Articulation’s Programme and Membership Coordinator, Sophie McCarthy, shares a personal blog about her time at this year’s Kelburn Garden Party.
Kelburn has been my Summer reset for years. And despite the ‘Sog Bog’ of Kelburn Garden Party 2026,I am pleased to report that team Articulation, represented by Angela and myself, had a wonderful, inspiring time.
When I am not articulating, I play in The Noise Committee, an Edinburgh based drum crew. A quick set down in Kelburn’s Summerfield got our weekend off with a bang!
Then it was straight on to meet all the wonderful artists involved in this year’s Neverending Glen. It was a privilege getting to sneak an early peek about the site specific installations. A huge thank you to Marianne for hosting us before the rain arrived!
Thursday night brought rain that became a permanent resident, but it didn’t stop our explorations. Standout pieces in the glen included work by Freya Pellie, HAGS, Lizzie Munro, John Mallet, and Kirsten Tingle & RJ Weaver’s mushroom people. Performing another drum set down at The Waterfall on Friday night was an absolute highlight. Playing under illuminated ferns with projection work by Brightside Studios animated across the stone gorge felt like truly becoming part of the landscape.
Beyond the art, Saturday offered a vital opportunity to listen to crucial conversations in Sheela’s tent about safeguarding and safety in festival environments. It was fantastic to see space held for artists, crew, and audiences to discuss wellbeing, and a big shoutout goes to The BIT Collective and FLAPS for all the work they’re doing in this vital space, and for inviting Articulation Director Angela to contribute to these important discussions.
Sunday wrapped up with some quiet moments repairing nets with Neil Butler, a final drumming performance, and seeing the festival out in the Twin Peaks tent with brilliant cabaret, comedy, and street performers.
Articulation is looking forward to connecting with more of this year’s Kelburn artists over the coming weeks and watching how the Neverending Glen continues to provide an exciting space for development across Scotland’s outdoor arts and circus sector.
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