WATCH: Dingwall arts group's Fèis Time brings music and stories to lockdown kids
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A ROSS-SHIRE arts organisation has been working with a team of 40 freelance artists to bring Gaelic and Scots songs, music-making activities, and traditional stories to primary school pupils during lockdown.
Through the Scottish Government’s Youth Music Initiative (YMI), Dingwall-based Fèis Rois works with 98 primary schools in Highland, in partnership with Fèisean nan Gàidheal and High Life Highland, to introduce primary school pupils to Scottish traditional music.
The organisation also has contracts to deliver traditional music projects throughout Aberdeenshire, Angus and Dumfries and Galloway.
With schools closing prior to the completion of some of these YMI projects, Fèis Rois
has been working with their freelance music tutor team to make over 100 short films.
The project, called Fèis Time, is freely available at www.youtube.com/feisrois with
new films being added at 7am every day of the school week.
Rachael Duff, education manager for Fèis Rois said: “We hope people of all ages
will enjoy singing along to some well-known songs, as well as learning some new
ones too. There are rhythm and sound activities, as well as various challenges to
take part in. The emphasis is very much on having fun whilst learning!”
Musicians from across the country have been involved in making films from their homes using
material they would usually be teaching in schools – amongst them Dingwall-based Ewan McVicar.
Other musicians Highland involved include Tain-based Gaelic singer, Carrie Afrin; former Fèis Rois Ceilidh Trail participant, Jessica Bates from Cromarty;Fortrose-based guitarist and mandolin player, Bob Massie.
Fèis Rois has also developed some accompanying follow-up activity sheets focussing on art, music, health and wellbeing and language learning for pupils to try out at home.
More information can be found on the Fèis Rois website at www.feisrois.org.
