UHI Verb Garden Picture Dome
The UHI Verb Garden Picture Dome Programme Is Here!
Where spoken word, poetry, storytelling, performance and cinema come together, the UHI Verb Garden Picture Dome promises a programme full of imagination, atmosphere, heart and a few late-night cult classics thrown in there, for good measure.
Across the 2026 Belladrum weekend, festival-goers can step inside for a wee welcome change of pace and discover a brilliantly varied line-up of poets, performers, musicians, storytellers and speakers.
From Highland stories and student films and presentations curated by our friends at UHI (University of the Highlands and Islands), to Scotland’s wildcats, performance poetry, Gaelic cinema, family-friendly shorts, comedy horror, and the famed poetry slam, the UHI Verb Garden Picture Dome is a place to sit down, tune in and enjoy.
Here’s what’s coming up across Thursday, Friday and Saturday -
Thursday 30th July
14:00 - 15:00 BBC Secret Garden - The Western Highlands
Sir David Attenborough reveals the drama unfolding in the hidden wild world of Britain's backyards. Because even in familiar surroundings, the rules of the wild are still in force.
15:15 - 16:30 UHI Student Films
The Squatter.
When a pig farmer finds his prize hog devoured by an unknown animal, he embarks on an otherworldly tale of hillbilly revenge.
Age recommendation: 12A
Bowl.
Arthur is an elderly, quick-witted, gay man who has recently been diagnosed with arthritis.
Upon finding out that his old foe and competitor Norma is playing in the upcoming lawn bowls charity match, Arthur seeks the chance to prove himself.
He faces many challenges along the way as he bickers with Norma and comes to terms with his illness and the losses he has faced, but with a little help from Norma's granddaughter Jenn, he is able to confront his past and learn what is truly important to him.
Age recommendation: PG
In Orkney, We Tell Stories.
Ellen Grieve has produced this documentary as part of her 2nd year modules on the UHI BA(Hons) Contemporary film making in the highlands and Islands course.
Inspired to showcase Rousay, a small island in Orkney and her island home for the last 45 years, this is a film of an island community with a determination not only to survive, but thrive.
The Crafthub is a group focussing on creativity and the well-being of the islanders but with limited resources, it takes everyone working together to be successful. Are traditional island community values alive and working?
Keep a look out for an ex-punk rock musician, a Pullman railway carriage and an inside moon.
Age recommendation: U
Taking the Plunge.
Exhilarating stories from brave locals who decided to take the plunge and start wild swimming in Fife.
A journey of empowerment and confidence for others who also want to take that plunge.
Age recommendation: U
One Night. By Fiona MacIsaac
A researcher interested in the paranormal disturbs an ancient power while investigating an archaeological site.
Age recommendation: 12A (Threat and horror, violence)
The Mountain in Us.
A poetic piece that describes the landscapes of the Cairngorms through the eyes of four people,
Also inspired by Nan Shepherd, who had explored these landscapes throughout her life.
Age recommendation: U
16:45 - 17:15 How much can a song contain?
This Presentation from UHI PhD student Peter Noble explores the Cromarty Firth and how songs can embody environmental interaction. Emphasising collective effervescence, the presentation will examine how shared experience can foster connection and transform individual listening into collective engagement.
17:30 - 18:30 Is there tartan in our hearts? By Myra Ross.
All we really are, or own, each of us, is our story. Everything else will be temporary, but we, who were are, who we loved and where we went, that is ours forever.
A tartan tale of our own, as it weaves threads, inevitably into the fabric of the stories of others. Connecting us, in history, always. Are we all really the threads of the stories held in our hearts?
18:45 - 19:30 Verse Cycle & Inner Tuba: Poetry & Tuba
Poet Caroline Burrows and tuba player Jon Hodkin and come together to present a performance of poetry and music.
Two performers, who independently tour by bike and trike, meet to combine their music and words.
The event includes poetry set to tuba pieces, as well as solo tuba pieces, standalone poems, and both performers sharing stories about their separate travels and inspirations.
19:45 - 20:30 Partners in Crhyme
Look forward to a valiant, but ultimately flawed attempt to be very serious members of the Verb Garden Crhyme Syndicate.
There will be emergency ukeleles and in case of serious trouble Kaitlyn has an accordian.
