The open meeting is upon us and like the budding trees about to emerge into spring, so too is the Beltane Fire Society emerging from its hibernation to bring you an edition of uniquely creative and constructive ways for you to prepare for summer!
Our open meeting is being held at 2pm at 25 Nicholson Square. You can find more info on it here.
We have also include a list below of all our Open and Closed Groups as well as the Projects that you can get involved in!
OPEN GROUPS
Aquasphere!
Group Organisers: Stacey & Eli – aquasphere@beltane.org
Aquasphere: In a Magical Underwater World there’s an infamous bubble-shaped theatre where the finest storytellers, dancers, actors and circus-folk (of both human and non-human persuasions) gather to present their Fishy Tales in a fantastic Cabaret Show of Amphibious Extravaganza!
We’re seeking anyone with (or without) a flair for the dramatic who wants to be part of a congenial process of co-creation, as we build a show from scratch based on the stories and skills we will develop along the way. We’ll use light and sound as well as our voices, bodies and assorted props to spin delightful stories of aquatic lore. Practices will be playful and fun whilst also giving time to connect to the element of water in a meaningful and personal way.
No experience required (but all talents tailored to!)
We’re a medium/low commitment group meeting outside once a week on Sunday afternoons (usually Holyrood Park but there may be excursions), with a casual (optional) meetup indoors on Monday evenings for costuming & food/social.
Financial contribution: £10-20
Weekend away (or staycation): April 27-28
Open rehearsals: Sunday 25th Feb: 3pm Holyrood Rangers Station
Monday 26th Feb: 6pm Montgomery St Park
Sign-up form: https://forms.gle/QTFYMG3gZr6DWzbe8
(or QR code >>>)
🔥 Angels of Kaos 🔥
Group Organisers: Frenchy and Julia – angelsofkaos@beltane.org
Do you think fire is dangerous yet also peaceful? Then come and find a way to express your kaotic side performing or helping the performance. Come and be an AoK.
Imagine the sun has just disappeared on the horizon. Imagine the hill, waiting for you to come up the Acropolis with wings on fire or full of smoke. You, and we are set to call the horn to start Beltane and our journey on the night.
Sparkling purple AoK, we will roam and bring fire, bubbles, smoke and any kaos we may find or create. Purple is the colour symbol of mystery and magic. But also the colour for the angel of mercy, offering transformation leading to freedom.
We are good hearted joyful people and entities, yet fully mischievous with some hints of darkness. Playing with fire, we symbolise the collision of opposite worlds rolled together in every AoK and every one of us. We want to take the crowd on this journey, on the transition from Winter to Summer, from Night to Day while exploring the conflicts we all have in us.
We want to highlight the sometimes difficult (kaotic) transitions between the seasons in nature and in the cycles of life. Although we may be lost in kaos, surrounded with darkness and light and burning with fire we smile knowing nice quieter summer mornings await on the horizon.
All experience and skill levels are welcome.
- Commitment level 1 practice per week, skill level depending
- Expected financial contribution £30
- Away day / weekend Sat 9th March
- Open practices: Sat 24th Feb and Wednesday 28th Feb
Email us for a chat and more: angelsofkaos@beltane.org
Beastie Drummers
Group Organisers: Alun, Liam and Simone – Beasties@beltane.org
We are the beasties, we like to dance!
The Beasties are drummers closely aligned with the Reds at Beltane. We are infused with chaotic energy that bursts forth as the season turns and spring arrives, providing the rhythmic counterpoint to the order of the procession.
Exploding with creativity, love and the joy of being alive we’ve just got to express the unbounded energy of summer through big bouncy party beats! We’ll be using basses, snares, shakers, djembes and toms and we are open to new and experienced drummers. If you can dance to it, you can drum it!
As well as drumming, we will play lots of silly games to help us let all of our Red energy out. We will be spending lots of time with the Reds and may spend time with other performance groups and assorted deities.
Beasties is a high commitment group that meets on Wednesday evenings and Sunday afternoons. We have a mandatory weekend away with the Reds from the 12-14th April.
