ØY festival, festival co-director, The Kelp Store, Cultural and Heritage Centre, Papa Westray, 18th- 20th November 2016- 2017 - 2018

The ØY Festival first came to light in 2016, curated by artists Saoirse Higgins and Jonathan Ford. ØY was formed to create a platform for artists from Papa Westray, Orkney, and around the world. Centered around The Kelp Store arts and heritage center, and the muckle supper, the festival sought to bring artists and the local community together, over a shared vision of islands.

In the nature of evolution and change, an offshoot of the ØY Festival was created during lockdown. Holm Sound was a direct response to a contemporary situation, a series of events and music online on the last Friday of every month during winter 2021-2022. Hosted by Jonathan Ford, Fiona Sanderson, Louise Barrington and Frances Scott. Each event revolved around a theme - Bloom, Flight, Wake, Drift, Surface, Loom, Holdfast.


ISEA (International Society for Electronic Arts) Pre-symposium live art-science research panel- 
‘A Citizens Call to Synthesize’ Museum of Science, Jerusalem + MIT Media Lab + University of Ulster.