Electric Voice Theatre is beyond excited to welcome everyone to the final live public events of our Isabella’s Footsteps Project, in collaboration with the Japanese Sakura Cherry Tree Project which has planted thousands of trees throughout the UK as symbols of the ongoing and future cooperation and friendship with Japan.
Monday 18th May 2026
ALL WELCOME to the 125th Birthday Celebrations
for Keith born marine biologist
Isabella Gordon OBE (1901-1988)
in the presence of
The Lord-Lieutenant of Banffshire
and
The Japanese Consul General
10.30am Keith Primary School Hall
School Road, Keith, Banffshire, AB55 5GS
‘Isabella’s Footsteps: From Scotland to Japan’
Songs, Speeches, Launch of a New Story Book for Children
Cherry Tree Ceremonies and Plaque Unveilings
11.30 Keith Primary and Grammar Campus
12.00 Scotscraig Gardens
14.00 St Thomas’s Primary School,
Chapel Street, Keith AB55 5AL
Cherry Tree Ceremonies
The sound of the pipes from the Lord Lieutenant’s Cadet, Gracie Reid, will signal the beginning of each ceremony. The primary school children will sing a blessing and place sea shells around its roots. The trees will be ceremonially fed and the plaques unveiled by important guests, including the Japanese Consul General, members of the community and Isabella’s family.
Isabella Gordon loved cherry blossom for the rest of her life after experiencing the festival of Hanami during her visit to Japan in 1961. It is a fitting tribute to her that the Sakura Cherry Tree Project has planted trees in three locations in Keith where plaques will be unveiled on the day, dedicated to her life and to the UK’s strong bond with Japan.
P4 Keith Primary School
Celebrations begin at Keith Primary School where P4 pupils and Primary 3-5 from Newmill will sing songs they wrote about Isabella during our project in Autumn 2025. They will also be reading from a beautifully illustrated booklet created by EVT which will be presented to each child as a thankyou for their inspiring work.
Keith Primary School Choir will sing a new song written to compliment the book ‘From Scotland to Japan’
There will be lots to find out about the connections between Isabella, Keith and Japan from Janice Meldrum, Keith and District Heritage and speeches from the Japanese Consul General and the Lord Lieutenant of Banffshire.
The EVT Isabella’s Footsteps Project Team will be there too.
- Frances M Lynch and Herbie Clarke will be supporting the children’s singing and encouraging the audience to join in!
- Miranda Lowe CBE, the successor to Isabella Gordon as Principal Crustacean Curator at the Natural History Museum, London, will be talking about her favourite sea creatures!
- Science historian Catherine Booth, retired science curator at the National Library of Scotland, alongside children’s book illustrator Alexa Rutherford will talk about their work to create the new booklet
- The events will be British Sign Language interpreted throughout by Isla van der Heiden and our team will provide some Integrated Audio Description
EVT are so grateful for all the help and support we have been so lucky to receive for our Isabella’s Footsteps Project.
We are funded by:-
- The National Lottery Heritage Fund and National Lottery Players
- The Gordon and Ena Baxter Foundation
- The Scottish Fisherman’s Trust
- Many generous donations from the public
We have had incredible support from:-
- Keith and Newmill Primary Schools
- The Natural History Museum, London
- Keith and District Heritage Group
- Aberdeen University
- Andrew Simpson, Lord-Lieutenant of Banffshire
- John Harrington, Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Banffshire
- and the many friends of the project both in Keith and across the UK
The National Lottery Heritage Fund is the largest funder for the UK’s heritage. Using money raised by National Lottery players we support projects that connect people and communities to heritage. Our vision is for heritage to be valued, cared for and sustained for everyone, now and in the future. From historic buildings, our industrial legacy and the natural environment, to collections, traditions, stories and more.
Heritage can be anything from the past that people value and want to pass on to future generations. We believe in the power of heritage to ignite the imagination, offer joy and inspiration, and to build pride in place and connection to the past.
