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CREATE INSPIRE PROJECTS CIC
SPARKING IMAGINATION, STRENGTHENING COMMUNITY
THE TRAVELLING IMAGINARIUM PROJECT
ACHILTIBUIE LOCHINVER KINLOCHBERVIE CONTIN&GARVE ULLAPOOL
THE TRAVELLING IMAGINARIUM is rolling into a village near you,
and we’re looking for curious folk and community groups to jump
into a series of FREE creative workshops this summer.
Fancy singing in a pop‑up choir? Or maybe you’re a budding musician,
writer or poet keen to meet other imaginative souls, swap ideas, and
spark new connections. If hands‑on making is more your thing,
join our puppet‑making sessions! Everything leads to an informal afternoon
gathering where we’ll share the songs, stories, poetry and surprises
that emerge along the way.
If this sounds like your kind of thing, you've come to the right place!
Scroll down to read more about our workshops and how you can get involved.
We look forward to seeing you!
WORKSHOP DATES 2026
JUNE 5TH-7TH COIGACH COMMUNITY CENTRE
JUNE 12TH-14TH ASSYNT LEISURE LOCHINVER
AUG 14TH-16TH KINLOCHBERVIE HIGH SCHOOL
AUG 21ST-23RD CONTIN VILLAGE HALL
SEPT 25TH-27TH MACPHAIL CENTRE / THE CEILIDH PLACE VENUE ULLAPOOL
OUR MISSION
CREATE INSPIRE PROJECTS CIC
Create Inspire Projects CIC brings high‑quality, imaginative arts experiences directly to rural Highland communities, making creativity accessible to everyone. Based in Ullapool, we work with musicians, theatre‑makers, writers and artists to create welcoming spaces where people can sing, make, play and reconnect. Our Travelling Imaginarium project takes this even further — a pop‑up world of music, theatre, writing and puppetry designed to spark joy, build confidence and strengthen the bonds that hold communities together.
We believe creativity belongs to everyone. That’s why our workshops and performances are free to attend. Together, we create supportive, flexible sessions where participants can try something new, share stories and ideas and ultimately feel part of something bigger - helping restore connection, confidence and a renewed sense of belonging.
SOT OTTER - POP-UP CHOIR & MUSIC MAKING
Sot Otter is an award‑winning songwriter, composer and multi‑instrumentalist who performs regularly at music events and festivals. She has a wealth of experience as a choir director, leading singing workshops and community choirs, specialising in harmony singing and contemporary songs. In 2009 Sot founded Create Youth Theatre, a Saturday theatre‑arts school based in Ullapool. In 2020, she went on to form Create Inspire Projects CIC - a grassroots community‑interest company dedicated to bringing theatre‑arts experiences to communities across the Highlands, with a focus on those facing financial or geographical barriers to accessing the performing arts.
The Travelling Imaginarium Pop-Up Choir Workshops
“No auditions. No experience is needed. Just a willingness to have fun!”
Sot Otter’s pop‑up choir sessions are simply about the joy of singing together. No pressure, just the shared thrill of simple harmony in a room of friendly faces. With over 25 years of experience playing, performing and directing community choirs, Sot has a gift for making everyone feel welcome, whether you’ve sung for decades or only ever hummed in the kitchen.
Over the weekend, there will be two group choir sessions, where we will work on songs that are easy to learn and gorgeous to sing. By the end of these two sessions, the group will have shaped a song or two (or three!) to share at Sunday’s community gathering.
Music Making Workshops with Sot Otter
Sot Otter brings her award‑winning musicianship and decades of experience to a workshop designed for anyone who sings or plays - whether that’s at home, at open mics, or on local stages. It’s a welcoming, practical space to explore your musical identity and build confidence in how you perform.
Participants are invited to bring a song they love - an original, a cover. Sot works insightfully with each person or group, helping them refine vocal technique, develop their musical style, and discover what makes their performance feel authentic and alive. There’s no pressure and no expectation of perfection; just supportive guidance and the chance to stretch your creative muscles.
Those who would like to can share their work at the Sunday afternoon community gathering.
LG THOMSON - CREATIVE WRITING WORKSHOPS
LG Thomson is an award-winning author and visual artist from Ullapool. Her awards include winning the Grolsch/Company Magazine Question of Style Creative Writing Award and being shortlisted for the Dundee Book Prize. Her work has appeared in a wide range of anthologies and literary publications, and she is the author of seven novels and two memoirs. Modernist Dreams Brutalist Nightmares and Bitter Fruit are frank and brutally funny accounts of growing up in Scotland in the 1970s and 1980s. Her novels include Boyle's Law, a neo-noir thriller set in the Highlands.
LG Thomson Creative Writing Workshops 16+
Lorraine has extensive experience in facilitating creative writing workshops. She specialises in helping participants to experiment with words, explore creative ideas, and find new and often unexpected ways into writing. Using a series of prompts tailored to the group, she will provide you with a toolbox of useful techniques designed to build your confidence and help you to discover your inner writer. Her workshops are relaxed and inspiring, with the emphasis very much on enjoying the process. Basic writing materials will be provided. Alternatively, if you prefer to write on a tablet, phone, etc., please bring it with you, likewise with favourite pens or notebooks. Otherwise, just bring yourself and a desire to participate, discover, and create.
