Seashore Film Premier at a Seashore themed Summer Isles Festival

Did you ever want to know what lurks beneath your toes as you paddle in the crystal clear waters of the Highlands? When you dive or snorkel into the waves off the rocky promontories in summer, do you pass a thought to whose homes you are swimming over? To this end the Highland Seashore Project has come together with SubseaTV and the composer Mairearad Green to create an original four-minute film showcasing the lesser-known Highland homes that dwell around our shores. The film will be premiered at the Summer Isles Festival on the 29th of August as part of a whole host of Seashore related events and activities, together with the usual weekend of quality music from local musicians and bands, who will be providing top billing at two evenings of the best live music this year.

SubSeaTv’s cameraman Andy Jackson and writer and narrator Jackie Daly, known for their work with BBC1, BBC 2 and National Geographic, have created the underwater film. The film is entirely based beneath the waters off the coast of the Highlands, from hundreds of hours of dives by Andy to achieve the perfect four-minute story. Together with the magical tones of Mairearad’s score, the film is a moving introduction to a world most of us cannot see, a delicate and beautiful ballet of life.

"The Summer Isles Festival is delighted to open proceedings on Saturday the 29th August, by launching this specially made film from Highland Seashore Biodiversity project. This is one of many exciting seashore activities happening at the festival and made possible with the support from the Highland Seashore Biodiversity Project. Our coast, the heritage and nature of our shores has always been an inspiration to my music and to celebrate this by writing music for this film has been an absolute joy and privilege to work on. To further promote our shores, I will be including the composition on my forthcoming solo album ‘Summer Isles,’ which will be released at the beginning of next year and will be available to buy at http://www.mairearadgreen.com/ This collaboration with Andy and Jackie has been the start of hopefully many creative projects to highlight the diverse coast of Scotland.” Said musician and composer, Mairearad Green.

Jackie Daly has done the narration for the film. She said, “The Highland Seashore Biodiversity Project aims to enthuse people, aged eight to eighty about the diversity of life in the shallow waters of the Highlands. The film is colourful and captivating with a vibrant musical score to set the mood. The narrative is built around the theme of Scottish hospitality, exploring which sort of homes - and welcomes - we might find underwater.”

Janet Ullman the Highland Seashore Project Coordinator said: “It’s all about getting people out on to the coast and appreciating the wonder of it all. The new film and music are part of that, the images and music are inspirational, enough to create a sense of wonder in anyone. It has been an honour and a privilege to work with Mairearad, Andy and Jackie, who are masters of their art and have such a love of the sea that you can actually feel that coming through when you watch and listen to this film. ”

After the premier the film will be launched on Social media including the Highland Seashore Project web site http://www.highlandbiodiversity.com/seashore.asp, You Tube, Vimeo and http://subseatv.net/.

The Summer Isles Festival will host the first ever-local showcase at Coigach Community Hall starting on Friday 28th August. Achiltibuie has a wealth of talented musicians and this concert will provide a platform for up-and-coming locals alongside more established artists. Confirmed acts so far are Festival Director and accordionist, Mairearad Green, local young musician Joseph Peach, with his band Tannara and local tradition bearer, Ali Beag Macleod will be performing with Kevin Macleod from ceilidh band, The Occasionals.

This year’s Festival has a Highland seashore theme following the award of funding from the Highland Seashore Biodiversity Project and planning assistance from Highland Countryside Ranger Reuben Brown and Living Seas Officer Noel Hawkins. On the 29th August there will be a day of Seashore events and entertainments. Festivalgoers are invited to design and make a ship, liner or fishing boat using driftwood, scraps, sticks and odds and ends at a Driftwood Boat Building Workshop with local artist Julia Campbell. Other activities include Garbanimal building with Chapel Croft Creatures and an educational fire extravaganza with Fly Agaric. The Living Seas Officer Noel Hawkins will be on hand with his own special blend of information and activities for all marine life lovers. With a Highland Seashore Project favourite, Bob Pegg, theatre is a welcome addition to this year’s programme, and emerging Scottish company Play Pieces will present two performances of Warrior Blues, taking a story that is nearly 3000 years old, and retelling it for the 21st century. To book any of the Festival dates please go to: http://summerislesfestival.com/.

Part of the Highland Seashore Project is to encourage local people to get involved in all things seashore whether it is natural history, the heritage of the coast or the impact of the seashore in local communities today. To this end the project has funded eight regional arts festivals covering the seven coastal regions of Caithness, Sutherland, Easter Ross, Wester Ross, Skye & Lochalsh, Lochaber, and Inverness & Nairn. Festivals reflected the local communities’ unique histories and heritage; they have included ceilidhs with local musicians, songs, poems, stories and artwork that have been inspired by the sea and coast.

There have also been a number of Seashore Days across the Highlands, which have been hosted by local communities, proud to show off their Seashores and supported with the assistance of the Highland Seashore Project, which was launched in 2013 as a three-year initiative to get local communities out on their shores and appreciate unique our Highland Coasts are. To find out more about the other festivals and events please go to the project web site at http://www.highlandseashore.org.uk/ and go to the festivals page or the project Facebook page at Highland Seashore Biodiversity Project.