Tha cuid de na speuran as duirche a chithear san RA rim faicinn ann an Eilean Leòdhais. Chithear mòran sheallaidhean reul-eòlais le bhith a’ coimhead suas dhan adhar, feadhainn mar Orion Nebula, Geal-Shruth nan Speur agus reul-chrios Andromeda Mhòr. Is e Leòdhas cuideachd aon de na h-àiteachan as fheàrr airson Na Fir Chlis fhaicinn.
Where better, then, to host the Hebridean Dark Skies Festival, two weeks of astronomy-themed theatre, art, film, food, music, comedy, stargazing events, talks from leading scientists, and much more?
Mar sin, dè an t-àite a b’ fheàrr airson Fèis Adhar Dorch Innse Gall a chumail le dà sheachdain de thachartasan stèidhichte air reul-eòlas le theàtar, ealain, film, biadh, ceòl, comadaidh, tachartasan coimhead air na rionnagan, òraidean bho luchd-saidheans cudromach agus tòrr mòr a bharrachd?
Our second programme is even more ambitious than our first, with more events across the island in addition to a packed programme at An Lanntair. We would like to thank Calanais Visitor Centre, Stornoway Astronomical Society, Gallan Head Community Trust, Lews Castle College UHI and new partners Uig Sands, Comunn Eachdraidh Nis, and Kinloch Community Hub for supporting this festival. Thanks also to CalMac, Cala Hotels, Outer Hebrides Tourism, Visit Scotland and especially Outer Hebrides LEADER for their support. Keep an eye on An Lanntair’s website for programme updates and additions in the run-up to the festival.
Tha an dàrna prògram againn eadhoin nas àrd-amasaich na a’ chiad fhear, le tachartasan air feadh an eilein a thuilleadh air a’ phrògram mhòr a tha againn aig An Lanntair. Bu mhath leinn taing a thoirt do CalMac, Ionad Chalanais, Comann Reul-eòlais Steòrnabhaigh, Urras Coimhearsnachd Ceann a’ Ghallain, Colaisde a’ Chaisteil, agus ar com-pàirtichean ùra Uig Sands, Comunn Eachdraidh Nis, agus Ionad Coimhearsnachd Cheann a Loch airson taic a thoirt dhan fhèis seo. Tha sinn airson taic a thoirt cuideachd do Thaighean-òsta Cala, Buidheann Turasachd Innse Gall, Visit Alba agus gu sònraichte do LEADER Innse Gall airson an taic leantainneach. Cùm do shùil air làrach-lìn An Lanntair airson leasachadh sam bith a thathar a’ dèanamh air a’ phrògram mus tòisich an fhèis.
Andrew Eaton-Lewis Festival programmer
F R I D AY 7 th F E B R UA R Y
Karine Polwart: The Only Light Was Stars 8pm £10/£8 An Lanntair
“Our cleverness has grown prodigiously – but not our wisdom.” - Sir Martin Ryle The Only Light Was Stars – presented exclusively for the Hebridean Dark Skies Festival – is a work-in-progress sharing of a brand new theatre show by Karine Polwart, her follow-up to the widely acclaimed Wind Resistance. In November 1572, Danish astronomer Tycho Brahe observes a “new star” in the constellation of Cassiopeia. It’s not the birth of a new star at all, as it happens, but a death, a supernova Gallan Head Community Trust
Stornoway Astronomical Society
explosion. Brahe’s detailed observations revolutionise European understanding of the Earth’s place in the universe. Four centuries later, Astronomer Royal Sir Martin Ryle is awarded the Nobel Prize for Physics for his pioneering work in radio astronomy. Yet Ryle’s last published work before his death poses the ethical question: should fundamental science be stopped? Award-winning songwriter, folk-singer and theatre-maker, Karine Polwart maps a journey that takes in pre-Galilean astronomy, constellation myth, and the challenges of 21st century nuclear waste disposal. In doing so, she wonders: how can we be good ancestors?
FÈIS SPEURAN DORCH INNSE GALL
Cover image: ‘Callanish & the Cosmos’ by Scott Davidson, winner of our photography competition. The best entries will be exhibited at An Lanntair throughout the festival.
The Isle of Lewis has some of the darkest skies in the UK. Many astronomical sights can be seen through the naked eye including the Orion Nebula, the Milky Way and the Great Andromeda galaxy. Lewis is also one of the best places in the UK to see the Northern Lights.
