Visas for Musicians after Brexit

This hard Brexit is proving a disaster for the Creative Industries.  A young band will require a cost of an extra £3,000 for visa expense and a major band about £10,000. Plus a pile of paperwork – Bank statements, proof of taxes, and more. Europe was the place for cultural exchange. These costs are impossible and will mean younger artists unable to tour in Europe. 

 But stopping freedom of movement is all the Brexiteers care about.  

After Brexit touring musicians require visas for everyone on their tour, hugely increasing costs with a £500 charge on each country. A petition is calling for visa free travel across the EU – a free cultural work permit for bands , musicians, artists, film makers and sports stars.

PETITION - https://petition.parliament.uk.Europe-wideVisa-freepermitTouringprofessionals Artists

“The DCMS has told musicians to deal with each country individual. I’m not getting clear answers.” musician The Anchoress. “Culture is absolute a class issue.” Look at where the arts council emergency finding went.”  There are however exceptions within the trade agreement – for miners, tour guides, spin doctors!

 

The UK music industry is worth £5.8 billions and one of our most popular international exports.  The creative industries as a whole is worth £111 billion. The EU rejected an agreement on temporary movement of business travellers.

 

Composer and broadcaster Howard Goodall, “There is clearly something not functioning in the current government DNA, that we have in this instance a successful and important industry for our country’s exports, which has been warning for five years now of the negative impacts of the withdrawal from freedom of movement. 

 

“It has been obvious to me from the start of the negotiations that because of the point blank rejection of freedom of movement, the creative industries were going to be at car-park basement level on the list of priorities. 

At a stroke the rights of pop singers, bands, orchestras, chamber groups, tour managers, stage managers and more to seamlessly travel within the 27 EU member states  come to an end. “

 The creative  industries are worth – theatre 112 Billion, (football 8 billion). After this hard Brexit so many hurdles for young actors, artist and musicians. 

 The Arts are fundamental to our well being.

Transatlantic Sessions 2021 concert

Celebrates the rich and ever present exchange between the old world and the new. 

“Playing music together always feel natural with the old time States and the Scots Irish music”, artistic director Donald Shaw. And the power of quality live music to bring us all together. 

 

The TS band opened on the Scottish stage Concert hall Glasgow with upbeat tunes – 

Led by Shetland fiddler Aly Bain, Phil Cunningham, John McCusker, Michael McGoldrick, James Mackintosh and Donald Shaw along with guests Euan Burton, Julie Fowlis & Kris Drever. They wereoined by master dubro player Jerry Douglas remotely from America.

Gaelic singer Julie Fowlis charmed with her pure dulcet tones. Plus popular Orkney singer songwriter, Kris Drever performed his own compositions. 

 

On the American stage Nashville Tennessee : A welcome return of Tim O’Brien’s bluegrass songs. Plus Molly Tuttle, Allison Brown, Stuart Duncan and fun Irish guitarist John Doyle, sang to their friends across the ocean.

 

 I’ve been reading up recently on the Scots Americans. Americans often reference the Scotch-Irish and view this as a close connection. From the 1700s Scots Americans came in 3 Main Groups - The Highlander Scots, Lowlander Scots and the Scotch Irish. 

I lived ten years over in Ohio and Chicago Illinois. In Cincinnati at a German restaurant with singing waiters, they said they’d sing an Irish song 'Danny Boy' for my parents who were visiting from Scotland! I thought this odd at the time, but after reading this it makes sense. The connections between Ireland and Scotland are very strong ones! 

Bonny and braw Transatlantic Sessions concert, with the excellent, warm energy of Celtic and bluegrass tunes, and poignant moments too with an Irish piper lament, Gaelic song,  

 

Transatlantic Sessions 2019

My last live concert was at the Transatlantic Sessions 2020. As I left into the cold winter evening not knowing it would be my last for such a long time….. So a massive thanks to Celtic Connections and Glasgow Life for bringing all the musicians together to enrich our lives with these online concerts! 

 I’ve taken photos at the festival since 2008 and have a large archive of images on my website  - https://pkimage.co.uk/celticconnections

 

Transatlantic Sessions 2020

More than ever live music needs support. As a charity Celtic connections relies on support. 

Support Celtic Connections - https://www.celticconnections.com/support-us/

Celtic Connections opening concert 2021

Celtic Connections 2021 Big Band

The opening of Celtic Connections 2021, had sets from some of the very best musicians on both the Scottish and international music scenes, with 12 performances: including fiddler Duncan Chisholm with Scottish Ensemble, Ímar, Fiona Hunter, Kinnaris Quintet, Le Vent du Nord.

Perfect tunes and accomplished musicians. 

Celtic Connections 2021 Big Band, with a quality line up - Donald Shaw, Michael McGoldrick, Greg Lawson, Ross Ainslie and more. They performed new tunes by New Voices series. 

The concert began with pipers led by Finlay MacDonald. Followed by excellent tunes by the Celtic Big band. This was contrasted by perfect harmony singing with Karine Polwart’s ‘Come Away in’ - a welcome song for refugees at the impressive City Chambers – Aaron Jones, Eddi Reader, Siobhan Miller, Rab Noakes, Findlay Napier, Dave Mulligan. 

Followed by festival favourites Le Vent Du Nord from Quebec. 

Fiddler Duncan Chisholm played the tune ‘The Precious Place’ with sweet poignant tones along with Innes Watson, Hamish Napier, Jarlath Henderson & the Scottish Ensemble 

Duncan Chisholm

The concert celebrated cultures from around the world with the energetic singing of Xabier Diaz from Galicia and Adufeiras De Salitre. Also Sona Jobarteh multi-instrumentalist and composer from the Gambia.

