Keening: The Song Before the Stranding
Combining science, music, art and community, this 6 part podcast series will follow environmental artist Sam Gare’s creative process as she develops a transient artwork in response to the mass stranding of pilot whales on Lewis, which occurred in 2023. The podcast will share the stories of the people the event touched, the wider context of cetacean stranding, and the true heart of the story - the whales themselves.
On the 16th July 2023 a mass stranding of 55 Long-finned pilot whales occurred at Traigh Mhor at North Tolsta on the Isle of Lewis, what followed was more than an eight-hour fight to try and refloat the surviving mammals. During those eight hours the beach became a place where two species, from very different worlds, met and fought for life.
Aoife Glass: Producer, Writer, Reporter, Editor
Francesca Turauskis: Executive Producer, Sound Designer, Editor
Sam Gare: Artist, Reporter, Researcher
If you would like to support the development of this podcast, if you have a story to share, or if you would like to contribute your time or expertise, please feel free to get in touch.