Arts / Funding delight for fiddle week as 2025 dates confirmed
THE ORGANISERS of the new Shetland Fiddle Week event have confirmed that dates have already been set in stone for its return in 2025.
Shetland Fiddle Week has also secured funding worth more than £7,000 via Creative Scotland to go towards its upcoming 2024 event.
These funds will be used to support a programme of workshops, concerts, sessions and other events taking place next week – between 5 and 9 August – across Shetland to “teach and celebrate the unique Shetland fiddle tradition”.
Tutors Ross Couper, Andrew Gifford, 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 also give students and local musicians the chance to meet and play together.
Shetland Fiddle Week co-founder Lynda Anderson 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.”
Creative Scotland’s head of music Alan Morrison said the government agency is “delighted” to support the fiddle week.
“The Shetland fiddle tradition is a deep and distinctive part of the islands’ cultural identity,” he said.
“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.”
More than 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 Quarff have also attracted ticket sales from both international visitors and locals.
Remaining student spaces and concert tickets can be bought online.
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