MAIRI McFADYEN

Mairi McFadyen is an independent freelancer and creative collaborator based in the Scottish Highlands, working across the interconnected roles of researcher, educator, facilitator, writer and creative practitioner. Drawing on a background in creative ethnology, human ecology and folk culture, Mairi’s work is largely focused on the role of cultural heritage in ecological restoration and advocating for regenerative and convivial alternatives to dominant systems. Her diverse portfolio is unified by a commitment to imagining and building more hopeful futures.

WRITING

Blog
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Essay: Aiseag | Return - on the hope of parenthood, of wrens and skylarks
Essay: The Call of the Goldfinch - on reclaiming attention in a world of distraction
Essay: The Call of the Goldfinch - on reclaiming attention in a world of distraction
Essay and Audio Piece: A Fragile Correspondence
Essay and Audio Piece: A Fragile Correspondence
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Newspaper Article: Tobar an Dualchais: A Rich Harvest from Autumnal Traditions, West Highland Free Press
Music Review: Breathing Space, Barry Reid
Music Review: Breathing Space, Barry Reid
Lecture text: 'Heelster Gowdie Upendings and Hopeful Futures,' Annual Hamish Henderson Lecture 2021
Lecture text: 'Heelster Gowdie Upendings and Hopeful Futures,' Annual Hamish Henderson Lecture 2021
Collaborative Essay: 'The Carrying Stream: Towards a Plurality of Possibilities,' LESS: A Journal of Degrowth in Scotland
Collaborative Essay: 'The Carrying Stream: Towards a Plurality of Possibilities,' LESS: A Journal of Degrowth in Scotland
Academic article: On “Cultural Darning and Mending”: A Creative Response to Ceist an Fhearainn / The Land Question in the Gàidhealtachd
Academic article: On “Cultural Darning and Mending”: A Creative Response to Ceist an Fhearainn / The Land Question in the Gàidhealtachd
Essay: “If I were a Blackbird”: constellations of meaning in birdsong and folksong
Essay: “If I were a Blackbird”: constellations of meaning in birdsong and folksong
Essay Commission: Lauren MacColl: Landskein and the "The Other Landscape"
Essay Commission: Lauren MacColl: Landskein and the "The Other Landscape"
Newspaper Article: 'Cainnt nan Eun: Language of the Birds' - Tobar an Dualchais / West Highland Free Press
Newspaper Article: 'Cainnt nan Eun: Language of the Birds' - Tobar an Dualchais / West Highland Free Press
Songs & Singing: A Wellspring for the Future, Bella Caledonia Column December 2019
Songs & Singing: A Wellspring for the Future, Bella Caledonia Column December 2019
How Can We Sow The Seeds of a Better Food System? Bella Caledonia Column, November 2019
How Can We Sow The Seeds of a Better Food System? Bella Caledonia Column, November 2019
The Creative Economy? Towards A Culture of Possibility - Bella Caledonia Column October 2019
The Creative Economy? Towards A Culture of Possibility - Bella Caledonia Column October 2019
Woodland, Willow Warblers and Wild Berries: A Trip to Isle Martin - Bella Caledonia Column September 2019
Woodland, Willow Warblers and Wild Berries: A Trip to Isle Martin - Bella Caledonia Column September 2019
Hamish Henderson and the Liberated Life - Bella Caledonia Column August 2019
Hamish Henderson and the Liberated Life - Bella Caledonia Column August 2019
What Does it Mean to Face Up to Our Climate Reality? - Bella Caledonia Column July 2019
What Does it Mean to Face Up to Our Climate Reality? - Bella Caledonia Column July 2019
Strì an Fhearainn: Story of the Land - Bella Caledonia Column June 2019
Strì an Fhearainn: Story of the Land - Bella Caledonia Column June 2019
The Art of Living Together: Ceilidh Culture and the Commons - Bella Caledonia Column May 2019
The Art of Living Together: Ceilidh Culture and the Commons - Bella Caledonia Column May 2019
You Can't Forget What You Don't Know - Bella Caledonia Column April 2019
You Can't Forget What You Don't Know - Bella Caledonia Column April 2019
Scotland at a Crossroads - Bella Caledonia Column March 2019
Scotland at a Crossroads - Bella Caledonia Column March 2019
Red John and the Rain Geese - Bella Caledonia Column February 2019
Red John and the Rain Geese - Bella Caledonia Column February 2019
Magazine article: The Shieling Project: Embedding Culture in a Healthy Land - Reforesting Scotland
Magazine article: The Shieling Project: Embedding Culture in a Healthy Land - Reforesting Scotland
Lecture text: Finding Radical Hope in Geopoetics: Annual Tony McManus Geopoetics Lecture 2018, Leith, Edinburgh
Lecture text: Finding Radical Hope in Geopoetics: Annual Tony McManus Geopoetics Lecture 2018, Leith, Edinburgh
Journal Essay: Expressing the Earth: Towards a Geopoetic Creative Ethnology
Journal Essay: Expressing the Earth: Towards a Geopoetic Creative Ethnology
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Bothy Culture and Beyond: A Live, Lasting Culture
High LAND/FEARANN: How We See Our Highland Landscapes
High LAND/FEARANN: How We See Our Highland Landscapes
The Wild Geese by Mary Oliver - Owersettin in Scots
The Wild Geese by Mary Oliver - Owersettin in Scots
Essay: GRIT at the Edinburgh International Festival: It Is Marvellous In Our Eyes
Essay: GRIT at the Edinburgh International Festival: It Is Marvellous In Our Eyes
The Shieling Project, Glen Strathfarrar
The Shieling Project, Glen Strathfarrar