For old hands who can’t make a big commitment we are also recruiting for our own torchies who will hang out with us and make sure we get all the light we need to shine!
Our open practices are:
- Sunday 18th, 4-7pm, Bongo club
- Wednesday 21st, 7-10pm, Bongo club
- Sunday 25th, 4-7pm, Bongo club
Beatroots
Group Organisers: Erin, Yvonne, Andy – Beatroots@beltane.org
Have you ever thought to yourself – being a drummer sounds really cool but I *JUST CAN’T* because…
- I’ve never drummed before
- I have mobility limitations
- I live too far away
- I don’t have time to commit to a drum crew
THEN THINK AGAIN!
We believe drums and music are for everyone and we will do everything in our power to make this happen. Beatroots is a drumming group both for new drummers and for people who don’t have the time/energy to take part in a high intensity drum crew.
Our priorities are fun and accessibility! We will learn at the pace of our group members – with no pressure, and we will tailor our journey around the hill to the physical needs of our members. We’ll take the time to explain the festival, work on costumes together, and tell the story of Beltane with fun dancey beats!
So whether you’re brand new to the BFS or you’ve been here for years but never had the confidence to try drumming – come along to one of our open rehearsals and give it a go!
- Commitment level: One drumming rehearsal in central Edinburgh every Sunday from 4pm to 7pm (very important!), plus an optional Wednesday evening hang out for costuming and learning more about the Beltane festival.
- Expected financial contribution: £40
- Staycation: We’ll have a weekend of hanging out together in and around Edinburgh on 22nd to 24th March
- Open practice schedule:
- Sunday 18th February, 4pm – 7pm, Bongo Club
- MAYBE – Wednesday 21st February, in the evening – venue depending!
- Sunday 25th February, 4pm – 7pm, Bongo Club
If you’d like to come to one of our open practices – please fill in this short form!
Beltane Stewards
Group Organisers: Andy and Sarah – stewards@beltane.org
Image copyright Nate Kelso for Beltane Fire Society
Stewards are the friendly (painted) faces of the Beltane festival. We are one of the first groups that the audience encounters when they arrive at the festival site, and we are there to welcome them into the space, explain what’s going to be happening over the course of the evening, tell them the stories of Beltane and the various characters and groups that form part of the celebration and answer any questions they might have about what’s going on. And also make sure they don’t accidentally go on fire.
We’ll be in the centre of the action on Beltane night, holding space for performances and escorting the May Queen’s procession as it journeys round the hill. But we also have a job to do – to make sure that everyone, performers and audience alike – has a safe and enjoyable evening.
We won’t be expected to deal with every situation ourselves, but we are the eyes and ears of the Festival Coordinator and are there on the ground to identify problems and report them to those who best resolve them.
If you’ve never taken part in a BFS festival before, then joining Stewards is an ideal introduction to the community that allows for a broad overview of what happens at a festival without making a major commitment in terms of time or money. No prior experience is necessary. Everyone is welcome!
Commitment Level:
Low. We will be having weekly practices on Sunday afternoons from Feb 18th until the end of March, but we don’t expect everyone to make it to all of them – just as many as you can. It is, however, essential that all prospective Stewards attend at least one of the full-cast walkthroughs on April 7th & 21st, and also at least one of our open practices on Sunday afternoons throughout March
Expected Financial Contribution:
Minimal. No more than £5.
Weekend away details:
We currently have no plans for an away weekend, but are considering options for a group staycation towards the end of March, possibly in collaboration with other groups. We have some ideas, and will be discussing these at group practices in February and early March and will take group members’ opinions into consideration when making arrangements.
Open Practice Schedule:
We’ll be having pretty low-key introductory sessions on the last two Sundays in February. Because part of the Stewards job involves talking to people, that gives us the very flimsy excuse to make our first “practice” on Sunday 18th “a nice friendly chat in a pub,” with Group Organisers and whoever else we can entice to attend. Sunday 25th we’ll be up on Calton Hill for an introduction to the festival location, what has happened “on the hill” in previous festivals and what might be happening this year. Probably followed again by “a nice friendly chat in a pub” (that may become something of a theme). These are aimed primarily at people new to BFS, but any old hands who want to come along to share their experiences would be most welcome. Exact times and locations will be confirmed at the Open Meeting, sent round the Stewards mailing list the evening of February 17th and posted in the Beltane Chat facebook group.
