Feis Cothlam 2011 – Gaelic Wool Festival

19 Jul 2011 in Argyll & the Islands, Visual Arts & Crafts

Local Origins Rural Network, LORN , invites you to their second Gaelic Wool Festival – Feis Cothlam 2011 : a Celebration of all things Woolly in Argyll from  21st – 23rd July 2011, around Benderloch, by Oban, Argyll.

A fun filled 3 day event, incorporating all things to do with crafts and products from sheep we can come up with – featuring the much acclaimed Gaelic Waulking Singers – Sgioba Luaidh Inbhirchluaidh – based around Benderloch.

On Thursday 21st there is a supersized Local Producers market at Kintaline Farm, Benderloch, with all the usual attractions together with lots more displays, demonstrations, and stalls. There will be shearing, spinning, singing, knitting, horn work, and lots of ideas as to what you can make from sheep. Displays of fleeces, as well as innovative commerical products. Food is, as always a vital part of the LORN market – plenty to buy, and lots to eat on the day, along with cookery demonstrations – come and find out what to do with lamb, hogget and mutton of different breeds of sheep.

On Friday 22nd there will be a variety of woolly crafty workshops which you will need to book in advance. These are still being finalised and we are open to more suggestions if you would like to run something in the area. Handling fleeces ; Spinning ; Waulking a tweed and the Gaelic Working songs; Peg loom weaving; are just some of the proposed workshops you can book. The costs of each one will vary.

On Saturday 23rd the Victory Hall Benderloch is the venue for a day long drop in free taster sessions for woolly crafts; stalls; displays and demonstrations.

Saturday’s finale is a full evening concert performance of the Sgioba Luaidh Inbhirchluaidh (Inverclyde Waulking Singers) who will entertain us all with their gaelic working songs, just as the women of the Highlands and Islands sang to each other over centuries, as they spun, washed, milked and waulked the tweeds. The songs evoke the trials and tribulations of the life of our ancestors, as well as depict the history throughout the Hebrides. The high quality of this group has recently been recognised with a personal invitation to perform at an international festival in Poland in October.

Tickets to the evening performance at Benderloch’s Victory Hall, are £7.50 (£5 concessions) booked before night, and £9 (£7) on the night. Join us in a fun energetic evening, bar open from 7 pm, for a 7.30 start.

Please get in touch if you have anything woolly to display, demonstrate, or a course or workshop you would like to offer. Also to book your tickets for Saturdays concert. 01631 720223 feiscothlam2011@lorn.org.uk . All contributions to the event are very welcome.

For more information visit http://www.lorn.org.uk/promotingwoolfest2011.doc

Source: J Bowis