The Courier & Advertiser (Angus and Dundee)
Auchmithie HAAR Festival
Various venues, Auchmithie, September 9-10
Auchmithie local Lesley Harrison says: “I’ve lived in the village for eight years now, and have an outsider’s point of view on how the HAAR festival has made an impact on village life.
“It would be very easy for a wee place like Auchmithie to be merely a dormitory village for Arbroath or Dundee, or even Aberdeen, especially as, like so many east coast villages, it no longer has its own fishing fleet.
“But being a very attractive village, a lot of artists and retired professional types now live here, and these people know how to run a festival,” she adds.
Although Lesley and illustrator Sarah Maclean produce an annual book of local myth and anecdote to complement the Auchmithie Archive, she isn’t directly involved in running the festival.
As a local Lesley feels a sense of excitement about an event which has become a regular feature of local life.
Founded in 2004, the HAAR (Heritage Arts – Auchmithie Residents) Festival came about as a result of a consultation by Angus Council looking into strengthening local communities.
One of the issues which came up was a sense that the fast-disappearing fishing heritage of Arbroath and Auchmithie should be recognised.
“This wasn’t a fishing village anymore, but when we looked at the people who live here, we realised we had a huge range of artistic talent,” says Ann Craig, a former drama teacher and learning development worker, who is vicechairperson of the festival’s committee.
Both strands developed in tandem for the first few years, with re-enactments, storytelling and craft projects celebrating the fishing history, and local artists showcasing their work.
Yet the festival grew at such a pace that each element had to be split, with heritage being the main focus one year and art the next; 2017 is the turn of the Auchmithie Arts Festival.
“This year we have 16 venues,” says Ann. “It’s also the end of Angus Heritage Week, so we’ll be doing a Doors Open event where visitors can see inside places like the church, the schoolhouse, the fisher’s cottages and a pottery shed by the beach, each of which will be turned into a gallery.
“There will also be music down on the beach and storytelling for children.”
Fifty artists from across Angus will be exhibiting items ranging from visual art to sculpture, as well as jewellery, glassware, sugarcraft and more. A team of 11 committee members and 40 helpers will also be involved.
“Entry and parking is free, and we’ll have teas, coffees, pizza and soup,” says Craig. “It’s a very family-friendly event. If you’d like to visit, that’s great, and if you want to pick up some art at a bargain price, that’s even better.”