Media: Storytelling, Audio, Mixed Media Painting

Location: Isle of Lewis

This project starts with the archive of TB Macaulay, a prolific photographer working from Stornoway over a period of around 60 years from the 1910s through to the 1970s. I will begin with selecting a small series of photos from the collection, a mix of people, places and events. The aim is to inspire discussions and storytelling from the older generation and those living with dementia and capture these in audio form. Through discussions, prompted by gentle questioning, the opportunity is to inspire recall of sights, sounds, smell, touch and emotions in response to the images. These will be captured (where permission given) as audio files. The final stage involves creating new mixed media works incorporating the memories and senses identified by the community to create a body of work that speaks of the collective experience in response to a selection of the TB Macaulay collection photos.

Culture Collective is a national network of 26 projects across Scotland exploring community-rooter creative activity. It is funded by Creative Scotland and started April 2021.

The Creative Islands Network is one of these 26 projects and has been set up across the Outer Hebrides, Orkney and Shetland. The Network is in its second round of activity. The social outcomes for the Network are:

Improved quality of life through greater access to creative and social experience.

Improved mental and/or physical health through active engagement in creative and social experiences.

Support creative practitioners (financially and socially) with opportunities to develop their practice or careers.

For more information, visit the Culture Collective website