Ar sgioba

Tha Lorraine air leth toilichte a bhith a’ tilleadh gu Fèis Rois mar Mhanaidsear Oifis is Ionmhais. Dh’ fhàg i a’ bhuidheann ann an 2007 airson a triùir chloinne a thogail agus obrachadh ann an companaidh an teaghlaich. Tha a’ chlann a-nise san sgoil agus mar sin, tha i air a dòigh a bhith tilleadh gu Fèis Rois agus a bhith na pàirt de phrìomh bhuidheann ciùil is ealain na h-Alba. Bidh uallach air Lorraine a bhith a’ ruith na h-oifis bho latha gu latha agus a bhith cumail ionmhas na buidhne ann an òrdugh. Tha ceum aice ann an Conaltradh agus tha i a’ dèanamh fiughar ri bhith a’ cleachdadh sin aon uair eile. ‘S toil le Lorraine ceòl beò agus sgrìobhadh cruthachail – rud as a bheil ùidh air a bhith aice bho làithean sgoile. 

Bha Fiona fhèin a’ frithealadh Fèis Rois na h-òige agus thill i dhachaigh a Shiorrachd Rois sa Ghiblean 2009 airson obair mar cheannard a ghabhail. Bhon a dh’ fhàg i Oilthigh Dhùn Eideann tha i air dreuchd a thogail sna h-ealain ann an Alba. Ann an 2018 Chaidh a h-ainmeachadh air prògram rèidio Woman’s Hour a-measg nan ceathrad bhoireannach as soirbheachaile buaidh a thoirt air a’ cheòl ris am bi sinn uile ag èisteachd. A thuilleadh air a seo chaidh a h-ainmeachadh le Comann Bratach na Croise a-measg nan deich bhoireannach as buadhmhòire ann an 2019. Tha obair Fiona air Fèis Rois a dhearbhadh mar thè de na buidhnean ealain as soirbheachaile an Alba. Tha seo fhèin air buaidh na fèise a’ leudachadh gu h-eadar-nàiseanta ach le freumhan domhainn ann an Siorrachd Rois.

Tha Rachael na Manaidsear an Fhoghlaim aig Fèis Rois agus i a’ stiùireadh prògram sgoile na buidhne. Mus do thòisich i san dreuchd seo aig Fèis Rois san t-Sultain 2010, bha i na Stiùiriche Ealain aig Firefly Arts, companaidh ealain òigridh stèidhichte ann an Lodainn an Iar. Thòisich Rachael aig Firefly Arts air greis trèanaidh mar stiùiriche bhùithtean-obrach dràma, an uair sin bha i na Leas-stiùiriche an Fhoghlaim agus na Leas-stiùiriche airson Tèatar Òigridh don chompanaidh. Tro Stèidheachd Richter, tha i air bùithtean-obrach dràma a chur air dòigh air feadh na h-Eòrpa agus air trèanadh a lìbhrigeadh ann an com-pàirt ri daoine eile do luchd-obrach òigridh bhon Roinn Eòrpa. Tha Rachael air BA ann an Tèatar is Dràma nam Meadhanan a thoirt a-mach le Oilthigh Ghlamorgan agus nuair a cheumnaich i bha i am measg nan ciad daoine a fhuair cothrom air preantasachd tron Stèidheachd RANK agus i a’ cur seachad ùine ag obair mar neach-obrach òigridh dhan t-Seirbheis Òigridh aig RCDA. Na h-òige fhèin bhiodh Rachael a’ dol chun a’ Ghordon Gaitherin ann an Siorrachd Obar Dheathain, far an robh e a’ fìor chòrdadh rithe a bhith ag ionnsachadh ceòl traidiseanta.

An dèidh dha a bhith air Cuairt Cèilidh Fèis Ròis fhad ‘s a bha e a’ toirt a-mach ceum ciùil às Oilthigh na Gàidhealtachd agus nan Eilean, thàinig Crisdean an luib sgioba na Fèise ann an 2017, mar cho-òrdanaiche na Cuairt Cèilidh. An-dràsta tha e ag obair na cho-òrdanaiche neo-cheangailte air cothroman cluiche agus taisbeanaidh gu nàiseanta agus eadar-nàiseanta. A thuilleadh air an obair aige le Fèis Rois tha e a’ toirt a-mach ceum maighstireachd ann an Co-ionannachd agus Còirichean a’ Chinne-Daonna aig Oilthigh Ghlaschu. Bidh e ag obair gu saor-thoileach airson LGDT Òigridh na h-Alba.

