Source to Sea was our cultural programme of events and activities to celebrate Scotland’s Year of Coasts and Waters 20/21, set in the rural and coastal towns and villages of the Moray Firth Coastline.
Programme Highlights
Coastal Walks in Spey Bay, Findhorn and Burghead
Led by naturalist expert Eleanor Foster from local environmental education charity, Wild Things and Findhorn Bay Arts’ artist Rachael Forbes, the walks invited people to consider the rich and varied ecology, geological history, landscapes and diverse wildlife of Moray’s coasts.
Mark Zygadlo WaterOrgan
Dumfries and Galloway-based artist Mark Zygadlo’s brought his highly unique, colourful kinetic artwork to the River Findhorn and Findhorn Bay. A pipe organ on the deck of a catamaran and pumped by a paddle wheel driven by the river’s flow, the WaterOrgan gathers data from the river through a series of electronic sensors and processes it into sound sequences played in real-time. Mark Zygadlo also discussed the inspiration behind the WaterOrgan at a special talk at Logie Steading.
Coleman & Hodges Northern Exposures
Findhorn Bay Arts’ artists-in-residence, Coleman & Hodges, presented an evocative interactive installation of images and sound from a collective capturing of time and place from across Moray and including Cullen, Burghead, Forres and Elgin. This marked the culmination of their residency with Findhorn Bay Arts, during which the artists worked with 75 local residents across Moray to install pinhole cameras in their houses and gardens, each taking a single long exposure image over four months in the winter of 2020.
Oceanallover
Performance art company Oceanallover presented Ecdysis (In Vivo), an hour long visual poetry performance and music event involving dancers, musicians, and sculptural costume. An Oceanallover collaboration with the legendary MC Sgt Pokes, it was provocative and inclusive, experimental and uncompromising. The performance featured live vocals from Pokes and Breezy Lee with costume by Dumfries and Galloway based artist and performance maker Alex Rigg in collaboration with the unique couturier, Mr Pearl.
STORM
Edinburgh-based Vision Mechanics made a welcome return to Moray with STORM on Saturday 11 September in Burghead. Over 2,000 people from the local community gathered to see STORM walking through Burghead to tell the story of the oceans in crisis. Artist Kate MacKay led local school children, families and community groups in willow fish making workshops, while the parade featured performances from a community percussion group coordinated by Carol Scorer, the Elgin and District Pipe Band and Clavie King Dan Ralph.
Summer Mini Market Shop
Open three days a week throughout the summer, Findhorn Bay Arts mini market shop on Forres High Street sold the very best fresh and organic produce from local local growers and producers, including fresh and organic produce, speciality foods, homemade cakes and bakes, flowers, plants, chutney, jams, eco crafts and daily lunch takeaway specials, while providing a hub for tickets and information for Source to Sea.
WaterOrgan
A pipe organ on the deck of a catamaran and pumped by a paddle wheel driven by the river’s flow, the WaterOrgan gathers data from the river through a series of electronic sensors and processes it into sound sequences played in real-time.
Culbin Coastal Walk
Led by naturalist expert Eleanor Foster from local environmental education charity, Wild Things and Findhorn Bay Arts’ artist Rachael Forbes, the walks invited people to consider the rich and varied ecology, geological history, landscapes and diverse wildlife of Moray’s coasts.