20:45- 21:45 Dunter: A Comedy Horror
Poetry Anthology Dunter Powrie is a malevolent goblin of Scottish mythological origin, feeding on the life force of travellers entranced by his twisted tales of horror! Join Scottish Poetry Slam Champion Gordon Powrie for a late night anthology of spooky tales from the absurd to the spine tingling. (Contains adult themes)
22:00 - 23:30 Feature Movie: Jaws
Terror reigns when a mammoth, man-eating Great White Shark attacks swimmers in the waters off a small beach resort.
Friday 31st July
11:15 - 12:00 Krèal
Krèal is an Highlands-based a cappella group with a passion for soul, gospel, bluegrass, and pop classics.
After more than a year of singing together in different incarnations, we’ve developed a unique sound that reflects our shared love of harmony and great music.
We’re thrilled to be bringing our blend of voices, energy, and style to the Verb Garden at Belladrum this year and can’t wait to share our music with festival-goers.
12:15 - 13:00 MidLife Chrysalis
Paisley performance poet and Renfrewshire's Tannahill Makar, Shaun Moore with a rhythmic rhyming celebration of this beautiful world in general and middle age in particular. The Belladrum veteran is the antithesis of Grumpy Auld Man, preaching positivity about the graspable experiences, freedoms and opportunities available in a new golden era.
Proud GenX with your empty nests, go reinvent yourselves, and remember those creaky knees are but a badge of honour. For you danced to the best music. Ever. It's poetry people, but happy and hopeful.
After all, we're at a feelgood festival!
13:15 - 14:00 Venus and the Moon by Caroline Burrows
Venus and the Moon are star-crossed lovers whose romance goes from the giddy Heavens to the Hell of Hades, imagine Marilyn Monroe paired up with D.H. Lawrence, with both being planets, in a tale told in a style similar to Homer’s Odyssey.
This contemporary performance poem incorporates astronomy and star mythologies with a cast of planets, stars and asteroids; and themes of fairytale romance, toxic relationships, mental health, self-discovery and empowerment. Join Caroline to hear the first part of this astronomical epic tale.
Caroline Burrows is a poet, performer, and writer based in the Highlands. Her first poetry collection Verse Cycles was published by The Jawbone Collective in 2024, and her work has appeared on BBC Radio 4, BBC Sky at Night Magazine, with her most recent commission being for Eden Court’s Cinema Against Fascism season.
14:15 - 15:30 The Royal Zoological Society of Scotland presents Clinging by a Claw: Saving Scotland's Wildcats
Clinging by a Claw, created by Saving Wildcats and produced by SCOTLAND: The Big Picture, offers an extraordinary insight into the journey of Scotland's wildcats from the brink of extinction to their return to the wilds of the Cairngorms National Park.
Narrated by Outlander star Sam Heughan, this film captures the breathtakingly beautiful landscapes of the Scottish Highlands where wildcats could have a future if they continue to receive the vital support they need.
This special screening of Clinging by a Claw will be presented by the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland and will include a 15-minute presentation from a member of the Saving Wildcats team.
15:35 - 16:05 Scotland: The real star of Outlander
The creators of Outlander once said that Scotland is the true star of the show. From ancient forests and rugged glens to Jacobite battlefields and Highland communities, this talk explores how the series brings Scotland’s history and natural landscapes to life—and why the land itself is often as important as the characters.
16:05 - 16:35 Dolly’s DNA Disco!
Inside every cell is a genetic dancefloor where genes turn on and off in a carefully choreographed rhythm. When Scottish scientists created Dolly the Sheep, they showed adult cells can be biologically reset and transformed. That breakthrough now enables my research using brain cells ‘remixed’ from skin to better understand Schizophrenia.
16:45 - 17:30 The Not So Serious Burns Unit.
A sharp, funny and musical take on Scotland's national bard, this lively show blends humour, insight and live music in an intimate setting.
Former Scottish Slam Poetry champion Hamish MacDonald teams up with acclaimed folk singer & songwriter Liza Mulholland for music poetry and song by, influenced or inspired by Robert Burns, ranging from 18th century Scotland to the present.
The Not So Serious Burns Unit has been well received at the Edinburgh Fringe, with a return on the cards in 2026, and at venues throughout Scotland.
Prepare for a dissection of the national bard.
