Community Projects
Vallay Field Trip 2007
Seall Bhallaigh Community Field Trip, May 2007. This event covered two days and included an overnight camping trip and field recording workshop plus an open day for the general public to come over to Vallay and learn about the archaeology and history of the island. One popular location was the temporary tea tent with hospitality and home baking on offer.
Seoladh 2008
The historic Grimsay built boat Morning Star ran a trip from Kallin Pier in Grimsay to the Wee Pier at Lochmaddy and returning back down the unspoiled east coast of North Uist and through the channels on the west side of the island of Ronaigh. These two voyages offered people a different perspective of the coastline and narrow entrances to the sea lochs on the largely uninhabited east side of the island.
Knitted Fish 2008
Knitted Fish project, part of the Deirdre Nelson residency held at Taigh Chearsabhagh in early 2008
This project was part of the 4 month Elements & Environment residency undertaken by Deirdre Nelson early in 2008. People were invited to knit or felt a small fish to add to a colourful shoal in the Museum that accompanied Deirdre’s exhibition Knitting Fog.
At the end of the year the fish were auctioned off to raise funds for the RNLI Yellow Wellie Challenge. The target of £1000 was exceeded and Taigh Chearsabhagh received the Wackiest Wellie award from the RNLI for being the most creative fundraising organisation in the national campaign.
Ceilidh in the Caravan & Pictures at the Peats 2009
Two slightly different events that featured a digital compilation of film converted from the Cinema Sgire video archive. Originally part of a community film project in the late 1970’s and early 1980’s, Cinema Sgire recorded daily activities, local industries of the time, events and general interest stories. For this event, a twenty minute movie was produced from a selection of Cinema Sgire tapes and toured to various locations in North and South Uist in the Mobile Picture Salon, a towing caravan cleverly converted into a small cinema.
Community Quilt 2009
Community Quilt, produced by members of the public in partnership with Uist based Wool Development Group
In partnership with the Uist based Wool Development Group, Taigh Chearsabhagh ran a series of public workshops at local agricultural shows and games, in schools and at the Museum to encourage people to create wool squares (15cm x 15cm) that would be stitched together to celebrate the colour and flexibility of wool as a material.
An overwhelming response was made by the public and a total of five individual quilts were produced.
The finished quilts were shown at the Michaelmas Open Day in Grimsay and in the Croft to Craft exhibition at Taigh Chearsabhagh and are now available for display in other venues.
Primetime 2007-2010
The Primetime Project was an arts & heritage project for older people. The initial Primetime activities were run between 2004-2006 and owing to its success, funding for a further project was secured from the Big Lottery Fund (3 years) and Lloyds TSB Foundation (1 year). The second edition of the Primetime project started in November 2007 and has recently come to an end. Development plans are underway for a new major arts & heritage outreach project TURAS (Journey) that will aim to reach the whole of the community building on the strengths, outcomes and reflections of both Primetime projects.
