In this radiant time following the summer solstice, our Blues, Board and Contractors are once again beginning to allow their thoughts to wander towards wintertime preparations.

We are now accepting nominations (including-self nominations) for our three Court roles, and applications for Group Organisers (GOs). Read on to find out how to apply for one of these roles. 

In this post:

• Key dates
• Court (self-)nomination guidance
• Group Organiser application guidance

If you want to take part as a member of one of our production or performance groups, stay tuned for an announcement at the end of August. And if you wish to witness our festival, tickets usually go on sale one month before the event.

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Key dates

3rd August	Deadline for Cailleach (self-)nominations
4th August	Lughnasadh celebration (info to follow!)
5th-7th August	Cailleach interviews
9th August	Deadline for Kings (self-)nominations
10th-12th August	King interviews
14th August	Deadline for GO applications
15th-17th August	GO selection panel reviews applications
24th-25th August	GO Weekend
1st Sept	Open Meeting (info to follow)

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The Samhuinn Court

At the heart of our Samhuinn story is the changing of the seasons, personified by the Cailleach, the Summer King, and the Winter King. 

On Samhuinn, the Summer King’s energy has already begun to wane, though he may not be willing to admit this. And, hidden deep within the lengthening shadows, the Winter King prepares to rise up and guide us through the darkest months.

Ever present, yet rarely visible, the mysterious creatrix goddess known as the Cailleach bears witness and makes sure the season shifts as it should.

Practical Notes

We welcome applications from people of all genders, physical abilities, ages, races and socio-economic statuses: the potential to embody the role is the essential quality we seek. You do not have to fit an image or profile of previous role holders. Please do not let your availability limit you from applying; we understand that life happens and will endeavour to find an alternative interview time.

Court roles can be intense and deeply personal. It is customary for Court figures to gather a handful of dedicated helpers to assist with practicalities during the run-up to the event, such as costume-making and admin. They may also wish to invite a small entourage to perform with them on the night. In applying for the role you should carefully consider the availability of your support network before, during and after the festival.

As ever, we welcome joint applications for both Summer and Winter Kings, or solo applications for either role. We would, however, prefer for our Cailleach applicants to be solo applicants.

Successful Court applicants should be available for the GO Weekend (24th & 25th August) and ideally the Open Meeting (1st September).

Selection Process

The Board and Blues will form a panel, drawing up a shortlist of candidates for each role. Those shortlisted for will be invited to meet the panel for a brief interview. Our new Cailleach will be notified and will then join the Kings’ selection panel, assisting with the meetings for those shortlisted for the roles of Summer King and Winter King. The final decision on all roles will be announced to the membership soon after, allowing enough time for unsuccessful applicants to put together Group Organiser applications if they so wish.

Nominating a member of the community

Members of BFS may nominate a fellow member, or members, for any role. If you wish to nominate someone who you believe could really embody the role, please send their name to blues@beltane.org. The member(s) will then be informed of the nomination, and invited to consider whether they wish to proceed in trying out for the role.

Self-Nomination

If you are feeling drawn to one of these roles, send an email to blues@beltane.org with the following information:

– your name

– contact details

– the role you wish to be considered for (Cailleach, Summer King, or Winter King)

– your availability across the Samhuinn period (August – Mid November)

Please also include up to 500 words in support of your application, such as how you envision your chosen role, how you feel connected to them or any part of the performance, or any narrative ideas you may have. 

If you have any questions, get in touch with blues@beltane.org. This festival’s Blues are James, Màiri, Luca and Eva.

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Samhuinn Group Organisers

We would like to invite prospective Group Organisers to put forward their group and project proposals for the upcoming fire festival. The application deadline is Monday 14th August at 11:59pm.

Come and call your community around you to dance, to drum, to cavort, to mark the changing of the seasons with levity or solemnity, with whimsy or stoicism. Some groups celebrate life, others death and renewal – some mark endings and others mark fresh beginnings.

We also call on those groups who allow our great celebration to happen, such as our Torchbearers and Stewards who keep our way safe, our Tech crew who build our magic, and our Photographers who capture memories of all our beautiful work.

What we’re looking for

Samhuinn is a more fluid festival than Beltane, which gives more creative freedom and also requires more flexibility from groups. No group is set in stone and none of them happen without you, our volunteers, old or new. 

For the third year, Samhuinn Fire Festival finds its home in Holyrood Park. This year, we’d like to encourage some particular group & project concepts that we think will help develop our connection with the land:

• Puppets! Big ones, visible above a crowd; of gods, ghosts, fantastic creatures or almost anything else.
• Kites! Adorned with LEDs, but not on fire – this is a bit of a wild idea but could definitely look amazing and celebrate the forces of air/wind in a different way.
• Fire! Performers wielding fire on the outcrops overlooking our procession. They could be still and solemn or dynamic and dazzling – either way, we think it will look incredible.
• St Margarets Well: it’s very likely the procession will pass by this spot, and while it has different meanings for everyone, we’d love to see a group hold the space, especially since it has very good accessibility compared to some other areas of the site.

There is an abundance of skills, knowledge and experience within our community. If you have an idea but you’re not sure how to make it happen, the Blues might be able to point you in the direction of someone who can. Get in touch by emailing blues@beltane.org. Our Blues for this festival are James, Màiri, Luca and Eva.

How to apply

If you might be interested in leading a group of volunteers in a creative, cooperative, community endeavour, we would love to hear from you (and a friend; we like our Group Organisers to work in pairs at least). 

You’ll need to read the application guidance here, and email a completed copy of the application form here to goapplications@beltane.org. The deadline is 11:59pm on Wednesday 14th August 2024.

You can email any questions you have about GOing and the application process to blues@beltane.org. 

Photo of Samhuinn 2023 by Nate Kelso, for Beltane Fire Society.