Hebridean DARK Skies festival Fèis Speuran Dorcha Innse Gall
FILM
ART
STARGAZING
workshops
talKS
5 - 18 February 2021 5- 18 An Gearran 2021
MUSIC
SUpported by:
WELCOME W
e are delighted to bring the Hebridean Dark Skies Festival back for its third year, and extremely grateful to Caledonian MacBrayne for helping to make this exciting new programme possible, as well as to Outer Hebrides LEADER for its continued support. We have always wanted the Dark Skies Festival to provide something to look forward to during the darkest months of the year. That has felt more important than ever this year, with lockdown restrictions increasing the sense of isolation felt by many people during winter. Our programme choices reflect this, with an increased focus on exploring our relationship with darkness in a positive and inspiring way. The past year has obviously been very challenging for anyone who creates live events, and from the beginning we took a cautious approach to planning this festival. Even so, the tightening of COVID-19 rules at the beginning of 2021 has meant some late changes to our programme. Most of it will now be online, although we will be presenting two exhibitions at An Lanntair, and we still plan to present our opening and closing live events later in the year. Of course, one advantage of an online programme is that you can experience it from anywhere and we hope to use this opportunity to bring the festival to an even wider audience, far beyond the Hebrides. So please help spread the word far and wide! The Isle of Lewis is a breathtakingly beautiful place to be in the winter, especially when the stars come out. We will be sharing this with you in a different way this year, and we hope you find something to lift your spirits in this programme. Thank you to all our event partners, supporters, and friends. Andrew Eaton-Lewis Festival Programmer
Kathryn joseph & Lumen NEW DATE TO BE CONFIRMED £10 / £8
An Lanntair
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athryn Joseph’s debut album Bones You Have Thrown Me and Blood I’ve Spilled won the 2015 Scottish Album of the Year Award. Her follow-up, From When I Wake The Want Is, was also shortlisted for the prize. Her music has featured in the National Theatre of Scotland’s stage adaptation of Emma Donoghue’s novel Room, and in the recent film The Outlaw King. In her first show on Lewis, Joseph’s haunting songs will be accompanied by visuals from London-based art collective Lumen, who are exhibiting in Scotland for the first time as part of this year’s festival programme.
Lumen Sat 6 Feb - Sat 27Â Mar ONLINE Preview: Fri 5 Feb 7pm An Lanntair
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umen are a London-based art collective brought together by a shared interest in themes of astronomy and light. Launched in December 2014 by artists Louise Beer, Melanie King and Rebecca Huxley, they have curated or co-curated over 70 exhibitions, been commissioned to create work by the British Science Association and the Green Man Festival, and hosted residencies in Cornwall and Atina, Italy. For their first Scottish exhibition, Lumen will display a collection of works that explore the philosophical and ecological importance of a clear view of our galaxy. They will also exhibit Our Night Skies for the first time, a video composite of timelapses of the night sky, showcasing artists from all over the globe. By combining the views of the stars together in one video, visitors to the exhibition will get a feeling of the Earth spinning through space from a range of vantage points.
Lumen online events
A Memory of Darkness by Louise BeeR Monday 8 February 8pm FREE
The short live broadcast, A Memory of Darkness, comprises a sonic piece created using field recordings of birdsong from Louise’s recent experience at Hinewai Reserve, in her native Aotearoa New Zealand, where an infinite display of stars and planets can be seen against a pitch-black sky. The artist invites participants to collectively listen to this new sound piece and recall our own memory of the darkness, considering its significance.
Lumen Printing Online Workshop with Rebecca Huxley Friday 19 February 10am £4 / £3
Learn how to use daylight to create silver gelatin photographic prints.
Solargraph Making Online Workshop with Melanie King Saturday 20 February 10am £4 / £3
Learn how to make a long exposure pinhole camera to capture the passage of the Sun, from anywhere between one day and one year.
Tamsin Edwards Sat 6 Feb 6pm
£4 / £3
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r Tamsin Edwards is a climate scientist specialising in quantifying the uncertainties of climate model predictions, particularly for the Antarctic and Greenland ice sheet contributions to sea-level rise. She is a Lead Author of the forthcoming Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) Sixth Assessment Report (to be published in 2021) and a Contributing Author to the IPCC Special Report on the Ocean and Cryosphere in a Changing Climate (2019). Tamsin regularly advises the UK Government on sea-level rise, climate science and science communication, and provides expert comment to international media and business. She is an awardwinning communicator, including through Twitter (@flimsin), her blog for the Public Library of Science, PLoS (All Models Are Wrong) and articles for the Guardian. She is also the director of the MSc Climate Change: Environment, Science and Policy.
