What is the M.A.A.A.?

The MAAA has existed since June 1983. Its object is to encourage and promote the Arts in Mid Argyll - including Dance, Drama, Music, Opera, Poetry and the Visual Arts.

Annual membership( 1st September to 31st August) is open to individuals and families, and an annual general meeting is held normally at the end of August. Members receive a quarterly newsletter, are sent invites for special "club nights" and are eligible to attend the Buffet and Performance which follow the AGM.

A general committee (see Committee Contacts ) on which all the arts are represented is elected annually to run the Association's activities. Leading the ten strong committee is the current Chairman, Sheila MacCallum, who, back in 1983, was one of the MAAA's first committee members.

The music programme - 8 to 10 live concerts annually plus a Gala Night in May - constitutes the major feature of MAAA activity. Concerts are well supported with an excellent venue, the Ardrishaig Hall, proving popular with visiting artists.

The Association is a member of the Argyll and Bute Concert Tour Group ( ABCT) and co-operates with the music clubs of Bute, Kintyre, Cowal, Islay and Oban on the choice of fifty percent of the top class professional musicians invited to perform.

On the strength of its concert season, MAAA is one of the sixty plus music promoters in Scotland to receive sponsorship from Enterprise Music Scotland (EMS) with funds from the Scottish Arts Council, and there is no doubt that this annual financial support helps to maintain the high musical level and great variety of the classical programme on offer.

There are more than 250 MAAA members and they enjoy meeting on a regular basis with like-minded lovers of the Arts, and there is a definite buzz present on performance nights. New members are always welcome and we hope this website will help to spread news of forthcoming events and to promote the Arts in Mid Argyll still further.

Suggestions and news items please to John Holt (Secretary) at Knock Steading, Lochgair, Argyll, PA31 8SB (holtlochgair@aol.com)