Also in the news / Also in the news: Burra food project, Oliver Twist production and more …
BURRA-based arts social enterprise Gaada has announced a new artist commission with storyteller and baker Jenny Watt.
The collaboration will be rooted in Watt’s background in food science.
Watt has been visiting the Toogs workshop in Burra to experiment with plant-based pigments for painting and print-making, and will now develop a body of work examining Shetland’s ecology through colour, chemistry and story.
She will create a series of recipes for Shetland plant-based pigments, culiminating in a publication and workshops for the wider community.
Over the coming months Watt will continue developing her research with support from the Gaada team before launching the publication in 2026.
MSP BEATRICE Wishart has questioned first minister John Swinney about Shetland’s share of a new fishing fund, which has already attracted criticism.
The UK Government is set to provide Scotland with just eight per cent of the money from its Fishing and Coastal Growth fund, which the Scottish Government will then divide.
“Nine percent of the value of fish landed in the UK comes through Shetland ports,” Wishart said at Holyrood. “What percentage of the Fishing and Coastal Growth Fund can Shetland expect to receive via the Scottish Government?”
Afterwards Wishart said Shetland’s contribution to the fishing sector and UK economy was “huge”. “While there needs to be a redress of the overall division of the pie at UK level, the Scottish Government should commit to an equitable division of funding,” she said.
“A healthy fishing sector is crucial to our local economy helping support businesses up and down the supply chain.”
SHETLAND County Drama are set to bring the much-loved Charles Dickens story Oliver Twist to life at the end of November.
Written and directed by John Haswell, Twist takes place in the modern day but remains true to the spirit of the classic novel.
All the major characters are featured in this new version, including Oliver, Fagin, Nancy, Bill Sykes, The Artful Dodger and the Bumbles, but this is a world removed from the popular musical.
Twist will be performed at the Royal British Legion in Lerwick from 27 – 29 November, with performances starting at 7.30pm, and a matinee on Saturday 29 at 2.30pm.
Tickets are now on sale through opendoordrama.littleboxoffice.com. Twist is not suitable for those under 12 years of age.
EVENTS are set to take place across Shetland next month to mark Scottish Careers Week, showing secondary school pupils and the wider community about career opportunities.
Careers Week runs from 10 to 14 November, with events starting today (Friday) at Sandwick Junior High School and running across all seven isles high schools.
At Brae High School on Friday 7 November parents, carers or members of the public can meet representatives from Skills Development Scotland , Developing the Young Workforce, University of Highlands and Islands and the Shetland Islands Council work experience co-ordinator.
Anderson High School’s careers advisers Katie Clubb and Alicia Bishop will be hosting two online parents sessions on Tuesday 11 November – one focusing on university and college from 6.30pm-7pm and another focusing on work, including apprenticeships, from 7.15pm-7.45pm.
Anyone wishing to attend either of the online parents sessions on 11 November can contact SDS adviser Katie Clubb on katie.clubb@sds.co.uk, or the school directly.
A FIRST ever Shetland ‘story slam’ is set to be hosted at Mareel later this month.
Run by Liz Musser and Ruth Oliver, the event is inspired by the award-winning Moth storytelling events, first held in New York City 25 years ago.
The theme for the night, held on Saturday 22 November, is ‘place’ – with open-mic, true and personal storytelling wanted.
The story should have the reader as the main character, be true and be a maximum of five minutes long – and be told without notes.
Those interested in being a storyteller at the event can fill out this form.
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