So here we are. About to start the production process for Pibroch – the Performance and eagerly awaiting a printer’s proof of Pibroch – the Collection. It has been a long, fascinating journey, summarised in part in the Developing Pibroch page of this site. The journey onwards, however, will be recorded here as an artist blog as we struggle with the meaning and articulation of Pibroch post-COP26.
From the outset, back in 2019, my focus had always been on launching both elements just before COP26 in Glasgow, an act of activism and engagement intended to raise awareness and, especially, encourage audiences to reflect on the meaning of Climate Justice and a ‘Just Transition’.
COVID-19, of course, intervened. COP26 slipped back a year and, as a consequence of cancer treatment during 2018, I was ‘locked down’ for most of 2020 as one of the ‘highly vulnerable’ in Scottish society. It was a year of frustration but also an opportunity to deepen my thinking and practice around the Pibroch project.
It was also a time of (virtual) engagement with other artists who acted as mentors, guides and supporters in developing the various elements of the project especially the performance, musical and audio-visual aspects.
Timelines slipped to the right, however, in the face of pandemic uncertainties (which still haunt us) and the nitty-gritty detail of any collaborative art. The latter element was much aggravated by my inexperience in the processes and economics of theatrical production.
Now, however, we are finally ready to begin the next stage of the journey with a great team onboard including
Mark Thomson, award winning director and former Artistic Director of the Royal Lyceum in Edinburgh,
Graeme Roger, an award-winning audio-visual designer from wildbird based in Moray,
Arthur Coates, a talented young multi-instrumentalist from Aberdeenshire
and the collective talents of Open Road, a creative, entrepreneurial organisation rooted in North East Scotland (‘the North’), but with a global vision. Opern Road uses arts, culture, heritage and the natural landscape to contribute towards health and wellbeing, tourism and environmental sustainability. .
Rehearsals for the show will be during January 2022 with a view to a premiere at Glenbuchat Hall in Strathdon on 15th January 2022.
I am grateful to Creative Scotland and the National Lottery for funding to support the development of the performance elements of the Pibroch project and to Red Squirrel Press for their support in editing, collating and designing my second collection.
Wish us all luck!