There will be four ‘stand-alone’ workshops over the weekend:
Workshop 1: Friday 11.00 am – 12.30pm - Lifelines
Draw on your own experiences to create a series of mini memoirs
Workshop 2: Friday 1.30pm – 3.30pm- The Extraordinary Ordinary
Taking inspiration from the everyday, finding beauty in the mundane
Workshop 3: Saturday 11.00 am – 12.30pm - Microfiction Masterclass
Writing complete stories in 300 words or less
Workshop 4: Saturday 1.30pm – 3.30pm - Stop Making Sense
An experimental creative writing workshop
No experience necessary! Lorraine’s workshops are for 16+
GREG DOBSON - BLACK DOG PUPPET COMPANY
Greg Dobson is an experienced teacher and practising artist, living and working in the area of Lochalsh.
Black Dog Puppet Company was formed in 2014 as part of Belladrum Festival. Their workshops focus on inclusivity, working with neurodiverse adults and children through to mainstream high school pupils. Their team is multi-generational and is often involved in voluntary community projects, as well as running workshops from their base in Kyle.
Puppet-Making Workshops 14+
Greg’s puppet‑making workshops invite participants to explore character, identity and imagination through hands‑on making. Greg begins with an informal introduction to character design, sharing simple techniques and demonstrating how a personality can emerge from just a few lines on a page. Participants can base their character on themselves, someone they admire, or a completely invented alter‑ego - whatever feels most meaningful or playful to them.
From there, participants move into bringing their character into three dimensions. Using a mix of recycled and new materials, each participant creates a hand‑held puppet, complete with moving parts such as articulated arms and a rotating head.
Greg brings along a small collection of historical and contemporary puppets for inspiration, sparking ideas about culture and storytelling.
The workshop is designed to be adaptable for different abilities, but the heart of it is always the same: supporting participants to express themselves, explore identity, and build confidence through creativity. By the end of the second session, each participant will have a finished puppet, ready to share with others at our informal show of work on Sunday afternoon.
PLEASE NOTE: Places for this workshop are limited, so do get in touch today to secure your place!
UPCOMING WORKSHOPS
JUNE 5TH-7TH COIGACH COMMUNITY CENTRE
JUNE 12TH-14TH ASSYNT LEISURE LOCHINVER
AUG 14TH-16TH KINLOCHBERVIE HIGH SCHOOL
AUG 21ST-23RD CONTIN VILLAGE HALL
SEPT 25TH-27TH MACPHAIL CENTRE / THE CEILIDH PLACE VENUE ULLAPOOL
COIGACH COMMUNITY CENTRE - JUNE 5TH-7TH JUNE 2026
All workshops take place between 11am and 3pm on Friday 5th and Saturday, 6th June, and there will be an informal community gathering on Sunday, 7th June at 1pm.
Specific workshop times TBC.
ASSYNT LEISURE CENTRE - JUNE 12TH-14TH JUNE 2026
All workshops take place between 11am and 3pm on Friday 12th and Saturday 13th June, and there will be an informal community gathering on Sunday 14th June at 1pm.
Specific workshop times TBC.
KINLOCHBERVIE HIGH SCHOOL - AUGUST 14TH-16TH
All workshops take place between 11am-3pm on Friday 14th and Saturday 15th August, and there will be an informal community gathering on Sunday 16th August at 1pm.
Specific workshop times TBC. Creative-writing workshop 16+ Puppet-Making Workshop is for STUDENTS ages 11+
CONTIN VILLAGE HALL - AUGUST 21ST-23RD
All workshops take place between 11am-3pm on Friday 21st and Saturday 22nd August, and here will be an informal community gathering on Sunday 23rd August at 1pm.
Specific workshop times TBC.
MACPHAIL CENTRE, ULLAPOOL (AND THE CEILIDH PLACE VENUE, ULLAPOOL) - SEPTEMBER 25TH-27TH
All workshops take place between 11am and 3 pm on Friday, 25th and Saturday, 26th of September, at the Macphail Centre, Ullapool and there will be an informal community gathering Sunday, 27th September at the Ceilidh Place Venue at 1pm.
Specific workshop times TBC.
GET INVOLVED! GET IN TOUCH!
Want to sign up or find out more? We'd love to hear from you!
Please enter your contact details below and let us know which workshop(s) you are interested in attending.
All workshops are FREE! Places for some workshops will be limited.
Please note that the puppet-making workshop is 14+ and the creative writing workshops are 16+ unless otherwise stated.
Pop-Up Choir and Music-Making are open to all ages and abilities, but children under 12 should be accompanied by an adult.
Any thoughts or questions at all, just let us know below. We look forward to seeing you!