Art EVENTS
Creativity & Curiosity Preview Fri 7th 6.30pm
All day Feb 8 - 14 Mar FREE An Lanntair Main Gallery Creativity and Curiosity is an established art/science project led by artists Gillian McFarland SSA and Ione Parkin RWA. For this exhibition they will show a selection of the artwork created through their ongoing collaborations with astrophysicists, cosmologists and planetary geologists. Ione Parkin’s large-scale abstract paintings express her fascination with the early formation of the universe; massive clouds of cosmic dust and gas; vast webs of colour and shimmering light. Gillian McFarland collaborates with the glass-blower, Graeme Hawes, using experimental techniques to produce multiple ‘space globes’ that echo ideas of rotation, expansion and contraction. The exhibition also includes the work of contemporary book artist, Kate Bernstein, inspired by visits to the Royal Astronomical Society’s collection.
Dark Skies photography exhibition Preview Fri 7th 6.30pm
All day Feb 8 - 14 Mar FREE An Lanntair Café Bar Come and see the shortlisted entries in our second Hebridean Dark Skies Festival photography competition – including this year’s winning photo, Callanish & the Cosmos by Scott Davidson (pictured).
TUES 11 FEB
Drawing the Night 6pm £10/£8 Meet at Lews Castle Grounds A two-hour workshop exploring the creative potential of darkness. Participants will explore the castle grounds after dark with artist Mairi Gillies and experiment with a range of drawing materials and techniques. What happens when we place sensory limitations on ourselves and discover how this affects our ability to perceive our surroundings?
dis 8 gear
S AT 8 F E B
A Day of Creativity & Curiosity
All Day Day ticket: £20 An Lanntair
What do art and astronomy have in common? What can artists and astronomers learn from each other? A Day of Creativity and Curiosity is a whole day of conversation, workshops and performances programmed by An Lanntair in partnership with Ione Parkin and Gillian McFarland, lead artists on Creativity and Curiosity, an ongoing project bringing together artists and astronomers. Visit lanntair.com for programme updates.
The Typographical Planet 12pm £5/£4 Kate Bernstein is a contemporary book artist and printmaker. While collaborating with Creativity and Curiosity she has been working with Royal Astronomical Society librarian and archivist, Dr Sian Prosser, to explore the role of the printed image as a significant tool for astronomical communication. For example, did the placing of a single printed letter, M for Mundi (World), challenge the perception of the Earth as a singular planet at the centre of everything?
sat 8 feb
Gillian McFarland, Ione Parkin & Amaury Triaud 10am £5/£4 Ione Parkin and Gillian McFarland discuss the inspirations behind their Creativity and Curiosity project, a series of collaborations between artists and astronomers. Also appearing will be collaborator Dr Amaury Triaud, who has discovered over 100 exoplanets (planets which orbit stars other than the Sun).
Creativity & Curiosity film programme 1.30pm £4/£3 A series of short films bringing together the worlds of art and astronomy.
FÈIS SPEURAN DORCH INNSE GALL
H E B R I D E A N D A R K S K I E S F E S T I VA L
Let’s find out together…
A Day of Creativity & Curiosity All Day Day ticket:£20 An Lanntair
Karine Polwart 3pm £5/£4 The singer-songwriter discusses her new theatre project ‘The Only Light Was Stars’.
John Brown, Astronomer Royal for Scotland, was very supportive of our programme and was to have made his second Hebridean Dark Skies Festival appearance as part of A Day of Creativity and Curiosity. Instead the day will be dedicated to his memory and will include a tribute to him. Visit www.lanntair.com for updates.
7pm £10/£8 This evening of conversation, contemplation, science and music brings together two expert enthusiasts to explore each other’s domain. Chris Lintott (BBC’s The Sky at Night) brings the latest images from spacecraft strung out across the Solar System, and from the largest telescopes here on Earth, to take us from the beginning of the Universe to the future of the Universe. Musician Steve Pretty brings his trumpet, a drumming robot and a conch shell to explain what music is, where it comes from and how it can help us to understand the cosmos. And together they hunt for the Venn diagram in the middle.
Workshops FREE but limited capacity
An Lanntair Art Room Sign up from 10am on day of event; day ticket holders can book in advance by emailing andrew@lanntair.com 11am Astrophotography Workshop with Stornoway Astronomical Society 2pm Exploring Exoplanets with Dr Amaury Triaud
sat 8 feb
4pm Build a life-size sculpted Astronaut, with Gillian McFarland & Ione Parkin
OPTICKS: a ‘visual moonbounce’ event with Daniela De Paulis 9pm £6/£5 Want to send a photo to the moon and back? OPTICKS is a Cosmic Mail Art performance between the Earth and the Moon, by interdisciplinary artist Daniela de Paulis, in collaboration with radio operators from around the world.
