New Gaelic Arts Residency with Tobar an Dualchais and ATLAS Arts

New Gaelic Arts Residency with Tobar an Dualchais and ATLAS Arts

I am over the moon to announce that I have been selected for a Gaelic Arts Residency to explore and create work inspired by the oral heritage recordings from the Tobar an Dualchais (TAD) online archive. The residency is run in partnership with and supported by ATLAS Arts on Skye.

Born and raised in the Highlands, my work is very much inspired by the context within which I live. My practice is deeply connected to my local heritage, culture and life, so this opportunity feels very meaningful. My hope is that by celebrating stories from the past through a contemporary and sensitive lens, I can help to secure their place in our future.

TAD Director, Flòraidh Forrest explained: “Working with creative people in local communities is very important to us and I’m excited to be supporting Iseabal through this residency, in partnership with ATLAS Arts. As part of Iseabal’s time with us she will be attending our ‘Creative Connections’ online course later this month which will be a great opportunity for her to learn more about the precious recordings on the TAD website and to inspire her own creative practice.”

Ainslie Roddick of ATLAS Arts added: “After the success of the last three years of residencies at Tobar an Dualchais, we are looking forward to working with Iseabal, and to seeing her research and work develop during her residency. At ATLAS Arts we’re keen to create opportunities to explore, learn with, preserve, celebrate and imagine the future of Gaelic with many different people across the Gàidhealtachd. The residency with Tobar an Dualchais is a very positive example of the ways in which we do this.”

I will be completing the residency on a part-time basis over the course of this year and will share the progress of my work on my website and on Instagram and hope to share my final body of work either in person or through professional imagery and writing, with the support of Atlas Arts.

The residency is supported by Creative Scotland’s Targeted Gaelic Arts Development fund. Previous artists who have been awarded the residency are Calum Ferguson (2022), Mairi Gillies (2021) and Catherine Weir (2020).