Hidden Voices, Hidden Lives: A Weekend of Stories, Memory and Belonging

Earlier this month, we welcomed people to Castlehill Heritage Centre & Lyth Arts Centre for stories, memories, traditions and voices that are not always given the opportunity to be heard.

Hidden Voices – Hidden Lives brought people together for a weekend of events exploring Traveller heritage, local history, traditional skills, art and the importance of making space for every voice within our communities and archives.

A particular highlight was the sharing of Nawken stories and artefacts by anthropologist Davie Donaldson.

Through personal stories, historical context and objects connected to Traveller life and culture, Davie offered an insight into a history that is often overlooked or misunderstood.

For local Travellers in particular, the event offered something important: the opportunity to see aspects of their history and culture represented in a space where they had not always felt represented before.

As Davie reflected afterwards:

“It was particularly special seeing local Travellers feel safe to come out to what have traditionally been spaces they didn’t feel were representative of them or their lifeways. The seeds that were planted with the programme will certainly live on, and it would be lovely for the programme to happen again in the future.”

The weekend wasn’t just about listening to stories. Participants also had the opportunity to connect with traditional knowledge through foraging led by Amanda from Natures Path, Natural Ways, and bender tent workshops and Donnie Williamson.

These practical sessions provided a chance to learn by doing, while also opening up conversations around traditional ways of living, working with natural materials and passing knowledge between generations.

Alongside the workshops, artist and playwright Lewis Hetherington contributed to the evening programme with a short reading, followed by his introduction to the powerful film Who Will Be Remembered Here?

The film provided another perspective on memory, place and whose stories survive.

One of the important conversations running through the weekend was the question of who gets remembered, and whose stories become part of our shared history.

Local archivist Jamie McCaffrey extended a warm invitation for everyone to help ensure that the Nucleus Archives are representative of all voices.

Through ‘Your Place in the Archive’, the invitation is simple: if you have photographs, documents, memories, stories or other material that could help tell the history of our communities, there is a place for them in the archive.

It is an important reminder that archives aren’t simply collections of things from the past. They help shape how future generations understand the people and places that came before them — and everyone has a part to play in that story.

The weekend also featured an exhibition of exquisite cross-stitched drawings by artist James Gladwell, whose work had previously been presented in Project Ability’s gallery as part of Glasgow International.

The pieces created a striking visual presence within Lyth, bringing another perspective to the conversations taking place throughout the weekend.

As one visitor reflected:

“It’s really lovely to see these presented and elevated within the space at Lyth.”

The exhibition also helped underline one of the wider aims of the programme: creating opportunities for artists whose voices and perspectives are too often marginalised to be seen, encountered and celebrated within local spaces.

Another visitor from the weekend said:

“It is fantastic to now have Lyth on the map within the community as committed to inclusion and visible support for marginalised artists.”

Looking beyond one weekend

Perhaps the most important thing about Hidden Voices – Hidden Lives is that it wasn’t intended to be a one-off.

The weekend was a starting point for a longer-term approach at Lyth — one that seeks to create space for different voices, celebrate overlooked histories, support marginalised artists and encourage more people to see themselves reflected in the cultural life of their community.

There is still much more to uncover, share and remember.

And if the weekend showed us anything, it is that when people are given the space to tell their stories — and others are given the opportunity to listen — something meaningful can begin to grow.

Thank you to everyone who helped make Hidden Voices – Hidden Lives possible, and to everyone who came along and made it what it was.

We hope this is just the beginning.