Taisbean/Curators North
Taking place 2019–2021, Taisbean (from the Gaelic term to table, or reveal) brought together contemporary art curators and producers who live and work in the North of Scotland, including the Shetland Islands, Orkney Islands, Highland, Moray and Eilean Siar (the Western Isles). The programme featured 13 participants and stemmed from a desire to address the unique skills and vision developed through working with communities in these regions.
The project launched in 2020, growing from discussions in 2018 between SCAN and Highland curators Kirsten Body and Victoria Caine, and a subsequent networking weekend in 2019 hosted by An Talla Solais in Ullapool.
In 2021, we supported Taisbean members on field trips to visit Glasgow International, to learn from artist run initiatives in Leeds and Manchester, and on peer-to-peer visits, developing bonds and shared projects through face-to-face discussions and digital activity. In 2022, new project activities took place in Orkney and the Western Isles. Our current project Ley Lines – launched in 2025 – grew from our work on Taisbean.
Our participants and affiliated organisations were:
- Charlotte Mountford, Lyth Arts Centre, Lyth, near Wick
- Daniel Clarke, Gaada, Isle of Burra, Shetland Isles
- Fenella Gabrysch, Timespan, Helmsdale
- Jane Matthews, Shetland Arts
- Heather Fulton, Atlas Arts, Isle of Skye
- Jon MacLeod, An Lanntair, Isle of Lewis
- Kari Adams, Pier Arts Centre, Orkney
- Kirsten Body, Circus Artspace, Inverness
- Kresanna Aigner, Findhorn Bay Arts
- Shona Cameron, Climavore Station/ Site Collective, Isle of Skye
- Susan Christie, Cromarty Community Cinema
- Victoria Caine, An Talla Solais, Ullapool and Caladar Arts, Cawdor
- Lucy Conway, Isle of Eigg
Taisbean’s project co-ordinator was the Caithness-based curator, project manager and researcher Frances Davis.
The programme was delivered by SCAN and supported by the William Grant Foundation and Creative Scotland.
