Mirrie Light has given an opportunity to everyone who is interested to help create dynamic light works for ten temporary illuminations throughout Shetland during the winter 2009-10, from October to April. They were located in Voe, Unst, Yell, North Roe, Tingwall, Reawick, Dunrossness and Burra Isle. You can see a map of the locations on our Noticeboard. All of these works will become part of the exterior illuminations for Mareel, Shetland's new music, cinema and education venue, due to open in late 2011.  For further information about this part of the project, look at our Links and Downloads.

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In summer 2009 we began the process for site selection for the ten illuminations. We visited over 300 potential sites across Shetland in eight tours guided by local people with specialist knowledge and fifty six local residents altogether. We took lots of photographs and had a great deal of discussion about the possibilities for the illuminations during the winter.  One person from each area came together with the artists to help make the final selection. Narrowing our sites down to ten was very difficult, as we found so many wonderful possibilities.  In making our final selection we considered the aesthetics of each site, their meaning, visibility and practical questions related to technical and health and safety issues. We wanted a variety of sites that represented Shetland's culture, history and way of life as well as ones that would have visual interest. To see more photos click on the Flickr link. Photos: Malcolm Younger, Emma Blain, Nayan Kulkarni and Roxane Permar.

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Artists, Nayan Kulkarni and Roxane Permar, and Project Assistant, Emma Blain, worked with over 140 people in the Light Labs this summer. They began in with three sessions in Cunningsburgh Hall and continued in Ollaberry, Yell, Brae and Burra before moving on to the West Side, Unst and Lerwick. Everyone used our Flip video cameras to film colour, then they learned how to edit them on the computer to make a 'show' film. Each of these gets translated into dynamic, colour light scores. The artists enjoyed meeting and working with so many people and thank everyone for coming along and working so hard. In the autumn and winter 2009-10 Roxane also worked with pupils in schools located near each illumination. Here is a small selection of photographs from the Light Labs, taken by Roxane Permar and Malcolm Younger.

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The illuminations kicked off with a buzzing launch party to celebrate the light-up of the Floating Tin Shed in Lower Voe followed two days later by the launch in Unst of our illumination of the Tin Shed in Haroldswick. The parties to launch our illuminations at Da Giant's Grave in Lochend and the Sand Dunes at West Sandwick, Yell reflected the warmth with which these local communities have received our work. Our illumination at The Glasshouses in Tingwall was in place throughout the holiday period. Our sixth illumination at Reawick Church became snowbound in January and due to continuing unusual winter weather, we had to re-arrange the schedule of illuminations. Thus we installed early at the former Listening Station at Garthsness followed by sites in Burra from our shortlist - Easthouse, Duncansclate and the Aald Haa at Houss. Our final illumination at the Auld Chapel, Longfield in Dunrossness was also chosen from our short-list.  Photos by Austin Taylor, Mark Sinclair, Davy Cooper, Duncan Turner.