Lewis woman launches Goth on the Croft idea
A GOTH on the Croft charity calendar has been released to help ‘stamp out prejudice, hatred and intolerance’ of subcultures in communities.
The idea came from 38-yearold goth Claire Gerrard, also known as Spectra Vox, who relocated from Aberdeen to Lewis two years ago, and felt as incongruous as the proverbial ‘black sheep’ dressed in PVC and black make-up.
While her experiences in the Outer Hebrides were positive, she hit upon an eye-catching idea to help promote tolerance, gathering her goth friends to pose on Highland and Island crofts.
‘People who identify with the goth subculture, or indeed any other alternative subculture, can be found in all walks of life, even where you least expect – including the Scottish Highlands,’ the group’s Facebook page explains.
Spectra decided to raise money for the Sophie Lancaster Foundation, set up following the 2007 murder of the 20-year-old who was attacked in a park in Lancashire.
‘All profits from the sale of Goth on the Croft calendar go to the Sophie Lancaster foundation, which was started by her mum after the loss of her daughter in an act of brutal hate crime inflicted upon Sophie and her boyfriend. The reason for this attack: the way they dressed. We hope with this calendar to raise awareness of Sophie and the problem with hate crime in our communities.’
Happily, it seems the most trouble the goths experienced while shooting the calendar was the unpredictability of the animals.