The Kinnaris Quartet did an energetic set at the Old Fruitmarket venue with their tune, This Too Shall Pass. Fiona Hunter sang the Burns song ‘Aye Walkin O’. We were also treated to a Gaelic song from Karen Matheson: and fun tunes by young bands Imar and Elephant Sessions. 

Celtic Connections big band   Fiddle: Patsy Reid, Graham Mackenzie, Laura Wilkie, Hannah Fisher. Whistles and Saxophone: Fraser Field. 
Flute and Whistles: Michael McGoldrick
. Pipes and Whistles: Ross Ainslie.  Guitar: Anna Massie, Sorren Maclean
. Percussion: James Mackintosh, Alyn Cosker
. Piano and accordion: Donald Shaw.
 Double bass: Duncan Lyall
. Trumpet: Neil Yates. 
Saxophone: Paul Towndrow. .Trombone: Chris Greive
. Violin: Greg Lawson, Alistair Savage, Fiona Stephen, Kobus Frick Viola: Georgia Boyd, Liam Lynch
.  Cello: Sonia Cromarty, Jessica Kerr
. 

Celtic Connections celebrates Scottish music  and traditions and also places it alongside other global traditions, cultures and music. The festival is about improving our well being by the process of coming together in Glasgow’s most historic buildings. The festival does workshops and talks.  

On the BBC Radio Scotland artistic director Donald Shaw thanked Glasgow Life for organising venues, such as Kelvingrove with amazing grand pianos that were waiting to be played. Siobhan Miller spoke of how emotional and joyous and over-whelming it was to come together in these spaces. 

Imar

Celtic Connections first online festival 2021!

Transatlantic Sessions 2020

At this cold and dark time of year the accomplished and melodic fires of music light up our hearts and the evening skies

 

Celtic Connections, the world's biggest winter folk festival, first online festival will celebrate the musical connections, accomplished musicians, perfect melodies, musical traditions and much more. Its hard to explain what its like to miss the buzz that surrounds folk festivals and the importance to our lives of live music. So I'm looking forward to seeing some top class Celtic concerts online and on the BBC

PLEASE SUPPORT OUR MUSICIANS IN THESE DARK TIMES 

Celtic Connections has now listed their first online digital festival. 

Some photos for the Danny Kyle stage.

The festival will run from Friday 15^th January to Tuesday 2^nd February 2021. Follow the conversation at @ccfest

TICKETS AND PROGRAM - : www.celticconnections.com

SOME HIGHLIGHTS

Monday 25th January

*BBC Scotland channel: BURNS NIGHT with the BBC SSO, EDDI READER and KAREN MATHESON 7pm - 8pm.  

 

*Some of CELTIC CONNECTIONS festival will be on BBC Alba

Friday 15th January - Celtic Connections 2021 Online Celebration Concert (Various Artists) 7.30pm - 9pm £10.  On BBC ALBA: EP1 Cuirm@Celtic Connections: Duncan Chisholm 9pm 

Monday 18th January - Come Away In with Karine Polwart, Eddi Reader, Rab Noakes, Siobhan Miller & Finlay Napier 7.30pm - 9pm £7

 

Wednesday 20th January   Blue Rose Code - Karen Matheson - LYRE - Rory Butler 7.30pm - 9pm £7

 

Friday 22nd January - Blazin Fiddles - Xabier Diaz - Gnoss - Deirdre Graham 7.30pm - 9pm £7. On BBC ALBA: EP2 Cuirm@Celtic Connections: The Staves 9pm

Sunday 24th January - The Secret Sisters - Kinnaris Quintet - An Tobar Presents 7.30pm - 9pm £7

Friday 29th January -  Transatlantic Sessions with Special Guests 7.30pm - 8.30pm £10

Saturday 30^th January - Rhiannon Giddens with Francesco Turrisi - Kris Drever - Dean Owens with Joey Burns (Calexico) 8pm - 9.30pm £7

Musical Director Donald Shaw - “The resounding feeling that has come out of the recording days is a space for musicians to come back, to play again, to feel part of the community that they helped to create. The last time a lot of the contributing artists performed was at Celtic Connections 2020 and now they are back playing as part of the festival one year on after what has undoubtedly been the hardest year of their careers. We feel incredibly proud that as a festival, along with our funding partners, we have allowed for this safe space for them to play again, embrace their creativity and ultimately give them hope that there is a future for them within this industry.”

Aly Bain

 The Celtic Connections online festival will begin one week today. Across 19 days, the festival will present over 30 online performances between Friday 15^th January and Tuesday 2^nd February 2021.

World class concerts will be available to view online with some of the biggest names on the Scottish music scene and beyond appearing on screens across the world as part of the winter festival. Celtic Connections has created unique digital content from specially commissioned projects and performances filmed across many of Glasgow’s much-loved venues. International artists have also contributed to the eclectic line-up by recording performances remotely.

Traditionally, the festival welcomes over 100,000 attendees to Glasgow, a UNESCO City of Music, and on announcing the digital-first festival organisers hoped it would appeal to the wide international audience they usually see attending the festival. The 19-day event undoubtedly has caught the attention of music fans across the world with festival passes purchased in 35 countries already. With the festival’s global audiences in mind, they have allowed for all shows to be available for a week after they are first streamed to alleviate any restrictions for different time zones enjoying the range of content.  

Donald Shaw, Creative Producer for Celtic Connections, said: “The announcement of the full festival programme today marks a huge moment for me and the wider team. The concept for a digital-first Celtic Connections was borne out of a desire to promote wellbeing and optimism amongst fellow musicians as much as it was about still being able to offer entertainment to our loyal Celtic Connections audiences during the dark nights of January. 

John Paul White

Rab Noakes

Eddi Reader and the RSNO