The Island Week
25th May – 2nd June 2002, Isle of Islay

The land provides the bedrock from which all else arises. Vegetation, creatures, a people, their language, folklore, values and perspective are all necessarily shaped by it.
It seems that we are driven to put down roots and without them become scattered and
aimless. The story of a displaced people wandering the earth in search of a homeland is
a timeless one.

Modern living conditions and globalisation favour mobility. In all areas we look for
meaning in novelty. As we become more urbanised and lose our connections to our
origins, do we also cut ourselves off from essential nourishment? Can we, like nomads,
carry them with us? Must community and purpose be the price we pay?

This week – an island in space and time – will take place against the backdrop of the Isle
of Islay, most southerly of the Scottish islands. Inhabited for at least 10,000 years, its
vibrant community has strong connections to its past. Drawing on local people and
resources, the course will explore both the symbolism of diaspora and the interweaving
of influences which make up the fabric of community.