A Cape Breton House Party in the Carse of Gowrie

Congratulations to Network promoter member Jen Wren and the team who have put on their first event at Mòr ARTSPACE, a new venue in the Carse of Gowrie, Perthshire.

The Cape Breton House Party took place on 28 February, with the audience participating in a brilliant night of Cape Breton music and square set dancing from Angus MacKenzie and his daughter Maili MacKenzie. The event followed a full day of informal educational workshops to celebrate Seachdain na Gàidhlig, a worldwide initiative promoting Gaelic language and culture.

Mòr ARTSPACE received funding from our Programming Pot to support the event. With many Network members operating as volunteer promoters, the Programming Pot fund provides a safety net to book shows or art forms new to their communities, while ensuring performers are fairly paid.

Commenting on the support from The Touring Network, Jen said:
“The Programming Pot allowed us to open the space to the public for the first time with a marvellous evening of authentic Cape Breton music and dancing – something our community has never had access to before.

“The funding allowed us to ensure we had two of the finest Cape Breton musicians, accompanied by close family members, to lead us in the dancing which was taught through the evening.

“The audience were elated with the calibre of the event, with requests for more of this kind of activity.

“We learned a lot from hosting our first event as volunteer promoters, both in the lead up to and in the running of the evening.

“It has taken a long time and a lot of effort to get our new venue to this point. Finally, with The Touring Network’s support, we have put on our first event – an event of quality and most importantly FUN! Thank you. The support of The Touring Network has filled my heart and fuelled my soul a million times.”