Also in the news 5 May 2026
THE 2026 Lerwick Jarl Squad made a big impression at the Oie Voaldyn festival in the Isle of Man over the weekend.
The 30-strong group became the first Shetland jarl squad to take part in the traditional fire festival in the island, with the organisers sharing a number of photos and videos from the visit.
A modern reinterpretation of the traditional Manx May fire festival, the event concluded with a torchlit procession and dramatic fire displays on Peel beach.
The Oie Voaldyn organisers wrote on social media that the “impeccably dressed Vikings” had made a “long and arduous adventure just to come here” for the festival, joking that people could possibly “find them in a pub near you”.
The jarl squad led the night-time procession on Sunday and helped judge the children’s costume parade through the afternoon.
SHETLAND Arts have announced the successful applicants from the winter round of Visual Artist and Craft Maker Awards (VACMA) 2025/26.
The awards are a programme of small grant schemes delivered in partnership with a range of local authorities and art organisations across Scotland, with fixed bursaries of £500 and £1,000 offered.
The four successful applicants from the winter round were Liúsaidh Ashley Watt, Gill Owen, Yolanda Bruce and Diane Garrick.
Watt will develop a series of photographic and written works inspired by Shetland folklore, while Owen will work with hand-thrown pottery in a project focusing on sustainability.
Bruce and Garrick are printmakers whose work is inspired by Shetland’s natural environment, using processes such as lino, mono printing and textiles.
Applications for VACMA 2026/27 will be open again later this year.
SHETLAND Inter Faith is hosting an event entitled Together for Peace on Wednesday at 7.30pm in Islesburgh Community Centre.
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This will offer folk an opportunity to share thoughts, prayers and stories that inspire peace, with perspectives from some of the rich variety of faiths and beliefs held by people in Shetland.
All are welcome to attend, with the group seeking to encourage and inspire one another to work together for the kinds of lasting peace which it says the world needs. The event will be very informal in nature, with light refreshments available.
A FREE event next month will help businesses to prevent costly construction disputes.
Anderson Strathern is kicking off its new Shetland Business Club with a session at 5pm on 2 June at Shetland Museum and Archives in Lerwick.
The event will bring together business leaders, contractors and other stakeholders to share practical insight and take away “clear, usable steps”.
It is also to help the construction sector strengthen contracts and reduce the risk of costly disputes.
The session will be led by Anderson Strathern’s construction disputes experts Michael Collins and Ryan McCuaig, who will also be available for free one-to-one consultations.
The event is the first in a new programme delivered through the firm’s new Shetland Business Club, an initiative designed to strengthen the local business community and support Shetland-based enterprises.
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