A’ tighinn à Cille Chuimein air cladach Loch Nis, tha an dealas a tha aig Sophie airson cànan is cultar na Gàidhlig air sàilleabh mar a thogadh i air a’ Ghàidhealtachd agus mar a bha i bho h-òige an lùib taighean-cèilidh, dannsaichean, seiseanan ciùil agus fèisean ionadail. Tha MA ann an Litreachas na h-Alba agus Eitn-eòlas (Oilthigh Dhùn Èideann), CertHE ann an Gàidhlig (Sabhal Mòr Ostaig) agus HNC ann an Ceòl Traidiseanta (Oilthigh na Gàidhealtachd agus nan Eilean) aig Sophie. Feadh nan deich bliadhna a dh’ fhalbh, tha Sophie air a bhith ag obair anns na h-ealain Ghàidhlig agus sna meadhanan mar neach-taisbeantais, tidsear agus preasantair. A thuilleadh air seo, tha Sophie ainmeil gu h-eadar-nàiseanta ann an dannsa-ceum. Thòisich Sophie ag obair aig Fèis Rois san t-Sultain 2023 agus tha i na h-oifigear Gàidhlig airson pròiseactan cruthachail. Na dreuchd, bidh i ag obair air tachartasan a’ gabhail a-steach Cearcall Còmhraidh agus deiridhean-seachdaine còmhnaidh Gàidhlig do dheugairean ann an Ros is Cromba. Tha ùidh aig Sophie ann an com-pàirteachasan agus co-obrachadh le buidhnean Gàidhlig air feadh Alba agus le coimhearsnachdan mion-chànanan eile gu h-eadar-nàiseanta. Nuair nach eil i ag obair, tha ùidh mhòr aig Sophie sa bhlàr a-muigh – coiseachd anns na beanntan, snàmh agus iomradh-bùird!  

Siobhan is an experienced Event Producer and proud Highland native, born in Inverness and raised with strong ties to South Uist and her Gaelic heritage. A graduate of the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland in Technical and Production Arts Management, Siobhan has worked across the UK and internationally on large-scale arena tours including Catherine Tate, Strictly: The Professionals, and Steve Backshall Live.

Her career began in repertory theatre and has spanned work with the National Theatre of Scotland, the Edinburgh Festival, and major international events such as the Riyadh Season in Saudi Arabia and the Commonweath Games Opening and Closing ceremonies. She has also been part of the Glastonbury Festival team for over a decade.

With additional experience living and studying in Germany, and fluency in German, Siobhan brings a global perspective to her work. Outside of events, she’s a passionate athlete who has competed in kickboxing and placed 4th in the World Natural Bodybuilding Championships.

Siobhan is excited to contribute to Fèis Rois, the community of Dingwall and be part of celebrating and supporting Scotland’s rich cultural heritage.

Marisa Astill-Brown is our Community Engagement Programme Producer, having taken up the post on 1 August 2025. After a long career working overseas in a range of humanitarian and development settings, Marisa moved to Ross-shire, where she and her husband have been running a family business providing strategic analysis and advice for overseas development programmes since 2009. Having learnt classical music on the piano and flute at school, she then rediscovered the joys of making music through Fèis Rois just before the pandemic and has been enjoying playing the fiddle ever since. In her spare time, Marisa is an instructor and Training Principal for Chanonry Sailing Club where she enjoys teaching children and adults alike to sail and to have fun on the water. 

Born and raised in Laide in Wester Ross, Eòin is the Gaelic Officer at Fèis Rois. Eòin graduated from the University of Edinburgh with a degree in music in 2025 and is a former participant on the Fèis Rois Cèilidh Trail. As a native Gaelic speaker, accomplished accordionist, guitarist, and singer, he has been immersed in Gaelic and traditional music culture all his life. In his role, Eòin is dedicated to enhancing the use, awareness, and prominence of the Gaelic language in the area, as well as advancing projects such as Cearcall Còmhraidh and Dingwall 800. In his spare time, Eòin is a keen music producer, hillwalker and is a member of the newly formed six-piece band, Meallan.