A collection of over 100 videotapes produced by communities in the Outer Hebrides in the late 1970s through the Cinema Sgìre project has been digitised, and made accessible to the community as part of a programme of film screenings.
An exhibition of the project, including film screenings, opens in Gallery 2 from 1st-25th August.
The films were produced under the Cinema Sgìre community education project, which was based mainly in Uist and Barra, and ran from October 1977 until March 1981. As well as providing a mobile cinema service, the project also delivered a community video production element which involved local communities learning to record videos of everyday life in the islands, when the format was in its infancy.
The tapes have been under the care of Museum nan Eilean, who have donated the collection to the Moving Image Archive (part of the National Library of Scotland), due to their specialist knowledge of film archives. Now, thanks to this partnership, the tapes have been preserved, digitised and made available online. Members of the community are encouraged to help identify those appearing in the videos and share their knowledge and recollections of the occasions and issues appearing in the archive, ranging from the opening of Iochdar and Vatersay Halls and the 1979 Royal Visit to Stornoway, to crofters gathered round a successful cattle sale in South Uist. Whether or not you remember the Cinema Sgìre of the time, there is sure to be something of interest to everybody!
The full Cinema Sgìre archive is now available on the National Library of Scotland’s Moving Image Archive. A free exhibition of the project, including film screenings, will be displayed in Gallery 2 at Taigh Chearsabhagh from 1st-25th August.
The programme of community screenings has now been completed, but if you, or anyone you know, had any involvement in the Cinema Sgìre recordings, behind or in front of the cameras, we would love to hear from you! Please contact: info@uistfilm.org You may also be interested in commenting on our Facebook page at Cinema Sgìre project
Past screenings:
Talla an Iochdair, South Uist, Thursday 27th April
Kildonan Museum, South Uist, Wednesday 10th May
Hebridean Film Festival, Carinish Hall, Tuesday 16th May, 7pm
Comann Eachdraidh Uibhist a Tuath, Carinish School, 23rd May, 7pm
Cnoc Soilleir, Daliburgh, South Uist, 24th May, 7pm
Castlebay Hall, Barra, 31st May, 7pm
Vatersay Hall, 1st June, 2pm
Kinloch Historical Society, Balallan, Lewis, 7th June, 2.30pm
Museum nan Eilean, Stornoway, 7th June, 6.30pm
Bays of Harris Community Centre, Leacklee, Harris, 8th June, 7pm
Outer Hebrides Wool Trail & Festival, Balivanich Hall, 10th June
Museum & Leabharlann nan Eilean, Liniclate, Benbecula, 13th June, 7pm
Talla an Iochdair, South Uist, 14th June, 2pm
Grimsay Community Association, Ceann na h-Àirigh, 19th June, 7.30pm
Comann Eachdraidh Nis, North Dell, 22nd June, 2pm
Scalpay Community Hall, 22nd June, 7.30pm
Online Gaelic screening, via Zoom, 29th June, 7pm
Taigh Chearsabhagh & online hybrid event, 13th July, 7pm
The project has been funded by Bòrd na Gàidhlig and The Gaelic Language Promotion Trust.
