Witches
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Information
Seating: Unreserved
Running Time: 90 Minutes
Genre: Documentary
Director: Elizabeth Sankey
Starring: Elizabeth Sankey, Sophia Di Martino, Catherine Cho, David Emson, Shema Tariq, Milli Richards
Post-screening Discussion Panel
This panel discussion, brought to you in partnership with The Belmont Community Cinema, explores the concepts of Witchcraft and Paganism in historical and contemporary contexts and asks us to look more deeply at the lasting effects of the control and persecution that plagued people on the margins of society throughout the Witch Trials.
Meet the Panellists:
Kayleigh Mair, MLitt
Kayleigh Mair is an ethnologist and singer‑songwriter from East Ayrshire whose work explores contemporary tales, traditions, and the ways community, culture, heritage, and home shape identity. She graduated from the University of Aberdeen in 2023 with an MLitt in Ethnology and Folklore, where her dissertation on modern witchcraft and paganism is now held in the Elphinstone Institute Buchan Library. She has presented at several academic conferences, and beyond academia enjoys tabletop roleplaying games and the intersections of storytelling, folklore, and world‑building.
Seonaidh Baker
Seonaidh is dedicated to sharing the stories of those persecuted for alleged witchcraft in Aberdeen City and Shire, highlighting the human cost of fear, social control, and injustice. Her work bridges heritage, social history, and contemporary relevance, helping audiences understand how these past events continue to resonate today. Through research, public engagement, and community‑focused storytelling, she brings attention to individuals whose experiences were shaped by power, belief, and societal pressure. Seonaidh’s perspective encourages reflection on how we remember and honour these histories.
Michelle Soto, MS, MLitt — Panel Chair
Michelle is the Community Development Manager at The Belmont Cinema, a Board Director at Culture North East, and a Volunteer with Four Pillars’ LGBT+ Youth Group. A folklorist and community place‑maker, she focuses on the representation of women and marginalised communities in history, arts, and culture. She holds an MLitt in Folklore and Ethnography from Aberdeen University and an MS in Arts Administration from Drexel University. Her academic work explores identity, belief, and how representation shapes our engagement with traditional narratives.
There are limited spaces for the screening and post-screening discussion panel in the library and we recommend booking early to avoid disappointment. There is no reserved seating.
