Beltane Fire Festival
beltane fire festival annual participatory art event ritual held april calton hill edinburgh modern beltane fire festival inspired ancient gaelic festival beltane began evening may marked beginning summer modern festival started small group enthusiast including musical collective test dept academic support school scottish study university edinburgh since festival grown involves voluntary collaborator performer available ticket often selling festival draw variety historical mythological literary influence organiser claim anything modern celebration beltane evolving participant current beltane started small group enthusiast including angus farquhar musical collective test dept choreographer lindsay john dancer laban well gaelic ethnologist margaret bennett writer academic school scottish study university edinburgh event intended celebration traditional ritual local manifestation international spirit originally intended take place arthur seat home earlier edinburgh beltane celebration practical reason location moved calton hill choreography iconography performance moulded originator research historical account beltane influence eg test department drumming trinidadian carnival ritual dance performance beltane fire society registered charity run festival managed democratically elected voluntary committee performer volunteer either join word mouth attending one advertised open meeting held early year senior performer artist society help others workshop aspect event production prop construction character performance technique team building percussion skill health safety consideration involved society also held fundraising art music event held minibeltane local aid hospice milestone house community event year performance evolved new people bring influence direction core narrative remains large though additional element added time theatrical ritual practical reason originally event core dozen performer hundred audience event grown several hundred performer ten thousand audience key character within performance maintained though reinterpreted performer additional participant incorporated year originally festival free lightly stewarded however event grown popularity due capacity hill funding requirement edinburgh council request festival recent year moved ticketed event beltane fire society official bfs website blog introduction beltane interview festival scribe tanya azure feast musical suite inspired beltane fire beltane festival revealed bbccouk behind pomp beltane festival bbccouk edinburgh festival guide beltane fire festival listing