University to sponsor Belladrum’s Verb Garden

The University of the Highlands and Islands will be continuing its partnership with the Belladrum Tartan Heart Festival by sponsoring this year’s Verb Garden tent.

The development takes forward an existing relationship between the organisations, which has seen students and staff engage with the festival and its customers over the past three years.

Students will once again be able to make the most of the collaboration by undertaking placements at the three-day festival. Five have been selected to undertake placements in site, production, artist liaison and press assistant roles. The successful students, who are all studying on the university’s audio engineering or music business courses, were asked to submit a C.V. and take part in a formal interview to secure the opportunity. Last year’s placement students reported gaining a range of skills and two are returning to the Belladrum this year in paid positions after making contacts at the festival.

The university is also helping to organise speakers for the Verb Garden tent, which will include a mix of topical debates, interviews with festival performers and fun demonstrations. Television presenter Monty Halls is one of the stars lined up to take part.

Festival-goers who would like to find out more about the university and its courses can visit the University of the Highlands and Islands trailer, which will be located next to the Verb Garden.

Revellers can also look out for university staff and students who will be involved in a range of fun activities around the festival site, including interactive art sessions, music performances and guerrilla science demonstrations.

Festival organiser Joe Gibbs said: “Because of the wide range of courses offered by the university, many of them highly relevant to the festival, the fit between sponsor and event is fantastic here. It is a partnership that produces real synergy and opportunities for young people in the Highlands.”

The University of the Highlands and Islands new principal and vice-chancellor, Professor Clive Mulholland, will be visiting the festival to see students and staff at work. He said: “Although I’m fairly new to the area, I’ve already heard great things about Belladrum. This forward-thinking, community orientated festival is a good fit with many of the university’s aims and I know our staff and students are excited to be taking part again this year. The Verb Garden, with its mix of topical debates and educational demonstrations, will be an ideal base for our presence at the event and I’m looking forward to meeting Belladrum’s patrons and seeing our students and staff in action.”