MERA

Celebrating young Manx talent

On 4th April 2018, Manx harpist Mera Royle won the BBC Radio 2 Young Folk Award. This is her story.

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Manx musician Mera Royle started playing the harp when she was only nine. Another nine years later, she was collecting the Young Folk Award at BBC Radio 2’s Folk Awards ceremony in Belfast. This film explores Mera’s journey with music, from playing the penny whistle as a child, to harp playing in young Manx folk band Scran, to winning the award and beyond.

Mera’s music is part of the Manx folk and traditional music scenes which has grown significantly over the past decade. Hear from Dr Breesha Maddrell of Culture Vannin, an organisation with Manx culture at its heart, and Rachel Hair, Mera’s harp teacher of eight years, about how Manx folk music has grown and the significance of Mera’s contributions.

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Running at 9'30", our very first film premiered at Festival Interceltique de Lorient in August 2019 and was shortlisted for the Short Form category in the Celtic Media Festival 2020:

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