Our formal open practices (for a certain level of “formal”) will be on the five Sundays in March, meeting from 1:45pm next the Portuguese Cannon on Calton Hill for a 2pm start. Look for the people wearing leather jackets and/or hi-viz vests. We’ll be getting to know the location, explaining the Stewards’ role in the festival, learning the stories of the various performers, and having training in audience interaction with our lovely Front-of-House Coordinator. Anyone is welcome to just turn up to these, but feel free to drop us a line to stewards@beltane.org to let us know you’re coming or just with any other questions you might have.
Link to Stewards sign-up form: https://tiny.cc/BS24
Coven
Group Organisers: Jenny and Alex – coven@beltane.org
Coven, a Fire Arch group inspired by the Scottish Witch Trials, pays homage to the lives lost in past and present ‘witch-hunts’ by embracing diversity and freedom of expression. We welcome witches of all faiths and none and we encourage the free exchange of ideas and practices for the benefit of all involved. We are here to embrace, celebrate, and empower diversity and freedom of expression by tapping into our personal authenticity to fuel our creative drive into majestic and diverse witch characters who will regain life, freedom, and joy on the night of the festival.
In our practices we will explore connectedness to nature, others, and ourselves through games, focused performance exercises, archetype exploration, guided meditation, playful divination, as well as by exploring nature, history, folklore, and storytelling on our mindful walks and by the campfire. Our goal is to create a safe, light-hearted, and supportive environment nurturing personal growth and creativity that will ultimately lead us to a powerful performance.
On the night, we will interact with the crowd through playful divination, greet and bless our May Queen at the Fire Arch, and usher the Green Man on his magical journey.
Whether you’re drawn to the mysteries of the past or eager to explore new realms of creativity, you’ll find a welcoming community here. Let’s come together under the moonlight, weave our spells, and revel in the joy of shared connection and acceptance.
- Low to medium commitment
- Group contributions: £30
- Staycation date: 16th – 17th March
- Open practices: Wednesday 21st February 19:00 – 21:00, Friday 23rd February 19:00 – 21:00 & Saturday 24th February 14:00 – 17:00
- All open practices will take place at the Meadows Playground (Eastern end) area
- Closed practices: Wednesdays 7-9 pm at the Meadows Playground area (future locations may vary)
Optional extracurricular weekend sessions will include activities such as witchy/nature walks, foraging, outdoor cooking, campfire storytelling, murder mystery, leading bat choirs, hexing the ex, going paddling to check if we float, shapeshifting, howling at the moon etc
While our practices include physical movement and walking, we wish to make our group as accessible as possible for anyone interested. Please come talk to either of us if you think you might benefit from adjustments or any additional support physically or otherwise.
For any further information, please email us at coven@beltane.org
Open Practice Sign Up
Green Man Soundsphere
Group Organisers: Violette and Joseph – soundsphere@beltane.org
Can you hear Him? Can you hear Him calling his spirits of the green? The crickets and birds, the humming network of the fungus through soil, the cycles of nature and the magical connection of the Wood Wide Web… Drums, Flutes, Reeds, Horns, Strings, VOICES… do you hear Him?
Green Man Soundsphere has been appointed to support the shape-shifting Green Man, acting as the interface between himself, the material plane, and other groups to bring disjointed cycles into balance with nature through his journey. We will help in his final transformation as he unites with the May Queen at the final ritual.
We provide a sphere of music, singing, ambiance and enchantment everywhere he goes as his entourage. High visibility, highly interactive, and court-processional behind the May Queen.
Themes are fauns, nymphs, birds and beasts of the forest, mushrooms, ents, and green leafy spirits. Energy is wild, interactive, unbounded and innocent, yet also ritualistic, focused, and befitting the court of the Green King.
Come singers, musicians, willing vessels of divine green energy! Loads of sounds and instruments to explore, share and build. No musical experience required but desirable. Expressive movement ability a plus.
