Benbecula Staff

Mary McCormick

has been working with the college for four years, teaching GSVQ Levels II and III in Care, and HNC in Supporting People with Learning Needs. Her background is in education and social work. After qualifying as a teacher in 1978 Mary worked in the area of special educational needs in Edinburgh for eight years, first in a residential establishment and later in a day centre. In 1989 Mary qualified as a social worker with Aberdeen University and worked for eight years as generic social worker with the Social Work Department in Benbecula. While in this post she trained as a Mental Health Officer. Her particular areas of interest are mental health and learning disability. Mary lives on Berneray. She is married with two primary school children.

Fiona Pearson

has taught Art and Design at many different levels. These include lecturing in painting at Sheffield College of Art, special needs, adult evening classes, A level and Foundation, and as principal teacher of art at Sgoil Lionacleit.
Fiona is a practising painter and printmaker.
She has been closely involved with the Taigh Chearsabhagh Museum and Art centre as a Director, and is Chairperson of the Uist Art Association.
She enjoys all aspects of island life, walking, swimming, and camping in the summer. She also enjoys travel - particularly to India, where the colour and heat prove a vivid contrast.

Born and brought up in Glen Uig in a Gaelic-speaking family, Iain is widely regarded as one of the best Highland pipers and traditional flautists in the world. Amongst his many music projects, he played and recorded for many years with Ossian and the Battlefield Band, two of Scotland’s foremost traditional groups, in addition to being in demand as a producer and a teacher. Some of Iain’s projects have been producing critically-acclaimed Dàimh, Julie Fowlis and Blazin’ Fiddles recordings. He has also worked alongside Gaelic singer Margaret Stewart and his brother, piper Allan MacDonald on their albums. The 2003 release of his solo album ‘First Harvest’, which also features fiddler Iain MacFarlane, was received to great critical acclaim. He has recently been involved with solo CDs from Gaelic singers Griogar Lawrie and Kathleen MacInnes.

Anna-Wendy Stevenson, - Music Lecturer: Fiddle and Whistle

Anna-Wendy Stevenson is employed as a Lecturer in Music on both the HNC and FE courses. As an established name in the traditional music world, Anna-Wendy has toured four continents, performing and recording with various groups including Anam, Fine Friday, Calluna, and Jock Tamson’s Bairns, and solo artists such as Dougie Maclean, Savourna Stevenson and Julie Fowlis. She also performs regularly with her pianist and composer grandfather Ronald Stevenson. Their recent album ‘Gowd and Silver’ has been received across the classical and traditional genres to critical acclaim. A composer herself, Anna-Wendy has written music for theatre, radio and TV, and was commissioned by the 2006 Celtic Connections Festival to write music for the New Voices Series.
With qualifications in teaching and performance from the London College of Music, Anna-Wendy has taught traditional fiddle at various summer schools in the USA, Australia and the UK, as well as community groups in Scotland such as Lochgoilhead Fiddle Workshop, ALP, and various Fèisean. She has also been heavily involved in the Live Music Now organisation, working with children with special needs and the elderly. In 1996 Anna-Wendy was awarded an MSc from Edinburgh University for her study of ‘Authenticity, Identity and Traditional Music in Scotland’.

Archina Maclellan, Receptionist.