Curious Pilgrims awarded Scottish Natural Heritage funding

An isles-based arts organisation has been awarded funding to celebrate the Year of Coasts and Waters.

Curious Pilgrims, a not-for-profit organisation that connects people through arts and the natural world, is one of 24 organisations to receive money from Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH).

The Plunge In! Coasts and Waters Community Fund was established by SNH to help community groups across Scotland support this year’s event.

Renzo Spiteri, co-founder and co-director of Curious Pilgrims, said they were “very grateful” for the support.

The fund will be used by the organisation for Sonic Outreach Shetland (SO Shetland), a project that “explores, celebrates and promotes Shetland’s coastal areas through sound with the use of audio technology and creative strategies”. 

Sound artist Mr Spiteri will work alongside a cohort of young people from Anderson and Brae High Schools on the project.

Mr Spiteri said this would “allow participants to experience and view Shetland’s coasts and seas in new ways, increasing their awareness of and sensitivity to this special ecology, developing new skills through artistic creation and sharing acquired knowledge and experiences with friends, family and the wider community”.

Gaby Giacchino, co-founder and co-director, said: “Although Curious Pilgrims was only formally established in February 2020, we are currently running  two projects on Shetland and encourage creatives and organisations on Shetland and beyond to contact us to explore possibilities for initiating new collaborations.”

SNH chief executive Francesca Osowska said: “I’m really looking forward to seeing Sonic Outreach Shetland progress and am sure that its creativity and enthusiasm will engage and connect more people with our coasts and waters and secure a real and lasting legacy for the themed year in the local community.”