Northern Lights Festival in Wick to get a share of £1 million fund

A FESTIVAL in Wick is one of 33 events which has received a share of a £1 million fund to help boost the north economy and create jobs within the maritime industry.

The Northern Lights Festival Awards, which is being staged by Lyth Arts Centre in and around Wick harbour between October 8 and 16, has been awarded £9984 from the Highland and Moray Fisheries Local Action Group (FLAG). The festival will be "an immersive visual perspective exploring the heritage and history of the far north of Scotland while honouring those who live and work here" and will include daytime events, nightly pop-up performances, coastal culinary treats as well as a special closing procession.

The funding has been awarded through the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund and the Scottish Government to encourage community-led local development and enable localised decision making though FLAG's. When match funding is included the total investment comes to £2.5 million.

Money has been allocated from the fund to three community festivals, including the Wick one, which will be taking place as part of Event Scotland’s Year of Coast and Waters 2020 celebrations which have been rolled over to 2021 due to the coronavirus pandemic.

Charlotte Mountford, Lyth Arts Centre co-director, said: "We are incredibly excited to bring our first large-scale off-site festival to Wick Harbour. FLAG funding has been invaluable in allowing us make the event accessible to our local communities and supporting us in promoting the incredible Caithness coastline and our marine heritage."

Just over £14,000 has also been granted for the Isle Martin Trust in Wester Ross to host Scotland’s first seaweed festival which takes place from September 6 and 12. The event will celebrate all things seaweed and host a series of inspired events around and on the community owned island Isle Martin, three miles from Ullapool.

Findhorn Bay Arts has received £10,619 to hold a series of events throughout the year as part of their Source To Sea Festival which includes visual poetry performances and music events involving dancers, musicians, and sculptural costume.

FLAG development officer, Sarah Lamb, said: "Our budget has been committed for some time however the delivery of projects has been stalled due to the pandemic. I must say, the level of resilience and perseverance shown by community groups and businesses to find a means to deliver their projects in ever changing circumstances has been quite phenomenal. It’s so great to see them finally get over the finish line, and it will be particularly fitting to close the FLAG funding programme with the Year of Coast and Waters festivals, in a year where many have turned to our coastline for physical and mental well-being."

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