What Do Artists Do All Year? 2022

News
Written By Guest User

Another year has flown by here at Gaada, where we have been busy working with Shetland’s artist community as it continues to grow and flourish, whilst our organisation deepens its roots into its Burra Isle home.

It’s been a pleasure to collaborate with the diverse range of folk who have accessed the workshop, participated in the Safeland Programme, walked, talked, and made editions with us, sent us post, applied for opportunities, shared ideas and aspirations, or even just said hello.

Looking back over the year always fills us with pride and excitement for what’s to come. And there is LOTS more to come. We hope you enjoy this peek back on 2022.

Happy Yule,
fae Vivian, Jono, Daniel and Amy

JANUARY

We welcome folk to Gaada for the first Peer Group Workshare of the year

Artist Clare Scott attends an Intensive Risograph Workshop

Artist Anna Thomson attends a Workshop Bursary session

FEBRUARY

Brian Sinclair: Surface, Sound and Sign opens in Display

Artwork created in Gaada by Shetland based and international artists is exhibited in Malmö for exhibition, Thats Riso!

Sean Edwards joins us on Zoom for an artist talk

Programme Coordinator Vivian completes a VACMA funded project at Gaada and launches risograph publication, Transcoding.

MARCH
Gaada x Project Ability exhibition opens in Glasgow

Gaada hosts LUX Scotland Director Kitty Anderson for advice sessions

Throughout the year, we receive much appreciated donations to our Island Zine Library. In March, publications from Peak and Extra Teeth were added to the collection

Peer Group Members gather for a Meet Up at the Workshop

APRIL

Critters Creepers Crawlers, Sprouting Solitary Soarers by Elie Coutts + Cameron Morgan opens in Display and inside the Gaada Workshop, we celebrate with a special opening event

Directors Daniel and Amy speak at a-n Drop In: Working in Rural Setting

During a Workshop Bursary, Jane Cockayne develops beautiful risograph prints based on her original folktale

Gaada launches the Safeland Micro-Commission Open Call, asking writers, artists and community groups to respond to the uncompleted projects of Walter Scott's Shetland by Numbers.

MAY

We enjoyed a packed full programme of Safeland Walks, Talks + Workshops. These events explored the margins of place and community, making space for the unrecorded and undervalued histories in Shetland.

Five artists, writers and community group are announced as recipients of Safeland Micro-Commissions

JUNE

UHI Shetland graduating students Elouise Spooner is awarded a Gaada Workshop Bursary for her Degree Show work

Scottish Art News present a feature on Gaada

Gaada is awarded a Scots Publication Grant by The Scottish Book Trust to work with Marjolein Robertson and Roseanne Watt to develop Da Hamtrowe Almanac (Volume 1)

Artist Andy Anderson joins Gaada as a Weekly Workshop member

We share an inspiring chat with Rosalie Schweiker for an Artist in Conversation

Gaada’s 20/21 progamme Weemin’s Wark is discussed on Radio 4’s Women’s Hour

JULY

Gaada’s core funding is reaffirmed by Creative Scotland and Shetland Charitable Trust

‘Shetland Gay Bird Club’ - a playful pseudonym Gaada adopted when publishing the Shetland Gay Bird Checklist - was celebrated with an official motion in the Scottish Parliament

The workshop closes to give Gaada art workers a much needed break and to squeeze in some exhibitions of our own

AUGUST

An Open Call for Gaada Workshop Bursaries is announced

Gaada judges the Art + Craft section of the Walls Agricultural Show

Sally Huband launches a publication created during her Workshop Bursary sessions

Co-Directors Daniel and Amy visit Bergen arts organisations for a research trip relating to future collaborations

Glasgow Women’s Library host a special Weemin’s Wark exhibition with artwork made during the project

The Gaada team is joined by artist Jono Sandilands as Workshop Coordinator

SEPTEMBER

Peer Group word is spread with an Open Call inviting Shetland folk to participate

We welcome around 120 folk to the kirk for Doors Open Days 2022

Scottish Contemporary Art Network talk to Gaada about 'How Art Helped to Transform Tradition in Shetland’

DECEMBER

Gaada receives a Business Transition Fund through Shetland Islands Council

Exhibition The important part is the space between by Rafferty opens in Display

Jono’s Foula Beans print raises an amazing £1000 for The Shetland Foodbank

We close the workshop doors, take a deep breath and have a much needed Christmas break :)

the future …

What Do Artists Do All Year? is a (by no means comprehensive) list Gaada publishes each year as a way of reconnecting ourselves and others to the many single instances of joy that have taken place throughout a busy, and often blurry, year. It’s also worth acknowledging that this list of mini-celebrations takes places against a backdrop of what continues to be an incredibly tough year for many – with covid still lingering for many, and a spiralling cost of living crisis hitting island communities particularly hard, it feels more important than ever for social enterprises like us to ensure we are stable enough and able enough to continue supporting communities into the future.

In a fitting continuation of our 2021/22 programme Safeland, this past year has been characterised by themes of recovery, stabilisation, and growth here at Gaada. We have welcomed many new faces into the workshop, each one enriching the shared workshop space with their own unique energy and interests. We have also seen a rise in the number of familiar faces wishing to access the facilities, and support to develop and realise their own independent artistic projects… and we really couldn’t be more excited about all of this! There is a tangible excitement and growing buzz in Shetland’s creative community, and so to be ending this year with conversations around how Gaada will meet increasing demand feels like a good place to find ourselves.

Whilst we delight in seeing it happen, this growth has by no means taken us by surprise. As an artist-led organisation, Gaada has established itself through a clear understanding of the ambition, talent and potential that exists here in Shetland, and importantly also the resources needed to help this creative community reach our potential more often. Throughout 2022 Gaada has continued to work hard behind-the-scenes to secure significant and vital investment in the organisations growth plan, which paves the way for new and improved facilities, building security, and also, the site redevelopment of the Toogs Art Workshop in partnership with Assemble.

All this and more will be announced in full when Gaada reconvenes for 2023. We hope you can join us. Until then, we sincerely wish you a warm, safe, and restful winter break.

– Daniel, on behalf of Gaada’s team: Amy, Vivian, Jono, and Lenny.

Guest User
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