SOLAS was a great weekend but I came back with the conviction that I don't want to eat barbecued food for a while. The lovely group of people I was with barbecued a super communal meal every evening and, don't get me wrong though it was fantastic, I am now barbecued out. Solas means light in Gaelic and for me the festival brought entertainment and enlightenment.
Solas, now in its second year, is a small festival at Wiston, near Biggar, in the Scottish Borders exploring music, arts, culture, faith and contemporary issues. It is small, intimate, friendly festival with perhaps a maximum of about 700 people involved on site. I am told it is all Greenbelt is but on a much smaller scale and with no queues! The festival organisers have a vision of a Greenbelt type of event that is not hundreds of miles from Scotland and fits in with the Scottish school holidays (We are back to School by the time of the English August bank holiday)
Solas was a good relaxed place to be. The stalls and outlets supplying food and other essentials were fairly priced. It is free from corporate sponsorship. It is safe for all ages. A lasting image will be of wee toddlers dancing right in front of the main stage as one of the headline bands played their set. There were no security men in sight. Not all festivals are like this. There was no alcohol on sale on the site though many participants brought their own. Thankfully this meant that those whose expectation of festival is being smashed off their face for 48 hours hadn't bothered to come. Camping on the site was basic but I think most people can manage two nights without showers and hot water. (When almost everything is outdoors then personal odours are not a major issue!)
Three M's sum up my Solas experience: midges, music and meetings. I began both Saturday and Sunday mornings with an hour long yoga session led by a delightful lady who encouraged us gently to stretch parts that we normally ignore. A wonderfully invigorating start to any day although even at an early hour we had to use “skin so soft” on exposed parts because of the presence of those wee flying devils. Midges also were evident with a vengeance in the evenings but regrettably it was not the weather for much bare flesh.
The eclectic music programme was of a very high standard on both the main stage and other smaller acoustic venues. Open mike sessions encouraged many talented individuals to share their gifts. I laughed heartily with Dundee folk singer Michael Marra and was moved by many young bands. Traditional Scots Gaelic music was present, as was a classical cello and seemingly everything in between! The programme included films, drama, an art exhibition and events especially for small children and older teens.
Solas was a place of meeting as I reconnected with many friends from other places and also met formally in groups to listen to speakers on an exciting range of topical edgy subjects. Climate change, sectarianism, nationalism, violence and equality were all aired by people who were both knowledgeable and had something worthwhile to share. You could not go to these without having your social conscience stimulated. This year the Iona community had sponsored the programme of talks.
The two main sponsors of the festival as a whole were Greenbelt and Christian Aid. (The Christian Aid tent incidentally supplied excellent coffee and wonderful cakes!) We were asked to consider becoming Solas saints by pledging a small amount every month to help ensure the long term sustainability of the festival. This is essential as the consequence of not accepting corporate sponsorship means that it will probably make a loss again this year – which legally is the personal responsibility of the trustees.
There were spiritual elements to the programme – late night worship led by Holy city from Glasgow and an imaginative communion service on Sunday morning that included resources from all over the world.
Solas, I will be back next June.
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