Cromarty Lighthouse will be seen as never before next year with a new art installation inspired by pioneering women scientists.
The project is being supported by the National Lottery through Creative Scotland’s Open Project Fund.
Bones + Stars is a sonic and visual installation inspired by astronomer Caroline Herschel and fossil collector Mary Anning, which will celebrate the work of the women who research the earth and the skies.
The installation will divide the lighthouse, fusing original music and poetry by Lucie Treacher and projected animation by Saskia Tomlinson.
The work is being supported by the Open Project Fund. Artists, musicians, writers, theatre makers, festivals and organisations working across the arts and creative industries throughout Scotland receive National Lottery Funding through Creative Scotland with the Open Project Fund awards, which are made monthly.
Taking place from 5-9pm on Saturday, March 21, 2020, Bones + Stars aims to encourage members of the local community, and those from further afield, to discover the stories of pioneering women scientists and explore the lighthouse in a new way.
Audience members will be invited inside the lighthouse in small groups by actors playing Mary Anning and Caroline Herschel.
Lucie Treacher said: “I’ve always deeply admired Mary Anning (I myself am a hoarder of stones), and I recently discovered Caroline Herschel, who was cataloguing stars at the same time as Anning, during the early 1800s.
“Yet I was heartbroken to find out that these two women never met considering they only lived around 60 miles from each other. I was struck by the similarities in their stories and their ingenuity and perseverance in the face of hardship.
“This installation is a literal meeting of their – and other women scientists who research the earth and sky – minds. The lighthouse itself is coincidentally a centre for marine biology research and so lends itself to shining a light on the work of women scientists. It’s wonderful to use this very special building which is rarely opened to the public.”
