Return to Durness Local News

23rd June 2006

Book Launch

A new publication was launched with a small event at the Loch croispoli Book shop and restaurant last Saturday. “A Fresh Northerly”  new writings from 25 Sutherland and Wester Ross authors This book is the coming together of 2 writers groups, a book of short stories, poem and prose with contributions concerned with humanity, love and earth and they have not been afraid to challenge out dated orthodoxies. The 16 writes at the launch each read one of their compositions reflecting their mood of the North with its ever changing light colour weather and wonder. The small gathering was able to meet and speak to some of the contributors. A buffet and drinks were provided.

Picture attached sixteen of the contributors from writing groups in the north Northwest Highland Writers and Sutherland writers at the launch of “A Fresh Northerly” a new writing from Sutherland and Wester Ross.

Exhibition of the Digital Arts Interpretation Project

Last Monday 19 saw the opening of the exhibition to the concluding Digital interpretation of local heritage project. Durness village hall was rigged with a 20ft boat mast, put in place with grateful assistance of the local fire service, from which 3 large screens were suspended and images projected from strategically placed projectors. Artefacts were on display, photographs from the archive and dvd presentations of the efforts. Over 50 people from around the north attended the opening where Malkies chip van provided the French fries. After a welcome and thank you Shona Munro and Fes Aior Anoir gave a musical introduction and declared the exhibition of Youth Digital interpretation VRooom – virtual room open.

Through a partnership between local young people and a range of digital artists this project which has been running for the last year to interpret local heritage using a range of digital medium.  The aim has been to generate new ways of seeing and representing familiar local places.   This project came about due to the success and enthusiasm of the local young people in previous projects New Dynamics.  The project was created and managed by Durness Development Group in partnership with Durness Youth Club.  Funding was received from The Heritage Lottery Young Routes and Scotland Against Drugs in order to carry out the work in conjunction with a local private sector supporting partnership.  On-going support from Roxana Meechan, Arts Development Officer for Sutherland, with The Highland Council has been another essential component.

This work has built on the technical abilities of the young people and provided new experiences in the arts – and new skills for life.  Young people from right across Mackay Country – the parishes of Eddrachilles, Durness, Tongue and Farr – were involved in these activities. 

The Exhibition provided an insight into the work of the artists, the activities which local young people were engaged in and a sample of material from the Mackay Country Archive.  This Exhibition has been created and curated by local artist Gavin Lockhart.  Gavin has brought to bear his considerable international experience of community arts projects in order to create a memorable and challenging experience throughout the exhibition and a lasting legacy in the form of the Exhibition DVD.  The DVD is called ‘The Reel Mackay’.  After the Exhibition Gavin’s creation will be made available on the Virtual Mackay Country website (www.virtualmackaycountry.co.uk) and will hence reach not just a local but also an international audience with a strong interest in Mackay Country. 

The work of another local artist – Lotte Glob – was also on display.  Her part of this project is called ‘Earth to Earth’ and links with the on-going archaeology project being carried out in Strathnaver and Durness by Glasgow University Archaeology Division under the direction of Olivia Lelong.  During the dig at Borralie evidence of an ancient kiln and clay workings were found.  For the ‘Earth to Earth’ project some of this clay was extracted from the site, mixed with modern clay and reworked by local children into ‘contemporary artefacts’.  These tiles, made by the children with Lotte’s help, have been fired and put on display.  After the exhibition they will be returned to the earth at Borralie when the archaeological site is once more covered over for protection and preservation.   Local stone sculptor, Neil Fuller, introduced the young people to methods for working stone.  A number of his pieces are on display.  In addition to thanking the funders and all the participants the Durness Development Group would like to thank all the artists for their unique contributions to this work.  In addition to Gavin, Lotte and Neil the other five artists who travelled to Mackay Country to work with the young people on this project – they are Beverley Carpenter arts cordinator, Roger Day, Gabe Norlands, Rob Birch and Karen Whiteread.  Samples of their work were included in the Exhibition. 

Mackay Country   Picture attached  A small display of some of the archive material relating to the part of the project concerned with gathering and collating pictures and stories and memorabilia from the war years was displayed at the Durness senior citizens Lunch club at the Smoo Cave Hotel last Friday. Research worker Issy McPhail and Skerray artist Meg Telfer showed some of the collection that has been on a travelling tour of the senior citizens meeting places throughout Mackay Country.

                    Research worker Issy McPhail and Skerray artist Meg Telfer at Smoo Cave Hotel with a sample of the Mackay Country archive relevant to the war years.