Fèis Rois
What is Fèis Rois?
What is the TMIS project?
What do people think?
What happens next?
Fèis is the Gaelic word for a festival or feast. The Feis movement is a group of Gaelic tuition festivals throughout Scotland. A Fèis is an opportunity for individuals to come together to develop skills in the Gaelic arts - song, dance, drama, and traditional music on a wide range of instruments. At the centre of each Fèis is a week-long festival, but many Fèisean have grown to run workshops and classes all year round.
| Feis Rois began in Ullapool in 1986, and is now one of the biggest Fèisean with three separate festivals in Ross and Cromarty: Fèis Rois Oigridh (Junior Fèis for older Primary children), Fèis Rois nan Deugairean (Senior Fèis for teenagers) and Fèis Rois Inbhich (Adult Fèis). |
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In 2001 Fèis Rois expanded beyond Ross and Cromarty when it was awarded money from the Scottish Arts Council to co-ordinate the Traditional Musicians in Schools (TMIS) scheme. The aim of TMIS is to introduce traditional music, song and dance to children throughout Scotland.
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Over the past five years, Fèis Rois' teams of musicians have visited primary schools in every area of Scotland. Workshop sessions are held in primary schools and in 2006 alone, 209 classes took place in 197 schools with 11,725 children! |
Each session lasts an hour and involves a performance by top professional musicians, together with a chance for the children to have a go at traditional singing or dancing themselves. The sessions are designed to be fun and informative with plenty of opportunities for enthusiastic interaction with the musicians.
The TMIS scheme has been an overwhelming success with teachers, pupils and musicians alike, and was awarded the Community Project of the Year at the Scots Trad Music Awards in 2004.
'Within ten minutes of the musicians leaving, the children were on their websites and we've had music playing since - fantastic!' (Class Teacher)
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'I thought Scottish music was going to be boring but it isn't it's brilliant.' (Pupil)
'Wish I was here next year to hear it again.' (Pupil) |
'It is great to be asked to tutor...I am always amazed at the response we get get from the children. Their enthusiasm is infectious. For many of the children it is their first experience of traditional music and indeed in many cases their first experience of any live music.' (Tutor)
At the end of each session, schools are given a traditional music resource pack to encourage follow-on activity. Some schools have also been able to apply for a full day of follow-on workshops, featuring tuition in a variety of areas including whistle, singing and group-music making.
In 2007, Fèis Rois are travelling from the far north to the south of Scotland, with visits planned in Midlothian, Scottish Borders, Orkney, Shetland, Clackmannanshire and East Lothian. Look out for a visit in your area!
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For more information about the Traditional Musicians in Schools project, email Allison Watson, Fèis Rois Education Officer. Since 2004 TMIS has been funded through Youth Music Initiative Managed Funds. Please visit our funding area for information on YMI funding. | |