PORTFOLIO

projects
Online Short Course: Tobar an Dualchais - Creative Connections, 22-24 September 2025
Online Short Course: Tobar an Dualchais - Creative Connections, 22-24 September 2025

tutor/facilitator
september 2025

Public Talk: The Starling Café, Ullapool - Possible Futures
Public Talk: The Starling Café, Ullapool - Possible Futures

invited speaker
may 2025

FUTURE FOLK: Reading the Highland Landscape - Human Geography Fieldtrip, University of Edinburgh
FUTURE FOLK: Reading the Highland Landscape - Human Geography Fieldtrip, University of Edinburgh

faciliator/educator
april 2025

Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) in Scotland Conference, Birnam Arts
Intangible Cultural Heritage (ICH) in Scotland Conference, Birnam Arts

invited speaker
november 2024

LAND, NATURE, JUSTICE event
LAND, NATURE, JUSTICE event

host/facilitator (online)
november 2024

Hopeful Futures, Inverness
Hopeful Futures, Inverness

commission & collaboration
sept 2024

Land and Nature in Scotland: Emerging Care Alternatives, School of Innovation and Technology, Glasgow School of Art
Land and Nature in Scotland: Emerging Care Alternatives, School of Innovation and Technology, Glasgow School of Art

invited speaker
April 2024

Uisge Èirinn | River Findhorn, River Connections: Headwaters Celebration, Strathdearn Hub
Uisge Èirinn | River Findhorn, River Connections: Headwaters Celebration, Strathdearn Hub

performance
march 2024

Scottish Rural and Islands Parliament, Fort William: Host & Facilitator for the Panel Discussion and ‘Last Dance’ Workshop
Scottish Rural and Islands Parliament, Fort William: Host & Facilitator for the Panel Discussion and ‘Last Dance’ Workshop

host/facilitator
november 2023

Findhorn Watershed Initiative (FWI): Human Ecology Researcher-in-Residence
Findhorn Watershed Initiative (FWI): Human Ecology Researcher-in-Residence

researcher-in-residence
july 2023 - march 2024

Reforesting Scotland Annual Gathering - Keynote Lecture
Reforesting Scotland Annual Gathering - Keynote Lecture

keynote lecture
sept 2023

Scottish Communities Climate Action Network
Scottish Communities Climate Action Network

