I made the closing presentation/performance lecture, for this event discussing an important aspect of my practice that has focussed on an investigation of Scottish Identity and a question of what the idea of 'The North' really constitutes.
Review from Tinslave...
"The conference ended with a brilliant exposition of the issues associated with documenting cultural expression, by Ross Sinclair. Ross managed this by pretty much performing his presentation, making a far better impact than a more conventional presentation."
TRUE NORTH CONFERENCE
RECORDING THE PAST, PRESENT AND FUTURE
5-7 MARCH 2015, TIMESPAN, HELMSDALE, SCOTLAND
Documenting is an activity that makes us human, that constitutes our culture in the past, the present, and the future.
The True North conference is for everyone: it is for artists, historians, academics, curators, and researchers; for those with an interest in researching their family history or who like the smell of libraries and archives; and for everyone who blogs, tweets, and shares their story on Facebook, takes photos or makes films.
On Thursday evening, 5th March, we will welcome you to Timespan and Helmsdale with an informal reception and buffet, and an opportunity to meet with all those who have joined us for the conference. On Friday and Saturday we have two full days of presentations, conversations, explorations and more.
On the conference agenda:
Northern Frontiers, a talk by Lateral North presenting their recent publication An Atlas of Productivity, and launching their new touring project developed in collaboration with Timespan.
Archiving Matters a round table discussion on archiving values and practices with presentations by Lewis-based artist Jon MacLeod, Referendum Curator Amy Todman, artist Nicky Bird, and Timespan’s Archive Development Manager Jo Clemens.
A second round table discussion, Document People, focusing on the role of people when documenting. This session raises questions around the acts of collecting, and sharing, reminiscing and self-presentation and of documenting and of being documented. Speakers include genealogist Chris Halliday, social scientist Matt Sillars, artist Karlyn Sutherland and archaeologist Keir Strickland.
A series of 5 Minute Speakers with a variety of contributions chaired by Lisa Collinson that opens up a discussion around documentation in and across a variety of disciplines.
Presentations and Performances by Mini-Residency contributors: visual artist Hannah Imlach, journalist and arts writer Moira Jeffrey, visual artist Ruth MacLennan and Referendum Curator Amy Todman.
We will also offer Exploration Sessions, an opportunity to delve deeper into some of the projects at Timespan or to head out into Helmsdale and the surrounding area. Visit Timespan’s Virtual World with our partners Alan Miller and John McCaffery from St Andrews University. Learn more about our recent archive and collection development with Archive Development Manager, Jo Clements. Take a tour up the Strath of Kildonan with Heritage Officer Jacquie Aitken. Or find out about Northern Exchange, an exhibition by Roxane Permar and Susan Timmins, documenting Cold War legacies, with our Curator Frances Davis.
Several opportunities for networking, and evening entertainment.
All good things come to an end with True North Real Life, presentations by Peter Davidson, Author of the Idea of North who will remind us of the gaps in histories and the importance of missing information, and by artist
Ross Sinclair, reflecting on Real Life.
