Bringing Calanais to the Community: INT-ACT Installation at Bridgend Farm

As part of INT-ACT’s ongoing commitment to inclusive and community-based research, a new outreach initiative has been launched in Scotland this autumn. With support from the Usher Institute Small Grants Fund, INT-ACT has deployed an immersive installation at Bridgend Community Farm, running throughout October and November 2025.

This site-specific exhibition brings together folklore, natural and handcrafted materials, and audiovisual content to share the story of the Calanais Stone Circle with local audiences. It invites visitors to explore Scotland’s intangible cultural heritage not just as historical fact, but as something deeply embedded in emotional experience, place-based memory, and community identity.

By situating the installation in a non-academic, community setting, the activity aims to widen participation and strengthen engagement between researchers and the public. This initiative offers a more accessible, reflective way to engage with cultural heritage, particularly for those who might not otherwise visit formal museum spaces or academic exhibitions.

Running in parallel with INT-ACT’s ongoing data collection, the installation also contributes to research on how Extended Reality (XR) and cultural storytelling can foster social inclusion, wellbeing, and a deeper sense of place.

This interdisciplinary outreach activity—at the intersection of heritage, art, community, and health—reflects the shared missions of the Usher Institute and the EU Horizon INT-ACT project: to create public-facing, impactful research that bridges tradition and innovation.