Free summer event takes place against beautiful backdrop of Dumfries and Galloway’s Morton Castle
A star attraction at this weekend’s Environmental Art Festival Scotland is the unusual wooden sphere set afloat on the loch in front of the medieval Morton Castle.
The Urchin, which was shipped up specially from Mid-Wales for this weekend’s free public arts event in Dumfries and Galloway, is described as a “floating inhabited sculpture” or a “contemplation chamber”.
Created by Jenny Hall and Tabitha Pope of Craftedspace, it allows wet-suit clad festival-goers to spend time out on the water rather than just wandering the margins.
Jenny said: “Most of the time we can only see a loch from the shoreside, but the Urchin lets you get out onto the water to enjoy the beauty and tranquility of this wonderful place.”
This year’s event, badged as EAFS Off Grid, takes place against the impressive backdrop of the medieval castle, its loch and the surrounding hillsides.
It features art installations, performances and a project, called Quest, which sees riders from Annandale and Nithsdale cross the hills from Moffat on a 12-hour expedition carrying water from Hartfell Spring which is said to give special powers of wisdom to anyone who drinks it.
Among the 15 horsemen and women will be Cornets who take part in the annual ridings of the marches that take place across Dumfries and Galloway and the Scottish Borders.
Another attraction of the free public art event is a unicorn – a creature with strong mythical associations with wisdom and healing.
EAFS is about taking part in the art, rather than being a passive observer.
Robbie Coleman, a co-curator of EAFS, said: “It’s an art event in itself, not a show that one group is making for another group of people to come and stare at then go away. It’s about being a participant not an audience. We are an artist community hosting adventures in the landscape.”
Taking part will be fun. There will be a 100ft River of Fire Barbeque, created by Jools Cox from Castle Douglas, which will cook up fish caught in local rivers and other regional produce. A bread oven will bake loaves made from corn milled on the spot.
There will be a 30ft labyrinth, and performance by Toronto dancer Bill Coleman and also by Oceanallover. All fit with the festival’s themes which include hospitality, journeys, generosity and inventiveness.
Another key aspect of EAFS Off Grid will be the five fireside conversations initiated by artists, scientists, visionaries and people who work with the land. These will let people talk about subjects of every kind, such as how people need to adapt to create a more positive future.
The event’s main base will be near the castle and if the weather is fine, the evening sky will be lit by a supermoon – when the full moon looks especially large because it is at the closest point of its orbit round the earth.
Robbie said: “There is wild camping in the area round Morton Castle, creating a ‘village’ feel for 24 hours, long enough but small enough for everyone to get to know each other. They will go out during the day, into the surrounding hills and landscapes to enjoy the artworks and then have a pleasant place to return.”
One of the plans is to chart where festival visitors have come from – they already know that someone is arriving all the way from South Korea – and then to show their movements round the landscape during the event.
EAFS is an art event that participants shape themselves rather than being just a set of artworks and activities laid on by the organisers.
It is attracting visitors from all over Scotland, and beyond, along with people who work with the land, scientists, artists, environmentalists, cultural thinkers, poets and performers.
There will be many surprises and discoveries but one thing participants are sure of is that there will be plenty of hospitality and a sense of togetherness.
