Driftwood gathers barnacles, piers develop seaweed, slipways attract limpets – the life of the sea ensures that everything within it becomes part of the activity of the underwater world. And so, wondered artist Jenny Pope, could a tiny mini-island cast out to float in Stromness harbour become an image for each of us today, of somehow staying afloat in uncertain times and finding links to the natural world through a web of life that is also looking for a home and a way ahead through stormy waters?

Her thoughts were started off by a visit to Stromness Museum and seeing in particular the Halkett cloth boat, designed for lightness and flexibility, that was brought back from the Arctic by Dr John Rae. She tells the story of the little Shoogly Holm, due to be lifted on Sunday, and of the community involvement and how life has built up around it, with help and underwater images from partners in the project.

Those involved with pictures and stories include Katy Firth of Stromness Museum, Prof. Joanne Porter of Heriot-Watt University, Dr Jenni Kakkonen from Orkney’s Marine Environmental Unit, Seasearch Coordinator Dr Karen Boswarva, Nick Lovick from The Blide Trust and Nigel George from Artecology.

With support from Creative Scotland, Orkney Harbours and Xodus

Jenny Pope will give a workshop tomorrow (Friday 4 September) on Resilience in Uncertain Times, in the Old Library, Kirkwall at 2 pm. The raising of Shoogly Holm will take place at Stromness Museum on Sunday morning at 11.30 am. On Tuesday there will be several workshops to study in more detail the marine life that has developed around it.