Say it with Roses...

As you can imagine, an event like Solas Festival doesn't happen on its own. So, before we get carried away with raving about what a good time we all had, we want to take a moment to thank those who made it all possible. (In no particular order, you understand.)

Three cheers for the contributors: the musicians, speakers, panellists, artists, film tutors, youth and children's workers, writers, poets, workshop facilitators, exhibitors, traders and caterers.

Thanks to our individual supporters: our Solas Saints who sustain us all through the year; the festival-goers who bought their tickets well in advance; and those who surprised us on the gate.

Thanks a million to our funders and those who have given in kind: Greenbelt, Christian Aid Scotland, The Iona Community, The Seedbed Trust, The Novum Trust, The Scottish Book Trust, Wellington Church of Scotland, Bert, Hillhead Baptist Church, Stirling Methodist Church, Langside Parish Church, Govan and Linthouse Parish Church, We See Lights, CAOS (Community Arts Open Space), The Young Stars Stage School, BEES, Glasgow City Mission, Youth for Christ, The Big Issue Scotland.

A big shout-out to those who put in a good word for us: the journalists and gig reviewers; the music bloggers and the DJs; the living room gig hosts and our fantastic community reps.

Very big thanks to all our volunteers: the programme team, the fundraisers, the marketers, the administrators, our fabulous photographer, the site crew, venue managers and stewards, the drivers, the safety team and the sales team.

To all: "Thank you very very very very much".

We've got you covered.

You don't have to be Ian McCaskill to know that the weather is looking a bit uppity this week. But this is Scotland and we're prepared for four seasons in one day!

Who knows? We might get T-shirt weather or maybe you're one of those who are only happy when it rains. Let it snow?

Whatever the weather, we've got it covered. As you'll see from our lovely little festival site-map.

All the festival venues - including those for children - are sheltered and within easy walking distance. There will be covered eating areas as well as the 4 on-site cafes and meeting areas.

So, the only time you might get a bit wet - or sunburned - is when you're skipping excitedly to your next venue.

Interview with Julia Doogan

Julia & The Doogans are an uplifting folk infused pop outfit from Glasgow. Julia writes the kind of pop songs that will stay in your head days after you hear them. Last summer Julia released the fantastic Come Home EP featuring tracks like Come Home, Borderline and New York City; the EP has created a lot of buzz, leading to shows at The West End Festival, Belladrum, Happy Valley festival in Ireland and now Solas. Let's see what she has to say for herself.

Tell us about your band, Julia and the Doogans.

We like to play with a guitar, piano, cello, flute and voice. Sometimes there are twinkly things and a melodica too.

Tell us about you?

I like to write little pop songs and what better way to do it than with a bunch of fantastic musicians and friends?

So last year you released the fantastic “Come Home”, what's next in the pipeline for releases?

There are lots of new songs written now and there should be something new out soon enough should anyone be hoping for another release. 

You're just back from playing Happy Valley festival in Ireland, how was it?

It was good! Sadly I think I brought the rain over with me but other than that, it was a good experience. I have a soft spot for Ireland considering that's where my family are from and it was nice to go and sing some songs in somewhere that's new to me.

What are you most looking forward to about Solas festival?

Getting a chance to play some new songs and soak up the atmosphere.

Any bands you're planning to check out? Or do you reckon you'll sneak off and maybe catch a film in the festival cinema? 

I'm going to try and watch as many bands as possible but I am very eager to catch a film and chill out. Will be the perfect way to spend the Sunday.

Perhaps some samba drumming?

Why not!?

What is your must bring items for going to festivals?

Camera, some spare cash and a friend.

Interview by Solas volunteer, Wull Swales. Julia & the Doogans play the Solas mainstage on the afternoon of Sunday 26th June - let's hope she leaves the rain at home this time.

The lowdown on our 2011 programme for young people

We’re very grateful to the Novum Trust for supporting Solas again in 2011 with a grant to help us develop our programme for young people. Here's a rundown of what's on offer:

Have a go at slacklining or streetdance.  Give Banksy a run for his money on our graffiti wall. Release your inner Animal in our drumming workshop. Stay up all night playing midnight football and hike Tinto Hill in time for sunrise. Use pedal power to make yourself a delicious smoothie and pile in on the rugby drop-in.

