Young people’s Ness-inspired artwork on display in Kirkwall

Under the Surface IV was a heritage youth and arts project, where young people from the Connect Project, Kirkwall, created artistic responses to the Ness of Brodgar and its surrounding archaeological sites.

Led by Ness education officer Katy Firth, the young people explored some of Orkney’s Neolithic locations, including the Ness of Brodgar, the Barnhouse settlement and the Standing Stones of Stenness. They handled real artefacts, had a go at some living history and experimental archaeology activities and then chose which local artists they wanted to team up with.

Work in progress. (📷 Katy Firth)

The artists they chose were Louise Barrington and Megumi Barrington-Uenoyama. The sisters-in-law offered workshops in natural dyeing, embroidery, cyanotypes and linocut printing. The young people took inspiration from the incised and pecked decorated stones from the Ness of Brodgar, as well as more unusual sources of artistic stimulus such as site plans and fish bones.  

A small exhibition of their work is now open to view in one of the VAO windows on Bridge Street, Kirkwall, until November 24.

The project was funded in partnership with Historic Environment Scotland.