Culture Fund: Westside Cinema

Coastal Connections Project

Actual audience figures for the film screening were nearly 50% higher than forecast, and a 4.75/5 ping-pongometer score (our audience feedback system) was our highest for many years.

Our invited director Eva Charlotte Nilsen travelled with her husband and both were invited to be guests of honour for Norwegian Constitution Day on May 17th. Eva gave a speech outside St Magnus Cathedral and her husband Erik Bugge gave a speech at the dinner reception in the evening. This was a nice positive outcome which wasn't forecast and made their visit extra special.

The connection with Orkney Norway Friendship Association was very positive with many of their members attending the screening. I also attended May 17th celebrations and the dinner reception and formed a good relationship between ONFA and West Side.

We had very good feedback from Orkney Voices who really embraced the challenge of taking part in the event and really enjoyed the film too. Their new work that they presented worked wonderfully with the themes of the film. We also had a very good turnout for the presentation at Stromness Museum and Holly Young appreciated the platform and enjoyed the evening.

A nice opportunity happened when the RSPB invited us to take part in the Nature Cruise for Orkney Nature Festival aboard the Hamnavoe, which would have involved readings from Orkney Voices, a presentation from Eva Charlotte Nilsen and a looped screening of my film 'Surface'. Unfortunately, due to well known complications with the Pentalina, the Hamnavoe had to run extra sailings and cancel the cruise. Whilst this would have hugely increased our audience figures, the opportunity demonstrated the interest and support for our activities. We had to revert back to our original plans of a shoreline ramble. Because there was already a shoreline ramble with Stromness Museum programmed for the festival (which we hadn't known about for the application), we felt we didn't want to duplicate this and so decided to join the SM ramble instead.

The event has been a great success, created new partnerships here in Orkney, and new connections and friendships in Norway. We gave an appreciated platform to creative artists and know that we can work with these artists again. The event was a welcome boost having been devoid of special events for the last 3 years and gives us the the much-needed incentive to get back to our events based programming.

Director Eva posted on her website about her visit
https://www.rampelys.no/news