Thanks to the Harris Community for their support of the new Harris Carnival & Arts Festival in August 2018
Posted on
On behalf of Rural Nations Scotland CIC and Harris Arts & Heritage volunteers I wish to thank the communities of Tarbert, Leverburgh and wider Harris for their participation in and support of the recent first Harris Carnival and Arts Festival.
The people and organisations we specifically wish to thank include:-
Thanks to local businesses and organisations, The Harris Hotel, The Essences factory, Lodge St Clements and the Cal Mac offices for supporting the first artists rooms project which promoted the work of Island artists.
Special thanks go to the Harris Advertisers in the Festival programme- The Anchorage, the Clachan, The Harris Marinas, Jabble Puppets and Machair Kitchen, Essence of Harris, without your cash contributions the Festival could not have proceeded to the scale it did.
Thanks to the staff at Harris House for hosting the Swedish older people’s choir performance.
Special thanks go to John Murdo Morrison for supplying the Harris Archive films and thanks to the Lodge St Clement’s for the use of the Tarbert Masonic Hall for the Pop up Cinema. Over 155 people saw the Harris Archive films in this wonderful venue during the Festival.
Iain Smith and CNES licensing department for helping us licence the unusual spaces and outdoor locations. Also, to Phil Berton for supervising the Tarbert road closure and John M Macleod of Technical Services for helping us with the Safety Plan and delivery of the Carnival Procession.
Thanks to Maggie Smith and the Psalmboat community for an excellent presentation on traditions of psalm singing outdoors and to the Bays Centre for hosing the event.
Special thanks to the Church of Scotland Tarbert and the Cal Mac Port office in Tarbert for allowing their car parks to be used for local food and charity stalls and visiting singers and performers following the Carnival procession.
Thanks to all the local food caterers, Flavour, The Ancorage, The Harris Hotel, The Bays Centre, Hotel Hebrides and Horgabost caterers who provided wonderful food in great locations for our 35 international guests.
Special thanks to Roddy at Scalpay Minibuses who looked after the transportation of the international visitors to and from events and to their Harris accommodations.
Thanks go to Tarbert Community Centre for supporting the Festival events and the Harris and Lewis Craft Markets for adding a fantastic promotion of high quality island craft making over the three days.
Special thanks go to Marguerita Williams for presenting a felting workshop during the Festival and to the artists who presented work at the Artists rooms, Iona Molleston, Sandra Kennedy, Elaine Murray, John Maher, Tom Hickman and Geoff Stear.
Thanks go to everyone who attended the various Reclaim workshops in Stornoway and Tarbert in the weeks leading up to the Carnival, workshops leaders Caroline Chaffer (Harris Banner), Muriel Ann Macleod (willow creatures and puppets) Annalie Sinfield (childrens boats and headbands), Rachel Kennedy (Buffone workshops).
Special thanks go to all those who took part in our International Ceilidh event, Karina & Holly, Scott Bennet, young highland dancers, Joao Martins, The Swedish Choir, John Materson, Maggie Smith, Roddy Macdonald and Paul & Annalie who ran the bar.
Special thanks to Technical Manager Mike Adkins, stage manager Bethan Rowlands and volunteers Owen Bugler and the Harris Arts promoters, Jerry Luty, Wendy, John Masterson, Joyce and Mike, who worked so hard behind the scenes to support all the events.
Special thanks go to our visiting International job shadower in from Latvia – Ilga Vālodze Ābele
Thanks go to The Mission House and the jazz performers for presenting such an interesting and inspiring event.
Thank you to everyone who came out and supported the outdoor events, rural venues and the Tarbert Carnival procession.
Thanks go to our Reclaim the Future Funders, Creative Europe, Creative Scotland, CNES Creative Industries, The Harris Councillors and local Harris business advertisers. We also especially want to thank out international partners in Sweden, Portugal, Latvia and France without their input through visiting performances, work placements and inspiration we would not have been able to deliver such an interesting and outward looking International Festival for Harris.
The final part of the Reclaim the Future European Project takes place in Brussels where a small Carnival will be presented with performers from each European partner area. The Harris banner will be carried in the Brussels Carnival procession and will be exhibited in a Gallery space in Brussels. The two short films made during the Harris Festival - The Harris Carnival & Festival events and the Eve v Lucy extreme Harris locations film - will be showcased in a public gallery space in Brussels during the 19th to 22nd of September 2018.
It was a great pleasure to work with Annalie Sinfield the Harris Arts and Heritage Volunteer promoter who did so much to develop and support the local community participation in the 2018 Carnival and Arts Festival and it is really positive for the Reclaim the Future project and the communities of Harris that this Festival can go on to be developed next year in the safe hands of Harris Arts and Heritage
Muriel Ann Macleod, Creative Director, Rural Nations Scotland CIC. Stornoway.