Orkney 2025: Island Voices & Island Soonds

Island Voices: Stories from Across the Globe

Local author Gabrielle Barnby was appointed as Island Games Scrivener and Story Gatherer, creating a remarkable collection of writing from all 24 participating island groups. The project invited writers of all ages and experience levels to submit pieces exploring island identity, inspired by prompts from Orkney writers including George Mackay Brown.

The Island Voices collection was published as a limited edition pocket book for Orkney 2025 volunteers, participants, and delegates, featuring images from Orkney communities.The project also generated hundreds of Haiku poems celebrating 'islandness', which were displayed at Games venues and in athlete accommodation.

The project resulted in two publications: a collection of poems celebrating island life and a separate booklet of Haiku poems, both of which captured the unique voices and perspectives from islands across the globe.

Island Soonds: A Soundscape Celebration

Well-known local sound artist and traditional music performer Brian Cromarty was commissioned to compose a soundscape for St Magnus Cathedral, gathering audio from Orkney's sporting community and processing these 'found soonds' alongside Orkney's natural world, presented alongside recognisable musical instruments.

Short sound bites from submitted writings were recorded by contributors from all participating islands, allowing visitors to St Magnus Cathedral to hear the distinct accents, languages, and dialects from around the world that are part of the Island Games family. The soundscape played throughout the Cathedral alongside the visual spectacle of the St Magnus Sails.

The cultural offering extended beyond the Cathedral, with a Stromness Street Gallery showcasing over 50 artworks from more than 30 artists across 23 properties. The Móti Collective exhibited at Northlight Gallery on the theme of 'Games', accompanied by Cromarty's Island Soonds sound piece. Four UHI Fine Arts degree students also displayed installations in the Tankerness House Gardens.

The Island Voices collection and sound art installation were celebrated with readings and an opportunity to meet some of the writers on Thursday 17 July at the St Magnus Centre, Kirkwall.