17:45 - 19:00 A series of Highlands & Islands Films including:
Le Chéile
Le Chéile, written and directed by Róise Nic an Bheatha, is the world's first narrative short in Gàidhlig (Scottish Gaelic) and Gaeilge (Irish).
It’s a 12-minute short film that follows a Scottish Rangers supporter and an Irish Celtic supporter as they find common ground on a bus ride home over their ability to speak similar languages.
Created by an all-female crew, the film focuses on the differences and similarities between Gaelic and Irish and how languages can bring people together.
Exploring themes of friendship, sectarianism, and language, Le Chéile - and Róise's work more broadly - aims to put minority languages in conversation with modern day issues, consequently bringing them into popular media consumption.
Age recommendation: U
Sealskin
A shifting interpretation of ancient folklore offers unexpected solace, connection and resolve in a poetic meditation on motherhood, identity and the threads that tie us to the past.
In the wild coastal landscape around her home in north east Scotland and the intimacy of her family life, the filmmaker reflects on her changing understanding of the Selkie myth and how it weaves into the fabric of her own life.
Age recommendation: PG
Put Your Hand in Mine
Put Your Hand in Mine is a short film combining videos for Myshkin's songs Ravens and The Light, showcasing the songwriter's playful, stream of consciousness style of hand drawn animation.
Riffing on the songs' lyrics, the film illustrates a rejection of cultural narratives of dominance and an embrace of a deeper inheritance of cooperation and solidarity.
Experimental by design, Myshkin’s Ruby Warblers is primarily an acoustic band, Myshkin's percussive guitar and torch vocals supported by strings, beats, horns and harmonies. Their long list of appearances include Vancouver Folk Fest, New Orleans Jazz Fest and the Brooklyn Americana Fest. The current Ruby Warblers, featuring Jenny Q on cello, migrated to Scotland in 2023, and have just released the horn-drenched, swinging and wry Hot Night in Paris.
Age recommendation: U (flash image warning)
Aig Muir
A film based on a true story of a chance encounter between two men from different worlds. Trapped in a small boat together they debate whether man really did make it to the moon. A few months after their parting, a parcel arrives that settles the debate.
Age recommendation: PG
Don’t Jump to Conclusions
This is the story of Adam working in a food truck, serving people their lunch. An interesting phone call makes Adam question his beliefs. This film was written, directed, shot, acted and edited by a group of young refugees and asylum seekers in Inverness with Compass Collective.
Age recommendation: U
Falach-Fead
A young woman is relentlessly stalked through the woods by an unseen entity.
Age recommendation: PG
Gàldhlig sa chiste/Gaelic in the Chest
In a world where every language has turned into Gaidhlig, how can the people of earth possibly learn to survive!
Age recommendation: PG
In The Beginning Was The Sound
A violin maker makes an instrument that seems to belong elsewhere. A young traveller helps it find its home in Gaza.
Age recommendation: PG
A Piece in Dal Riata
An accidental invention by Highland twins, Bobby and Bonnie, changes the kingdom of Dal Riata and the world as we know it.
Age recommendation: 12A
19:15 - 20:15 Poetry Rave with Versaye and Rhythm Partisan
Versaye poets Wendy Miller, Julie Laing and James Roberts team up with electronic duo Rhythm Partisan (Robert Wilson and Mark Potter) to offer Verb Garden crowds a unique live experience. There is nothing quiet and reflective about this spoken word event - expect some banging beats underneath every poem during our hour-long performance.
The three poets will take it in turns to give you some of our finest pieces while the musicians respond live with their eclectic mixes of techno, house and electronica.
This exciting partnership of music and poetry was a massive hit at the recent launch of Art Riot Poetry Press, at the Vic Bar, Glasgow School of Art and we are so thrilled to be bringing our poetry rave to the Verb Garden.
20:30 - 21:30 Paper Bones - We are Paper Bones.
In the glow of beautiful cities and postcard landscapes, it is easy to forget the places left in shadow.
The unseen places.
The wounded places.
The places shaped by conflict, greed, silence, and survival.
Paper Bones emerges from that darkness:
a collision of spoken word, raw blues, atmospheric sound design, and haunting Celtic instrumentation.
A live performance that confronts the fractures of modern humanity and the quiet violence of indifference.
This is not escapism.
This is reckoning.