- Commitment level: Medium, once weekly meetings on Saturdays + optional other days
- Expected member contribution: £10
- Open Practices for all applicants: Craigmillar Castle Park. Meet at Bridgend Farmhouse. You only need to choose one:
- Thurs 22 Feb, 6:00 pm to 7:30 pm
- Saturday 24 Feb, 2:00 pm to 4:00 pm
- Sunday 25 Feb, 2:00 pm to 3:30 pm
- Closed Practices: Saturdays 2pm – 4:30pm plus additional one-off meetings with Other Groups in April TBC
- Meeting day Workshops including: Costuming, Instrument building, character development and improvisations
- Away Day: 23rd March, Opt-in
Groups Sign Up Form and QR Code
NO JOY!
Group Organisers: Brad and Shae – nojoy@beltane.org
NO JOY! is celebration in motion, an embodiment of the Beltane spirit, and a transformational experience that invites the audience into a realm where JOY blossoms freely and they can experience the transcendental JOY of Beltane first-hand!
As Beltane’s jubilant wanderers, our group will be freely roaming the hill and engaging with the audience in spontaneous, whimsical encounters. Those familiar with No Point groups of past festivals will recognise the chaotic fun that we seek to bring to the festival, but this year we will specifically focus on the exploration and propagation of JOY.
We believe that JOY should be accessible to everyone and will work with our group members to make sure each person feels valued, supported, and celebrated. Practices will include celebrations, rituals, and gentle, inclusive movement. Our final performance will be shaped around the accessibility requirements of our members.
All experience and skill levels are welcome.
- Commitment level: 1 practice per week
- Expected financial contribution: £30
- Away weekend: N/A
- Open practice schedule: Sunday 18th Feb & Sunday 25th Feb, 12pm-3pm at The Meadows (meeting outside the Pavilion Cafe)
Email nojoy@beltane.org or fill in our Sign-up Form
Photo Point
Group Organiser: Andy Murray – photopoint@beltane.org
On Beltane night, photo point scamper round the hill ensuring the breathtaking performances and spontaneous moments are recorded and shared in the days to follow (scampering entirely optional!). But we do so much more…
Early on, we’ll meet weekly on Sundays to learn and practice photography together. Though they have interesting content to capture, fire festivals include lots of photography challenges – fast-moving subjects and low-light to name a few. We hope to form a group with a diverse level of skills so we can share tips and grow together!
Once the other groups have had time to hone their performance skills – we’ll visit them and document their rehearsal experience. Each group has a different story to tell and different personality to convey. With walkthroughs and other events, April has lots of different photo shoots to challenge you and improve your skills.
After the festival, we’ll be editing the photos we’ve taken and periodically sharing them with the world until a few weeks after – there’s always hidden gems lurking.
Whether you’re an experienced photographer or would love some advice on what the buttons are for – we’d love to hear from you. Sign up for emails using our google form >>
Expected Financial Contribution: Around £25
Commitment: Low at first but ramping up to be high in the weeks either side of Beltane.
Open Practices
- Thursday 22nd February – (7-9pm) – Meet @ West Parliament Square
- Sunday 25th February – (5-7pm) – Meet @ Calton Hill
Please sign up to emails as if it looks exceptionally miserable, we might go somewhere more sheltered.
Processional Drummers 🥁
Group Organisers: Matt & Tom C – Processionals@beltane.org
The processional drummers are the motive force of Beltane. Vassals of the May Queen they accompany her journey through the over and underworlds, heralding summer and banishing shadows. As such they have no face of their own, no character, just the relentless pounding of drums.
We are a low-commitment, high-skill group. We will be meeting once a week and our focus will be solely on making the best rhythmic performance. To this end we are looking for people who have previous festival drumming experience. You should be comfortable with polyrhythm and polymeter, own your own drum and have more than a nodding acquaintance with the festival as a whole.
