DEPOPULATION, depression and the other difficulties of island life are to come under examination at a new festival being launched in the Outer Hebrides.
The Las!/Ignite! Festival – designed by young adults for young adults – will see a group of young creatives take over An Lanntair arts centre in Stornoway for two weeks in October with an event built around the theme of Change.
The programme has been devised by young adults aged between 16 and 26 and is part of the Scottish Government’s Year of Young People 2018.
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Indie folk band The Elephant Sessions – chosen by the young organisers – will headline the event on October 12.
One of the aims of Las!/Ignite! is to inspire and equip young people to pursue employment that enables them to remain on, or move back to, the islands.
The creative sector is crucial to the local islands’ economy and a free event involving professionals working in areas such as jewellery or game design will examine how to develop and grow careers in the creative industries.
Young artists will also have the opportunity to exhibit paintings, photography and sculptural works alongside the highlights of recent artistic exchanges between textiles and film-making students from Shetland and the Outer Hebrides.
Cinema screenings will be on offer over the course of the festival, along with gaming competitions and workshops. The event will end on October 25.
There is a serious side to the festival with a series of talks and discussions exploring subjects close to the hearts of many island people today, such as mental health, body positivity and identity.
Reflections on island living will also be highlighted in an exhibition of objects chosen by young adults as being of some importance to them. That will take place at North Uist’s Taigh Chearsabhagh Museum and Arts Centre.
Collecting for 2048 will feature items which the young curators believe will have little or no place in a child’s life in 30 years’ time.
Ella Macaulay, the 23-year-old director of Las!/Ignite! Festival, is a native of the small island of Great Bernera off the west coast of Lewis.
She said: “I bucked the trend by moving back to the island after graduating and I am passionate about seeing young people flourish and contribute to sustainable island communities. That’s what this festival is all about.”
Elly Fletcher, chief executive of An Lanntair, added: “We are delighted to have the chance to hand over An Lanntair to young people this October. As we face significant depopulation here in the islands, it is crucial our local young people have the chance to shape our offer, so we can be relevant and serve our community – now and into the future. We have some incredibly talented and creative young islanders, and I for one cannot wait to see what this exciting new festival has in store for us.”
VisitScotland events director, Paul Bush, said: “Scotland is celebrating the Year of Young People in 2018 where the spotlight is shining on young people’s talents and contributions, giving them the opportunity to show the world what they are made of.
“We are delighted to be supporting Las!/Ignite! Festival as part of the Year of Young People 2018. The festival is really taking the ethos of the year to heart by ensuring young people are front and central to the development and delivery of a varied, innovative and creative programme of activity.”
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