Visitors to Armadale Castle in Sleat will encounter the unexpected when they visit the coastal gardens of the castle.
Thanks to a programme of grants available to creative individuals across the Highlands and Islands, a major new sculpture has been created in the Castle gardens by local artist, Julie Brook. The sculpture was unveiled during the 16th Fèis an Eilein to mark a new visual arts strand to the Skye festival's programme, and is part of the current site-specific visual arts show at Armadale Castle Gardens entitled Fosgailte/Exposed.

HI~Arts, the arts development agency for the Highlands and Islands, manages the small grant awards scheme for visual artists, craftworkers, writers and musicians. The scheme has been made possible by devolved funding from Highlands and Islands Enterprise and the Scottish Arts Council.

Julie Brook, a celebrated visual artist from the Isle of Skye, is one of latest artists to have benefited from the scheme. With help from the fund, Julie has fulfilled an ambition to develop a significant sculptural work in Armadale Castle Gardens, within and for her own community.

Julie reports: ”It is really exciting to make such an ambitious piece near to where I live in such a magnificent setting. Usually if I make very large work it is for urban based projects. I feel excited for the great potential of the Gardens for other artists to come and make work.”

The Sculpture

The recently completed sculpture is situated on a flat area of grass in the gardens, overlooking the sea and mountains of Knoydart. It comprises forty-nine regular cubes cut into the turf, and then lined with thin yellow-painted steel walls. This forms a strong geometrical form in contrast to the organic forms of the landscape. The sculpture reflects the passage of light throughout the day, especially if there is strong sunlight casting equally strong shadows.

The sculpture has helped to introduce visual arts into the local festival, Fèis an Eilein, as well as representing a whole new venture for the gardens.

Creating the sculpture was not without its challenges, as Julie explains: “The project required a lot of negotiation with both the gardens and health and safety officers before I got the go ahead. I showed them my other work to give them a context for a piece that was challenging in concept to them. The actual realisation of the work presented it's own challenges, too. I had to learn to weld to make up all the boxes. It was physically demanding making them and doing all the digging, but I got there!"

Julie continues: "The sculpture has a contemplative quality as it is all to do with light and contradiction of form... it can make you appreciate the sense of scale in the landscape all over again. I hope the audience experience these things and more through giving it time, rather than being anxious about what it 'represents'.”

Regarding the HI~Arts grant award, Julie says: “HI~Arts were quick to tell me I had the grant which helps get the ball rolling on other funding. Their application form is very straightforward. In addition, HI~Arts immediately give you a context beyond the project itself – their team are happy to provide useful advice, and they appreciate the specific challenges that arise for creative people living up North.”

HI~Arts pioneered the concept of regional grants with a scheme for visual artists which was launched in partnership with Scottish Arts Council and Highlands and Islands Enterprise in 2000. That scheme has proved very successful, and has been taken as a model for similar regional schemes across Scotland. Since then, HI~Arts has extended the model to other areas of the arts, as part of its wider programme of support for literature, music and craft.

The schemes are very straightforward: those working professionally in their field are invited to apply for grants of up to £500 for writers, musicians and craftmakers, or up to £1,000 for visual artists. The award should go towards a project or activity which will help them to develop their professional practice - which might involve a research trip, a first solo exhibition, a collaborative project, or a short training course to gain a new skill. A total budget of £20,000 is currently available across all four funding schemes.

Applicants must be resident in the Highlands & Islands, over 16 and not in full time education, and able to contribute at least 25% of the project cost.

Full details on all four Awards schemes are available on the HI~Arts website, www.hi-arts.co.uk , and guidelines and an application form can be requested by phoning 01463 717091.