What’s it like to live a creative life in the Outer Hebrides? In this new podcast, part of An Lanntair’s Artist Support programme, we talk to Lewis-based musicians, visual artists, film-makers and more about the benefits, and challenges, of living and working far away from Scotland’s central belt. The podcast is hosted by An Lanntair’s artist support co-ordinator Andrew Eaton-Lewis and supported by the Foyle Foundation.
EPISODE ONE: Keith Morrison (Wee Studio)
Keith Morrison, Wee Studio founder and label boss to Peat & Diesel, the Laurettes and more, explains what the Isle of Lewis means to him, what it takes to make a living from music, and why Hebrideans are like the aliens from Avatar.
EPISODE TWO: Mairi Gillies
Gaelic visual artist Mairi Gillies explains the importance of language and landscape to her work, and how walking barefoot through mountains and moors can change the way you look at the world.
EPISODE THREE: Peter Urpeth
Peter Urpeth is a musician and writer who grew up in the south England and has lived on the Isle of Lewis for over 25 years. In a wide-ranging conversation, he touches on love, grief, creativity, childhood, and the ‘deep subterranean forces’ that might have brought him to the Hebrides.
EPISODE FOUR: MHAIRI LAW
Mhairi Law is a photographer and founder of Island Darkroom, which runs residencies and exhibitions from the village of Achmore. She talks about her journey to the Hebrides, from a farmhouse in the Scottish Borders via the Faroe Islands and Chile, and how the people, landscape and traditions of Lewis have shaped her life and work.