FÈIS SPEURAN DORCH INNSE GALL
H E B R I D E A N D A R K S K I E S F E S T I VA L
John Brown 1947-2019
Chris Lintott and Steve Pretty’s Universe (of Music)
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S AT 8 F E B
THURS 13 FEB
Robin Ince’s Chaos of Delight 8pm £10/£8 An Lanntair
Robin Ince is a multiple award winning comedian best known for co-hosting the international smash hit, Rose D’Or and Sony Award-Winning BBC Radio 4 and podcast series, The Infinite Monkey Cage, with Professor Brian Cox, and the acclaimed Book Shambles podcast with Josie Long. Last year he toured the world with Brian Cox as part of the show Universal.
6pm An Lanntair
SUN 16 FEB Check lanntair.com for info
Uig Sands
g-Astronomy If the universe was food, what would it taste like? Astrophysicist Roberto Trotta joins forces with chefs at An Lanntair and Uig Sands to present an edible and educational experience for everybody, over the course of a delicious and sociable evening meal. Keep an eye on lanntair.com for menu and booking information.
“The high priest of the curious… You’ll emerge informed,educated and probably validated too.” - Chortle
TUES 11-THURS 13 FEB All day
An Lanntair & across Lewis
Cosmos Planetarium A cosmic adventure for all the family, whatever the weather! Returning to the festival for a second year, Cosmos Planetarium is a state-of-the-art, fully digital, 360° immersive multi-media theatre experience, with a six metre mobile planetarium that can accommodate up to 40 children or 25 adults. The planetarium will show a new programme of films at An Lanntair as well as visiting venues across the island in partnership with our education and outreach team. For more information, visit www.lanntair.com.
S AT 2 2 F E B
war of the worlds 2pm & 8pm
£15/ £12 / £10 for under 12S
An Lanntair To close the festival, An Lanntair is delighted to present a revival of Neosa’s production of Jeff Wayne’s War of the Worlds, featuring some of the Hebrides’ most talented musicians.
FÈIS SPEURAN DORCH INNSE GALL
H E B R I D E A N D A R K S K I E S F E S T I VA L
In this joyous artist’s manifesto of delight and curiosity, comedian Robin Ince mashes up the two cultures of art and science and combines them with a bunch of silly voices in a celebration of the human mind, from Bohemians to Black Holes, Dali to DNA.
S AT 1 5 F E B
Film programme
TUES 18 FEB
An Lanntair Cinema This year we are screening four acclaimed films about the power of human connections to reach across space and time, culminating in the first An Lanntair screening of Ad Astra, starring Brad Pitt. See all four films for the special price of £15 / £12.
WEDS 12 FEB
Contact
In director Robert Zemeckis’s thoughtful adaptation of Carl Sagan’s novel, Jodie Foster plays Dr. Ellie Arroway, a scientist obsessively looking for evidence of extra-terrestrial life – a search for connection fuelled by grief over the childhood loss of her father, who had inspired her to take up astronomy.
FRI 14 FEB
Solaris 8pm £5/£4
Screening on Valentine’s Day, director Steven Soderbergh’s adaptation of Stanislaw Lem’s famous novel focuses on its love story; George Clooney plays a clinical psychologist reunited with his dead wife Rheya - a haunting performance by Natascha McElhone - thanks to the machinations of a mysterious planet. “Expertly and exquisitely executed, Solaris manages to extract that all too rare achievement from a sci-fi film: emotion.” - TIME magazine.
7pm £5/£4
In Christopher Nolan’s epic sci-fi adventure – always best experienced on the big screen – Matthew McConaughey is Joe Cooper, a NASA astronaut whose connection with his daughter Murphy might be the key to saving humanity. Director Chistopher Nolan’s film is visually stunning and hugely ambitious in its ideas and scope, but is fundamentally about love. “In 2001, Kubrick saw a future that was out of our hands. For Nolan, our reliance on one another is all we’ve got.” Rolling Stone.
