Blas International Summer School of Irish Traditional Music & Dance 2021

Blas 2021 is going virtual! Now in its 25^th year, it will host its annual programme virtually from 21^st June to 1^st July. Given the uncertainty of the ongoing pandemic, the organising team strongly believes that this is the safest way to proceed and keep the Blas experience going.

Blas has firmly established itself as one of Ireland’s most prestigious university accredited summer schools and this year’s virtual programme will be no different!

It will continue to provide access to the wisdom and tutelage of eminent figures of the Traditional world, which this year will include Siobhán Peoples, Tara Breen, Paddy Glackin, Dónal Lunny, Joanna Hyde, Louise Mulcahy, Karan Casey, Jim Higgins, Conal O’Kane, and Ciara Sexton, to name but a few.

The new virtual programme will feature a one week intensive with an optional second academic week for students seeking university accreditation.

In addition to expert tuition and masterclasses, the first week also includes a wide range of activities from interactive Irish language and culture classes, live-streamed lectures on Irish traditional music and dance topics, recorded lunchtime concerts, to livestreamed evening concerts.

For those who wish to earn university accreditation (worth 3 undergraduate credits or 6 ECTS credits) can opt to participate in the second academic week of Blas. This will include recorded academic lectures and daily interactive tutorials with leading academics in the field of Irish music, song, and dance from the Irish World Academy.

Blas attracts musicians, singers and dancers (over the age of 16) who are already familiar with Irish traditions such as Irish Traditional music, song and dance and the Irish language. It acts as a means for preservation, promotion and development of these traditions and enables candidates who want to extend their technique, repertoire and knowledge therein. It also attracts many performers (and would-be performers) from other genres who find it beneficial to study with Blas as a form of induction and acculturation in the Irish traditions, before diving in at the deep end of the main traditional scene of endless sessions, céilithe, fleadhanna and festivals. Blas acts as an incubator, and forms a safe space in which to improve musicianship, song, or dance technique, and to learn more about the stylistic, social, and historic content of these traditions in a familiar educational campus setting.

This year, Blas will also run in conjunction with the North Atlantic Fiddle Convention which will be hosted virtually by the Irish World Academy from 23rd-27th June. NAFCo combines a festival with an academic conference, featuring interactive workshops, public lectures, and daily concerts. These events will be open to registered Blas students as well, further enhancing the Blas experience. The Blas Summer School is delighted to announce the continuation of the Paul Brady Bursary for 2021. The value of each bursary covers a portion of tuition for the virtual programme.

Blas is also offering an early bird discount (10% reduction in tuition fees) to students enrolled before March 17th 2021.

For further information on all aspects of this summer school, including application/registration forms, please visit the Blas website. For latest information please follow on Facebook or Twitter. If you have any queries then please email them to [email protected] or call +353 (0)61 202 653.