Through immersive sound and stark poetic imagery, Paper Bones explores what happens when power eclipses compassion, when comfort depends upon distance, and when humanity loses its ability to truly understand itself.
We are not good at accepting.
We are not good at listening.
We are not good at living together.
But art still has the power to challenge us.
To disturb us.
To remind us what it means to feel.
Human arrogance may yet become our unraveling.
Paper Bones are:
Jim Mackintosh — spoken word
Ali Hutton — pipes & whistles
Gus Munro — vocals & blues guitar
Graeme Roger — audio & sound design
21:45 - 22:15 Lucy Beth
★★★★★ - “Immaculately performed” - Binge Fringe
Multi-award-winning performer and spoken-word artist, Lucy Beth, brings her captivating and vibrant spoken-word poetry to Belladrum. Born and raised in Inverurie, Aberdeenshire, Lucy champions the Doric dialect and English in her work.
She is renowned for her evocative poetry, rich storytelling, deft rhyming couplets, and contemporary pieces that utilise Doric in surprising ways. After sell-out performances in Aberdeen, Lucy’s award-winning spoken word show ‘Ma Name Is Isabelle’ enjoyed successful runs at the Edinburgh Fringe & Dundee Fringe. The show was awarded 5-star reviews and an Edinburgh Fringe Theatre Award.
In 2025, she was awarded a Scottish Emerging Theatre Award and was recognised by the Young Women’s Movement as one of their 30 Under 30 for her services to writing and performing.
Her spoken-word poems have poignant storytelling and performance at their heart. They are accessible for Doric speakers and newcomers alike. Expect a set of spoken word poems that will capture your imagination, tickle your funny bone, and make your heart thump.
22:30 Feature Film - California Schemin’
Two Scottish lads from Dundee conned the music industry by pretending to be an established Californian rap duo, bagging a record deal and appearing on MTV until their scam unraveled.
Age recommendation: 15
Saturday 1st August
11:15 - 12:00 Rumi and the Beanstalk
The Highland Mindfulness group will be performing a 45-minute radio play based on the poetry of Rumi. The plot is a light hearted short play about mindfulness and enlightenment involving Jack, his mother, Rumi and the giant infused by a narrator. This leads to a surreal spiritual dialogue where logic is overlooked and everyone speaks in riddles, rhymes and quotations from poems.
12:15 - 13:15 Encounters
Encounters is a performance from four Highland poets – Cáit O’Neill McCullagh, Leonie Charlton, Andy Breckenridge, and Jon Miller; in collaboration with musician Brèagha Charlton.
Andy, Cáit, Jon and Leonie will perform poems inspired by everyday encounters; both regular routines and extraordinary journeys.
In a collaboration of sound and mood; words and melodies, Brèagha brings the distinctive timbre of the lever harp; fresh tunes and traditional pieces in dialogue with each writer’s lines.
The poems explore contemporary themes, including experiences of welcome, exclusion, and finding belonging. They share a poetics for navigating the Highlands today, including the social and ecological challenges, and joys that meet people, in the places where they have their lives and livings.
Uncanny characters; wild creatures, hauntings, and unexpected visitors populate this landscape of notes and words.
Encounters is an invitation to experience your own transformative discoveries as the performance unfolds. Come and join us for this ‘Ceilidh of the Moment’.
13:30 - 14:30 Global Films Discovery Film Festival: Shorts for Families (7+)
This collection of short films from France, Portugal, Germany, Czech Republic and the UK, present stories that are perfectly suited for children aged 7 and above.
Using a wide range of animation techniques, these films explore the different ways curiosity drives our characters forward, learning something about themselves and the world around them: a little girl discovers the universe outside of her phone screen, a robot bee working on a hive on Mars finds out the strange powers of an odd plant, Lola finds a powerful way to communicate with her neurodiverse brother through a hand-made sound piano, a child accompanied by an otter-like creature sets out to find a cure for water shortage, and a mischievous little wolf with an inky nose will get everyone involved in a messy, playful way of life.
14:45 - 15:30 Looking Out for Each Other
Festivals are all about connection, community and looking out for one another.
Join local organisations from across the Highlands for an open, honest conversation about mental health, wellbeing and the power of community.
This conversation brings together local organisations with a shared goal; making sure people know where to turn, what support is available, and how we can all play a part in looking out for each other.
