Art and Resilience: Charting the Course of Remembering Together Across East Dunbartonshire and Moray.
By Adil Iqbal
The Remembering Together project in East Dunbartonshire, led by Craig Elliott-Wilson and artist Elena Mary Harris, seamlessly transitioned from its initial phase to a broader community engagement in its second phase. The project, supported by an advisory group, facilitated community co-creation and navigated the diverse experiences of the COVID-19 pandemic through art. The project concluded its first phase with plans for memorial benches, symbolizing the collective memory and resilience of the local communities, demonstrating the power of art in healing and uniting people.
The Remembering Together project in Moray, Scotland, represents a vibrant confluence of art and community, spearheaded by greenspace scotland, Moray Council, and partners like tsiMoray and Findhorn Bay Arts. Artists Graeme Roger and Caroline Inckle have crafted a multi-faceted narrative through sound, words, and images, culminating in interactive exhibits like a sound walk by Lucie Treacher, a narrative book by Chris Lee, and a traditional tune by Duncan Chisholm and Hamish Napier, all fostering intergenerational ties. The initiative reflects on local pandemic experiences while promoting Moray's musical heritage, emphasizing resilience and emotional depth amid budgetary constraints. With its focus on healing, inclusion, and legacy, the project enriches Moray's cultural landscape, supporting a collaborative model that enhances community bonds and personal connections.
Creative Cohesion: Unveiling the Impact of Remembering Together in East Dunbartonshire
Craig extols Elena's impeccable fusion of artistic flair and business savvy, attributes that have propelled the project's success. Her prior engagements, including notable work with Glasgow City Council, have underscored her capability in steering community-centric projects. The advisory group, featuring representatives from greenspace scotland, local councils, community and learning groups, alongside various community councils, has been instrumental in fostering a co-creative atmosphere conducive to communal expression and participation.
“Inclusivity wasn't just emphasized; it was fundamental, ensuring engagement across East Dunbartonshire's diverse communities." – Craig Elliott-Wilson
The project’s evolution has been marked by Elena's proactive engagement strategies, encompassing gala days, poetry readings, interviews, and accessible drop-in sessions at local libraries, thereby knitting a diverse tapestry of community voices and experiences. Despite initial reservations from some quarters about council-affiliated initiatives, Remembering Together has flourished as a community-led endeavour, with the Trust playing a pivotal role in empowering Harris to lead the charge.
Highlighting the delicate nature of the subject matter, Craig discussed the artist’s role in navigating sensitive dialogues surrounding the pandemic's varied impact. From stories of familial bonding to narratives of loss and isolation, the project mirrored the multifaceted human experiences of COVID-19, ensuring a respectful and inclusive approach to community storytelling.
Elena Mary Harris in early Phase 1 pop up event
Inclusivity, a cornerstone of the project, was never an overt agenda but an intrinsic value that guided its execution, ensuring a wide-ranging community engagement. This commitment was vividly demonstrated in the project's multimedia outputs, capturing the diverse voices of East Dunbartonshire's residents.
The transition between the project’s phases was marked by innovative community interaction, culminating in a plan to install memorial benches across twelve key locations, each narrating its own story through QR-coded links to audio-visual content. This seamless progression, devoid of bureaucratic entanglements, underscored the Trust's agility in facilitating meaningful community engagement.
Remembering Together, under the stewardship of Craig Elliott-Wilson and Elena Mary Harris, stands as a testament to the power of art in healing, connecting, and commemorating communal experiences, setting a benchmark for cultural projects in East Dunbartonshire and beyond.
Harmony in Heritage: The Remembering Together Project's Impact on Moray's Community and Culture
Despite its smaller size and the challenges that come with being a less prominent local authority, Moray is a fierce contender in securing resources and recognition. The region's stunning natural landscapes not only offer inspiration but also attract artists to live and work there, enhancing its cultural fabric. Karen Delaney works at Moray Council and is a strong advocate for music education, and values Moray's musical heritage highlighted by events like Speyfest. She supports music programs enthusiastically, recognizing their power to bridge generational gaps and help communities process and remember shared experiences.
Duncan Chisholm at the concert launch for ‘Beauty of Moray’ in Fochabers.
Karen illuminates the evolving art scene in Moray, noting the resilience in facing budgetary cuts and the emotional depth required in steering such a community-centered project. The initiative not only addresses community healing—navigating through emotions of loss and anger—but also emphasizes the inclusion of empathetic, skilled individuals who foster deep connections and maintain supportive environments.
The project aims to leave a resonant legacy of joy, music, and shared narratives, exemplified by compositions like 'The Beauty of Moray,' inspired by local heritage. Karen commends the project’s holistic impact, made possible by the integrity of the artists and the community’s active participation, reaching diverse groups from seniors in care homes to children in schools.
“The Remembering Together project, with its deep roots in Moray's rich cultural and natural heritage, is a vivid testament to how art can encapsulate the essence of humanity, bridging generational divides and weaving a tapestry of shared experiences that resonate with joy, resilience, and inspiration.” Karen Delaney
Extended planning and inclusive discussions have set a foundation for a new collaborative model in Moray, respecting diverse roles and voices. This model has proven effective, not only in facilitating a collective creative process but also in resolving initial tensions about participant roles, enhancing professional growth and mutual support among contributors. For example, the collaboration between Findhorn Bay Arts and Stacey at M:ADE (Moray Arts Development Engagement) enabled both to leverage each other's systems and insights for greater collaborative success.
Reflective moments like the concert, where attendees found a sense of closure they had previously missed, and the soundwalks, experienced uniquely from reflective solitude on benches to communal gatherings in picnics, highlight the project’s profound community impact. A memorable instance involved a young man who created a symbolic boat during a soundwalk as a farewell tribute to his mother, showcasing the deeply personal connection fostered by the project.
Karen also discussed a recent literary contribution, a book launched in April 2024 titled "Breathing. Being." by Chris Lee. This work captures the varied pandemic experiences and voices from Moray's community, reflecting the resilience and diversity of its people across all ages.
The success of Remembering Together is not just in its artistic outputs but in its process—embracing the community's heart and soul, engaging diverse locations from beaches to care homes, and ensuring everyone’s voice is heard. As Moray emerges from the pandemic, this project stands as a testament to the power of art to heal, connect, and inspire.