Humanities and Arts
The Humanities and Arts Research Cluster (HARC) brings together researchers from diverse disciplines within the humanities and arts. The cluster is a collaboration of staff engaged with scholarly and creative engagement with the past and present, rooted in an understanding of the regional heritage and context of the Highlands and Islands.
The research, knowledge exchange and research activities of HARC members have a particular emphasis on people and communities, culture and heritage, Gaelic, creativity, migration and memory within a rural context. In conjunction with the localised focus is an awareness of the parallel and interlinked global issues that are faced by rural communities that are informing broader cultural challenges and opportunities.
Our activities can be explored in the other pages in this section but can be broadly said to cover:
- Archaeology
- History
- Gaelic
- Literature
- Creative Industries
- Music
- Visual Art
- Textiles
Breathing New Life into Fading Traditions: a HARC Multimedia Research Project
Parallel with anxiety stoked by rapid developments in AI, and scrutiny of the long-term impacts of social media and digitised culture on health, interest in analogue art forms is flourishing: books as material objects to hold and read, film photography and processing, and live traditional music. For the UHI region, this creative activity is profoundly shaped by geocultural location, and awareness of the vital nature of ‘analogue’ heritage for our understanding and experience of identity and belonging.
HARC invites the UHI community of staff and students across all academic partners and research centres to participate in our multimedia research project running through 2026/7 and culminating in a HARC Festival event.
- We are looking for research contributions using any media, identifying traditions at risk.
Formats may include photography, art, music, creative writing, performance, photo essays, blog style posts as well as conventional articles of up to 5,000 words.
These will be featured online, linking to the HARC webpage. We intend to stage an in person festival at the end of the year to showcase the academic practice and findings generated through this initiative, which also links with the ongoing HARC photography competition.
We are excited to see the outputs sparked by this inclusive project which is deliberately broad in theme and multidisciplinary. The intention to is foster creative research connections within UHI and provide a fertile seedbed for work with REF potential.
The deadline for submissions is 1 May 2027. If you would like to discuss a potential submission please contact lesley.mickel.ic@uhi.ac.uk and colin.richards@uhi.ac.uk
HARC Research Hubs
If you are interested in joining a hub then please email one of the leads listed below.
Medieval Studies
Leads: Dr Linsey Hunter, Dr Shane McLeod
The Medieval Studies Hub (MeSH) brings together UHI medievalists across multiple disciplines to share research and ideas, and to forge new collaborations. Along with regular meetings to discuss research and opportunities, MeSH will facilitate seminars, study skills sessions and conferences.
Links:
Viking Burials in Scotland | Landscape and burials in the Viking Age
Following the journey of a kilted Viking king by a Scottish loch
Islands
Lead: Dr Andrew Jennings, Associate Professor in Island Studies
UHI with its island-based colleges and researchers, undertakes very important island-centred research. The Island Hub aims to promote and develop this research across the partnership, and beyond to the island communities themselves, both within and outwith Scotland.
Links:
Institute for Northern Studies Public events and seminars
Institute for Northern Studies Islands Matter Webinar Recordings
UArctic | Thematic Network on Northern and Arctic Island Studies Research
Music
Leads: Dr Sean McLaughlin, Gareth Whitehead
The UHI Music Research Hub aspires to establish a pioneering academic centre for innovative music research, fostering interdisciplinary collaboration and methodological advancement. This initiative aims to serve as a nexus for scholars and musicians, facilitating the development of novel approaches to music studies and promoting cross-disciplinary knowledge exchange. The hub's comprehensive scope encompasses diverse subdisciplines, including creative practice, audio engineering and acoustics, sonic studies, music industries, and music education.
REMRA
Lead: Dr Kathrin Zickerman, senior lecturer in History
The Renaissance and Early Modern Research Allliance (REMRA) is a multidisciplinary research hub which comprises around 20 research active staff and PGR students from five different UHI Centres and Institutes. The group meets regularly to further individual and joint research and hosts events like round tables and conferences. It is designed to support research in a meaningful way and to present UHI's research activities to the wider academic world. REMRA is also closely linked to the new PGT programme Early Modern European Studies (EMES) which will launch in 2025/26 and as such will support UHI's strong research and teaching linkages.