Young traditional musicians from the Aberdeen International Youth Festival are in the running for a host of prestigious awards.
Daniel Thorpe, from Inverurie, is in final round of the BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician Award 2009, having made it through the semi finals in Coulter last month.
Daniel has been involved in the Aberdeen International Youth Festival for 8 years, taking part in their Traditional Music School and then becoming a member of the Festival’s Trad Big Band, Ceòl Mòr. Daniel was also chosen by the AIYF to represent the North East at the International Festival for Emerging Artists in London. Daniel was involved with many groups including the Garioch Fiddlers and studied traditional music in Plockton before graduating with honours from the RSAMD. He is now performing with ceilidh band 'Heuch' and his own trio, Tyskie, which he formed with fellow students at RSAMD.
Bodega, the young, five piece band who taught on the Festival’s summer school this year, have been nominated for “Up and Coming Artist of the Year” at the Scots Trad Music Awards . Members of the band were originally pupils at the Splore, before graduating to Ceòl Mòr and now teaching on the course.
Bodega won the BBC Radio2 Young Folk Band award for 2005/06 and have since gone on to release two CDs. Bodega are: Gillian Chalmers (from Fraserburgh), pipes and whistle; Ross Couper, fiddle; Tia Files, acoustic and bass guitar; Norrie MacIver accordion, guitar, djembe, vocals; and June Naylor clarsach and piano.
……………………………
The Splore (Monday 27 July - Friday 31 July) is a week long trad music summer school held as part of AIYF. The Splore offers classes in fiddle, whistle, guitar and percussion for students aged 12 - 16, with tutors from leading young trad bands.
Ceòl Mòr is the Aberdeen International Youth Festival's young traditional big band, made up of some of the most most promising young musicians from Scotland and overseas.
They perform original and innovative arrangements of traditional Scottish songs and music as well as original work exploring the margins between traditional music, jazz and contemporary classical music. They perform at the AIYF, and have guested at the Trad Music Awards, the Arts & Business Awards and at Celtic Connections.
Friday, 14 November 2008
Festival musicians nominated for awards
Tuesday, 4 November 2008
Festival is worth over £1 million to NE economy
An economic impact study of the 2008 Aberdeen International Youth Festival found that it is worth more than £1 million to the local economy.
The study shows that festival has a £1.2m impact and directly or indirectly supports the creation of 25 full-time equivalent jobs in the North-east.
Based on the annual funding grant from Aberdeen City Council to AIYF, the return to the city and wider area is more than nine times on the initial investment through ticket sales, accommodation, transport and general spend in shops and restaurants.
The study also showed that the festival had a 98% audience satisfaction rating of good or very good. More than 40% of those who did not live locally visited Aberdeen solely to attend the festival. Some 89% of the audience said that they planned to come back to next year’s festival.
The 2008 festival welcomed more than 1000 participants from 14 different countries. They took part in more than 85 events across 30 venues during the 10 days.
It attracted more than 8500 audience members as well as many more at the major free events on Tartan Day and Festival in the City.
There were participants from Switzerland, USA, Hong Kong, Brazil, and China, Some 80% of the young participants indicated they would like to visit Scotland and the North-east again in the near future.
The 2009 festival is already taking shape. Applications from as far a field as Israel, Canada, Spain and Zimbabwe will bring a wide range of orchestral, new music, choral, dance, theatre and visual arts to Aberdeen and the Shire. The 2009 festival will take place between 29 July and 8 August.
AIYF artistic director Stewart Aitken said: “We were delighted with the findings of the report which helped confirm what a lot of people have believed about the festival.
“Even with the difficult economic climate an event such as the Aberdeen International Youth Festival can bring economic benefit to the area thorough cultural engagement.
“I hope we can build on these findings for 2009 festival and increase the impact and benefits the festival has for the population of the North-east, especially through more participatory opportunities for local young people.”
The study was conducted by EKOS Ltd and funded by Event Scotland. Nearly 400 people took part.
Thursday, 7 August 2008
Tuesday, 5 August 2008
Festival in The City
Last Sunday was the first ever Festival in the City. The idea behind this brand new event was to bring AIYF out onto the streets. With seven stages set up across the city, there was plenty of chance to see groups like Tamana Pioneer Steel Orchestra, Shenzhen City Dancing Team and the Jamie Safiruddin Quartet.
The Seven Stages were set up in Union Terrace Gardens, Trinity Mall; Academy Courtyard; Provost Skene’s Gardens; St Nicholas Church Yard; John Lewis and Marks & Spencer. Each stage saw a variety of acts ranging from festival participants to local Aberdeen bands. The Evening Express said that the “street performers wowed the crowds”.
The day was a great success with many people enjoying the chance to sun themselves while listening to the delights that only AIYF can offer. The weather held off…just only those remaining at Union Terrace Gardens – which went on after for a couple hours after the other venues – got a bit wet. The rest of the day was flooded in beautiful sunshine.
So overall a great day which gave everyone the chance to experience something new – not just that afternoon but in the evening as many people who hadn’t heard of the Festival before went on to attend shows later that evening.
Festival in the City was supported by BP & Event Scotland
Monday, 4 August 2008
Festival in the City
Wednesday, 30 July 2008
The Start Of AIYF 2008!
