From the 2nd to the 17th June, twenty artists from Scotland and around the globe have taken up residence on the island of Tanera Mor for the first of three International Artists Workshops organised by the Triangle Art Trust.  This diverse group of artists will spend two weeks on the remote and beautiful island, creating artwork, experimenting with ideas, and most importantly fostering lasting creative links that will transcend geographical boundaries.

The island, which is part of the Summer Isles in Loch Broom, Wester Ross, is a 15 minute boat ride from the village of Achiltibuie.  Usually home to just a handful of year-round inhabitants, Tanera Mor has more than trebled its population for this International Artists Workshop.

Aside from boat links, one of the island's few links with the outside world is a satellite Broadband line, which is now providing a key link between the artists and the outside world thanks to Northings, the online arts journal for the Highlands and Islands.

The Northings website (www.hi-arts.co.uk/workshop), which is run by HI-Arts, the arts development agency for the Highlands and Islands, is currently running a major interactive feature on the Tanera Mor artists residency.  This web showcase is allowing artists on the island to share both their work in progress and their feelings on the island residency by means of blogs, photographs, audio-diaries and videos.  The website also provides web users from around the globe to communicate with the artists on the island, providing a key means of public access and response to this event.

Scottish Artist, Lindsay Brown, comments in her blog: "When I was asked to take part in this workshop, the idea of having a fortnight with another nineteen artists filled me with trepidation.  Although working in groups can be extremely beneficial, the end product can end up being a series of compromises.  After being here for almost one week however, I am starting to realise that the collaboration is not a literal one where specific artworks are made together. Through a process of social interaction and community spirit, the collaboration is one of sharing ideas, skills, resources and networks to enable individual artists the chance to research and resolve concepts for potential works. The uniqueness of the location and the loose structure of the project is enabling this to happen."

Projects that the Tanera Mor artists are currently working on include the development of an alternative 'Raft of the Medusa', and the colonisation of a smaller island by football cross.

See the full feature here...