Leaflets are now out for this years "The Big Experiment", trac's 3-day traditional music school/retreat.

It's being held this year in the Conway Centre, Llanfairpwyllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwyllllantisiliogogogoch, Anglesey from 22 to 25 October.

Tutors include Arfon Gwilym (singing), Neil Browning (Foundation Instrumental), Siân James (Intermediate Instr), Stephen Rees (Intermed. also) and, as guest tutor 'from away', Karen Tweed (Advanced Instr.)

Apart from the morning tutorials, there will be afternoon workshops in harp, fiddle, crwth, arranging folk tunes, working with amps, and 'That Which I Almost Play'.

New this year will be a dedicated Welsh Folk Dance stream run by Anglesey dancers Bethan and Huw Roberts. A lot of people who aren't part of the Welsh dance 'team' world (but do dance - circle, line, belly, step, etc) wanted to get to grips with some dances above the Common Twmpath Variety, so here's the chance!

Some of the afternoon workshops will be open to people not registered for the whole weekend, as will the evening sessions. (Priced individually.)

Prices range from £80 (non-residential, concessionary) to £190 (full room, board & tuition) but there's an extra £20 if booking after 1 Sept.

There are more details in the current edition of Ontrac and the details for getting the leaflet are also on that site. And you can see some of the fun from 2009 on the musictraditionswales Youtube channel.

It would be nice to see some of you there!

By the way, for those who knew that Arts Council for Wales was "reviewing its client list" (i.e. chopping and changing), I hope you'll be pleased to know that trac has made it through ... for the time being. Much depends on ACW's own funding settlement from the Welsh Assembly Government, and they won't know that until December.

Interesting times.

siân