Timespan is a cultural organisation in Helmsdale, a village in the very north east of the Scottish Highlands, with local, global and planetary ambitions to weaponise culture for social change. Timespan is a place for art, research, heritage, local history, future propositions and action. We believe that cultural institutions are a political and public space which belong to society, and as such, have a responsibility to shape a brighter new world based on principles of equality, emancipation and inclusion.
Comprised of a local history museum, contemporary art programme, geology and herb gardens, shop, bakery and cafe, we take a holistic and integrated approach to our programme and organisation so all elements of what we do and are, service our civic and political agendas – to make art and heritage work meaningfully for our constituents and village and as tools for global cultural and social change.
We are committed to diagnosing and responding to urgent contemporary issues, which are rooted in our local context of remote, rural Scotland, and to approach these from a global and multi-disciplinary perspective. We try to do this by assembling communities and individuals involved in art, science, heritage and activism, and deploy this collectively-produced consortium of ideas into action.
Timespan commissions four major projects each year, each aligned with broader social movements. We programme a number of regular strands of events to offer a broad and accessible platform into the wider research that informs out programme. We are committed to supporting the development of new work and have a programme of artist residencies.
Timespan is generously supported by Creative Scotland and the Highland Council as well as project grants from various trusts.
