Highland 2007 Announce InvernessFest Fringe Events Offered Funding

6th May 2007

Highland 2007 announced funding for 24 events and projects as part of InvernessFest Fringe celebrations.

InvernessFest is a two week long celebration of traditional and contemporary culture
in Inverness taking place between 15 and 29 July. The main festival programme will
be enhanced by a range of Fringe events in venues throughout the city. InvernessFest Fringe is a celebration by, and about, the many different cultures and cultural groups active in the city.

The Fringe will see a mix of Chinese dance, Russian culture, Bangra and Bluegrass
alongside Ceilidhs and traditional step dance. There will also be comedy, modern
dance, theatre, visual arts, music and much more to look forward to.

For a full list of events and projects offered funding see www.highland2007.com (also
see notes to editors).

Alison Magee, chair of Highland 2007, said: "Highland 2007 is delighted HIE Inverness and East Highland, The Highland Council and the Scottish Arts Council decided to support a Fringe programme to complement the main programme of events taking place as part of InvernessFest. The Fringe programme offers the opportunity to showcase the many and varied cultures in the Highlands today. We are very excited by the ideas brought forward for the Fringe and look forward to another great festival in a year full of fantastic events.

Fergie MacDonald - Celtic Button Box Extravaganza
Arts in Merkinch - 25th Anniversary of last Kessock Ferry sailing
Warehouse Theatre - Celtic and Bluegrass Joined by the Roots - performance
Cat Harrison - Aerial performance
Puppet Lab - 'War of the Worlds' street performance
MDC Dance Company - '15 Minutes' dance performance
The Love Pylons - 'Murdina Morag', The Musical
Ceol Ur nan Eilean - Inverness Grand Ceilidh 2007
Rightlines Productions - 'Illicit' - performance
Rightlines Productions - 'The Perfect Spot' - performance
Abhras Studios - 'The Trumpeter of Krakow' - mixed media exhibition
Highland Artists - 'The Art of Being Highland' - exhibition
Russian Cultural Demonstration
Macumba Percussion Group in the streets
Arts in Motion - multimedia happening
SHIMCA - Traditional Chinese dance workshops and performance
Feis a Bhaile - Step dancing workshops and performance
Feis a Bhaile - Open Art workshop
The Ironworks - Comedy shows
Happyness Drum Circle - 'Beat in the Park'
UHI Centre for History - UHI Summer Lunchtime Lecture Series
Eden Court Arts Education - 'Midgie Nation' - performance
Highland One World Group -'Who am I? I am who I am' - performance

InvernessFest is a two week long celebration of traditional and contemporary culture
in Inverness taking place between 15 and 29 July. It will blend the most popular
aspects of Highland traditions and heritage with events that reflect the modern face of
the city of Inverness and its cultural diversity. The main festival programme will be
enhanced by a range of Fringe events in venues throughout the city. InvernessFest
will include:
• 15 July - Sir Elton John and his Band in concert at Tulloch Caledonian Stadium
• 14 - 21 July - CITYJAM Music Festival
• 14, 17, 26 and 27 July - Four concerts in Inverness Town House
• 21 and 22 July - Tulloch Inverness Highland Games featuring the World Highland
Games Championships at Bught Park
• 25 to 28 July - RBS Inverness Highland Tattoo at Fort George
• 27 July - 'Salm and Soul' in Inverness Cathedral
• 28 July - European Pipe Band Championships at Bught Park
• 28 July - Summer in the City Youth Festival
• Also InvernessFest Club in Falcon Square

The fun doesn't stop in Inverness - lots of other events are taking place across the
Highlands and Islands in July such as The Skye Festival / Feis an Eilein, Hebridean Celtic Festival, Highland Games and many others. The Skye Festival / Fèis an Eilein (13 - 27 July) is Scotland's biggest small festival. Over the course of two weeks around 90 events will take place throughout the Isle of Skye and surrounding area. The festival incorporates traditional music, jazz, theatre, film, walks, workshops and the book festival Aos Dana. For more information and ticket details call 01471 844207 or visit www.skyefestival.com - some tickets also available through the Booth www.thebooth.co.uk.

Highland 2007, the year Scotland celebrates Highland culture, aims to promote the
Highlands as a great place to live and to visit through showcasing the unique and special nature of Highland culture past, present and future. The project is a partnership between three principal funding agencies:The Highland Council, the Scottish Executive, and Highlands and Islands Enterprise. See www.highland2007.com for full details.

The Caithness Arts Festival runs from 8th - 22nd September 2007
For more details see http://www.caithnessarts.org.uk/10.html