Shetland Fiddle Week is delighted to announce an award of £7,178 from The National Lottery through Creative Scotland’s Open Fund for Shetland Fiddle Week 2024.
These funds will be used to support a programme of workshops, concerts, sessions and other events taking place 5-9 August across Shetland, to teach and celebrate the unique Shetland fiddle tradition. Tutors Ross Couper, Andrew GiWord, Kirsten Hendry, Robbie Leask and Jenna Reid will lead workshops teaching tunes and techniques of the tradition. Three public concerts will showcase local fiddle talent, including Gemma Donald, Bryan Gear and George Spence. Evening sessions hosted by Lerwick Boating Club will give students and local musicians the chance to meet and play together.
Lynda Anderson, co-founder of Shetland Fiddle Week said “We are incredibly grateful for this support from The National Lottery through Creative Scotland. This funding will enable us to secure our plans for a full, packed week of events for our students.
We are also very thankful for the generous support from our local event partners Shetland Amenity Trust, who are providing use of Shetland Museum and Archives on our first day and Shetland Musical Heritage Trust, who are sponsoring places for Shetland Young Fiddler of the Year prize winners and a bus trip to Eshaness, home of the late Dr Tom Anderson. Both these organisations have played substantial roles in preserving the tradition and we’re honoured to be working with them.
Having now secured significant public funding and local support and with a strong uptake of student package and concert tickets for this year’s event, we are delighted to now be in a position to announce the return of Shetland Fiddle Week next year, with dates confirmed as 4 to 8 August 2025.”
Alan Morrison, Head of Music at Creative Scotland said: “The Shetland fiddle tradition is a deep and distinctive part of the islands’ cultural identity. It has enriched and influenced Scotland’s traditional music for centuries, while always remaining rooted in the day-to-day life of its own communities.
Creative Scotland is delighted to support Shetland Fiddle Week, an event that ensures these unique local skills will be passed on from generation to generation, radiating from Lerwick out across the world.”
Over 40 students have signed up for Shetland Fiddle Week 2024. One quarter of these are based within Shetland, with the rest travelling from USA, Canada, Switzerland, Ireland and across the UK. The three public concerts taking place across the week in Lerwick, Sandwick and QuarW have also attracted ticket sales from both international visitors and locals. Remaining student spaces and concert tickets can be purchased via www.shetlandfiddleweek.com.
Background
Shetland Fiddle Week is a new music event taking place for the first time 4-8 August 2024, providing workshops, concerts and sessions to teach and celebrate the fiddle tradition of the Shetland Islands.
Established by Shetland fiddlers Lynda Anderson & Jenna Reid, events will be delivered in various venues across the Shetland Islands. Further information at www.shetlandfiddleweek.com. Follow us at www.facebook.com/shetlandfiddleweek and www.instagram.com/shetlandfiddleweek. Shetland Fiddle Week LLP is a limited liability partnership registered in Scotland with registration number SO307901.
Creative Scotland is the public body that supports the arts, screen and creative industries across all parts of Scotland, distributing funding provided by the Scottish Government and The National Lottery. Further information at creativescotland.com. Follow us on X, Facebook and Instagram. Learn more about the value of art and creativity in Scotland and join in at www.ourcreativevoice.scot.
Image credits
Shetland Fiddle Week Tutors (Image 1: Top to bottom, Image 2: Left to right): Andrew GiWord, Ross Couper, Kirsten Hendry, Jenna Reid, Robbie Leask.
Photo credits for each image below: Andrew GiWord (Rosie GiWord)
Ross Couper (Archie MacFarlane) Kirsten Hendry (Kevin GiWord) Jenna Reid (Archie MacFarlane) Robbie Leask (Dave Donaldson)