There are plenty of volunteering opportunities up for grabs this year; not only do you get the warm glow of knowing that you’ve helped to create something special, you’ll get a free weekend ticket. Volunteer time commitments vary, but average at around 4 hours over the festival weekend, and the minimum age for most roles is 16 years – you can find out about some of our volunteer roles online.

So what’re you waiting for? Download and complete our Volunteer Application Form or e-mail volunteers@solasfestival.co.uk to get in touch.

Using your web cam, phone or whatever camera you have available, send us a wee clip – it doesn’t need to be longer than 1 minute.

So, if you are Scottish born and bred, are visiting for a short while, or moved here for the weather – we would love to hear from (and see) you!

You can use the example questions below, or say whatever you feel passionate about. If you choose to talk about your favourite place, why not film there?

• What is being Scottish all about?
• What makes you proud of Scotland?
• What is Scottish identity?
• Where is your favourite place and why?

The details:

Clips can be submitted via email (solasimaginationstatefilm@gmail.com), and should be no longer than 1 minute in length.

The clips entered will be edited into a short film, to be shown at Solas Festival, a cracking arts festival which will be held this year at The Bield, Perthshire, June 21st-23rd.

The deadline for clips to be sent in is 26th May 2013.

Please see our film blog for the T&Cs, example videos, and general further information.

We will also be in different places in Scotland from now until the deadline with our camera, if you want to come along and be filmed by us.

We’ll be bringing you beautiful, innovative indie-folk from Kite and the Crane; singer-songwriter Rory Butler; the wonderful Siobhan Wilson; a new-look Oldsolar; the poetry of William Letford, and much else besides.

Glasgow: The Glad Café, April 5^th – Kite and the Crane, Siobhan Wilson, Oldsolar, William Letford. Tickets: £4 on the door.

The line-up will include the wonderful Iain Morrison and rising stars Ill Papa Giraffe and The Deadline Shakes. Sarah Cassidy, a Jewish American comedian living in Glasgow will provide the laughs.

Tickets are free and available on the door. Spread the word!

We will also be running gigs in Edinburgh (mid-March) and Glasgow (5th April) to gave you a wee taste of what’s to come in June. We’ll keep you posted via Facebook and Twitter.

Expect tenderness, triumph and sorrow, raised flags of rebellion and independence, flashes of anger at power abused and misused. All set to a broad, inventive musical landscape which will worm its way into your soul. We are a bit excited…!

Joining Karine will be a triple-bill of Scotland’s finest emerging young talent: Scottish-Scandinavian duo Rona Wilkie & Marit Fält and local lad Rory Butler and soon-to-be announced BBC Radio Scotland Young Trad Musician of the Year. Between them they have amassed titles as winners and finalists of the BBC’s Young Trad competition and two Danny Kyle awards.

Another rising star added to the Solas Festival 2013 line up is Kite and the Crane. Kite and the Crane make beautiful, innovative indie-folk, inspired by their first meeting at a musical banking protest. Look out for harmonies and poetry, tambourines, glockenspiels, guitar and wooden box drums…

They will be joining Iain Morrison,The Imagineers, Siobhan Wilson, and many more still to be announced. Stay tuned.

Born in Bristol and glad he’s made it to Scotland, Henry has helped run festivals in places as disparate as Glasgow and Bethlehem. A writer himself, he’s particularly excited about the poetry and story-telling at this year’s festival.

Henry is standing in while Frankie is on maternity leave. He’ll be delighted to hear from you!

Once again, some tantalising offers have come in and there are some amazing bargains on offer – holidays, artworks, recording sessions, and lots more…. unusual artisan Christmas presents that you simply wouldn’t be able to get anywhere else.

Bidding started on 6^th December via ebay. You can also keep up to date via Twitter: www.twitter.com/Solasfestival and Facebook: www.facebook.com/SolasFestival

That means you’ll be able to buy a ticket as a Christmas present for your nearest and dearest. Adult Weekend tickets just cost £75 – a saving of £20 if you buy early!

Enough for a wee cheeky night out over the festive season?

Head over to the box office for more to get your cheap tickets.

Surrounded by 30 acres of lawns and woodlands, The Bield  is a rural retreat and arts centre based just outside Perth. And for our fair-weather festival-goers, we have an added bonus: The Bield boasts a huge indoor gallery which will become one of our main stages.

We enjoyed our time at Wiston Lodge and are grateful to them for helping us to take our first steps. However, we are delighted to have found a festival site which retains the intimate rural atmosphere which has been so integral to Solas in previous years but which offers better access, better infrastructure and more accommodation options.

The Bield is located just 4 miles from Perth railway station. By road it’s about an hour from Glasgow and Edinburgh and even less from Dundee.

Margie Gillis is an amazing Canadian dancer who was made a chevalier of the National Order of Quebec for her services to dance in 2009.

Gillis has been compared to Isadora Duncan for her weighty, cathartic dances that stem from her deep response to music and her political and social activism. In 1979 she introduced modern dance to China, becoming the first performer, teacher and lecturer in the art since the Cultural Revolution. Check out more about Margie here.

Iain Morrison, Scottish singer-songwriter will be performing his new album “To the Horizon, Sir.” The album launch show will be in Mono on 29th November.

The Imagineers, will be back by popular demand. Last year they came to Solas fresh from their breakthrough into the American market. With an EP about to be released in November, it looks like another exciting year for the Glasgow band.

Siobhan Wilson was one of the hidden gems from SF 2012. We’ve invited her back, just in case you missed her enchanting vocals last year.

Common Wolves were the most promising band from the 2012 FRESH stage. Since then, they’ve recorded a track at Watercolour Studios. So at SF2013, we’re putting them under the big lights! Find out more about them on Facebook.

Young Trad Musician of the Year
The ‘Young Trad’ Award exists to encourage young musicians to keep their tradition alive and to maximise their musical potential by the pursuit of a career in traditional music. We love encouraging young musicians and traditional artists, so we are particularly thrilled that this year’s finalist will perform at next year’s Solas Festival. The 6 finalists will compete at Celtic Connections in February 2013 for their spot on the Solas stage…

The charming, Irish-lilted poet and thinker, Padraig O’Tuama will be joining us again at SF 2013. It’s already difficult to imagine a Solas Festival without him!