Youth Fèis (October)
The dates for 2024 are: Monday 21 October – Friday 25 October.
More information about our October Fèis Week 2024 will be available later this year – see you then!
Taking place during the October holidays, young people can choose different class options from a huge list, including a wide range of musical instruments, Gaelic song, tune writing, drama, arts and more! We are really excited that we can offer this residential event to both junior and senior age groups, but parallel timetables and classes at beginner, intermediate and advanced levels mean there are appropriate classes for all ages and abilities. If you have been to Fèis Rois nan Deugairean before, you can expect the same level of sessions, activities and craic with your own age group as always! If you are a parent of a primary school pupil who might be staying away from home for the first time at our event, rest assured that they will be cared for and nurtured 24 hours a day throughout the event.
All of our tutors are experienced, professional musicians, skilled in working with young people. We also have a pool of supervisors (house parents) and volunteers who help our events run smoothly. Young people are supervised at all times and we work in accordance with Child Protection and Health & Safety Guidelines. Our staff are all members of the Protecting Vulnerable Groups Scheme administered by Disclosure Scotland.
We are committed to making traditional music accessible to all and to eliminate barriers for participation. If you would like to talk in confidence about support for learners with disabilities or specific access requirements for your child, please contact Christian Gamauf.
We also offer hire instruments free of charge for anyone who needs to borrow a musical instrument. We can provided a limited number of whistles and chanters if needed but, given the nature of these instruments, we would encourage you to bring your own. Whistles should be in the key of D.
If the cost of the residential Fèis week is a barrier to your child participating, please contact us in confidence. In the first instance, check to see if you might be eligible for us to £200 of support from the Highland Children’s Trust: For Parents – The Highland Children’s Trust (hctrust.co.uk)
Historically, Fèis Rois offered a residential week-long course for primary school pupils during the Easter holidays and a separate week for secondary school pupils in October. However, the impact of the pandemic on the arts sector, and the impact that the cost-of-living crisis is having on families, means that it is financially challenging to have two residential courses at present. On a positive note, the change to one residential course in October and a non-residential course in the Easter holidays, with both weeks open to all ages (primary and secondary) means that young people now have two opportunities to attend a Fèis week throughout the year instead of only one!
It was fun and I loved the musical experience.
2017 participant
Residential places: £350
Includes all accommodation, meals, 20 hours of professional tuition and five nights of evening activities.
Second child residential: £300
As above for additional child(ren) from the same family.
Non-residential: £200
Tuition, lunch and access to all evening activities.
For families on low incomes, assistance with the cost of a child/children attending Fèis Rois courses may be available from the Highland Children’s Trust.
If you would like to chat in confidence about seeking financial assistance please contact Fiona Dalgetty.
Paying in instalments
It is possible to pay for places in instalments by setting up a monthly payment plan.
For example, if you are booking one child’s residential place (£350) and would like to pay from September until March, there would be a monthly cost of £50. If you would like to start instalments in October, there would be an initial upfront cost of £100 followed by a £50 cost per month until March. All places must be fully paid for by March 2024.
If you wish to pay in instalments please contact Lorraine.aburrow@feisrois.org to discuss a payment schedule.
You can view our 2023 classes and tutors below.
We will offer classes at the following levels:
- A – Advanced
- UI – Upper Intermediate
- I+ – Intermediate and above
- LI – Lower Intermediate
- IB – Improving beginner
- CB – Complete or recent beginner
Daily timetable
The daily timetable is as follows:
9.30am – 10am Warm-up and whole Fèis song for everyone
10am – 11am First choice class
11am – 11.15am break for all participants
11.15 – 11.45am P4 -7 pupils take part in Gaelic language and games workshop
11.15 – 11.45am S1-6 pupils have a chance to session
11.45am – 12.45pm Back to first choice class
12.45 – 1.30pm Lunch
1.30pm – 2.30pm Second choice class (or S1-6 groupwork which counts as second AND third choice)
2.30pm – 3.00pm Break
3.00pm – 4.00pm Third choice (or continue groupwork for S1-6)
4.00pm Pick up for non-residents. Residents have free time with supervisors.
5.00pm Dinner for P4-7
6.00pm Dinner for S1-6
6.30pm (primary) and 7.00pm (secondary) Evening activities begin
Read on for some important information for registered participants.
