Applications Open for 2026/27 Calanais Residency
Urras nan Tursachan (UnT) is inviting applications for its 2026/27 Calanais Residency, offering a unique opportunity for an artist, creative or researcher to spend three weeks at the iconic Calanais Standing Stones on the Isle of Lewis, exploring the site’s remarkable heritage and its connections to astronomy and dark skies.
Taking place in February 2027, the residency will provide the successful applicant with dedicated time and space to develop new work or research inspired by one of Scotland’s most significant prehistoric monuments.
With support from The National Lottery Heritage Fund, a £10,000 grant is available to help bring the project to life. The funding can contribute towards travel, accommodation, living expenses, materials and the creation of a lasting legacy piece for the Calanais Visitor Centre.
Exploring the stories of Calanais
UnT is keen to hear from applicants working across a wide range of disciplines, including art, archaeology, astrophysics, geophysics, astronomy, anthropology, digital media, multimedia design, storytelling and writing.
Projects may explore the astronomical, archaeological, cultural or artistic significance of the Standing Stones, with a particular emphasis on their relationship with the night sky.
The residency aims to encourage new learning and original creative work while finding fresh ways to connect visitors and local communities with the heritage of Calanais. Applicants are invited to develop a self-directed project that responds to these themes and brings new perspectives to the ancient landscape.
The successful applicant will be expected to develop their proposed project, deliver four public engagement activities during their time at Calanais, and create a legacy piece that will remain at the Visitor Centre.
Public activities could include workshops, talks, lectures, guided walks, tours or demonstrations, providing opportunities for visitors and local residents to get involved and discover more about the project.
The final legacy piece could take many forms, from an artwork, research publication or educational resource to an interactive exhibit, astronomical visualisation, virtual reality experience or community research initiative. Whatever its form, it should support UnT’s wider ambitions to improve heritage research, visitor engagement and both live and digital experiences.
Building on the success of the first residency
The new opportunity follows the success of the inaugural Calanais Residency 2025/26, which brought together an unusual combination of astrophysics and aerial circus performance through the creative partnership of Freya Pellie and Jonathan Doyle of Beyond Aerial.
Their project, Calanais: Still in Motion – Calanais: àite-tàimh, àite-tàlaidh, explored the relationship between the Standing Stones, the landscape and the Major Lunar Standstill of 2025. Combining aerial performance, astrophotography, film and community participation, the duo created a striking interpretation of Calanais that brought science, creativity and local involvement together. Their residency included circus workshops, an astrophotography session and a community light performance within the historic stone circle. The resulting legacy includes an atmospheric five-minute film, a series of short videos, photographs and poetic text, which will find a permanent home in the new Calanais Visitor Centre. The project demonstrated how fresh creative approaches can inspire people to look at the stones differently and deepen their connection with this extraordinary place.
Supporting the future of Calanais heritage
Urras nan Tursachan is a local charity established to preserve and promote the heritage of the Calanais Standing Stones. Through its residency programme, the trust hopes to encourage new research, creative exploration and opportunities for people to engage with the site’s remarkable history and continuing significance.
Following the success of its first residency, UnT is looking forward to welcoming another creative mind to Lewis and discovering how a fresh perspective might bring the stones, their stories and their connection to the night sky to life.
The trust would like to thank The National Lottery Heritage Fund for its support in making this residency possible and looks forward to receiving applications from across the creative and research communities.