Feeling creative? Get crafty in one of our visual arts workshops. Feeling lazy? Veg out in front of a great movie in the Solas cinema with a massive pile of popcorn or get behind the camera and make one yourself with our film-making workshops. Hot tips from the Hollywood front line will be provided by superstar producer, Alan Greenspan.

Do not miss the hilarious rapper-come-poet Harry Baker – he is incredible! – and hang around to catch the Rory Butler album launch right after. Feast your ears on a whole host of incredible bands including Stanley Odd, The Starlets and Silver Caves.

Feed your grey matter and get to grips with a couple of the Solas speakers by joining our introduction and debrief sessions for young adults – find out what Pete Ward has to say on celebrity culture and join Alison Urie’s interactive session on the concept of Home and what it means for each of us. Hear Sarah Brown’s personal reflections on Israel/Palestine which she’s written especially for a younger audience.

Grab a wee slice of peace and lose yourself in your thoughts and our labyrinth. Get a team together for the pub quiz. Control the action in our Forum Theatre workshop. Become a statue on our touring plinth. Steal the limelight by giving us a turn on the Open Mic stage.

Did we mention the awesome bands? We did!? Well, we’ve also got Aerials Up, Open Swimmer, We See Lights…

The action kicks off at 7.30pm on Friday 24^th June with a meet-up session where all the young folks on site can get together and meet our youthwork team. 

For text updates to help you keep track of our jam-packed programme for young people over the weekend, text 'The Long Light' to 07842 121577 [small print: costs one standard text and we promise not to give your number out to anyone else or call you at 3am pretending to order pizza...]. 

Forum Theatre

Augusto Boal

We are thrilled to be offering a Forum Theatre workshop as part of our Solas Festival 2011 programme. We're particularly keen to encourage young people to take part, but the session will be open to all.

Forum Theatre, a kind of 'Theatre of the Oppressed', was created by the Brazilian director, writer and politician Augusto Boal in the 1950s and has since been utilised all over the world. This interactive form of drama, explores challenging themes - particularly discrimination and oppression - and encourages participants to stop the action and try to change its course.

We're delighted that Hannah McLean, who was trained in the art of Forum Theatre by Augusto Boal's own son, is coming to Solas to lead this demanding and thought-provoking workshop. 

Here's what Hannah has to say about it:

"Forum Theatre is a tool for change in people’s lives. It encourages participants to explore and tackle their own oppression and that which surrounds them, by empowering participants to discuss issues such as stigma and discrimination with other people who may have similar experiences. It allows the participants to test out ways in which these barriers can be overcome in a safe and creative environment. 

As part of the process the participants learn how to facilitate Forum Theatre themselves so that when the ‘experiment’ finishes, they have the skills and confidence to lead other people. Members of the audience during a Forum Theatre performance piece or workshop become ‘spect-actors’ and are encouraged by the group to change the ‘action’ by becoming an actor in the piece for a scene. This encourages the audience to take ownership of the performance."

Hannah McLean is Project Manager of Glasgow's CAOS (Community Arts; Open Space) and runs regular Forum Theatre sessions with a range of groups, including young people and vulnerable adults. You can join her workshop at Solas on the afternoon of Sunday 26th June.

Call to the Wild - BEES bring Natural Play to Solas

Take a walk on the wild side - learn how to build dens, play games, track wildlife, tie knots, design camouflage outfits, get muddy, make environmental art and have LOADS of fun.

We're just delighted that BEES will be at Solas this year to lead Natural Play for 8-14s (places limited, registration required) on Saturday 25th June. And just so the rest of us don't feel left out, on the afternoon of Sunday 26th June they'll run an all-age environmental art drop-in session.

More about BEES

BEES (Borders Environmental Education Services) is a social enterprise based in the Scottish Borders. BEES runs Natural Play / Bushcraft/ Forest Schools activities for children in the Scottish Borders. BEES runs a wide range of environmental / outdoor learning experiences, such as Conservation Breaks on the Northumberland Coast, teacher training, team-building days and experience days. They'll have a stall in our Milky Way venue at the festival and you can find out more about what they do by visiting their website. 

Mary Ann Kennedy brings that 'festival feeling' to a Glasgow living room

Solas Festival has joined the recent live music trend which opts for intimacy and originality with a series of living room gigs hosted by volunteers throughout this year.

Last Saturday night we got a tantalizing taste of what’s to come at this year’s festival when around 40 of us crowded into a converted 3-storey tower in the West End of Glasgow to enjoy one of the most spell-binding live music experiences.   

