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14th July 2006

Artists in Residence

Three artists have been appointed to carry out artistic interpretation of heritage sites in Mackay Country each working in different forms and media. All have experience in teaching and community orientated projects, some of which has been overseas. Joanne B Kaar is based at Dunnet Head, on the north coast of Caithness  Joanne will be working from Durness based at the community house with specific interest in Cape Wrath. Joanne is a fibre artist and has particular expertise in paper-making and its associated creative artifacts – including ‘log books’ and their history

Picture Attached

Three artists in residence in Mackay Country Joanne B Kaar based in Durness, Ruth Macduogall based in Strathnaver, Deirdre Nelson on Handa Island and front Norman Gibson arts coordinator for the project

Deirdre Nelson, from Ireland but now based in Glasgow will be working on Handa Island based in Eddracilles. Deirdre’s textile practice has evolved through experimenting with materials and methods of making in which hand work and craftsmanship provide both direction and context. Hand skills are transposed though the work in a humorous commentary on social and textile history within the contemporary gallery. Her textile work employs a variety of techniques and materials fusing traditional textile skills and contemporary reinterpretation through photography and digital manipulation. Deirdre works in a variety of scales and explores social dimensions through textiles, with sewing and knitting retaining their hand-skilled character while being considerably more than a technical processes. 

Ruth Macduogall is from Glasgow and will be working in Strathnaver based in Skerray. Ruth will seek to communicate the socio-political history of the site in a way that would empower the local community, identifying their relationship with the site and offering a site specific happening that would encourage a dialogue between past and present. Since graduating with a first class honours degree from the Glasgow School of Art Ruth has spent much of her time travelling, researching and collaborating on artistic projects, enabled by the British Airways Travel award she was given for her final degree show work. Ruth’s site-specific practice is intriguingly wide-ranging, but she has recently returned to photography and performance-to-camera.

To liase with the Durness Development Group in order to direct the programme of residencies that are site specific and to ensure artistic excellence and exhibition/event presentation with professional assistance to the artists Norman Gibson has been appointed as arts coordinator for the project

Norman is a Sculptor and designer with a thematic focus on landscape, archaeology and visual memory. He has had many exhibitions at solo, regional and national levels alongside an educational career in Scotland and England¾including seven years as lecturer and director of studies in art and design education at the University of Warwick and three years as head of the department of Arts, Design and Performance at Manchester Metropolitan University completing his Doctoral research on the interplay of visual and verbal arts, with associated papers delivered at international conferences in Finland, Canada and Portugal. Born in Edinburgh and educated at Ellon Academy, Aberdeenshire, and subsequently at colleges and universities north and south of the border Norman returned to Scotland in 1997. His deep family roots in Sutherland and a converging interest in local history and landscape, extended by studies of past cultures on Aberdeen University’s Certificate Course in Field Archaeology and a Master’s Degree in Archaeology and Heritage at the University of Leicester gives Norman the appropriate qualifications to  ensure the artists are directed in the appropriate fields.

Commissioning of artists to work with sites of historical and scientific interest and develop work that will be accessible to the local community and beyond is the objective of the scheme. The intention of the residency is for artists to engage with the sites and develop site specific work.  The artistic interpretation of the site will develop over the period of each artist's residency and culminate in an exhibition/event.  People are invited to meet with the artists and become involved in their work. Local posters and information will be available but any enquires can be directed to Norman gibsondesign@brora99.freeserve.co.uk 01408 621186 or Ronnie Lansley Ronnie@durness.org 01971511346

This project is supported by the Scottish Arts council through the Partners Scottish Artists residency programme with a grant of £35806 approved in August 2005. Further funding and support has been received from the Highland 2007 Year of Culture. The Durness Development Group arranging this project on behalf of the emerging Mackay Country structure is grateful for the support of the Highland Councils Arts development office for Sutherland Roxana Mechan and rural development researcher Issy Mcphail

Youth Club 

The young people of Durness are not short on pastimes. Youth Workers Margery Morrison and Jacky Hird have a full schedule for all ages with specific opportunities for each age group. This week eight senior youths are visiting Orkney staying at the youth hostel in Kirkwall for two nights. They have no set plans but intend to explore and join in any activities on offer. Last week the there was a village treasure hunt for all ages when clues were hidden around the village and teams  had to find the sign and make their way to the next with and eventual word being composed that led them to the finish.

Picture Attached senior youths with Durness youth workers Margery Morrison and Jackie Hird just before they left for their trip top Orkney

 There was a beach outing and a visit to the KLB play park last week for the younger age group where they spent the day with a packed lunch for refreshments. A fishing excision has been organised on the return from Orkney and the bouncy castle will be available. On the Tuesday after the Highland Games, 1 August, the youth club are arranging to spread a mile of coins. Local people, passers by and visitors will be encouraged to give their change to the event and help to produce a mile of coins circulating around the village square. There will also be a bar be que in the garden of the youth café in Bard Terrace. The juniors will have their trip to Inverness during the holidays when they intend to visit the ice rink. Ross County are visiting on the 18, 19 and 20 of July. Lucy Mackay has also arranged several golfing events coordinated with the ongoing youth activates.

Book News

Picture Attached Bruce I Cawthra jokes with a customer at Loch Crospoil Bookshop at the signing of his recent publication Fishing with Father a

On Friday 7^th July Bruce I Cawthra was signing copies of his recent published book Fishing with Father at the Loch Croispoil Bookshop and Restaurant. The book is about Bruce travelling to various parts of the Highlands and NW England salmon and trout fishing with this father in the ‘60’s, 70’s and 80’s and  looking at fishing in Sutherland lochs with chapters about staying and fishing in the Scourie Hotel and Oversaig. He still visits Sutherland every year for the fishing. Currently Bruce is living in Germany. The Balnakeil venue is becoming popular with authors for with three others coming this summer.

Kevin Crow of the bookshop is now starting a publishing business called Balnakeil press. The first book due to be published early in 2007 is by Michael Russell of SNP reputation, a journalist and photographer.  The book is a satirical novel partly set in Durness and uses the John Lennon connection as its launching pad. Other planned books include works of local history and poetry in both English and Gaelic.