Imagining Natural Scotland Project for the Year of Natural Scotland 2013, presented at the INS Conference at the University of St Andrews on 27th August 2013.
Applicant Organisation: Jean Duncan
Project Description: To explore how the visual arts and public engagement can influence understanding in the local community of coastal change and environmental risk at Montrose Bay.
The focus of this project will be a series of schools workshops and public events combining art, reminiscence, scientific research and access to local archives, to engage local people in a study of the changes affecting their coastline.
The people of Montrose will be asked to bring their memorabilia – film, photos, paintings, sketches, anecdotes and poetry – to an open day and other events. Open Days will be advertised in the local press and Council web pages and there will be an opportunity to share images and record stories. Experts (Local Historians, Geographers, Golf historians) will be available to discuss material.
There will be a presentation on the collaborative work of the project for school pupils , followed by a series of workshops. Pupils will be given the opportunity to visit the beach and make drawings of what is happening to the dunes.The Artist will work them to develop drawing skills and record their experience not only of the beach and their relationship with it but also it’s topography and weather.
They will be encouraged to consider the issues affecting the beach across a broad range of subject areas-in line with the curriculum for excellence approach.
Their collective drawings will be part of the final exhibition.
Material from these events will be combined with archive material from the local museum, the library and digital media sources. Alongside information from an on-going review being undertaken by Angus Council into coastal change and environmental risk.
Drawings from the schools workshops and my own new work will then be presented along with archive material and information about the dynamic coastline of the beach .
