It’s been a while since we updated you on our community based, participatory projects like CAIR: Caithness Artists in Residence. Quite often, this important part of our programme is always ticking away quietly in the background but as it’s come to the end of the year, we wanted showcase some of the brilliant work our associate artists have been getting up to.
Wellbeing & Community
The important role arts and creativity plays in supporting our mental health and wellbeing is being increasingly recognised. This was especially important as we moved out of lockdown in 2022. Working with local artists, LAC has developed several arts-based wellbeing programmes that support our community to feel less isolated, gain confidence and develop new skills.
Kirk or No Kirk? – this project was led by CAIR artist Lisa Poulsen, who worked with members of the ‘JiM’ (Join In More) Men’s Wellbeing Group. Lisa worked with the group to explore the question ‘can a deeper connection with place support our wellbeing?’. Together they undertook many activities, like stone-rubbing, immersive walks, exhibition visits and more, which all aimed to explore a sense of belonging. The project, which culminated in a fantastic exhibition at LAC, saw huge benefits for the participants. Mark Boulton, Project Officer at Listening Ear said the project made ‘the guys feel confident, at ease and listened to, these are all excellent behaviours and these soon bounced onto a couple of the guys who built their own confidence in themselves in finding a new venture. One of the guys even had the confidence to go out and find a job locally. This is something that most probably wouldn’t have happened if it weren’t for this project.’
Kirk, or No Kirk exhibition at LAC. Photo: DGS
Another CAIR artist Shelagh Swanson has undertaken an innovative project with Sinclair’s Bay Trust developing a project called ‘Safe Harbour’. This has included making a ‘Safety Net’ where people share the places, people and hobbies they feel make them safe and supported on diamond shaped pieces of paper, that are joined together to create a net. Shelagh has also been running Safe Harbour Workshops including workshops in printmaking, painting, plaster casting and seaglass mosaic. These have taken place across Sinclairs Bay in halls and even on beaches! Trust Chair, Maysie Calder said ‘it’s been really well received in the area has been great for the community engaging with each other again in a relaxed and safe environment… It’s really brought to focus the challenges experienced throughout lockdown and how people perceive them’. The project culminated in a lively community ceilidh at Keiss Hall where the final Safety Net was shared.
One of Shelagh's workshops on Reiss Beach
With support from the Highland Community Wellbeing Fund, LAC were able to take more of these mindful, creative activities to communities across Caithness. This varied from drawing workshops in Latheron to stone carving in Scotscalder!
Children & Young People
LAC believes every child and young person in Caithness should have access to great art and culture. Working with highly trained, professional artists we have been able to deliver to more projects with children, schools, young people and families than ever before.
CAIR artist Gordon Gunn has been working with Dunbeath & Lybster Primary Schools, learning about local myths and legends and turning these into brand new songs. With visits to Dunbeath Strath, the children heard the legends of Ian McCormack Gunn and connected with the ancient Hazelwoods. After weeks working together to write the music and rehearsing, the children from both schools came together to do a special performance on the opening day of Northern Stories Festival. P4-7 at Dunbeath said ‘the concert was really fun, we were all scared and nervous at the start but in the end we were very happy and emotional’.
Gordon playing at a Northern Stories Festival event
One of our associate artists Katie Squires has been working in Wick at the PPP delivering special art classes for their after-school club. This last term the children have had the chance to make paper crowns, hand print pictures, pipe-cleaner caterpillars and more recently their own clay Christmas decorations.
Another CAIR artist Andrea Wotherspoon started a fun project with Thurso Youth Club exploring the history of Dounreay and the impact it has had on the town and what this means for our young people. Exploring our nuclear heritage through creative writing, Andrea delivered weekly writing workshops and a workshop in Thurso High School. The young people have written a collective poem as well as their own individual pieces of work which they hope to publish in a special anthology.
2022 has been an incredible year for the Caithness Young Creatives. The steering group developed and designed a varied programme of workshops for other young people. This ranged from stage-fighting sessions to film and photography classes. In November, as part of Out of the Blue the group successfully put on their first immersive exhibition highlighting the benefits of arts and blue health.
Out of the Blue project
This year we have also collaborated with Airport House, Wick Youth Club, Bower Busy Bees, Avonlea and more.
A Year in Numbers
As well as all the events, festivals, gigs and shows LAC put on in 2022 we also hosted over 100 free to access workshops for children, young people and adults. Alongside this, we worked with seven CAIR artist who collaborated with almost 700 co-creators on their projects. But more important than the numbers is the huge impact this has had on participants. These programmes aim to reduce isolation and bring our community together, improving our tools for wellbeing and celebrating Caithness. We want to use art to highlight local issues and use our creativity to see how we might tackle them.
Thank you to all our partners and funders who have supported this important work in 2022. We hope it can continue into 2023, putting arts and culture at the heart of the Caithness community.