THURS 20 FEB
Ad Astra 7pm £5/£4
Brad Pitt plays Major Roy McBride, the son of a famous astronaut, who is sent on a mission to Mars after it emerges that his father is responsible for a series of mysterious power surges that could threaten all human life. Directed by James Gray, Ad Astra has won widespread acclaim from critics for its exploration of obsession, love, and family ties. “Existential but also intimate, Ad Astra is a stunning, sensitive exploration of the space left by an absent parent — and the infinite void of actual space.” Empire
FÈIS SPEURAN DORCH INNSE GALL
H E B R I D E A N D A R K S K I E S F E S T I VA L
7pm £5/£4
Interstellar
Dark Skies family workshops
MON 17 FEB 6.30pm
Kinloch Community Hub
TUES 18 FEB Comunn Eachdraidh Nis
WEDS 19 FEB 8pm
The Edge Café, Gallan Head
Highland Astronomy H E B R I D E A N D A R K S K I E S F E S T I VA L
£6/£5
Astronomer Stephen Mackintosh presents talks and stargazing sessions all over Scotland. Now he’s travelling to community venues across Lewis to share his knowledge and – weather permitting – take you for a walk under the stars.
MON 10 FEB
Amaury Triaud £6/£5 8pm The Edge Café, Gallan Head Dr Amaury Triaud has discovered over 100 exoplanets (planets which orbit stars other than the Sun). Here he brings his research to audiences in one of the darkest places in the UK.
TUES 11 FEB
Dark Skies at Calanais £6/£5 7pm
WED 12 FEB
Immerse Hebrides Night Swim
£20/£30 inc. wetsuit hire
Check lanntair.com for info
Are you brave enough for a winter night-time swim in the wild landscape of Lewis? Ticket price includes head torches, adventure lights, safety tow floats and a guided swim around a loch or easily accessible beach. To take part, contact info@immersehebrides. com. To find out more about wild swimming on Lewis, visit www.immersehebrides.com
Calanais Visitor Centre
Steven Gray of Cosmos Planetarium presents a talk on the history - and pre-history - of astronomy, including a focus on the Calanais Stones. Weather permitting, the talk will be followed by a stargazing session among the world-famous stones.
sat 15 feb
7pm
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S AT 1 5 F E B
Events across the island
Starry night paintings 11am – 12pm
Education Room
Experiment with painting techniques and make your own night sky painting inspired by Vincent Van Gogh’s ‘The Starry Night’.
Sew a star gazing Lunar landscape & alien finger puppets blanket 1pm – 2.30pm
Education Room
Work together with your family to build a cardboard moon landscape complete with craters, then design and make alien finger puppets. These FREE workshops are suitable for children from age 5+ and their adults to take part in together. Full Circle workshops are supported by ESF with support from Aspiring Communities Fund.
3.30 – 5pm
Education Room
Family groups can work together to sew a constellation and stars on a fleece blanket, perfect for star gazing.
What’s Out There? 11am – 5pm
Community Room
Drop in to the community room throughout the day to build the bridge of a starship. Draw planets, space craft and aliens on the windows and make the control panels to fly the ship.
Fri 7 Feb
Festival launch and exhibitions preview
6.30pm
Fri 14 Feb
Film: Solaris
8pm
Fri 7 Feb
Karine Polwart: The Only Light Was Stars
8pm
Sat 15 Feb
Family Workshops
All day
Sat 15 Feb
g-Astronomy
6pm
Sun 16 Feb
g-Astronomy
Sat 8 Feb
Mon 10 Feb
A Day of Creativity and Curiosity, with
Chris Lintott and Steve Pretty, Karine Polwart, Daniela de Paulis and more
Amaury Triaud The Edge Café, Gallan Head
Tues 11Thurs 13 Feb
Cosmos Planetarium
Tues 11 Feb
Drawing The Night
Tues 11 Feb
All day
An Lanntair and across Lewis
Lews Castle
Dark Skies at Calanais
8pm
All day
6pm
7pm
Calanais Visitor Centre
Weds 12 Feb
Film: Contact
7pm
Weds 12 Feb
Immerse Hebrides Night Swim
Check lanntair.com for info
Thurs 13 Feb
Robin Ince
8pm
Mon 17 Feb Tues 18 Feb Tues 18 Feb Weds 19 Feb
Uig Sands
Highland Astronomy
Check lanntair.com for info
6.30pm
Kinloch Community Hub
Film: Interstellar Highland Astronomy Comunn Eachdraidh Nis
Highland Astronomy
7pm 7pm
The Edge Café Gallan Head
8pm
Thurs 20 Feb
Film: Ad Astra
7pm
Sat 22 Feb
Jeff Wayne’s War of the Worlds
2pm & 8pm
All events at An Lanntair unless stated otherwise
The Hebridean Dark Skies Festival is part-financed by the Scottish Government and the European Community Outer Hebrides LEADER 2014-2020 programme