Arts Summer School 2006

This year saw the 9th annual Taigh Chearsabhagh Arts Summer School held 31st July - 5th August, incorporating Visual Art, Dance & Music. This is the third year that students were accommodated at QinetiQ West Camp and took part in workshops and activities in Sgoil Lionacleit; and it has been one of the most successful years yet with 26 students taking part. The students, all aged between 12 - 18 worked hard towards a public performance, which was held in Sgoil Lionacleit theatre on Saturday the 5th of August.

Rachel Campbell, 18, one of the students, said "This is my fifth year at summer school and the show at the end of the week makes all our hard work and effort worthwhile."

The performance incorporated everything they learnt over the week from their tutors, Sarah MacIntyre and Margaret MacCormick, visual art, John Somerville, of Croft No. Five, and Griogair Lawrie music and Yvonne Young and Pamela Younie of Ydance.

Kati Haddow, 14, declared that the Summer School was "better than Paris!"

Summer School wasn't just all work though, in the evenings students had a variety of further activities to take part in including swimming and badminton at Sgoil Lionacleit, a night at Balivanich's Youth Café and a Talent Night at West Camp.

Susannah Bolton, 13, revealed "This my first year at summer school, I'm really enjoying it. I would defiantly come back next year."

Funding was received from Western Isles Enterprise and Community Economic Development, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, Scottish Arts Council & Gift Aid.