Whether you've experienced mental health challenges yourself, supported someone else, or simply want to be part of the conversation, everyone is welcome.
15:45 - 16:15 Shifts
A real life journey to the Cairngorms for a father and daughter is interwoven with Celtic and Sami mythology, and blended with a soundscape bringing its own verse and magic.
This 30 minute spoken word piece about shifting form and shifting perspective is for the whole family.
EmmaClaire Brightlyn, an award winning Spoken Word artist, and poet musician Spencer Mason come together to share a story of magic, dancing between myth and reality
16:30 - 17:15 Wild Pendulum
Tom Houston performs a variety of poems and songs that dip in and out of nature, the mystic, quantum mechanics and the simply absurd.
17:30 - 18:00 Rebel with a cause: from environmental anxiety to environmental action
Climate anxiety can leave us feeling entirely paralyzed and overwhelmed. But what flips the switch from worry to real-world impact? This upbeat talk explores the vital transition from passive dread to active connection, showing how regular people can transform fear into a powerful, hopeful force for nature.
18:30 - 19:00 Aphrodite is NOT your Mother
Scottish Book Trust New Writer awardee EmmaClaire Brightlyn brings together a series of poetic musings about the often overlooked aspects of the notorious Goddess of love.
Examining the everyday of matresence with the epicness of Greek mythology, this honest, hilarious and heartfelt half hour will connect with parents and lovers and anyone inbetween!
19:15 - 20:15 Tales from the Islands and Highlands of Scotland
Gus Munro presents his show "Tales from the Islands and Highlands of Scotland".
Join him on his journey, as we travel back through time to life on the island of St Kilda, then down through the western Isles and in to the Highlands of Scotland.
The singer songwriter from Glasgow has been documenting his family legacy - His stories are brought to life in his songs, capturing the imagination in a beautiful melodic picture.
Songs such as "An t-Eillean Sgitheanach", written about his dad's family home in The Isle of Skye, the song documents all the characters that lived there and the fascinating things you would find in the house. A hunting guest accidently fires a gun in the living room and narrowly misses his gran in the next room.
Gus effortlessly combines a variety of musical genres, underpinned by his imaginative lyrics. Tapping into the deep rooted Blues, Gospel and Folk, whilst embracing the rhythmical roots of Scottish traditional music. With over 2000 live shows under his belt, across the UK and mainland Europe; his emotional and spontaneous approach creates a unique sound, that will have you hanging on his every word. This is a unique opportunity to experience one of Scotland's most exciting live solo performers, definitely not to be missed.
20:30 - 22:45 The Saturday Slam! Hosted by: Wendy Miller
and with: Shaun Moore, Martin Hardie, Lucy Beth, Gordon Powrie, Pete Davidson, Caroline Burrows, Oliver Pissed, Stephen Bowsher, Lynsey Gilmore, Angie Strachan, Dawn Star, Daniel Cullen, Katharine Macfarlane.
One stage. One microphone. A posse of competing performance poets. Join host Wendy from Versaye! for the Verb Garden’s annual slamfest, with each poet having their chance over two opening rounds to reach the final round and ultimately claim the prize of Bella Slam winner 26.
Previous poetry slams at the Verb Garden have seen high quality performances with poetry ranging from the absurd to the profound, comedic to polemic, reflective or surreal, all with subtle or sledgehammer delivery.
Expect the unexpected. Expect variety. The winner qualifies for the grand Scottish Slam Poetry final in early 2027, with the chance to go on from there to perform at Euro and World Slam finals.
Previous Bella slams have produced no less than three Scottish Slam Poetry champions and one World Slam Poetry winner at the Coupe du Monde de Poesie in Paris.
23:00 Feature Film - Rocky Horror Picture Show Sing-Along!
A newly engaged couple have a breakdown in an isolated area and must pay a call to the bizarre residence of Dr. Frank-N-Furter.
Step inside the UHI Verb Garden Picture Dome
Whether you’re looking for poetry, performance, film, storytelling, music, mythology, comedy, wild ideas, Highland voices, family-friendly screenings or late-night cult classics, the UHI Verb Garden Picture Dome is packed with moments to discover.
It is a space to laugh, listen, reflect, sing along, learn something new and experience the festival from a different angle. Come in for one session and you may find yourself staying for the next.
Make sure to add the UHI Verb Garden Picture Dome to your festival plans this year.