If this sounds like you we will have one open rehearsal on Sunday the 18th of February 7-9pm at Colorsound Studios. The password is ‘In my day…’
Queens Hands
Group Organisers: Giulia, Alex, Sarah – queenshands@beltane.org
“A pack doesn’t leap because it’s told. A pack leaps because every individual, all at once, decides to leap” – TerryPratchett
We are the devoted companions of the May Queen; clad in white, we follow her, moving as one, through Beltane Night. We are a very high commitment, ritual-focused group, exploring the expression of growth and healthy boundaries through performance, using meditation, dance, character-work and somatic movement.
Each tree is different, but the forest stands together as one: Much like trees, we will focus on growing deep roots and nurture strong supports within ourselves and our group. We will blossom and mature from seedlings to our fully realised, individual selves.
As we progress around the hill, we will encounter the Other (the wild, enticing Reds!) – and welcome the opportunity to grow, with all the discomfort and unknowns that entails, safe in the knowledge that we are One with the group. Stepping outside our comfort zone to learn to communicate, to understand, to see and in turn to be fully seen, known, and accepted as ourself.
Our journey is one of self-affirmation, acceptance and empowerment, towards an awareness of who we are and how to let the world in, always secure in expressing our needs and boundaries (decoupling the patriarchal concept that assertiveness means aggressiveness). We encourage members to contribute their own skills and experience to the group so it can be truly shared.
Regular Practices: Wednesdays (7-10pm) and Sundays (2-5pm).
Mandatory Weekend Away: 29th-31st March (but you can arrive early on the 30th if you need to!)
Expected contribution towards group costs: £50
Open Practices:
- Sunday 18th February, 2-5pm on the Meadows (by the Compass on Middle Meadow Walk)
- Wednesday 21st February, 7-9pm on the Meadows (by the Compass on Middle Meadow Walk)
- Sunday 25th February, 2-5pm on the Meadows (by the Compass on Middle Meadow Walk)
REDS
Group Organisers: Dave, Mary, Sandy – reds@beltane.org
We are a character performance and acrobatics group embodying spring awakenings, celebrating fertility and embracing chaos!
Born on Beltane night out of the same energy as the Green Man, full of boundless life and vigour, Reds represent the fiery energy of the festival. You can find us making mischief and dancing to the beat of our Beastie siblings’ drums, or trying our best to seduce the captivating Queen’s Hands. As we explore the world and our newly awakened selves, we discover vitality, joy and desire via a mixture of acrobatics, play and audience interaction.
During the run-up, we will learn acrobatics skills, strengthen our bodies, and safely expand our boundaries with consent at the heart of each activity. We will equip you with tools to find a version of Red that feels authentic to you – be it wild, carnal, playful or curious.
We are a high energy, high commitment group meeting twice weekly; Wednesdays 7pm – 9pm & Sundays 1pm – 6pm.
Our mandatory wild-camping weekend away is 12th of April – 14th of April, but you may arrive early on the 13th if needed.
Our expected group member contribution is £55
Open Rehearsals:
- Sunday the 18th of Feb – 2:30pm – 5:30pm, The Meadows (Red Point – c 50m along from the compass on Middle Meadow Walk)
- Wednesday 21st of Feb – 7pm – 9:30pm, The Meadows (Red Point)
- Sunday the 25th of Feb – 11am – 2pm, The Meadows (Red Point)
To register interest & sign up for our open practises you can use this link >>
or QR the code >>
Torchies (NOT A GROUP)
This year the society are doing something slightly differently when it comes to Torchbearers.
Each performance group will be recruiting their own Torchbearers who will be part of that group throughout the run up, with varying levels of commitment offered by different groups. Torchbearers must all have attended a minimum of
- 1 torch ball making session (and made as many as they need + 2 spare)
- at least one live fire torch practice
- at least two combined rehearsals with the stewards and at least one walkthrough
Recruitment of all Torchbearers will be conducted primarily through each group; who will have their own Torchbearer sign up process. As a safety net we are also facilitating a reserve pool sign up, which will help allocate fire on a stick to people who want to carry fire on a stick.
Tech
Group Organisers: Eli, Peterand Zoe-Tara – tech@beltane.org
We help facilitate the tech needs of each Beltane group (within reason) and the wider production. We create and provide light by fire cans, put our Court’s (May Queen and Green Man) visions into fire by means of fire sculptures and the fire arch.
