Glen Nevis treehouse to broadcast ‘Sound of Lochaber’
By Sue Restan
A new project involving local
people is to be broadcast from a treehouse in the shadow of Ben Nevis. The controversial artist’s studio – called
Outlandia and perched high in a tree in Glen Nevis – was built by London-based
multi-media company London Fieldworks. The company, run by
multimedia artists Bruce Gilchrist and Jo Joelson, has now teamed up with the
world’s first art radio station, Resonance104.4fm, for the project called
Remote Performances, which aims to capture the sound of Lochaber. And they are appealing for local
people to contact them to suggest sounds that could be included in the project.
The architect-designed
structure, which is less than 12ft square and about 20ft off the ground, is
reached via a quarter of a mile of boardwalk. It has spectacular views of
Britain’s highest mountain and was created to give artists the opportunity to
work in a remote and inspiring environment. And, from Monday August 4 to
Saturday August 9, 20 specially commissioned artist performances and programmes
created with local residents will be broadcast live from Outlandia.
The company’s initial proposal
for three treehouses further up the glen attracted criticism from local people
who feared it would blight the natural scenic beauty of the upper reaches of
the glen and do little to enhance the local economy. However, it was successful with
its application for one tree-house nearer to Cow Hill in Fort William and
Outlandia opened in 2010.
Mr Gilchrist said the studio,
which sways when the wind blows, had been used regularly by a wide range of
artists. He said: “We’ve had 25
residencies since the launch. The artists who’ve stayed there said it was very
inspirational and encouraged them to try things they wouldn’t normally have
done. “We now want to get the local
community more involved in the project.” He explained, that as well as
suggesting sounds, such as music, poems or environmental noises, that remind
them of the area, they will also be given the opportunity to get involved in
the broadcasting.
The project is being supported
by the Nevis Landscape Partnership, the Arts Council England, Oxford Brookes
University, Live Art Development Agency and Edinburgh Arts Festival.
Anyone wanting to suggest sounds
for the project should e-mail their ideas to info@outlandia.com
