VACMA: Martin Laird

Martin Laird is an artist and animator from Orkney, working in both traditional and digital media. He says his work is primarily concerned with his own cultural identity as both an Orcadian and a Scot – adding that he is motivated by “a sense of social conscience and concern for the future.”

Martin received a VACMA grant in 2020-21 and says it has helped him take advantage of recent advances in computer animation.

“While I have done sound recording and audio editing on video projects in the past, the equipment and training I purchased with the VACMA award has enabled me to take this in a new creative direction and work on animation and sound design in tandem in a way not previously possible to me.

“Creating animation on a computer can be very time consuming and hardware intensive. I had been working with hand-painted 2d cut-out animation, but am now able to make more use of 3d modelling and digital drawing tools, as well as render the results in less time.

“My first project taking advantage of this is an animated re-telling of an Orcadian folk tale, called The Fairy Dance, which draws on the wealth of history and folklore contained within traditional Scottish fiddle music and Orcadian legends about fiddlers playing for the "fairy folk". I really hope the Orkney public enjoy it.

Preview clips and more information can be found at thefairydance.com

“Thanks to the equipment and training I could access with my VACMA grant, I now feel more confident about trying something more complex in the future. Animation is a challenging art form limited only by imagination, and there is much to learn.”

Alongside writer Fiona Grahame Martin has also recently released an illustrated history book called Rebel Orkney, which is about various uprisings, protests, and activism that have taken place in Orkney over the last 850 years. This ranges from the betrayal and martyrdom of St. Magnus, to the Rousay clearances, to the uranium mining protests of the late 1970s.

Martin says the VACMA scheme has been instrumental in opening up new directions and opportunities: “I would encourage other VACMA applicants to think carefully about how the grant money might be used to advance their practice in new directions, or to realise projects that might otherwise be difficult.”

His top tip for applicants? “Just be straight-forward and informative.”

A playlist of some of Martin’s video work can be found on YouTube

"I applied to VACMA seeking funding for equipment to help me advance my computer animation skills and increase my productivity. Rendering computer graphics is hardware intensive and time consuming, and the equipment available to me was aging and somewhat limited."

"The inspiration for my current animation work is traditional Scottish fiddle music. There is a wealth of history and folklore contained within this music which I find fascinating. I selected a tune called The Fairy Dance for my story as it connects nicely with Orcadian legends about fiddlers playing for the 'fairy folk'. As sound is a key component of film making, especially one inspired by music, I purchased a microphone and sampler for use in recording and creative sound design."

The funding "..enabled me to purchase equipment and training materials [...] and allowed me to push myself creatively by experimenting with animation and sound design simultaneously."