Join us, either in Taigh Chearsabhagh or online, for an evening of poetry and photography. Valerie Gillies will give readings from a new collection of work that celebrates Scotland’s wild grasses, and project some of Rebecca Marr’s photographs, sharing insights into their collaborative way of working.
Valerie will talk about recognising the grasses, spending time in their living world, coming to know their names. She will explore why it is good for our well-being to be outside watching the grasses moving in the breeze, how it has a positive impact on us to see their diversity.
The event will close with a discussion with the audience about their own experiences of the world of the grasses.
You can join us for this event in two ways. To be part of the audience in Taigh Chearsabhagh, book a free ticket below. If you would rather join from home, please book a free ticket for online attendance, in order to receive the Zoom invitation. The link will be emailed out shortly before the event begins.
Valerie Gillies is an internationally known and highly regarded poet, formerly Edinburgh Makar. She is a regular contributor to major anthologies, an inspirational teacher of creative writing and has held several writing fellowships across the country. Valerie was a literary arts practitioner in psychiatric and general hospitals with Artlink and is now a trainer with Lapidus. She often works collaboratively with visual artists.
Rebecca Marr is a photographic artist who grew up in the Highlands and now lives in Orkney. She set up her own darkroom while still at school and went on to study photography at Napier University in Edinburgh. As well as teaching photography, recent projects have included the medicinal flora of Orkney and an ongoing fascination with seaweed.
For more information on Valerie and Rebecca’s collaboration, see their website When the grass dances.
Image credit: Valerie Gillies