This month’s newsletter features the most recent updates on the 2020 Festival – Year of Ireland and Isle of Man, along with some interesting articles from our guest writers from the Australian Standing Stones Management Board and the Caledonian Society based here in Glen Innes Highlands. And don’t forget to read this month’s Celtic News with a whole lot more.
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Program Updates
Our online program will be live from Sunday 15th Dec!
Download the SCHED app to your mobile to view our
Australian Celtic Festival 2020 online program.
This online program is an easy way for you to keep track of where your favourite ACF performers will be over the four days of the Festival. You can even create your own “What I’m doing” schedule that you can share with your friends. We publish events both on and off the Standing Stones Festival site as we don’t want you to miss a thing! But wait, there’s more… as the year progresses, we will be adding to SCHED regularly. It’s the best way to keep up-to-date for the ACF Program.
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Entertainment Updates
We are pleased to announce more of our spectacular entertainers coming to our 2020 Festival. We have an action packed weekend in store with many of our favourites returning, as well as some exciting new acts.
Music
Ella Roberts
The Gathering
GraceJean
Gypsy Clovers
Dancers
Beryl Leslie School of Highland Dance
Cape Byron Celtic Dance
Jacaranda Highland Dancers
Pipe Bands
Gens Altera
Glen Innes Pipe Band
Emmanuel College Highlanders at the University of Queensland
Grafton District Services Club Pipes & Drums
Armidale Pipe Band
Live Action
Nova Hollandia – jousting demonstration
Find out all about our performers here.
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Applications & Bookings
Busking Applications Now Open
Calling all budding musical prodigies! We are looking for buskers to help complete our Celtic Festival atmosphere in the Glen Innes CBD and hope you want to be a part of the action. Whether you sing, dance, play an instrument or all the above, we want to welcome you to our event.
And in recognition of all that talent, all our buskers are automatically entered into our
Busking Competition.
For more information on busking or to apply click here.
Australian Celtic Music Awards Nominations
Be sure to enter your Celtic Music Awards nominations before the deadline 10 January 2020!
Nominate here.
Volunteer Applications
Sign up to volunteer at the 2020 Australian Celtic Festival for a free day or weekend pass, and a chance to work behind the scenes! Be a greeter, an MC, a Parade marshal or help us with site set up and/or tear down. There’s plenty of opportunity to be a part of the ACF and attend for free.
Sign up today!
Other Applications & Bookings
Be part of something great, apply now to make sure you don’t miss out!
Trader Applications
Clan and Celtic Society Booking Information
Australian Celtic Dance Championships Entry Form
Australian Celtic Fashion Awards Entry Form
Triquetra Awards Nomination Form
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Feature Article: Australian Standing Stones Management Board
THE FORMATION OF THE ARRAY
Local surveyor, Ian MacDonald, ensured the array’s design was accurately placed on site.
The main array consists of 38 stones that are numbered in a clockwise direction, beginning at the North Stone. Two other Stones are on the southern side of the array and represent the Cornish, the Welsh and the Irish.
Moving from the North Stone towards the East Stone, there is an avenue of six stones that mark the winter solstice sunrise. The rays of the rising sun shine down the avenue and strikes the face of the Central Stone known as the Australis Stone.
The circle of 24 stones represent the 24 hours of the day. Outside the circle are the four cardinal stones – N, E, S and W. The Southern Stone is twice the distance from the circle as the other cardinal stones. The four cardinal stones together with the 24 stones of the array form the ancient Celtic Cross.
Inside the circle, are the three central stones – the Gaelic Stone, the Brythonic Stone and the Australis Stone. The Gaelic Stone acknowledges Irish, Manx and Scots; the Brythonic acknowledges the Bretons, Cornish, Welsh, Galician and Asturias. All Celts are linked by the Australis Stone.
The internal stones mark the winter and summer solstice sunrise and sunset.
The four Cardinal Stones along with the internal summer sunrise stone forms the Southern Cross constellation, giving the array a character unique to the southern hemisphere and symbolises the old world meeting the new.
In ancient Celtic mythology, certain numbers have special meaning – 3 reflects the family unit, 33 has been used symbolically to reflect regal connotations, 27 enhances the prosperity of a group.
