WHAT WE DID /// Kate McAllan and Martyn McKenzie / Stonehouse
TIMELINE:
1.Visited the Horsepool Circuit - inspired by the landscape and legend of the area. 2. Explored walking routes around Stonehouse - surprised how points of heritage kept creeping up on us. 3. Met with Mark Monie of FSOP. He took us on a guided tour of the park circuit. He expressed he was interested in opening routes and linking park to walkways. 4. Met with John Young, local historian who provided details of points of heritage on routes. Discussed community interest in arts proposals for the area. 5.Began to design Journeybox workshop - an opportunity to gather memories and aspirations of spaces around the area from local people. 6. Co-ordinated with Violet Cafe as exhibition space for finished work and the Auld Stonehouse Cross Cafe as meeting point. Met Sally and Sally-Anne from the Cross Cafe organisers of a local church group. We were interested in the active people who make and shape the community. 7.Designed poster and promoted Jouneybox workshop around the Town, meeting local people. We were also in touch with prominent figures from the community who promoted on an online basis. 8. Designed map and Jouneybox kit for event which we hosted on Sunday March 5th. 9. Designed blog to document activity and to provide information on further developments. 10.Curated exhibition in the Violet Cafe exhibiting Jouneybox and promoting Make Your Way.
Journeybox - Ideas and Content After talking to local people and gauging this level of community spirit we wanted to put together a proposal which made sense within and meant something to the community. We were keen for our workshop to be a way of finding this out. Each person received their own Journeybox with a hand drawn map of the route highlighting the stopping off points. They were encouraged to annotate their map. They also received little prompt cards - inspiration cards which looked at artists who have explored the landscape in alternative ways. From detailed drawings of Lichen from Ruskin to walking poetry by Hamish Fulton. Blank watercolour paper and writing materials were also in the box. At each stopping point people were encouraged to record their reflections in the shape of a little painting and a piece of writing. The compartments within the box were also for collecting objects along the way. Each participant also received a drawing board and materials to work with.
Finalising the design of the map
Making the boxes
Photos from the Workshop - Sunday 5th May
Reflections of the Workshop / Exhibition at Violet Cafe
The workshop was really well attended and people made some brilliant work. We were lucky with the weather and the stopping points really gave people the opportunity to reflect of these individual spaces. We wanted to see how people reacted and gauge as possible sites for artworks. The exhibition in the Violet Cafe was a nice way to open / develop conversation within the community about the Make Your Way project. It sustained a sense of creative activity and highlighted to people in the Town alternative ways of experiencing the local landscape.
Examples of artwork made