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Annual Residential - Support Structures for Rural Artists

12 Feb 2026

We warmly invite those living in the Gàidhealtachd / Highlands and Islands to join us for a weekend of activity, learning and sharing time and practice together over the Spring Equinox. 

A poster with an orange background and a picture of an anchor on the left hand side from which glide ropes holding and securing. The text reads Support Structures for Rural Artists* we recognise that not all those who live here live in rural locations. For all SAU members based in the Gàidhealtachd/Highlands and Islands. Residential weekend at Lyth Arts Centre, Caithness, 20 - 22 March Spring Equinox, Accommodation and catering provided.

Numbers are limited so please register your interest and we will do our best to allocate places fairly and allocate the free accommodation randomly. Register your interest here: https://shorturl.at/1kiCU

📆 20 - 22 March 2026

☀️Sunrise around 6am each day, Sunset around 6.30pm each day

⌚ Scheduled activity from 5pm Friday 20th March - 1pm Sunday 22nd March

🏡In Person at Lyth Arts Centre

🛏️Limited free accommodation available

🎟️Tickets to the Outdoor Film Programme at Lyth Arts Centre included

🌱 Vegan catering provided by Col Gordon - artist and farmer based on the Black Isle. Please bring your own food for breakfasts.

 

Please attend the full weekend where possible 

 

Any questions please reach out to emily.nicholl@artistsunion.scot 

As well as simply spending time together, local and Scottish based artists will lead participatory workshops responding to the theme of ‘Support Structures for Rural Artists’. We will hear from social engaged practitioners working with their local community, reflect on decolonial and indigenous (mind) practices, consider land, class and housing issues, explore site specific practices, and learn from ecological and seasonal practices which center our relationships with the land. Artists leading workshops include Nadine Malcolm, Jess Holdengarde introducing us to her Living Camera project, and Tamara Hicks who leads a Spring Equinox fire ritual on the Saturday night.

There will be vegan food on Friday night, Saturday lunch and Saturday dinner, cooked by the wonderful Col Gordon, farmer, artist and writer based on the Black Isle - local food as a support structure sustaining communities and land.

There is (limited) accommodation available at the artist house at Lyth Arts Centre - 4 twin rooms on the 1st floor and 2 single rooms on the ground floor. There are shared bathrooms and a shared kitchen and living room. There is also space for camping or staying in a camper van, and other accommodation is available nearby. When you sign up, please let us know if you require accommodation and we will allocate spaces randomly to determine who can take up the limited places. 

Rough schedule:

 

📆Friday 20th March - Arrivals in the afternoon. Group dinner + option to attend the Outdoor Film Programme at Lyth Arts Centre in the evening. 

 

📆Saturday 21st March - Morning talks, presentations and workshops from local artists.

Lunch. 

Afternoon workshops and a guided foraging walk.

Free time

At dusk a local artist will lead a Spring Equinox fire ritual on a nearby beach 

Group dinner.

 

📆 Sunday 22nd March - A morning of sustainable darkroom workshops and/or some artist talks tbc. Travelling home from 1pm