A joyful journey of live music, drama and film will travel along the north east coast in August in a series of pop-up performances to celebrate the arrival of world-class performing arts training in Aberdeenshire.
Rovin’ Tales will officially launch the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland North East Arts Hub (RCS North East Arts Hub), a partnership between the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and Aberdeenshire Council.
Rovin’ Tales, an exciting arts adventure on August 10, will put creativity at the heart of communities with four performances, in four coastal towns, in one single day. The event will showcase the work of 12 to 18-year-olds who have taken part in skills development days and workshops hosted by the RCS North East Arts Hub in Fraserburgh and will visit:
- Banff – Duff House, 10.30am
- Macduff – Macduff Arts Centre, 10.30am
- Peterhead – Drummers Corner, 1.30pm
- Fraserburgh – Dalrymple Hall, 5.30pm (invitation-only event)
The Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and Aberdeenshire Council have joined forces to establish the RCS North East Arts Hub, part of a commitment to ensuring as many people as possible across Scotland have access to performing arts education.
The RCS North East Arts Hub offers a range of programmes for all ages including traditional music, composition, drama, filmmaking and choir groups. Encompassing the areas of Banff, Macduff, Fraserburgh and Peterhead, it is not rooted in any one town or venue, but is an Aberdeenshire-wide initiative. It is funded in partnership by the Royal Conservatoire, Aberdeenshire Council, the Royal Conservatoire’s Transitions programme and Creative Scotland.
The RCS North East Arts Hub will host a free week of workshops for young people from August 6 to 10 at Fraserburgh Academy. Courses are available in Traditional Music Band (ages 12-19), Composition and Sound Production (ages 12-19), Drama and Devising (ages 12-19) and Film (ages 16-25). A Community Choir workshop is open to all ages. Free transport is available from Peterhead, Mintlaw, Huntly, Banff and Macduff.
The Royal Conservatoire is consistently recognised as one of the world’s top ten performing arts education institutions while Aberdeenshire Council aims to provide the best life chances for its children and young people by raising levels of attainment and achievement. Professor Jeffrey Sharkey, Principal of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, said: “The RCS North East Arts Hub is an exciting new initiative which enables us to work collaboratively to put creativity and arts education at the centre of local communities, as well as identifying and helping to develop the next generation of performing artists and cultural leaders from across Scotland.”
Councillor Anne Stirling, Aberdeenshire Council’s Communities Committee chair, said: “This is an exciting opportunity for young people living across Aberdeenshire. It will give them the chance to develop their performing and production skills under the supervision of world class musicians and tutors. Aberdeenshire has a rich cultural heritage so I am pleased that the Rovin’ Tales will help ensure that these traditions will carry on in the future. We are proud to be working with the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland on the North East Arts Hub, an exciting and innovative project, which will give young people fantastic experiences. This announcement, coming just a few weeks after the Council launched its new sport and physical activity and cultural strategies, clearly demonstrates the importance of music and the arts in the fabric of Aberdeenshire.”
In addition to launching the RCS North East Arts Hub, the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland will deliver Junior Conservatoire programmes in Traditional Music and Acting in Aberdeenshire from September – intensive, weekly tuition for young people who aspire to develop their skills and potentially work towards full-time study and a career in the performing arts.
The Traditional Music course is for musicians aged 11 to 18 who show potential in their instrument. The Acting course is for 14 to 18-year-olds who want to focus on developing core acting technique, foundational skills and who aspire to study at drama school in the future.
Professor Sharkey added: “We are excited to launch our Junior Conservatoire programmes in Traditional Music and Acting this autumn. The Junior Conservatoire offers young people their first taste of arts education and allows them to fulfil their artistic potential, develop essential life skills and explore a world of possibilities within the arts and far beyond.”