Online
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allas Campbell is a well-known author, TV presenter and ambassador for STEM education. He has won many plaudits for his services to the public understanding of science, including an Honorary Masters degree, an Honorary Fellowship from the British Science Association, honorary life membership for his work at the Royal Institution, and an Arthur C Clarke Media Award for services to space science. His acclaimed TV work includes the BAFTA-nominated Stargazing Live (BBC 2) which broadcast astronaut Tim Peake’s historic launch to the International Space Station live from Kazahkstan. Dallas’s first book, Ad Astra: An Illustrated Guide to Leaving the Planet, charts the history, science and culture of human spaceflight. He has also contributed to the book Aliens: Is There Anyone Out There? edited by Jim Al Khalili, and has written for The Sky At Night magazine, BBC’s Science Focus, and The Observer.
Dallas Campbell
Sat 6 Feb 8.30pm £4 / £3
Online
Highland Astronomy THUR 11 Feb 7.30pm Live online
£4 / £3
S
tephen Mackintosh presents talks and stargazing sessions all over Scotland. We are delighted to welcome him back to Lewis for a second year to share his knowledge and – weather permitting – take you for a walk under the stars. Highland Astronomy and the Hebridean Dark Skies Festival team up for an online stargazing event, in association with Calanais Visitor Centre and Gallan Head Community Trust. Join us from the comfort of your own home – or outdoors – for a fascinating insight into the night sky. Stephen Mackintosh (Highland Astronomy) is a freelance astronomer, night sky photographer and STEM educator based in the Highlands of Scotland. He delivers public outreach astronomy talks, tours, and private stargazing events at select dark sky locations around the Inverness area and wider Highlands. Stephen will be on hand to answer any questions you have, from ancient astronomy to what you can see in the night sky right now. Once you have booked your tickets we will email you an online link to access the event.
Photo: Lisa Attard
RENZO SPITERI: Stillness new date to be confirmed £10/£8
An Lanntair
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enzo Spiteri is a Shetland-based composer, percussionist and sound and multi-media artist who uses the sonic environment around him as primary source material that not only sets the tone to his work but is also a powerful source of inspiration. Following the postponement of his live performance of Stillness, the Hebridean Dark Skies Festival has commissioned Renzo to create an audio track designed to be listened to in darkness, in order to replicate the kind of immersive experience created in Renzo’s live performances. Listeners are encouraged to listen to this new work on speakers, earphones or headphones to get the most out of the textures and sounds created. The track will be available to listen to online from Thursday 18 February, the date when Stillness was due to be performed at An Lanntair. Renzo’s live performance of Stillness will now be rescheduled to later in the year.
Dark Skies photography exhibition Sat 6 Feb - Sat 27 Mar ONLINE preview: Fri 5 Feb 7pm An Lanntair
T
he Hebridean Dark Skies Festival takes place against the backdrop of some of most extraordinary dark skies in the whole of the UK – with breath-taking scenery to match. In winter in particular, many astronomical sights can be seen through the naked eye including the Orion Nebula (over 1,500 light years away), the Milky Way Galaxy, and one of the Milky Way’s companion galaxies the Great Andromeda Galaxy. The Northern Lights, Aurora Borealis, can also be seen from the islands, one of the very best spots in the UK for watching this incredible phenomenon. For three years now our photography competition has showcased some of the most striking images of our incredible dark skies. Pictured is our 2020 competition winner, Callanish and the Cosmos by Scott Davidson.
immerse hebrides night swim Tues 9 & Wed 10 Feb ÂŁ25pp
A
TBC
night-time adventure with Immerse Hebrides and Stornoway Astronomical Society. Join Immerse Hebrides for a swim in the cold Hebridean waters amongst the moon and stars. Following your swim we’ll have a short astronomical talk from a member of Stornoway Astronomical Society and sip some hot chocolate around the fire on the shore whilst warming up. The swim will be in the Stornoway/Broadbay area and final location will be confirmed when conditions are clearer. Book tickets at www.immersehebrides.com
Into Darkness with Mairi Gillies MON 8 FEB 7.30pm MON 15 FEB 7.30pm
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an darkness unlock your creativity?
