Captivate: Uist is our partnership programme being delivered with Taigh Chearsabhagh and the schools in Uist (Sgoil Uibhist a Tuath, Daliburgh, Iochar & Balivanich) exploring animation through interactive projects and performance across the islands.
In total, in 2022-2023 in Uist we delivered opportunities for 125 primary school children through schools performance and workshopping and 194 people through public opportunities hosted by the schools,University of the Highlands and Islands, Taigh Chearsabhagh and Trianaid care home. Read all about our work last year here.
This years programme offers micro touring of a shadow puppetry performance, a 6 week movement project delivered locally that will link in to a non-verbal, deaf artist led visual theatre performance and development of a project that will explore local Gaelic culture to create a permanent animation installation.
Read about some of these projects below:
Photo: In Praise of Shadows, Julia Darrouy
IN PRAISE OF SHADOWS
Julia Darrouy’s In Praise of Shadows puppetry performance will tour to Daliburgh and Sgoil Uibhist a Tuath in partnership with An Lanntair who will also take the show to schools in Lewis and Harris this October. The performance offers groups of 12-15 children a storytelling experience using shadow puppetry and live music inside a purpose built dome tent and will be followed by a workshop offer developed with teaching staff.
Image: Zoetrope – Visual Virtuoso workshops Uist 2022
ANIMATION IN THE LANDSCAPE
This project is being developed with Taigh Chearsabhaghs gaelic and communications officer and animator Dominika Jackowska – our intention is to offer workshops with animation students who we engaged with in Uist as part of their UHI Art and Design course in 2022 and local artists to design and develop an animated installation. The project is being developed in 2023 with delivery intended in 2024.
Pilot programme 2022-2023:
Visual Virtuoso
A co created performance project incorporating digital loop animation and improvised music with professional musicians and animators working alongside primary 7 children from across the 4 schools in South and North Uist.
Woodwind trio Distant Melodies have delivered improvisation workshops with pupils to respond to their animated characters using body percussion and voice to culminate in a live performed soundtrack to the pupils animations taking place as part of the primary 7’s transition week.
Award winning animator Cat Bruce worked with pupils to create loop animation characters, backdrops and movements before digitising these and bringing them to the big screen as part of this interactive performance.
In addition to activity with pupils, Distant Melodies performed for public audiences at Taigh Chearsabhagh and for residents of Trianaid Care Home in Uist.
Animator Cat Bruce offered a space for local animators and students of the Univeristy of the Highlands and Islands animation module to meet with her and discuss their work and her own experience as a freelance animator.
Little Murmur
A micro tour of visual theatre work Little Murmur by Aakash Odedra Company offering a programme of movement workshops and additional education packs for schools across Uist and a public performance of the work for families supported by Taigh Chearsabagh.
An Lanntair has supported the performance and workshops to additionally come to schools in Lewis and Harris during this tour.
Programmed with thanks to Imaginate, this non verbal visual theatre piece is based on the true story of one child’s struggle with letters and words. Little Murmur is about facing challenges and overcoming the odds. Using stunning projection and animation techniques as well as movement and a blizzard of paper.
Through our Captivate: Uist programme we have also delivered Puppetry and Emotional Resilience training with 12 primary school teachers and early years practicioners in Uist in early 2023.