CODE OF CONDUCT
You have given parental consent for your child/ward to take part in this event when you booked online. However, we will email you a separate Code of Conduct form for the participant to sign. We want to ensure that everyone has a fun and safe time when they are with us and we ask participants to sign an age-appropriate code of conduct form where they agree to treat everyone respectfully and adhere to the rules of the event, which are in place for their safety. Fèis participants must adhere to our strict no alcohol, no drugs and no smoking policy. We will call the parents/carers of any young person found to be breaching the Code of Conduct agreement and ask them to collect their child from the event. You should return the Code of Conduct form to us as ASAP but no later than Monday 9th Oct. Return your forms by email (we accept scanned signatures but not typed) or by post: Feis Rois, Robertson House, Greenhill Street, Dingwall, IV15 9JQ.
PHONING HOME & WIFI
There are payphones and some card phones in Ullapool. Mobile phones are permitted but participants are asked to make all calls home before bedtime and will be asked to switch off all phones and give them to their supervisors at bed time. We want everyone to be well rested so that everyone has plenty of energy for the week! In line with our Safeguarding Policy, we are unable to provide WIFI at our events.
SUPERVISORS (House Parents)
In addition to our amazing tutor team, we have a team of experienced supervisors who look after the young people when they are not in a workshop or a class. They provide 24/7 care and are supported / managed by senior staff from Fèis Rois. Every participant, whether residential or non-residential, is introduced to their supervisor for the week at registration on Monday morning. We have ratios of one supervisor for every eight young people (P4-7) and one supervisor for every ten young people (S1-6). Our freelance supervisors escort young people to classes, meals and evening activities, and support participants with any difficulties that may arise during their time with us.
Participants – please let your supervisor or another member of the Fèis team know if you are feeling unwell or homesick, or if there is anything at all bothering you during the week. We take very seriously the duty of care we have to all of the young people attending the Fèis and we want to ensure that everyone is happy and healthy throughout the week. All issues are dealt with sensitively by the Fèis team.
REGISTRATION
The Fèis Team will be ready to welcome participants for registration at Ullapool High School, between 10.30am and 11.30am on Monday 16th October. If you are travelling independently (i.e. not on the Fèis Rois bus), please DO NOT arrive earlier than 10.30am. During registration you will drop off your musical instruments (please remember to label them!), your luggage if you are a residential participant (see below for a handy list of what you might like to bring), and choose your evening activity for Wednesday night when we have a big programme to choose from.
Non-residential participants should register for the event between 10.30am and 11.30am on Monday and then they sign out at 4pm each day and sign in at 9.30am from Tuesday morning onwards. Secondary school pupils can sign in and out themselves. Primary school pupils need to be dropped off and collected by a parent/carer.
TRANSPORT TO & FROM THE FEIS
Fèis Rois has booked a coach to depart from Dingwall Leisure Centre at 09.15 on Monday 16th October. If you have booked a place on the bus, please arrive by 09.00 at the latest. If you did not book a place on the bus with your online application, but would like to travel on the bus, please email Christian at Christian.gamauf@feisrois.org. The cost is eight pounds.
Fèis Rois does not provide transport home from the Fèis. Your parents are encouraged to attend the final concert in the Macphail Theatre in Ullapool High School at 7pm on Friday 20th October to hear all that you have achieved throughout the week and then take you home afterwards.
ACCOMMODATION & MEALS
As far as possible, we accommodate requests to share accommodation with friends. We make sure that you will be staying with people the same age and gender as you but, until we know the percentage of boys and girls attending, we are unable to make up the accommodation lists until very near to the event.
Primary school pupils are in separate accommodation to secondary school pupils. Please let us know if you have siblings who would prefer to share but perhaps one is in P7 and one is in S2, and we can try to accommodate this.
Lunches and a morning snack are provided at the school for all participants, including non-residential participants – you do not need to bring pack lunches unless you want to!
Evening meals will be provided for residential participants only at The Ceilidh Place.
Please bring a labelled water bottle to use throughout the week.
FRIDAY NIGHT CONCERT
2 tickets for parents/carers are included in the fee you have paid to attend the Fèis. Please email Christian.gamauf@feisrois.org if you would like to book additional tickets at the cost of £10 adults and £5 children for grandparents, siblings, friends, etc.