On the night we are there to light fires and contribute to the safety and smooth running of the festival. From stage building to fire safety, we do a bit of everything: Tech is the glue that pastes the festival together by fire and sometimes nuts and bolts.
You don’t need specific skills, only enthusiasm to learn!
Drop us an email at tech@beltane.org or complete the form to sign up.
- Tech is a variable time commitment group. We’ll be having weekly meetings on the weekend at our stores in Leith in the run up and will spend the few days before the festival building. Apart from a mandatory safety training session, and attendance at at least one walkthrough, there is a lot of flexibility about when you can help out.
- No financial contribution. You might want to consider buying safety boots for doing certain tasks that require foot protection, but we do have a limited number of pairs that can be borrowed.
- Possible staycation; details to be confirmed based on group thoughts. Attendance optional.
- Open practice schedule: Sunday 25th February 1-4pm at 16 East Cromwell St, EH6 6HF (suggested that you contact us in advance but turning up is fine too) with meetings after this to be confirmed. Contact us to find out more.
This year we’re collaborating with The Goblin Tekover project (see projects section for more information) to offer an opportunity for those who would like to do Tech while also having a goblin performance character. This is entirely optional and for a non-goblin Tech role, no performance is required.
Email: tech@beltane.org or fill in the Signup form
CLOSED GROUPS
These are groups who bringing a performance on the night and will not be open for new members
Neid Fire
This year’s torchbearers are going to be a coordinated and organised a little differently. Our Neid Fire Group will be a closed group. They will assist in some of the central aspects of Torchie-ing, but they are not a Group Organiser.
Recruitment of all other Torchbearers will be conducted primarily through each group; who will have their own Torchbearer sign up process. As a safety net we are also facilitating a reserve pool sign up, which will help allocate fire on a stick to people who want to carry fire on a stick.
Earth Rhthym
Organisers: Anna Chaney, Grzegorz Wypiorczyk & Jagoda Borkowska – earthrhythm@beltane.org
We are here to take you on a journey full of sensations and emotions into the sources of the rhythm. The Mesmerizing, Lively, Trance-like music we create with our drums will take you to another world where you can release your primal energy in an expressive dance! Together we will immerse ourselves into the Earth beat and celebrate the vibrant energy of the coming summer.
Wishing Tree, Whimsy and Bonfire Point
We have a couple of closed groups made up of experienced participants who will be doing a couple of things to lighten the atmosphere, assist with crowd management and hold space for important audience interactions. You’ll see members singing and being joyous at the bonfire, holding an intentional space at the wishing tree, and welcoming people onto the hill. You’ll also probably see some of them helping at other key points.
These groups are being coordinated through our Front of House Coordinator, Ella. who can be reached via foh@beltane.org
PROJECTS
We also have a few lovely projects that people can get involved in – this can be whilst also participating in another group, or just as nice things….
Body Doubling
When: Two meetings in the run up (One around Ostara (20th March), one in the days before Beltane), more TBD
Where: Online through Google Meet.
Body doubling simply means doing a task in the presence of another person. The other person may help with the task, may work on the same task, but independently, or they might simply be present, listening to music or quietly performing an unrelated task.
This group is a great way of connecting with people from other groups in a relaxed environment while also prioritising your own well-being.
Things people have done while attending this group virtually include:
- Gone for a walk
- Joining us from the office
- Job applications
- Costuming
- Packing/unpacking from away weekends
- Cooking dinner
- Doing housework
- Reading a book
- Having a bath
- Doing some art and craft activity.
- Had a nap
Commitment level: Very Low.
If you sign up and attend for 5 minutes, one time to send an email, that’s totally ok and very much encouraged. If you want to show up for a bit of light chat that’s totally ok. If you show up and don’t want to turn on your camera or microphone and mute the meeting to get on with stuff that’s also ok.
Financial contribution: None, but you should have access to a device that allows you to access the meetings.