The bill consisted of fabulous folky acoustic duo Fair Witness, followed by the renowned Scottish musician and broadcaster Mary Ann Kennedy. Alongside stories of her upbringing in a Gaelic household in Glasgow, Mary Ann silenced the audience with her accessible interpretations of traditional Gaelic songs and show-stopping puirt a beul, combined with her beautiful compositions on the clàrsach. She's a master of her craft - humbling and inspiring to watch.

It was a real treat to hear music of such quality in such a comfortable setting, but this is typical of the events Solas has laid on all year and of the atmosphere of the festival itself.

Thanks to Ros for opening her house to us!

By Fay Butler, a Solas Volunteer

Mary Ann Kennedy takes to the Solas mainstage on Saturday 25th June with The Campbells 

(alongside four other members of her family; Scottish trad-royalty from the island of Skye)

Solas Festival 2011: Programme Highlights by Day

It's the moment you have been waiting for: a full run-down of The Solas Festival Programme! Below, you'll find the highlights of each day at Solas Festival 2011, but remember there will be lots, lots more happening all over the site. Frankly, we think you’re mad if you don’t come for the whole weekend (we cram all this into just over 48 hours, so you don’t even have to take any time off work!), but rest assured, whenever you pop in to join us, there’ll be something absolutely cracking to discover onsite.

You can find out more about our musicians here and our speakers here and we’ll be adding to our programme pages on the website over the coming weeks.

FRIDAY EVENING

It’s a folk-tastic music bill for the Friday night. RURA open with a young, fresh twist on Scottish Trad. Also on the bill we have folk stars Emily Smith and Michael Marra, and, with full band in tow, Emma Pollock (increasingly well-known in her own right as well as for her work with The Delgados, The Burns Unit and Glasgow-label, Chemikal Records).

SATURDAY (during the day)

Samba Sene & Diwan

World music with Samba Sene & Diwan; Poetry Slam Champion Harry Baker; Rory Butler Album Launch; a brand new musical collaboration featuring We See Lights; performances from Open Swimmer, Silver Caves, Alex Cornish, Adam Stearns, The Wild Myrtles, David Ferrard and esperi. The film programme’s Frame by Frame interview features major Hollywood producer Alan Greenspan (Donnie Brasco, High Fidelity, Fever Pitch). Talks from Kathy Galloway, Pete Ward, Sol Oyuela, Steve Stockman, Karen D’Artois, Sarah Brown and a panel discussion on Sectarianism. Nick Thorpe talks about his new book. Eco-drama present ‘The Isle of Egg’; our visual artists lead lantern-making and the Long Light Procession; workshops in Samba drumming, waulking songs and lithographs, storyteller Gerry Durkin and children’s author Matthew Fitt.

SATURDAY EVENING

We’ve got two incredible bands returning from Solas 2010 because their live performances were so spine-tinglingly perfect we had to keep spreading the word; we fell in love with Glasgow’s The Starlets and Edinburgh-based hip-hop/electronic outfit Stanley Odd have to be seen to be believed. We’ve also got the lovely Irishman, Iain Archer, a favourite at our partner festival Greenbelt and well-loved in Scotland for his work with Snow Patrol and the Reindeer Section. Finally, The Campbells take to the stage; five members of the Scottish Trad dynasty from the island of Skye, including our very own Mary Ann Kennedy, and every one of them a Mod gold-medallist.

SUNDAY

Rachel Sermanni

Our hottest tip for 2011, Scottish singer-songwriter Rachel Sermanni; world-class classical cellist, Robert Irvine, performs Bach; another original collaboration for Solas featuring Jo Mango, Open Swimmer, Tall Tales and Kettle of Kites; as well as performances from Aerials Up and Julia & the Doogans. Talks from Gerry Hassan, David McNair, Jenny Baker and Alison Urie and panel discussions on Economics: The Cuts and Scottish Nationalism in the light of the SNP victory. The film programme’s Frame by Frame interview features Scottish producer Andrea Calderwood (The Last King of Scotland, Ratcatcher, The Hole). We’ve got workshops in environmental art and family bushcraft led by B.E.E.S.; a dawn hike up Tinto Hill and storyteller Mara Menzies. Theatre for kids with STaG and the Fischy Music Concert. And, of course, the Homecoming String Band lead our giant Ceilidh.