JamDram’s crowdfunding campaign needs your support
Life on a remote Scottish island means making your own entertainment. With 258 people, one road, and unpredictable ferries, Jura doesn’t have theatres, art galleries, or youth clubs. What we do have is creativity, community spirit, and JamDram – our amateur dramatics society that’s brought four productions to the island since 2022.
But there’s one problem: we don’t have a proper stage.
The Pallet Platform Problem
For every production, volunteers spend hours building a makeshift stage from pallets and an old dance platform. It’s wobbly, time-consuming, and frankly a bit dodgy. In our most recent show, around 25 islanders – that’s 10% of Jura’s population – took part both on and off stage. Our young people are running lighting and sound, discovering confidence they didn’t know they had, and learning skills that simply aren’t available elsewhere on the island.
They deserve better than pallets.
The Campaign
We’re raising £8,000 for a portable stage made of modular 1-metre sections. It can be configured to any size, transported easily between islands, and will be available for hire by any community group across Jura and Islay.
Both Islands Beenfit
Think beyond theatre:
- Jura Music Festival
- Islay, Jura & Colonsay Show
- Feis Ile events
- Highland dancing
- Weddings
- Ceilidhs
- Distillery functions
- Islay Jazz Festival
- Community concerts
- School events
Any group that needs a professional platform will be able to hire it in whatever size they require.
www.jamdram.org/hire-our-stage
The stage can be configured into a smaller platform.
Where We Are Now
In just over a week, we’ve raised £3,200 (40% of our target) from 128 incredible supporters. But we need 473 more people to pledge just £10 each in the next 12 days to make this happen.
With 3,500 people on Islay and 258 on Jura, that’s only 16% of our combined islands. If you’ve ever visited Jura, loved Scottish islands, or believe in supporting remote communities, this is your chance to make a real difference.
The Prize
To make it exciting, everyone who supports the campaign is entered into a prize draw to win five nights at Bothan Jura Retreat. Picture waking up to sea and mountain views, red deer on the hills, wood-fired hot tub, sauna, ice barrel, pizza oven, and the peace of island life.
- £10 = 1 entry
- £25 = 3 entries
- £50 = 7 entries
- £100 = 20 entries
- £500 = 120 entries (corporate tier)
Why This Matters
My 11-year-old daughter Alba has a part in our next production. On Jura, we make our own culture and creativity because there’s nowhere else to go. JamDram is where island children build confidence, learn teamwork, and discover they’re braver than they thought.
A portable stage isn’t just equipment. It’s telling our young people their creativity matters – that even on Scotland’s remotest islands, culture thrives.
But we can’t do it alone. We need the wider world to step up.
How to Support
Visit our crowdfunding page: https://www.crowdfunder.co.uk/p/support-jura-theatre
The draw closes Saturday 14th February at 5pm. Every £10 gets us closer to a stage that will serve our islands for decades.
Share this post. Tag friends who love Scotland. Tell anyone who’s ever fallen in love with Jura.
Let’s show what island communities can achieve when we work together.
JamDram is a fully constituted voluntary organisation with transparent, audited accounts. All funds raised go toward the portable stage, with any surplus reinvested in theatre opportunities on Jura.
