What’s on at The Rockfield Centre, Oban

ANOTHER jam-packed few weeks is on the cards at The Rockfield Centre with lots of events featuring artists and musicians from near and far.

Scottish Ballet hosts a talk today (Thursday April 26) entitled Stage Secrets: Focus on Design, which will give an insight into how it created the look for its new production, Matthew Bourne’s Highland Fling, being held at Atlantis Leisure Centre this Sunday and Monday.

Rockfield Centre art tutors Val Hamilton and Val Leckie will be leading a sold-out life drawing class on Monday April 30 while dancers prepare for their performance.

Booker prizewinning writer James Kelman is the featured performer on Saturday May 5 at the return of ‘Wurdplay’. This is the spoken word open mic night, run in collaboration with Hope Kitchen’s writing group. Open slots are available for local writers and rappers. Kelman will also be hosting a writers’ blether the same day. Anyone interested in writing, regardless of experience, is welcome to go along. Free places can be booked via the Rockfield Centre website.

Musicians can perform this Friday, April 27, at the regular Let's Make a Scene open mic night. On Saturday April 28, there's also the chance to take part in a new singers’ session, Songshare, which focuses on folk, traditional and contemporary song.

Those interested in singing can also join the monthly Scratch Choir nights, on the second Friday of every month, where a group of assembled singers of varying abilities learn a song from scratch in two hours. May’s song will be the Beatles classic Let It Be.

If you fancy something more traditional, there’s the monthly Slow Session for folk music players. May’s Slow Session will be on Saturday May 5 to coincide with the Highlands and Islands Music and Dance Festival.

The Rockfield Centre will also be hosting acclaimed musicians and composers Chris Stout and Catriona McKay, fresh from their BBC Radio 2 Folk Award for best duo. The pair will be playing an intimate gig at The Rockfield Centre on Wednesday May 16. Tickets are limited, so get in quick to guarantee your spot.

More information on all the events at The Rockfield Centre can be found at www. therockfieldcentre.org.uk