The Background:

In September 2014 Ray Morgan, Chairperson of the Glengormley School of Traditional Irish Music, had the vision of establishing an annual five-day event in the form of a Traditional Music Summer School in Belfast. Ray approached traditional musician and producer Dónal O'Connor and after developing an initial concept they contacted a number of organisations within Belfast and discussed the feasibility of implementing their ideas. Following exploratory meetings, the organisations came together and formally constituted the Belfast Summer School of Traditional Music, in June 2015.

The Rationale:

Annually, hundreds of traditional musicians from NI, travel to the west of Ireland to attend traditional music summer schools and workshop weekends such as 'The Willie Clancy Summer School in Miltown Malbay, Co. Clare', 'The South Sligo Summer School in Tubbercurry, Co. Sligo' etc... Demand is high and these summer schools attract thousands of participants and audiences from across the country and internationally. At the time (2015), no similar summer schools exist in NI and our proposed project aimed to address the gap in traditional music provision. The Pipe Band Musicians in Northern Ireland, which was representative of the Ulster-Scots Community, annually travel to Scotland, the Republic of Ireland, and further afield to compete in competitions and attend music festivals. However, Pipe Band musicians have never been involved directly in traditional Irish music summer schools and to this end the involvement of Highland Bagpipers and Snare Drummers was a ground breaking initiative.

Aims:

To deliver an annual traditional music Summer school and festival in Belfast.
To offer internationally recognised professional musicians for tuition to participants and for performances for audiences
To provide opportunities for meaningful interaction between cultural traditions

Objectives:

To enhance and develop the skills, talent and creative ability of participants in the traditional arts, through the provision of our programme of activities.
To provide access for engagement in traditional music within Belfast where such opportunities are lacking and in a way that would increase accessibility to the socially disadvantaged – (We run a bursary scheme offer free places to people of all ages and of disadvantage and of exceptional ability. We offer discounted prices to large families etc. We continue to strive to maintain affordable fees and ticket prices)
To contribute towards the development and promotion of traditional arts activities within Belfast (and N.I. in general).
To encourage and build tolerance, trust, respect and understanding among all cultural, traditional, ethnic and disabled communities.

Board of Trustees

Chair

Ray Morgan – Glengormley School of Traditional Irish Music

Vice Chair

Andy McGregor - Music Service for Pipes & Drums

Secretary

Goretti O’Connor

Treasurer

Brendan Morgan – Loch Lao Comhaltas Ceoltoirí Eireann

Board

Ian Burrows – Music Service for Pipe & Drums

Christine Dowling - Belfast Trad