, opens at the Regional Cultural Centre, Port Road, Letterkenny next Tuesday June 12th and continues until July 1st. It introduces people to the incredibly rich array of traditional music played by fiddle players from different countries on both sides of the Atlantic Ocean. Regions and countries featured include – Donegal, Ireland, Shetland, Scotland, England, Norway, Sweden, Cape Breton, Canada and the USA. “Fiddle Case” is a multimedia exhibition – with information panels, fiddles and other artefacts, music, film, photographs, and a children’s hands-on area and activity sheet. It presents the fascinating story of the fiddle as a wonderfully entertaining experience that can be enjoyed by people of all ages.The exhibition team is Harriet Purkis, Curator, Aidan O’Donnell, Research, Dr. Fintan Vallely, Consultant and Mitchell Davies, Design. It is open 11am to 5pm, Tuesday to Friday, 1pm to 5pm Saturdays, and 11am to 5pm Sunday 1st July. Admission is free, everyone is welcome. “Fiddle Case” is specially commissioned by The North Atlantic Fiddle Convention (NAFCo) Derry/Donegal 2012 and produced by the Regional Cultural Centre.
