University of Greater Manchester researcher awarded prestigious £60k collaborative grant to foster ties between communities 4,000 miles apart

Caption: Gandhara art, stone carving workshop, Quaid-i-Azam University Islamabad

University of Greater Manchester researcher is part of the lead international team which has been awarded a £60,000 International Collaborations Grant from the British Council.

Dr Hector Mackie says the grant will fund two international exchanges between 10 artists and cultural workers from the Isle of Skye and Lochalsh, and Pakistan, to explore the similarities and the challenges they face.

Dr Mackie, an Assistant Professor in the Faculty of Health and Wellbeing, partnered with ATLAS (Arts in Skye & Lochalsh), and Quaid-i-Azam University in Islamabad to write the British Council International Collaboration grant application.

He will join the team this month (April) as artist and researcher for the project.

The project was one of 23 successful applications from among 1,400 hopefuls.

On each international visit, the groups will take part in daily cultural excursions and immerse themselves in the complex and beautiful communities in each region.

They will visit art studios, shorelines, landscapes, restaurants, schools, community centres, and homes. The focus will be on artistic development and knowledge exchange amongst the artists and their communities.

Dr Mackie plans to produce a documentary film of the project which will be submitted to film festivals, as well as creating a photography book.

Caption: From Plockton to Portree, a boat project, Plockton Skye and Lochalsh (Murdo MacGillivray)

Both the film and the book will be made up of information about the two locations and interviews with participants and members of the local community. Dr Mackie also plans to take his bagpipes with him to share their unique sound in Islamabad.

He said: “Capitalist-imperialism continues to create hostile conditions that pose a unique set of challenges for folk living in the Isle of Skye.

“Currently, people are facing a huge increase in costs, wealthy second-home owners are squeezing locals out, and extraction-based venture capital is exploiting local resources and giving little back. These factors, among many others, have meant that survival comes before community well-being.”

Dr Mackie added: “Also, the lack of resources and professional development options has led to artists leaving or not starting up at all. This has a huge impact on cultural memory and the how local communities understand themselves and create a healthy future.

Caption: Dr Hector Mackie with a highland cow. The Isle of Skye is in the background.

“In Islamabad and Rawalpindi, communities face similar concerns around loss of cultural practices, and the challenges experienced by artists. Traditional practices are being erased and the next generation is being disconnected from a beautiful and diverse history.”

Dr Mackie said that at the core of the project was community security and ensuring that everyone could access self-expression.

He said: “The relationship we have with each other is now determined by who can afford to access places where people come together.

“This means communities have retreated into private homes and become isolated. Our projects will bring artists from both communities together to share their work within both regions, creating a sense of shared community and hope for the future.”

Dr Mackie added: “We were absolutely delighted to receive the grant. Being able to take artists on this trip, so they can share their work in different parts of the world will be life-changing.”

The trip to Islamabad will take place later this month (April), and to the Isle of Skye in the Summer.