Research Town

I began a new research project in August 2024, supported by funding I am delighted to be receiving from the Carnegie Trust Research Incentive Grant, which is enabling me to undertake fieldwork in Perthshire and on the Isle of Skye. The project is titled, “Contemporary Art-Publishing Ecosystems of Remote and Rural Scotland”. It will see me working to establish an understanding of how self-publishing and small press practices are creating a sense of place and identity for people in communities in rural and remote Scotland in addition to exploring how these practices could be enhancing sustainability and well-being. I am exploring the dynamics of the networks and roles of organisations, individuals and communities connected to producing artist’ publications in two locations and their surrounding locale: Birnam and Potree.

The research plan includes two sets of two-week blocks of fieldwork in two locales each which focus around Birnam Arts (Perthshire) and Atlas Arts (Skye). The research objectives are to highlight the do-it-yourself activities being supported by these two arts organisations, and thereby gain insights into the wider economic and cultural benefits of these activities to Scotland. In doing so, the research aims to evidence the value of arts organisations and their continued government support in times of economic uncertainty. In examining the extent to which art-publishing ecosystems help to tackle certain challenges facing remote and rural communities of Scotland, where job opportunities are scarce, industry diversity and connections to centralised services may be limited, the research is timely for finding out how empowered and engaged communities feel as a result of being able to produce and disseminate small press or self-published publications.

In moving beyond existing scholarship on artists’ books, which has focused on the material properties of the book and its added value as a cultural object, this project aims to produce new knowledge of artists’ publishing practices which are connected to environmental, economic, societal and cultural sustainability issues. Focusing on the organistaions and their communities I am beginning to trace the networks of self-publishing and small press practices that connect them. In the process I am beginning to define the types of publications being produced and their functions in the particular dynamics of the ecosystems located in these parts of remote and rural Scotland.

My research outputs include this post, the first of my bi-weekly updates, which were supposed to begin two-weeks in to this project in August! To that end what follows are my somewhat delayed updates which will highlight the developments in my research between August and November. Additional planned research outputs are three issues of Fount magazine and a journal article. I will endeavour to keep to the planned blog post schedule once I am up to date!