MERCHANDISE AND POCKET MONEY
You can buy Fèis Rois merchandise at registration (music books, hoodies, t-shirts, pens, badges, stickers, water bottles, beanies, etc), as well as throughout the week and at the concert on Friday 20th October. There is also an opportunity to explore Ullapool with your supervisor to buy postcards, souvenirs, etc. We know that participants will want to bring some pocket money, but they will not need a lot. We encourage parents/carers not to send their child with lots of cash that can be lost!
MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS
Please bring your own instrument if you have one. We can provide some instruments and you should have requested one when you registered online if you need to borrow one. If you have chosen keyboard as a workshop choice, we provide school keyboards. If you are an advanced player and have a more professional weighted key electric piano, then please bring it with you.
WHAT TO BRING!
Essential items are as follows:
• Any medication you need – this may be handed over to your supervisor for safekeeping. (Please notify your supervisor on arrival at your accommodation of any medication you are required to take)
• Waterproof jacket
• Enough changes of clothing for the week, pyjamas, slippers and a dressing gown or onesie
• Washing kit
• 1 Towel (1 towel is usually available from your accommodation)
• Sports kit if you would like to take part in leisure activities on Monday/Wednesday evening
• Your instrument(s) – labelled
• A folder for keeping music sheets tidy and a pen or pencil.
• Please bring a music stand if you prefer to read music rather than learn by ear.
• If you are bringing a tin-whistle it should be in the key of D.
• If you have spare strings for your guitar/fiddle etc., please take them with you
• If you plan to play football at lunchtime, bring a pair of sports shoes to change into as the residue from the astro turf causes additional work for the cleaner if it comes into the building on your footwear.
Please make sure all of your personal belongings are clearly labelled with your name!
COLLECTING LUGGAGE ON FRIDAY
For our residents, you will check out of your accommodation in Ullapool on Friday morning, and we will take your luggage to the school in our Fèis van.
We ask parents / guardians to collect luggage at Ullapool High School at 4pm or at 6.30pm so that the venue is clear of all luggage in advance of the concert beginning at 7pm.
TIMETABLE
The daily timetable is as follows:
9.30am – 10am Warm-up and whole Fèis song for everyone
10am – 11am First choice class
11am – 11.15am break for all participants
11.15 – 11.45am P4 -7 pupils take part in Gaelic language and games workshop
11.15 – 11.45am S1-6 pupils have a chance to session
11.45am – 12.45pm Back to first choice class
12.45 – 1.30pm Lunch
1.30pm – 2.30pm Second choice class (or S1-6 groupwork which counts as second AND third choice)
2.30pm – 3.00pm Break
3.00pm – 4.00pm Third choice (or continue groupwork for S1-6)
4.00pm Pick up for non-residents. Residents have free time with supervisors.
5.00pm Dinner for P4-7
6.00pm Dinner for S1-6
6.30pm (primary) and 7.00pm (secondary) Evening activities begin
The timetable is slightly different on the Monday morning. You will have half an hour from 12.00pm – 12.30pm to meet your first choice tutor after the Feis welcome and then the timetable will continue as above.
The timetable is also different on the Friday. The classes are as normal until lunchtime and then, after lunch, we will rehearse for the participants’ concert.
EVENING ACTIVITES
All participants (residents and non-residents) can participate in the following activities.
Monday 7pm Session in village hall for secondary pupils with some tutors in attendance;
6.30pm Sports at leisure centre for primary pupils.
Tuesday 6.30pm Tutor-led activities for primary pupils before concert
7pm All at Tutor Concert in the Macphail Theatre.
Primary pupils go to bed after the concert. Secondary pupils get to stay up later and have a session.
Wednesday Pick from a range of evening activities. Secondary pupils get to go to leisure centre for sports or pick from a selection of other things; separate selection of tutor led workshops for primary age pupils (6.30pm start for primary and 7pm start for secondary)
Thursday All at ceilidh in the village hall. Secondary pupils get to stay longer.
Friday Final concert
CONTACT
During the Fèis week, the senior member of staff on site will be Christian Gamauf. You will receive Christian’s number ahead of the Fèis week. Messages can also be left for Christian at The Ceilidh Place on 01854 612 103.
We look forward to seeing you for a fantastic week of music and fun in Ullapool! In the meantime, please do not hesitate to contact the office 01349 862000 if you have any queries, or email Christian.gamauf@feisrois.org