High LAND / FEARANN Architecture Fringe 2018

As part of this year's Architecture Fringe COMMON SENSES, I co-produced an event called High LAND / FEARANN in collaboration with local activist, writer, translator and cartographer Raghnaid Sandilands and designer Zoë Prosser, formerly of Glasgow School of Art and now working as a Futures Researcher Studio Andthen.

A website was produced will full details of the event, which you can read here.

Initiated by a group of architects, designers, photographers, engineers, visual artists, curators and musicians the Architecture Fringe is an independent contributor-led series of projects and events across the arts which explores architecture and its impact. This year’s provocation was COMMON SENSES. Our event started with our Common Land - Fearann in Gaelic - and explored creative activism in the context of current land debates in the Scottish Highlands. One of the big reasons for holding this event was to celebrate 20 years of the Abriachan Forest Trust, which took land into community ownership in 1998. Abriachan was one of the first forestry buy-outs, paving the way for those that followed. Through workshops and creative conversations, we explored radical roots to new routes, recognising the vital importance of local culture. A generation later, what can we learn from the story of this place? How do we see our Highland landscape today? What will the Highlands of the future look like? What is the role of our generation? How do we light the touch papers for generations to come?

We were joined in the evening by musicians/performers Hamish Napier, Hamish MacDonald and Griogair Labhruidh for a ceilidh in the Abriachan Forest School.

Gàidhlig: 

Am bliadhna seo tha an Abrichan Forest Trust a’ comharrachadh 20 bliadhna bhon do ghabh iad stiùir air fearann ionadail às leth na coimhearsnachd. Tha an sgeulachd seo mar phàirt de sgeulachd nas fharsainge mu ath-leasachadh fearann ann an Alba ‘s aig a bheil freumhan radaigeach air a’ Ghàidhealtachd. Às dèidh 20 bliadhna agus ginealach, dè ghabhas ionnsachadh mu sgeulachd na h-àite seo?

Ciamar a tha sinn a’ faicinn cruth-tìre na Gàidhealtachd an-diugh? Cò ris a bhios Gàidhealtachd na h-àm ri teachd coltach? Dè dleasdanas ur ginealaich? Ciamar a lasas sinn falaisgear de bheachdan dhan an ath ghinealach?

Thigibh còmhla ruinn airson latha de dh’òraidean, bùthan-oibreach agus còmhraidhean air cultar agus iomaireateach chruthchail agus ionnsaich barrachd mu deasbanan timcheall air fearann air a’ Ghàidhealtachd san latha an-diugh.

English:

This year the Abriachan Forest Trust celebrates 20 years since it took ownership of local land on behalf of the community. This story is part of a much bigger story of land reform in Scotland that has its radical roots in the Highlands. Twenty years and a generation later, what can we learn from the story of this place?

How do we see our Highland landscape today? What will the Highlands of the future look like? What is the role of our generation? How do we light the touch papers for generations to come?

Join us for a day of talks, workshops and conversations on cultural and creative activism and learn more about contemporary land debates in the Highlands.