The distance from the centre point to the north, east and west cardinal stones is 33 metres, there are 3 central stones and the circle with the central stones numbers 27.
Judi Toms D Urr
Chair, Australian Standing Stones Management Board
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Australian Celtic Fashion Awards
A Brief History
The Australian Celtic Fashion Awards were created in 2015 in consultation with the organisers of the Australian Wool Awards (now ‘Fleece to Fashion’). It was deemed that the Celtic culture in Australia was thriving and Celtic wearable art and garments were now on trend. Celebrities and fashions designers from all over the world are now creating and wearing Celtic themed garments. The Australian Celtic Festival, as the premier Celtic event in Australia, took on the role of creating and hosting the Australian Celtic Fashion Awards to showcase Celtic fashion and provide Celtic themed designers a platform to showcase their work.
Theme for 2020 – “A Tartan Day Out”
Imagine family fun on a picnic, splendidly clad in tartan knickerbockers, maybe a fanciful shirt and glamorous head-wear, all featuring your favourite tartan (what a great opportunity to recycle or re-purpose, too). We encourage you to think outside the traditional garments and dressmaking rules in 2020. Be creative, be resourceful, be brave; and stitch, knit, felt, weave (even paint!) all manner of tartan inspired wearable fashion items.
Enter the Competition
Australian Celtic Fashion Awards Application
Winners will be announced at the Official Australian Celtic Awards Night at the Glen Innes & District Services Club, Saturday, 2nd May 2020.
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Feature Article: Caledonian Society of Glen Innes
IT’S ALL ABOUT THE SCOTS
2020 has been declared The Year of Scotland in Australia… a nationwide calendar of activity celebrating Scottish music, culture, food and drink.
The event is being produced in Scotland by Showcase Scotland Expo and in Australia by Woodfordia Inc.
There will be an influx of Scottish guest artists, and an opportunity for all to discover and celebrate the gems of Scottish culture already sparkling within Australia’s cultural landscape.
A highlight will be a special Glenturret Burns Night Supper at the iconic Sydney Opera House with Australian meats flavoured with native spices complimenting classic Scottish dishes. Indigenous artist Eric Avery will perform.
Glen Innes is participating through its annual Burns Supper celebrating the poetry of Scotland’s national poet Robert Burns; an Arbroath 700 Dinner celebrating the 700th anniversary of Scotland’s declaration of nationhood; a Tartan Day Dinner celebrating the lifting of the Act of Proscription of the Highland Garb, and of course the Australian Celtic Festival and St. Andrew’s Day.
For more information visit Year of Scotland 2020 website or their Facebook page.
Why not start early and host your own Hogmanay/New Years Eve Party. Sing along to Auld Lang Syne and if you want to be really adventurous you could order a Haggis from Campbell’s Butchers?
And finally, on behalf of the Caledonian Society I wish all readers Nollaig Chridheil agus Bliadhna Mhath Ùr….a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.
Garek Fysch D Ua
Chair Caledonian Society Glen Innes
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Other News and Updates
Early Bird Tickets
We are getting ready to announce the sale of our Early Birds tickets. This year Early Bird tickets will be available for one month only so be sure to stay tuned for more on our special offers available with the purchase of Early Bird discounted tickets, open to all!
Thank you to our 2020 ACF Sponsors for your support:
Glen Innes & District Services Club
Malcolm & Norma Parsons
Glen Innes Highlands Visitor Association
Glen Innes Veterinary Hospital
Fossickers Caravan Park
Gawura Gallery
If you or your business would like to support the 2020 Australian Celtic Festival, contact the ACF Office on 02 6730 2404 or read about our Sponsorship opportunities on the ACF website.
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Glen Innes Showground ACF Camping
Bookings for camping at the Glen Innes Showground during the Festival period are now open.
The Showground is one of the main camping areas available to Festival goers every year. They can meet the needs of individual campers, as well as small and large groups.
For further information visit the Glen Innes Showground
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Want more Celtic News?
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Next Month
Next month we’ll have more updates for you on the
2020 Australian Celtic Festival – Year of Ireland & Isle of Man
as well as more featured articles from our guest editors.
