Sarah Longley

Community

Working with others

The move to Lochalsh from Edinburgh, together with starting a family, has increased my desire to connect with people. Not long after arriving, I was teaching workshops for the first time and volunteering at my daughters' school. I grew in confidence at this, and learned how to plan and lead ambitious group-projects. I see all this as an extension of my own work rather than a distraction. I find the work of children hugely inspiring.

Big Totem Draw Exhibition, with eight schools and several community groups (photo credit: Willie Urquhat)2022

Sarah's Saturday Art Club

I went to a Saturday Morning club in Belfast when I was a child, run by the artist Neil Shawcross. I loved that experience and wanted to do the same for children here. So I began Sarah's Saturday Art Club which has been running in Kirkton Church Hall since 2022. Among others, I have worked with teachers, artists, a pianist and a town planner. Underpinning all these efforts is a desire to be inclusive and to provide an enriching experience for everyone taking part.

Clown painted in Neil Shawcross's Saturday Morning Club, aged approx 7
Sarah's Saturday Art Club2025
Wild Things Day exhibition, Kirkton Hall, with Saturday Art Club & Kyle Primary School2023

I enjoy it because we do crafty things and I enjoy doing arts and crafts, and we can bring Badger in and get cookies.

Jeannieage 8

You really melt into the moment when you're there, like the feeling takes over the pen and you can draw better than when you're at home.

Mayaage 9

I like it because it's fun and I can sneak cats into any picture I paint.

Hollyage 7

Projects

A project which I'm particularly proud of is Stories and Faces (2024), which brought together primary pupils with older people in the community to make vibrant portraits and gather stories. With film-maker Fiona Duncan, I created a film as a lasting archive. I also devised and delivered four projects for the Big Draw Festival. Big Totem Draw, inspired by my father's poem, 'Totem', won The Guest Panellists' Choice Award.

"The judges were highly impressed with the level of engagement achieved, and with how your project brought the community together. The final totem installation artworks were a joyous celebration of creativity and colour, and the judges agreed it really demonstrated the power of art to unite people across all generations and backgrounds!"

The Big Draw judges, on Big Totem Draw
Stories and Faces Exhibition, Kirkton Hall2025
Stories and Faces Film showing, March, Kirkton Hall2025
Big Totem Draw Exhibition, with eight schools and several community groups2022
Making Connections, a six week project with Kyleakin Connections2025
Mapping Lochalsh with Glenelg Primary and Nick Wright, town-planner, for the Lochalsh Local Place Plan2024

More of the work

Kyle Primary pupils, Art in Schools with ATLAS Arts2021
Kyle Primary pupils, Art in Schools with ATLAS Arts2021
Beautiful Broadford with Broadford Primary, now in Broadford Hospital2019
Arty Bodies Big Draw, with Helen Robertson, Auchtertyre, Loch Duich and Kyle Primary2022
Arty Bodies Big Draw, with Helen Robertson, Auchtertyre, Loch Duich and Kyle Primary2022
Big Sensory Draw with Airdferry Resource Centre2023
Big Spiral Draw, with Peter MacLaren drawing in response to Mozart's variation on 'Ah, vous dirai-je maman', Plockton Piano Club2024
Covid a Child's View, a collaborative project with six Primary Schools2020-2021
Covid a Child's View, a collaborative project with six Primary Schools2020-2021
Dark Skies Festival workshop in Kirkton Hall with Wester Ross UNESCO Biosphere2022
Kaleidoscope Art Exhibition poster, featuring 'Our Kyle' by Kyle Primary School2021
Kaleidoscope Community Art Exhibition2021
Lochalsh Life Drawing meets Skye Circus Skills2023
Making Connections, a six week project with Kyleakin Connections2025
Mapping Lochalsh with Plockton High School and Nick Wright, town-planner, for the Lochalsh Local Place Plan2024
Mehfil-Cèilidh, a cultural exchange with Skye & Lochalsh and Pakistan organised by ATLAS Arts2025
Sound and Vision, Event for Big Sensory Draw2023
Stories and Faces, a collaboration with Airdferry Resource Centre and Auchtertyre Primary2024
Storylands Project with Kyle Primary2023
Sunflower Ceilidh, Kirkton Hall2023

Watch and explore

If you would like to work together on a project, or bring something like this to your school or group, please get in touch.

Get in touch