NEW TRADITIONAL JACKETS FOR MANX DANCERS

A grant of £720 has been awarded to Peree Bane Dance Group to fund new jackets for its lady dancers.

Formed in 1982, Peree Bane – Manx Gaelic for ‘White Jacket’ - is a Manx traditional dance, music and song group with a vibrant twist. It aims to keep alive Manx traditional dance and performs at events around the Isle of Man and at festivals and competitions further afield. 

The group has around fifty members of all ages with a strong children’s section, which also performs as a group in its own right. They wear traditional clothing for performances comprising a white jacket and Loaghtan wool trousers for the men, a blue skirt with a white blouse and red jacket for the ladies, and similar for the younger members.

Due to the ladies’ jackets becoming old and worn, the group applied to the Manx Lottery Trust for help with funding replacements. The ‘Smaller Grant’ has funded eight new jackets for the lady dancers, a standard set for most traditional Manx dances.

John Dowling from Peree Bane said: ‘We really appreciate the support from Manx Lottery Trust as we look to promote the Manx identity and culture through traditional dance, music and song. The traditional clothing is such an important aspect of our performances and a key part of Peree Bane’s identity, so we’re delighted to secure the funding for new ladies’ jackets.’

Sarah Kelly, Chairman of Manx Lottery Trust, said: ‘Peree Bane does a wonderful job of keeping Manx traditional dance alive and we are pleased to support the lady dancers with this grant. We can’t wait to see the new jackets.’

Manx Lottery Trust’s Smaller Grant Programme provides community funding between £300 and £2,500. Information and application forms can be found at www.mlt.org.im/grant-programmes.