invited speaker
august 2023

Green Tease: launch of the creative degrowth network Scotland
Green Tease: launch of the creative degrowth network Scotland

speaker
june 2023

SCAN Decades: STEPPING IN TO THE CARRYING STREAM - Mairi McFadyen and Ainslie Roddick in Conversation
SCAN Decades: STEPPING IN TO THE CARRYING STREAM - Mairi McFadyen and Ainslie Roddick in Conversation

speaker
june 2023

Scotland + Venice Exhibition: A Fragile Correspondence
Scotland + Venice Exhibition: A Fragile Correspondence

local collaborator
may 2023

DE/GROWTH: Human Ecology, Economy, Community
DE/GROWTH: Human Ecology, Economy, Community

tutor/contributor
oct 2022

Highland Degrowth Gathering: Offers and Needs Market, The Ceilidh Place, Ullapool
Highland Degrowth Gathering: Offers and Needs Market, The Ceilidh Place, Ullapool

organisor/faciliator
march 2022

Creative Ethnologist in Residence - Dandelion 2022
Creative Ethnologist in Residence - Dandelion 2022

creative ethnologist in residence
oct 2021 - sept 2022

Scottish Artists' Union: Lèirsinn nan Gàidheal / Gaelic Visual Arts
Scottish Artists' Union: Lèirsinn nan Gàidheal / Gaelic Visual Arts

online lecture
feb 2022

Blas Festival, Òraid: Tobar an Dualchais – Ceanglaichean Cruthachail (Online)
Blas Festival, Òraid: Tobar an Dualchais – Ceanglaichean Cruthachail (Online)

online lecture
nov 2021

Annual Hamish Henderson Lecture, Carrying Stream Festival, Edinburgh
Annual Hamish Henderson Lecture, Carrying Stream Festival, Edinburgh

public lecture
nov 2021

Atlas Arts: School of Plural Futures
Atlas Arts: School of Plural Futures

collaborative workshop
june 2021

Virtual Fèis Rois Weekend: Lunchtime Lecture
Virtual Fèis Rois Weekend: Lunchtime Lecture

online lecture
may 2021

Highland Youth Arts Hub (HIYAH) 'Creative In Your Community' Project, Creative Conversations
Highland Youth Arts Hub (HIYAH) 'Creative In Your Community' Project, Creative Conversations

guest speaker / workshop leader
sept 2020

Enough! & Centre for Human Ecology Online Short Course: Degrowth in Scotland
Enough! & Centre for Human Ecology Online Short Course: Degrowth in Scotland

development & delivery
oct - nov 2020

Tobar an Dualchais: Ceanglaichean Cruthachail - Online Short Course, Sabhal Mòr Ostaig
Tobar an Dualchais: Ceanglaichean Cruthachail - Online Short Course, Sabhal Mòr Ostaig

tutor
july 2020

Connection, Creativity, Community in a Time of Covid-19 - FEECA (Folklore Ethnology Ethnomusicology Conference Aberdeen)
Connection, Creativity, Community in a Time of Covid-19 - FEECA (Folklore Ethnology Ethnomusicology Conference Aberdeen)

keynote speaker/facilitator
july 2020

#MakeShift Solas Festival - "Not Going Back to Normal Panel - Visions of a Post Lockdown Scotland"
#MakeShift Solas Festival - "Not Going Back to Normal Panel - Visions of a Post Lockdown Scotland"

panel guest
june 2020

Folk Film Gathering - "Community Under Pressure" Panel Discussion
Folk Film Gathering - "Community Under Pressure" Panel Discussion

panel guest
may 2019

Lauren MacColl: 'Landskein' - Accompanying essay
Lauren MacColl: 'Landskein' - Accompanying essay

writer
may 2020

SERVICES

  • Collaboration & Cultural Production

  • Workshops & Learning

  • Hosting & Chairing

  • Public Talks & Lectures

  • Creative Facilitation

  • Fieldwork & Fieldwork Training

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