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Making the ‘Orkney Sequence’ – How collaboration works in the arts
When
Tuesday 8 September 2026
17:00 - 18:30
Where
The Royal Society of Edinburgh
22-26 George St, Edinburgh EH2 2PQ
View directions on Google Maps
Format
In-person
Access
Hearing loop, Wheelchair access, Wheelchair accessible toilets
Age
Suitable for ages 16+
Cost
Free to book
About this event
Using art to translate Orkney’s landscapes into sound and image.
In celebration of Orkney’s summer and winter solstices, renowned artist Victoria Crowe and Orkney-based composer Gemma McGregor have collaborated on the Orkney Sequence, an evocative musical composition inspired by Crowe’s recent Orkney paintings.
This event offers a unique opportunity to hear directly from the artist and composer about how the collaboration developed and what Orkney means to them. Hosted by Robyn Marsack, the conversation will explore their creative processes, the ways Orkney has inspired their work, and what this partnership has brought to each of their practices.
Audiences will gain insight into how two artists working in different disciplines respond to a shared source of inspiration. The event will include a discussion between Crowe and McGregor and a film projection of Crowe’s paintings, accompanied by a broadcast of a recording of Gemma’s work Sea Shimmer played by the Hebrides Ensemble.
The collaboration is rooted in Orkney’s distinctive spirit of place, its sense of deep time, rich history, and elemental landscape. The Orkney Sequence is intended as a poetic, immersive and meditative response to the natural world, inviting audiences to experience Orkney through both sound and image.
Tickets go live on Thursday 23 July at 11am.
Event type
Curious
Talk
Contributors
Dr Victoria Crowe FRSE
ArtistDr Victoria Crowe studied at Kingston School of Art from 1961-65 and at the Royal College of Art, London, from 1965-68. At her postgraduate show, she was invited by Sir Robin Philipson to teach at Edinburgh College of Art. For thirty years she worked as a lecturer in the School of Drawing and Painting while developing her own artistic practice. In 2000, Crowe’s exhibition ‘A Shepherd’s Life’ was curated for the National Galleries of Scotland. Crowe was awarded an OBE for Services to Art in 2004. In 2019 The City Art Centre held a retrospective entitled ’50 Years of Painting’.
Crowe is a member of the Royal Scottish Academy (RSA). She has exhibited internationally and undertaken many important portrait commissions. Crowe’s work is held in public and private collections worldwide. She is represented in Scotland by The Scottish Gallery and in London by Flowers Gallery.
Dr Gemma McGregor
ComposerDr Gemma McGregor is a composer from Orkney who writes in musical genres including opera, choral, chamber orchestra, and film music. She was appointed Teaching Fellow in Music at the University of Aberdeen in 2016 and was awarded her doctorate in 2017. Her compositions have been performed internationally. ‘Love Was His Meaning’, her composition for choir, soprano, and harp was recorded by Corvus Consort for their album, ‘Welcome Joy’, in 2024. It was selected as BBC Radio 3 Essential Classics Album of the Week. She enjoys collaborating and has created pieces with visual artists, dancers, filmmakers, sculptors, writers and a scientist. McGregor collaborated with artist Anne Bevan and filmmaker Mark Jenkins on the film, ‘Beside the Deep Ocean of Time’ about wave energy. It is on permanent exhibition at the Royal Scottish Academy. She is currently working on a commission for an orchestral piece for North Wales International Festival 2026.
Contact us
If you have an event enquiry, please email us on public_engagement@theRSE.org.uk.Event testimonial
What is Curious?
Curious is the Royal Society of Edinburgh’s (RSE) free festival that celebrates the research, ideas and knowledge shaping society today.
Each year, Curious brings a packed programme of free in-person and online events covering themes from the arts, humanities, policy, science and more. To date, we’ve welcomed over 10,000 attendees for talks, workshops, exhibitions and discussions where you can learn from and speak with Scotland’s leading thinkers. As part of the RSE’s mission to make knowledge useful and accessible for everyone, Curious is open to anyone who wants to learn more about the world around them. No specialist knowledge is needed, just bring your curiosity.
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