manx celtic music and dance

Isle of Man returns to Festival Interceltique de Lorient

01 Aug 2016


Isle of Man returns to Festival Interceltique de Lorient

A delegation of Manx musicians, singers, dancers and artists will set off to Brittany this week to take part in Europe’s largest annual Celtic gathering, Festival Interceltique de Lorient (5 – 14 August). The festival welcomes an average of 800,000 visitors over 10 days and its televised events attract over 3 million viewers.

Last year, the Isle of Man joined Cornwall as the honoured nations of the festival, but for 2016, the role will be taken on by Australia, which has a significant Celtic diaspora. Ealee Sheard is the Manx delegate for Festival Interceltique de Lorient and she has been liaising with the festival to select this year’s Manx delegation. The Manx performers for FIL 2016 consist of folk group Birlinn Jiarg who are a young and innovative quartet led by whistle and concertina player Beccy Hurst; singer-songwriter Matt Creer and cellist Josephine Evans; vocal and instrumental duo Cairistiona Dougherty and Isla Callister-Wafer; festival favourites Mec Lir; plus new dance group, Ny Manninee. Birlinn Jiarg, Cairistiona and Isla, and Jamie Smith will be playing for the dance group Manx artist Colette Gambell will also attend the festival and represent the Island with an exhibition of her ocean-inspired paintings.

Between them, the Manx dancers and musicians will perform in the Grande Parade, give concerts in the Espace Marine, Espace Parole, Espace Bretagne and Palais des Congrès, lead workshops, perform at community outreach events and provide entertainment at the Manx pavilion.

Organised by Culture Vannin, with the support of the Isle of Man Arts Council and the Department of Economic Development, the Manx pavilion will be managed by Peter Young of Event Management Solutions. It will sell Manx products, fresh food and drink, showcase cultural and tourist information, have demonstrations of traditional crafts such as bumbee cage making, and provide performances of Manx music and dance. Positioned on the busy Quai de Indes, and manned by an enthusiastic team of volunteers, the pavilion will make sure the Isle of Man continues to impress its larger Celtic cousins!

www.festival-interceltique.bzh/

[photo of Birlinn Jiarg - Bob Fennell]

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