2024 Festival Outreach

The Shaldon Festival’s community outreach programme this year will be held on Thursday 20th June at the Alice Cross Centre in Teignmouth.

Following their concert at St Peter’s Church the previous evening, award winning flute and harp duo, Alis Huws and Carys Gittins will entertain visitors at the Centre’s Memory Café, a weekly meeting place for people with Dementia or Alzheimer’s. 

Alis Huws (Official Royal Harpist) and Carys Gittins (National Eisteddfod Blue Ribband winner 2018), both originally from Mid Wales, have a growing reputation for engaging audiences of all ages. They have a strong belief in presenting contemporary music in an accessible way, and always strive to demonstrate a different side to their instruments.

Alis regularly performs internationally, having toured to Japan, Europe, the US and Hong Kong. Alongside her role as The Royal Harpist, she has given solo recitals in St David’s Hall, Llandaff and St David’s Cathedrals, as well as at music festivals all over the UK. Her performances have been broadcast on BBC Radio 4, Classic FM, BBC Radio Wales, BBC Radio Cymru and all major UK television channels.

Following her success in the prestigious Blue Ribband competition in the Welsh National Eisteddfod in 2018, Carys has been featured on BBC Radio 3, BBC Radio Cymru and S4C. She was winner of the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama Flute Prize for three consecutive years during her studies there. Now based in London, she enjoys a busy freelance career, performing across the UK.

Together, they are passionate about outreach and bringing music into communities, giving regular interactive concerts for people living with Dementia as well as working with children with additional needs. They were recently invited to perform as part of Saffron Hall’s ‘Unlocked Residency’, giving Dementia friendly performances as part of their ‘Come Together’ project.

Our grateful thanks to The Arts Society Teignbridge for sponsoring this event via a Community Grant from the national Arts Society.