Eden Court Theater in Inverness announces four artists and community partners for new creative project in Highlands

Eden Court announces the four artists and community partners the organization will work with across the Highlands for a dynamic new creative project

Four artists and their community partners across the Highlands are set to produce original live performances in a new creative project.

Earlier this year, Eden Court Theater in Inverness launched a search for community organizations for In On The Act which will put together performances reflecting local people’s experiences and hopes for the future.

The theater has now announced the selected partners and artists whose skills include animation, playwriting, poetry and musical composition.

Eden Court Theater in Inverness voices serious concern over arts funding cuts

Ticket sales have not covered costs for Eden Court

The project has received funding from Esmée Fairbairn Foundation and the artists and partners were selected on the basis of a track record of delivering community-led work and a desire to use live performance as a creative tool.

The community partners will invite individuals and groups in their local area to engage in creative conversations with the artists and Eden Court, exploring their stories and aspirations for their communities.

The artists and community partners selected for the project are:

David McNeish and Lairg and District Learning Centre:

David McNeish is a disabled playwright, songwriter, poet and story maker whose most recent play, The Boy Who Thought He Could Swim, was commissioned by Unlimited and An Tobar and Mull Theater and performed in May 2024.

David’s debut album Weathering is due out in October 2024.

Lairg and District Learning Center is a creative organization focused on the delivery of community learning in the village of Lairg and beyond, with everything from Gaelic, upcycling and filmmaking to foraging, woodwork and patchwork.

Daniel Cullen and Balmacara Community Trust:

Daniel Cullen is a writer, actor, director and journalist from Skye.

His play The Chariot, The Flag and the Empty, Empty Houses, which he wrote, directed and performed in, was created around conversations with communities on the Isle of Skye (through a project supported by SEALL through the Culture Collective).

The play will tour in 2025.

Balmacara Community Trust lies by Balmacara Bay near Kyle of Lochalsh and is part of the National Trust for Scotland’s Balmacara Estate.

The trust intends to create a community space by restoring the Old Mill Hall, a 200-year-old building which is a former sawmill.

Helen Woolston with Aukje Delnooz and Veronique Walraven (Morvern Peninsula):

Helen Woolston is a multi-disciplinary artist working in animation, moving-image, puppet-making, photography and writing.

Helen studied filmmaking in Bournemouth and animation in Estonia.

Since 2021 she has worked in habitat restoration work and makes natural inks from foraged material.

Aukje and Veronique met at university, where they both read Theater Studies, specializing in Dance and Drama respectively.

Their combined experience includes intergenerational community arts and drama projects, rental theater and creative movement workshops for all ages.

They are committed to creating more access to performance arts the Morvern community.

Ailie Robertson and SEALL (Skye):

Ailie is a multi-award winning composer and performer who has been commissioned by some of the world’s most prestigious cultural institutions, including the BBC Proms, the London Philharmonic Orchestra and Scottish Ensemble.

Her composition work ranges writing concert music to film scores.

SEALL (meaning to look or to show in Gàidhlig and pronounced shàal) is a performing arts organization based in Broadford on the Isle of Skye that aims to provide year-round access to world-leading arts and cultural events for its local communities, furthering arts education, heritage and cultural offering in the Skye, Raasay and Lochalsh region.

Eden Court has also commissioned Highland filmmaker Benjamin Hastings to document the project and produce a film charting the development and production of the performances.

Benjamin has worked on a variety of impactful projects, including a documentary with Moniack Mhor, capturing the creative journey of young aspiring artists across Scotland.

Anyone interested in getting involved with any of the projects can find out more at In On The Act.

Eden Court chief executive Rebecca Holt said the theater was delighted to be working with Ailie, Daniel, David and Helen on the project.

“I’m really looking forward to seeing the live performance pieces that are developed by these four artists who bring such varied skillsets – spanning animation, playwriting, poetry and musical composition – but who, importantly, share a commitment to amplifying the voices of community members through creativity and culture,” she said.

“I would encourage anyone who lives, works or has a connection to Lairg, Balmacara, Skye or Morvern Peninsula to get involved with the community consultations taking place over the coming months, as the outcome of In On The Act will only be as good as the input that we get from community members along the way.”

Susannah Armitage, senior producer at Eden Court, said: “We are privileged to be working with four brilliantly enthusiastic and committed community partners who are all embedded within their local communities.

“All four partners bring unique skills and experience of community-led engagement within different rural Highland communities.

“We are looking forward to working with our partners on exploring themes and stories relevant to them and on creating four new pieces of performance in response to these themes.”

---

Do you want to respond to this article? If so, click here to submit your thoughts and they may be published in print.

---