Phase 2: Artist Reflections on mobility

Yvonne Weighand-Lyle, lead artists for Midlothian on a public bench in Penicuik.

As an artist with reduced mobility, I am acutely aware of the vital importance of public seating in our local communities. I really struggle with making what I describe as micro journeys. For me micro journeys are all my small journeys, like walking from my home to the bus stop, getting off the bus and walking to my destination. These micro journeys may include standing a lot too. As someone who has real difficulties standing to wait at crossings, bus stops, outside shops, and when combined with my walking, it can really make negotiating small journeys incredibly stressful. Some public spaces have benches accessible by steps and as I struggle to manage steps and stairs without pain it means a decision about whether to add to the length of my walk to go and see if there is a seat somewhere else or power through the steps anyway. It’s such a relief when you’re lucky enough to have access to a public bench!

I may be like a lot of other folk who are experiencing a transition in their mobility needs and are not quite at the point of using their mobility aids or wheelchairs every journey, or who may need additional support to do so, and are struggling along on their own. We need seating to be available throughout our public spaces to support disabled people’s opportunities to use local shops and essential services. That is why my top priority for this year is to bring more seating and street furniture to the communities in which I live and work.

This year I am very proud and privileged to be the Lead Artist for Remembering Together Midlothian (phase 2). As part of this work I will be co-creating 3 public benches and small gardens with local communities in Easthouses, Rosewell and Penicuik as our covid memorial for the county.

Our memorial benches and gardens will provide a long-term amenity for local communities, and are fully accessible to the public, sited within greenspaces, accessible for local path networks, public transport and key local community groups who are participating in the co-creation development. We are linked in with Midlothian Council and local community gardening groups whose volunteers are already active and caring for their own local greenspaces. The covid memorials are intended to augment this ongoing wonderful community endeavour by adding to local biodiversity with our tree planting, utilising fruiting species supporting pollinators and birds.

We will be publicising our upcoming gardening workshops if you would like to take part and you can find us and follow along @YWLStudios on Facebook, Twitter/X and Instagram.