Case Study: Culture Fund 2023-2024

Our project was to host a painting workshop and an evening of music with Sarah McFadyen to coincide with Sarah's exhibition at Hoy Heritage Centre. Sarah McFadyen exhibited her Hoy & Walls large scale pair of map paintings - a diptych commissioned by TRACS (Traditional Arts & Culture Scotland) to make a Parish Map which would reflect what the folk of Hoy & Walls claim as their own locality and what they value in it. Exhibiting these two maps together gave us an opportunity to unite the two communities through art and music. We also showed and the 'Hoy & Walls Crankie' Sarah made with the kids from the North Walls school - a manually moving scroll of the pupil's drawings of their island.

The evening event went well despite ferry cancellations meaning that we were not able to have people over from the mainland or Graemsay. This meant it was an island only affair and our estimated audience of 60 was reduced to 35. However this was a remarkable turnout for an island only event at Hoy Heritage Centre and we felt we had achieved our aim to engage more with the parish of Walls. There was an artist Q& A allowing the audience to hear more about Sarah's practice and the method around creating the paintings which were made in collaboration with the community. Sarah is originally from Walls and she was joined on stage by her well known musician father Ian MacFadyen an.

The workshop on Sunday went well with very positive responses from the 8 participants. We asked Sarah as the artist to give her feedback on the evening event and the workshop:

"The opening event for the Hoy & Walls Parish Map & Andrew Parkinson's Rackwick exhibition was a very warm and joyous evening. A lovely number of locals from all over the island turned up in good time for soup and wine, which the Hoy Kirk committee delivered wonderfully. Unfortunately the numbers were not as high as expected due to the last minute ferry cancellation, meaning people from Graemsay and the Mainland were unable to come as planned.

Rebecca Marr was a very supportive person to have by my side while we discussed the project which delivered the Hoy & Walls Parish Map paintings.

It was amazing to have this event as a great reason to get on the stage with my Dad and play some fiddle tunes and a couple of songs, including Rootin Aboot In The Heather by the one and only late Billy Budge of Longhope.

The evening was topped off wonderfully with John Budge and my Dad Ian playing for a couple of dances on accordion and guitar. This was a great trip down memory lane as they used to play for a lot of the dances in the YM when I was young.

The painting workshop on Sunday was equally as successful.
This was my very first painting workshop for adults and I couldn't have been more supported. Firstly by The Hoy Heritage Centre who got funding for the event, therefore making it free for the participants. This also meant that it felt there was less pressure on me in delivering my first workshop. And secondly, the participants who were a very friendly, gentle and supportive group, which meant we all held and helped each other, resulting in a really relaxed and fun day which produced very exciting and energetic work.
I would be delighted to be able to do this again in the Hoy Kirk sometime."

This project has led to the community wishing to keep Sarah's MacFadyen's paintings on permanent display at the Hoy Heritage Centre. We are currently seeking funding to make this happen. Meantime the works have been left on display at the venue. This is an unexpected and heartening response speaking as it does of community engagement and a desire for public ownership of an artwork. It is doubtless that this could have been achieved without the associated events around the exhibition which elevated the show and increased engagement.

For Sarah it has given her the opportunity to led her first painting workshop despite being a well exhibited artist. Sarah does not live in Orkney at the moment and the funding allowed her to travel back to the island to be there for the presentation of her work, to ruin a workshop and for her to perform. She has expressed an interest in working with our organisation in the future.