Together with Comhairle nan Eilean Siar we have created a twenty first century museum and archive for the Outer Hebrides; a museum of the future as well as the past. The museum includes immersive and experiential spaces that interpret the stories and culture of the Outer Hebrides’ diverse communities, both celebrating its idiosyncrasies and challenging stereotypes.
A series of 5 video screens broadcasting individual personal descriptions of life in each of the five islands from multiple points of view, commissioned interviews and archival film programmed to offer 30 – 60 minute bites of first person portraits located within a graphic map and combined with text, images and museum and personal objects
This innovative project consisted of a private public partnership, which has driven the transformation of Lews Castle and grounds - a derelict but formerly palatial residence of a 19th century entrepreneur – into a luxury hotel and state-of-the art new-build museum and publicly accessible archive. The new museum and archive is now a gateway to the rich heritage of the Outer Hebrides and explores the islanders’ coexistence with the location’s unique land, sea and climate over the last 2000 years.