Starling Cafe (Ullapool, Macphail Centre)

The Starling Café at the Macphail Centre is a relaxed place for ideas, reflection and conversation.

The café is open to everyone but places are limited, so we ask that you book in advance. 

The theme for this session is 'The Art of Coming Home to Yourself' with Malini Chakrabarty.

How can creativity support healing in our bodies, our communities, and across generations? We'll touch on ideas of intersectionality and diversity, the nervous system and how art-making can help us move through difficult feelings and experiences. The evening will close with a short, accessible art activity; no artistic experience needed, just curiosity and a willingness to be present. Expect a warm, reflective space, not a lecture.

Malini Chakrabarty is an award-winning multidisciplinary artist, founder of Art of Birdie Studio, and a UNESCO RIELA (Refugee Integration through Education, Languages and the Arts) Affiliated Artist. Her work sits at the intersection of creativity, healing, and systemic change, exploring how art and storytelling can support communities in processing trauma, belonging, and resilience.

Running every few weeks, the Starling Cafe is an evening event which includes a speaker, tea and coffee, and room for informal and open-ended conversation. It is a place to explore ideas and get to know a few other people in our community. The topics explored in this series include community, hope, belonging, diversity, resilience and resistance. Guests have included Mairi McFadyen, Doug Francisco and Alastair McIntosh.

This event takes place in a café style setting at the Macphail. The aim is simply to have a safe and hospitable space to talk and explore.  We are grateful that this event is possible thanks to support from the Macphail Management Committee and Ullapool's Fairtrade Group who are 20 years old this year.

PLEASE BOOK IN ADVANCE.  Free entry, though the Starling Cafe depends on donations, so contributions to help us cover our costs are warmly appreciated (see booking page for options).

If you don't want to use this online process to book, you can contact Joanna at joanna.wright@highlifehighland.com to book a place.

Donations of baking are also welcome (please contact Joanna as above).

Please access the Macphail Centre via the library, which opens at 6pm.

We will look forward to seeing you!