Edinburgh's Community Connections to National Touring Exhibition
3 Dec 2008
Young people, residents and visitors in Edinburgh will be able to discover
more about Scotland's rich built heritage, thanks to a dynamic touring
exhibition showcasing community artworks inspired by one of Scotland's
National Collections.
Treasured Places: Creative Connections arrives in the capital on 22 December
and will be on display in the main foyer at the Omni
Centre until 14 January. The exhibition will be open to the public
daily from 9am until 1am the following morning.
Treasured Places: Creative Connections features animation, expressive
art, poetry and photography specially created by community groups across
the country during workshops organised by the Royal Commission on the
Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS).
The exhibition which is funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and Scottish
Government, was launched in August 2008 and will run until May 2009 touring
eleven venues across Scotland, close to the communities that participated
in the original workshops. The creative outcomes from the workshops are
showcased alongside reproductions of the archive material that inspired
them.
Led by local artists and RCAHMS specialists, the creative workshops were
based around a significant local place or relevant topic, such as maritime
heritage in the Orkney Isles and the Waverley Line in the Borders. Participants
were encouraged to interpret the extensive public archive of drawings
and photographs held by RCAHMS in a new and creative way, drawing on their
own responses and experiences, to produce a variety of different art works.
A range of different audiences have taken part in the workshops, from
primary school children learning about the architecture of religious buildings
through model making, to war veterans who explored the role of war memorials
through poetry.
The War veterans from Edinburgh and Lothians took part in a workshop at
Edinburgh Castle where they worked with poet Ken Cockburn on a series
of creative writings based on their own memories and experiences from
RCAHMS archive material held on local war memorials. Recordings of the
poetry, the creative writings and sketchbooks are on display.
RCAHMS staff also worked with a group of local scouts in which they explored
engineering principles of the Forth Bridges through model bridge building.
The exhibition features sketchbooks outlining the workshop with images
and archive material on bridges in Scotland and a model of a bridge copied
from the winning bridge as created by a group of Scouts who took part.
Siobhan McConnachie, Treasured Places Project Manager, said: "It
was wonderful to see our collections being used in such an exciting way.
The workshops were a lot of fun for everyone and, as can be seen through
our Creative Connections exhibition, the work that was produced is of
such a high standard and really inspiring."
Treasured Places: Creative Connections forms part of a diverse programme
of events launched by RCAHMS to celebrate 100 years of creating Scotland's
collection of architecture, archaeology and industry. It complements a
major exhibition at the City Art Centre which opened in October and will
run until 18 January. Treasured Places: 100 Years of RCAHMS comprises
over 180 exhibits from the RCAHMS collections, often for the first time,
including drawings, photographs, prints as well as new media. Also featuring
in the exhibition are Scotland's top ten 'Treasured Places' as voted by
the public in the online vote allowing the wonderful drawings and photographs
to be experienced first hand. The exhibition includes activities for families,
an education area and a public events programme.
Treasured Places: Creative Connections information received 031208
Treasured Places: Creative Connections
22 Dec 2008 - 14 Jan 2009 Daily, 9am-1am
FREE
Omni Centre, Edinburgh
Scottish Architects
Scottish Architecture
RCAHMS is the national record of Scotland's built environment, whose mission
is to identify, survey and interpret the archaeological, architectural
and historical environment of Scotland, to preserve and add to the collection,
and to promote public understanding and enjoyment of items in the collection.
Treasured Places was set up by the Royal Commission on the Ancient and
Historical Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS) to help celebrate its centenary
in 2008. The project launched in September 2007 with an online vote to
find the nation's most Treasured Place. Over 20,000 votes were cast via
the Treasured Places website, with the Lady Victoria Colliery, Newtongrange
winning the coveted title.
A major exhibition of Scotland's 'Treasured Places' is currently showing
at the City Art Centre, Edinburgh from 25 October 2008 to 18 January 2009.
The exhibition showcases, often for the first time, original items including
drawings, photographs, prints as well as new media, from the extensive
collections of RCAHMS. Also featuring in the exhibition are Scotland's
top ten 'Treasured Places' as voted by the public in the online vote allowing
the wonderful drawings and photographs to be experienced first hand. The
exhibition includes activities for families, an education area and a small
public events programme.
The Treasured Places project is funded by the Heritage Lottery Fund and
the Scottish Government, and run by RCAHMS.
Treasured Places: Creative Connections Tour Diary
Adam Smith Theatre, Kirkcaldy
7 Aug -3 Sep 2008
Cromarty Courthouse Museum, Cromarty
6-27 Sep 2008
Benbecula Airport, Balivanich, Isle of Benbecula
3-29 Oct 2008
Lanark Library, Lanark
4 -29 Nov 2008
The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland,
16 Bernard Terrace, Edinburgh
2-12 Dec 2008
Omni Centre, Edinburgh
22 Dec 2008 -14 Jan 2009
Dundee Central Library, Dundee
16 Jan - 14 Feb 2009
Tweeddale Museum and Gallery, Peebles
17 Feb - 21 Mar 2009
The Mall Shopping Centre, Falkirk
24 Mar - 8 Apr 2009
Moray Art Centre, Findhorn
10 - 29 Apr 2009
The Pier Arts Centre, Stromness, Orkney
3 - 18 May 2009
Museum
of Scotland
Scottish
Parliament
World Architecture : e-architect
- a guide to key buildings across the globe
Comments / photos for the Treasured Places: Creative Connections Scotland
page welcome: info@e-architect.co.uk
Treasured Places Exhibition
Building : page - adrian welch / isabelle lomholt
Website: treasuredplaces.org.uk