3 Virtues Performers & Personnel

NORTHERN CONSTABULARY BAND
Helping to make the evening a night to remember, the Northern Constabulary Band will be marching together before the launch officially starts. Their rousing collective musical output will create a powerful impact on shoppers and passers-by. This will magnetically draw the public towards the site ready for virtuous fun.

ERIC TESSIER-LAVIGNE (Town Crier)
Eric is one of the North`s foremost choreographers and performers and is frequently zipping off to Europe and Asia as part of one the American Drama Group of Europe`s productions, that is when he`s not sticking needles into people or teaching. He ran the Tartan Chameleon theatre company for many years with the production of Shostokovich`s `Hypothetically Murdered` especially being a high water mark for Highland Theatre/Dance. Enthusiastic, exuberant and multi-talented , after just a glance at the script he agreed to do this opening because it was a Thursday night.

JACKIE GOODE (Actor 1)
Jackie does a lot of Murder Mysteries and indeed it`s a mystery why she hasn`t been murdered yet, except where else would the Highlands get someone to do all the crazy roles at short notice that no-one else will do? With a finger in a lot of pies, (more Jack Horner than Sweeney Todd), she has been recently seen in Right Lines `Illicit`, `The Little Shop of Horrors` at The Big Shop Inverness, `The Ego Massage Squad` at The Tartan Heart and Loopallu festivals and in `Mum` her rendition of Ronnie Barkers play at the Inverness Festival. She agreed to do this gig because it was outside in March and in Church Street.


SCOTT RUSSELL (Actor 2)
Born as a consequence of WWII, Scott ran away from home – a shoebox on the A9 – at the age of three and travelled the world on a shoestring (his brother had the other one and he was in Inverness). He learned the art of rhyming from his grandmother, who was demented and had to say everything twice.
He came to visit his brother in Inverness 30 years ago and hasn’t escaped. He now lives remotely behind a locked gate. Recent day releases to The Eastgate Extravaganza at the Inverness Festival and to the Alberts Film Festival have only cemented the determination of the authorities to keep his public appearances to a minimum so we are lucky indeed to have his presence at the opening of the Three Virtues.

LESLEY QUILTY (Actor 3)
Lesley Quilty currently works as a Clown Doctor at Aberdeen Hospital; fifteen years of comedy performance work in Canada and Scotland and living in Findhorn have made her virtually unemployable in any other field. One of the stars of Clown Jewels `The Comic`, part of the `Ego Massage Squad` at Belladrum this year and frequently asked to host, MC and generally do public things at short notice with little script and less preparation she seemed perfect for this job.

CANNTAIREACHD (Gaelic song)
Performing song-group currently number 22 (21 teenage girls + only 1 Calum) led by talented singer Eilidh Mackenzie. For the launch CANNTAIREACHD will perform ‘Maraiche nan Cuantan” – a lilting and beautifully melodic song written by mother & son duo Angus & Flora McPhail. Chosen for its emphasis on virtue, the song talks the journey of life with a seafaring man dealing with everything life throws at him. The song will be memorably performed by the Gaelic teenage group.

KIRSTEEN MACDONALD (Gaelic soloist)
Kirsteen is a graduate of Sabhal Mòr Ostaig in Gaelic Language and Culture & has performed extensively at various ceilidhs and concerts in Scotland, Canada and Ireland.
Her singing career started early encouraged by Gaelic Primary School teacher, Lisa Story. Central Primary School children were regular attenders at most local Mods. Kirsteen’s passion for Gaelic song developed with her first ‘gold’ medal secured at the age of 12 for solo singing at the National Mod in Golspie. Since these early successes, she has participated in various Mods, winning the coveted ‘An Comunn Gaidhealach Silver Pendant’ for junior, fluent, solo singing in Inverness in 1997.
Currently based in Glasgow, where she works for the BBC as a Broadcast Journalist & newsreader, Kirsteen has become a member of the Glasgow Gaelic Musical Association (known as GG).
At the launch Kirsteen will sing ‘Nuair a rainig mi’m baile’ which loosely translates as ‘When I reach town/home’ which connects with open-heartedness and the idea of sharing what’s in your heart.


LIBBY DAYE (Dancer)
Libby Daye trained in Contemporary Dance at ‘The Space’ in Dundee, after first completing a degree in Forestry at the University of Aberdeen. She is perpetuating the myth that contemporary dance is all about "being a tree" by expanding her interest in site-specific work and performing outdoors. Recently seen dancing with Plan B around the streets of Inverness, she is pleased to have the opportunity to interact with something brand new emerging in the city centre.

JOHN MCGEOCH (lights, projection & direction)
John McGeoch is founder and director of Arts in Motion in Evanton. More information on their high quality video production and theatrical work can be found at www.artsinmotion.co.uk. In September 2006 during the Imaging the Centre event, John gave us Prey: Pray, the mesmerising sound and visual projection on the wall of Abertarff House.

John is Gemini with Aquarius rising and can`t really make up his mind whether a life dedicated to the Arts has sound commercial potential. `Only a Fool ......` is becoming less of an echo and more of a epitaph, but after countless productions, gigs, collaborations, events, openings and inspired by the many fabulous people similarly commercially challenged, he couldn`t resist yet another opportunity to put himself out on a limb and sharpen the saw. Currently playing a lot with projections he will eventually grow out of it or more likely retire to film ice and spiders in the sun.

SUSAN CHRISTIE (Project/Event Manager)
Originally invited by Inverness City Partnership to manage 14 artists and 12 hours of artistic mayhem on Church Street – Imagining the Centre – in Sept 2006, Susan has been inexorably connected with arts projects in the old town since with funding secured to commence a new programme of commissions which will be starting shortly. Working in close partnership with Matt Baker, Marie Mackintosh and the multi-talented artistic community in the Highlands, Susan’s role is that of chief sorter & fund-raiser. Having worked on a plethora of arts projects from major to minor, she curated the popular Chair Show shown at IMAG for the Six Cities Design Festival & is currently an external adviser to Scottish Arts Council Visual Arts Dept.

Susan is overseeing the launch dealing with all the bits apart from the technicals which are thankfully John McGeoch’s domain.

FERGUS BRUCE (Assistant Producer)
Fergus is a graduate in Philosophy from the University of Glasgow, which means many things; none of which he can be entirely sure of. He comes to the 3 Virtues event after taking part in the original Philosopher's Salon in April 2007, and more recently fresh from co-ordinating the Inverness Architectural Association's annual conference at the end of 2007. He is very excited to be involved with the project and with the opportunity to draw attention to such a provocative and important new addition to the Inverness streetscape.'

ANNIE MARRS (Windows Coordinator)
Annie is leading the Windows Project & co-ordinating a team of local designers & artists. Adept in many creative roles, Annie currently operates as a professional visual artist, arts worker (in Merkinch) and theatre specialist with bookings galore for this year’s Edinburgh Festival. Annie is a valuable asset to the Highlands and to the ‘3 Virtues’ events team. Involved in the original ‘Philosophers’ Debate’ at Leakey’s Bookshop when various virtues were hotly debated, Annie spoke up for ‘patience’ and will be featuring this virtue in her own shop display. Other virtues are all very well but we still need patience to embrace the process of change and enjoy the positive ripples that it brings to Inverness.