If you would like to join please email: bodydoubling@beltane.org or fill out the form>>>
DECOR/COSTUME & BELTONIA DROP IN DAYs
Let us know if you are interested in Beltonia Drop in Days which can include costume making, Decor Making and lots of other things.
Drop in days will be communicated by email to those who have signed up here >>>
Fire Arch Construction
We don’t yet have a new fire arch (and nor do we have an old one any more) – if you have experience of wood work, metal work and workshops then we need your help…
Let us know your interest and availability in March and April using the form >>>
Goblin Tekover
Organiser: C’tri – tekover@beltane.org
The Goblin Takeover Tekover continues! This Beltane the Goblins are back, and they’re found their way inside the comforting warmth of a red boiler suit.
If you’re a member of Tech who wants to dabble in some performance, this project is for you!
If you’ve never done Tech but love a little bit of helpful mischief, then this project is also for you!
This project is open to members of Tech. We’ll be taking a little extra time over the runup to explore how we can present the sensible and important tech activities in a way that’s fun for ourselves, other groups, and the witnesses.
Expect light character work, light costuming work, light silliness on top of whatever you can contribute to Tech. Come join us building the festival! Come be a goblin.
- Commitment level: Tech + low
- Expected financial contribution: £0 to £1 for goblin paint colours
- Weekend Away Dates/or details: We’ll either infiltrate another group’s away weekend or go for a nice walk in the pentlands.
- Rehearsals will be fortnightly on a Saturday:
- 2nd, 16th, 30th March
- 13th and maybe 27th April
Interested? Check the box on the Tech Sign up Form >>>
Pictured: a few of the Goblin Republic & a Tech member run around the bonfire, with other Tech members in the background, Beltane ‘2022. Photo by Stephen Jack.
MAIPOLE
Still awaiting final details we are really excited to be having our first formal international collaboration since COVID.
This mobile Maypole group will tie lover’s knots around the hill. They will need some local and experienced help so watch this space…
Reportage Project
Martin McCarthy – reportage@beltane.org
Photopoint have for many years created a wide visual record of the festival and the groups that take part. This year, adjacent-to but not part-of Photopoint, I aim to take a more narrow focus of what it is like to take part in one particular group, following the entire development of that group’s members from the earliest rehearsals through to the festival performance, and documenting that progression with photos and videos. The hope is that this will in future give potential new members of the society an idea of what can be involved in the two months run-up to a festival, and also provide a historical record that will give the future Beltane Fire Society a small insight into how we did things way back in the 2020s.
Reportage is a solo project and is not recruiting.
Wilder Walks – Walking out of Winter
Organiser: Becky Salter – walkies@beltane.org
It is very easy to be so caught up in the exciting preparations toward our performances for Beltane night that we may not get to delight and appreciate the changing of the season that our festivities celebrate and mark.
This time of year more than any other embodies a hopeful time for our community as we finally feel the turn of the wheel out of the darkness and cold of winter and into spring. This project seeks to allow for a little time taken in our preparations to open our awareness to the changing season- to be in nature, experience and in some associated activities, document the changes we experience.
The simple premise of the project is to go for a walk once a week in the run up: to spend some time with our wider community members beyond our group and taking some time to reflect on the seasonal changes we will witness and experience whilst out, feeding our anticipation of the coming
festival. I would like to provide some activities linked to our walks in which people can engage deeper with elements of the environment we are in (for example, myths and legend stories attached to the season, the festival and the landscape; nature crafts; ecology workshops in things such as learning to identify trees in bud etc). This is something people can engage or opt out of with flexibility. I would like to make space for others to bring any ideas, skills, stories etc that they would like to offer to this should anyone feel that calling and want support in doing so.
I intend to plan the locations of walks to be varied in location and accessibility and have this communicated with plenty of time prior to the walks so people can decide whether it is appropriate for them and ensure there is an inclusive atmosphere where just because we are out and about in nature, no one feels they have no access to these events based on physical capacity- that there will be a location suited to all abilities comfort levels covered over the couple of months.
This is a project people can dip in and out of as they wish, there is no pressure to attend consistently and there is an expectation that people would have their group commitments to consider over these walkies.
Beltane Fire Society 