And it’s begun. The 36th Aberdeen International Youth Festival has started. Over the next two weeks there will be Opera, Dance, Steel Drums and much much more. With over a thousand participants from a number of countries this promises to be a truly world wide festival.
And what a way to start. John Godber’s Teechers, is a school-based comedy written from the point of view of three students, Salty, a bright and fresh-faced school-leaver; Hobby, a shy girl and Gail Saunders, a loud mouthed, bossy girl who is full of enthusiasm. These three friends then spend the next hour performing a play about their final year of school – with all the names change to protect the innocent of course!
It is this that makes the show stand out from so many other things. Between the three of them, the actors play up to twenty characters – with often only basic costume changes taking place. The characters of Mr Basford, for example, is created through the use of a fake nose and glasses combo that you only ever really see in cartoons. All three actors play their multiply parts with great skill.
However, AIYF is not all about one play, there are more coming just around the corner. West Lothian Youth Theatre present their civil war torn future of central Scotland (Lemon Tree Studio, 31st July & 1st August) or perhaps you’d rather hear the Jazz sound of NYCOS at Holburn West Church (31st July)…or go to www.aiyf.org and look through all our shows!
Saturday, 12 July 2008
Photo of the week
Joel Sebunjo, who will be playing at the Blue Lamp, Aberdeen Music Hall, Universal hall Findhorn and the Acorn Centre Inverurie, as part of Festival 2008.
Friday, 11 July 2008
Later.. at the Lemon Tree
For the first time AIYF, in partnership with Foyer Music, will be holding late night sessions - ”Later…at the Lemon Tree”.
From Thursday July 31 the late night festival session will showcase the best of up and coming, home-grown and international talent. An eclectic programme of blues, indie rock, jazz, fusion and world music acts will give audiences an opportunity to experience a diverse range of music and see something different. Line up includes:
Thursday 31 July
Egdar Prais
The Chair
The Condiments (http://www.myspace.com/therealcondiments)
Friday 1 August
The Fortunate Sons (http://www.myspace.com/fsons)
Fuse[d] (http://www.myspace.com/foosed)
Saturday 2 August
Jamie Safiruddin Quartet (http://www.myspace.com/jamiesafmusic)
Amplifico
Sunday 3 August
Kukadan (http://www.myspace.com/druminaboot)
Joel Sebunjo
NK
Flava
Tuesday 5 August
X Certs
Onion Terror
Dan Against the World
Wednesday 6 August
Qristina and Quinn Bachand
The Hijacks
Static in the City
Copy Haho
Thursday 7 August
Sorren Maclean Band (http://www.myspace.com/sorrenmaclean)
Cast of the Capital (http://www.myspace com/castofthecapital)
Friday 8 August
The Little Kicks (http://www.myspace.com/thelittlekicks)
Right Hand Left
Headlight (http://www.myspace.com/headlightmusic)
Toy
Saturday 9 August
Dot J (http://www.bebo.com/dotjr)
Sunrise not Secular (http://www.myspace.com/sunrise4
Action Group
Plus:(dates to be confirmed)
The Elizabeths
The Marionettes
Y’all is Fantasy Island
Tuesday, 8 July 2008
AIYF takes over Lemon Tree for two weeks of new music and theatre
The recently reopened Lemon Tree is to become the home of the Aberdeen International Youth Festival for the duration of the 2008 event.
The Lemon Tree will become the Festival Hub, a location at the heart of the city at which festival goers can have lunch, see shows, buy tickets and find out about what the festival has to offer.
Festival director Stewart Aitken said: “The reopening of the Lemon Tree has come at a great time for us and provided us with a focal point for the festival. It gives us the opportunity to create a place where people can come after the main concerts and see a wide range of music as well as giving us a great space to showcase some innovative and exciting theatre by young people. Hopefully our presence at the Lemon Tree will attract new audiences to AIYF as well as enable our core support to try something a bit different”
The Lemon Tree will be the venue for AIYF's late night concerts and new theatre including: West Lothian Youth Theatre’s Monsters; KY8’s Kinetic; Contacting the World and Garidge Theatre Company and Mitchell School of Drama’s Lottie.
For up to the minute information on AIYF at the Lemon Tree visit http://www.aiyf.org/.
Monday, 12 May 2008
Summer positions available at AIYF - recruiting now!
AIYF is now recruiting for 60 temporary and volunteer staff during the Festival.
The Festival has established an internship scheme to offer valuable experience of working within the events and performing arts arena. Summer internships are six week placements in:
Administration
Box Office / Front of House
Marketing
Other positions include:
Pastoral staff for residential summer schools (dance and trad music)
Couriers (chaperones for participating international companies
Youth Team (runners)
Drivers (minibus, transit, Luton and 7.5ton)
Transport scheduler - manage the drivers and organising schedule etc
Proect Managers - Film Festival.
For further information and to apply please send your CV and a letter of introduction
to Jennifer Phillips at jenny@aiyf.org
Friday, 9 May 2008
Photo of the week
Dancer in traditional costume at Aberdeen International Youth Festival
Originally uploaded by Jennifer K Phillips
Sining Kambayoka at AIYF. Photo: Steven Rance
See more festival photos on flickr - why not add yours to our group and be featured as our photo of the week? http://www.flickr.com/groups/aiyf/pool/
Posts
