PROJECTS: SCOTTISH RESIDENCY - POP-UP PHOTOGRAPHY EXHIBITION
By Laura Hudson Mackay
One of many highlights of the Confluence ‘Scottish Residency’ in April 2019 was the opening night of the Pop-Up Photographic Exhibition. The event took place at The Oven, part of Midsteeple Quarter on Dumfries high street.
Image ©Tonje Gulbaek Barstad
In the weeks leading up to the residency, Team Scotland had spent many hours planning and preparing the exhibition, from the panel of judges who selected the works from the submissions received, to organising the printing of the photography to the framing and all the other necessary bits and pieces which must be put into place before any exhibition opening.
On hanging day it was all hands on deck as Team Morocco, Team Norway and Team Scotland worked together, cleaning up, drinking coffee, hanging work, eating, drinking more coffee, attaching title cards, chatting, hanging more work and hoovering.
Image © Tonje Gulbaek Barstad
When the doors opened the place quickly filled up with people and some brave Scot’s even welcomed our guests by chatting to them in Norwegian and Arabic! Over refreshments the photography was admired. The carefully curated works on display were created by Dumfries and Galloway based photographers as well as Confluence Nordic photographers. It was great to meet many of them over the weekend as the Pop-Up continued. Each photograph that was submitted was linked to one of the seven Confluence themes: Water, Happiness, The Number 3, Old Time, Silence and Money. You can see submissions here.
Image © Houssain Belabbes
At performance time, the first storyteller to take to the floor was locally based John Wheeler. John was Storyteller in residence at the first Oslo Storytelling and Scottish Folk Festivals. Next it was the turn of Tony Bonning another local, established storyteller whose repertoire includes traditional tales with an energetic spin. Tony was quickly followed by StorySquad from Norway. StorySquad take an enthusiastic and fresh approach to the traditional form of oral Storytelling, thus the audience is invited to travel into the story itself. Evening performances were brought to a close with a short story By New Galloway based Celtic Storyteller Anne Errington.
John Wheeler, Storyteller
Image © Tonje Gulbaek Barstad
Tony Bonning, Storyteller
Image © Houssain Belabbes
StorySquad
Image © Tonje Gulbaek Barstad
Anne Errington, Storyteller
Image © Tonje Gulbaek Barstad
Many thanks to all who submitted their photography to Confluence. Thanks too to everyone who came along on the night and over the weekend and to everyone who helped make the whole residency the great success it was.
Thanks also to Upland for kindly supporting the event and to Sean Mckay for supplying graphics.
Image © Houssain Belabbes