Nefarious Practices

Although the Witchcraft Act was repealed in 1736, fear of nefarious practices never left these shores. In this new piece, especially commissioned for the Village Storytelling Festival 2022, Allison Galbraith considers the Scottish witch hunts through storytelling, film and music.

Delving into the folktales of Lanarkshire, she explores the prejudice and fear, fuelled by sinister political and religious beliefs, which led to accusations of witchcraft. Allison shares her own encounters with witches, past and present, while acknowledging our never ending fascination with earth magic and those who practise it.

In light of the recent apology in Scottish Parliament to the people executed as witches, an invited panel will discuss the merits of honouring the wrongs done to our ancestors, and of raising an awareness of this horrific phenomenon, both here and across the world.

This is a hybrid event which you can attend in person or from your home. It will be followed by a panel discussion with invited guests and a Q&A with both live and digital audiences, who are invited to join the debate about reconnecting with, and righting the wrongs of the past.

If you are attending in person, please ensure you buy the correct ticket type as digital ticket holders will not be admitted.

• Allison Galbraith, Storyteller
• Shannon Stevenson, Music
• Gaston Welisch, Film-maker and artist

Performance Length: 80 mins

Access: Wheelchair Accessible Venue, BSL Interpretation, Closed Captions (Film)

PLEASE NOTE: We cannot guarantee that the BSL interpreter will appear consistently in the live-streamed version of the performance. Closed auto-captions will be available for the at-home audience.