The stories will keep coming in Badenoch during 2025 thanks to Creative Scotland funding success

The stories - and music - will keep flowing in the new year for a popular Badenoch community project.

The Storylands Sessions have just received confirmation that £54,322 has been awarded by Creative Scotland for 2025.

Organisers have said they are ‘relieved and overjoyed’ after months of uncertainty in the current climate of arts funding crisis across Scotland.

They have said they are delighted their hard work, success and proven results have been recognised in this way.

Started as a Covid-recovery programme in 2021, Storylands Sessions is a community project celebrating the creativity and cultural heritage of Badenoch and beyond.

Its monthly shows draw out the storytelling, music, poetry and song of the area, while featuring an invited guest to share about their work in the arts, heritage, ecology or adventure spheres.

Musician, Hamish Napier, and author, Merryn Glover, co-host the events, also bringing their respective expertise to monthly workshops in folk music and writing.

An annual ceilidh brings everything together, showcasing highlights from across the Sessions year and providing a good old dance too.

Ms Glover said: “We are blown away by this vote of confidence from Creative Scotland and so thrilled for all our Sessions community.

“This project is all about the people who share their voices, their instruments, their words, their music and their hearts with one another at our gatherings. What a joy that we can keep going and growing.”

Mr Napier commented: “This project cannot survive on ticket sales alone because we want to make it affordable for local people.

“We grew from the doldrums of lockdown into the important community event it has become, where over 100 people meet in several monthly events to celebrate real, up-to-date and relevant Highland culture.

“If you have a tune, song, tale or poem you think you could share, just get in touch and come along.”

The funding for 2025 means the project can extend in several ways.

One is an event at Fort William Mountain Festival in February, in collaboration with Scottish Mountaineering Press.

Another is to deepen work with young people with Mrs Glover offering writing workshops for teenagers and Mr Napier supporting young musicians.

Mrs Glover’s writing workshops will also be offered online and the Grantown traditional musician will offer two full-day music workshops.

A fourth development, spearheaded by project officer, Aila Schafer, is to exhibit the work of visual artists and photographers at the monthly shows.

Finally, the funding includes the making of a short film about Storylands Sessions by documentary filmmaker Katrina Brown, of Broon Coo Films.

Undoubtedly, her short taster video capturing highlights and interviews in June this year, was a strong boost to the funding bid.

The team members have said they are very excited to build on the past three years as they launch into the new plans for 2025.

Helen Pickles, curator at the Highland Folk Museum, said the project has led to some inspiring results.
She said: “We’re delighted that Storylands Sessions has been awarded more funding to continue the amazing work they do in promoting, supporting and inspiring creativity in the strath.

“The writing workshops which have been held here at the Highland Folk Museum this year under Merryn’s expert guidance have been such a rewarding way to explore our unique and varied collections.

“The artworks and creative responses penned by the participants have been truly meaningful and heartfelt, from personal memories inspired by a peat barrow, to stories of traveller heritage.

“It was a joy to hear the poetry and prose performed at the end of the workshop series, alongside some of the objects which inspired the work. We look forward to continuing this fruitful partnership in 2025”.

Under the umbrella of Badenoch Heritage, the project's many partners include the Highland Folk Museum run by High Life Highland, and Fèis Spè, the traditional music programme for young people locally.

In addition to Creative Scotland, Storylands Sessions has said it also gratefully acknowledges the generous support of an anonymous donor.

The programme kicks off with the monthly show in January and workshops starting in February.

All information and bookings can be found by searching Eventbrite Storylands Sessions.

Do you want to respond to this article? If so, click here to submit your thoughts and they may be published in print.