A script development project funded by The Highland Festival and the Scottish Arts Council with in kind support from Eden Court has been taking place in Skye and Lochalsh since May 2004, led by Kati Kozikowska, out-reach drama worker for Eden Court and cultural co-ordinator for the area.

So far Kati and Glenelg based playwright Eddie Stiven have worked with 106 young people in six primary schools and two local youth theatres, mainly in Lochalsh, on the legends surrounding the story of the MacCrimmon Pipers.  This process has helped Eddie develop his ideas for the play script and focus on the way the material communicates with young people.

Rosie Somerville, who initiated the project whilst working as the Highland Festival's Arts in the Community Enabler said; "We've been beavering away with plans for the project for some time now.  Having dividing the pre-production work into stages, with Script Development beginning in May this year, we're now ready to look at how music for the pipes and percussion can be worked into the finished script.  In this way, we aim to provide potential participants with a completed script and proposed musical treatment for the production.  This is essential to taking the plans forward and accessing funding for the final production.

"The next stage is to employ a Musical Director.  Due to the importance of the piping elements of the play, which is called 'Carmina Crimmonia' we envisage a specialist piper and a more general MD but would welcome approaches from individuals who are able cover both piping and the more general musical elements".

There are also plans to follow up the musical treatment of the script with an Audio Visual project, which will run side by side with the recruitment phase for the final production. 

For a full project proposal and brief for the Musical directors initial work contact Rosie Somerville on 01470 532 436 or email rosie49@btinternet.com

This project is funded by The Highland Festival & The Scottish Arts Council