Lewis-based visual artist Mairi Gillies teaches people how to discover the creative potential of venturing out into the night. For this year’s Hebridean Dark Skies Festival she will lead two inspiring online group workshops. WORKSHOP ONE – Monday 8 February, 7.30pm-9pm The first workshop, on Monday 8 February, will equip you with all the tools and techniques you need for some solo night-time art adventures, and help you set some creative goals for the following week. WORKSHOP TWO – Monday 15 February, 7.30pm-9pm The second workshop will offer an opportunity to reflect on your experiences and share your work with fellow participants. Into Darkness is aimed at all levels of thinkers and makers, from established artists to newbies in the making. All necessary art materials will be provided but must be collected in advance from An Lanntair. If you need materials posted to you, please contact andrew@lanntair.com with your full postal address at least one week before the first workshop.
Online
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t’s cold, it’s dark, so join us around our virtual campfire for some winter-warming conversations with fascinating people, in association with the Scotsman newspaper. All are available for free via An Lanntair’s website. Karine Polwart The acclaimed Scottish singer-songwriter has always been fascinated by stargazing. We catch up with her about art, astronomy, and her new show inspired by supernovas. Kari Leibowitz Meet the American health psychologist known internationally for her ‘wintertime mindset’ strategies to help people cope with long hours of darkness, based on her research in Tromsø, Norway.
Bethany Rigby The London-based artist is the creator of Outer Hebrides // Outer Space, a new research project that explores our islands’ astronomical significance, from the Neolithic Age of celestial observation to present day plans for Spaceport 1, the UK’s first vertical satellite launch site. Renzo Spiteri Ahead of his festival performance of Stillness, we talk to the Shetland-based musician, composer and sound artist about how island life has inspired his work. Sheona Urquhart An astrophysicist who has lived and worked all over the world, Sheona Urquhart spent much of her childhood in the north of Scotland gazing at the stars. Sheona has family connections on Lewis and is delighted to be ‘coming home’ as part of our festival programme.
Campfire Conversations FROM JANUARY
In association with
Dark Skies workshops FRI 12 Feb
sat 13 Feb
Dark Skies movement & dance workshop
Kinetic space mobile
Join an intergalactic mission and explore the planets in this fun movement workshop. Friday 12 February, 11am – 12pm, Sandwickhill Studios, age 5 - 8
Design a spacecraft Use your design skills and imagination to invent a vessel for exploring space. Friday 12 February, 1 – 2pm, An Lanntair Education Room, age 5 - 8
Moon collagraph prints Experiment making textured surfaces and using intaglio printmaking to produce lunar prints. Friday 12 February, 3 – 4pm, An Lanntair Education Room, age 8 – 12
Make a space themed intergalactic hanging mobile. Saturday 13 February, 1 – 2pm, An Lanntair Education Room, age 5 - 8
Cyanotype prints Explore this fascinating process which uses sunlight or ultraviolet to expose images on chemical coated paper. Saturday 13 February, 3 - 4pm, An Lanntair Education Room, age 8 - 12
Full Circle Workshops for families All Full Circle workshops during the week beginning 8th February will we on the theme of Space exploration! Family Music, Movement + Dance; and Creative Play workshops run in community venues throughout Lewis and Harris. Check the Education section of An Lanntair’s website for workshops close to you.
These workshops may be subject to change due to new Covid 19 rules. Ticket-holders will be updated as soon as possible.
festival diary
FEBRUARY Friday 5 February
Friday 12 February
Opening night preview, 7pm
Dark Skies family workshops – An Lanntair TBC
Saturday 6 February Tamsin Edwards, 6pm
Saturday 13 February
Dallas Campbell, 8.30pm
Dark Skies family workshops – An Lanntair TBC
Monday 8 February
Monday 15 February
Into Darkness with Mairi Gillies, 7.30pm
Into Darkness with Mairi Gillies, 7.30pm
A Memory of Darkness by Louise Beer, 8pm
Thursday 18 February
Tuesday 9 February
Renzo Spiteri
Immerse Hebrides Night Swim, 7pm
Friday 19 February
Wednesday 10 February
Lumen Printing Online Workshop, 10Am
Immerse Hebrides Night Swim, 7pm
Saturday 20 February
Thursday 11 February Highland Astronomy Live Online, 7.30pm
lanntair.com/darkskies | 01851 708480 | info@lanntair.com |
@AnLanntair
Solargraph Making Online Workshop, 10am