FRIDAY 12TH MARCH
Frances Browne, my project coordinator, very kindly invited me to the opening of an exhibition at the Bonhoga Gallery in Weisdale. The gallery is located in Weisdale Mill, which has been converted into a beautiful arts centre. Weisdale is located right in the centre of the main island, down a very dark, very windy road. Most roads in Shetland are single track with passing places, something that is quite nostalgic for me because it takes me back to my childhood and all the holidays in remote parts of Scotland. Driving in such conditions is a completely different experience to what I consider normal – 30 miles per hour is about the maximum one can safely navigate such terrain, so it’s impossible to rush and why indeed with breathtaking scenery at every glance. However, night-time driving requires concentration in the deep black dark!
The exhibition was delightful; five winners of various prizes had been invited to exhibit. Frances spent all the time introducing me to all the art bods, a gorgeous, friendly bunch. Friendliness is on another scale here, really. For example, I have discovered that when driving through the countryside it is de rigueur to wave at everyone you pass. How lovely is that?
THURSDAY 11TH MARCH
Today was the first workshop day. I ran four workshops; two with each class; Primary 1-4 and Primary 5-7. I prepared the workshops so that they could be repeated with both class groups and would work with such a range of ages.
The first sessions began with a presentation of my past projects to the children. I do this so that they gain an understanding of what public art is; what I have created in similar situations in the past, why I am there and what they can expect from my presence in the school. As my work is so colourful and tactile and is often likened to edibles such as sweets (just on Tuesday at the welcome evening a parent cried out, in response to a particular piece, “That makes me think of puddings!”) it is always a winner with children!
We then went outside and gathered in the space I have chosen for the project. We talked about the space and what could happen in it. I asked each child to come up with some ideas for what they would like to see in the space with the instructions that it had to be interactive and for play. Each group, after struggling initially with the concept (it’s an added challenge in rural schools to set tasks where the age range is so huge within classes), successfully came up with some fantastic ideas expressed through lovely colourful drawings.
In the second workshop I prepared a display of fabulous Fair Isle knit samples and photographs of patterns and motifs. Each participant selected a few images and created drawings of details within the patterns. They then progressed on to creating their own designs inspired by the photographs and eventually chose one design, which they rendered in a large colour format. In an evaluation -described as “our very own art gallery” by one of the teachers – of all the designs laid out for all to survey, it was clear that they had produced some beautiful work.
WEDNESDAY 10TH MARCH
I took myself off to the afore-mentioned Shetland Museum and Archives to immerse myself in Shetland knitwear, oh and many a book, pattern and essay on the subject. I am now fully versed in the tradition, social and fashion history of Shetland knitwear! I also have armfuls of documentation of the stuff!
TUESDAY 9TH MARCH
I spent the morning at the school undertaking a proper site survey. My brief is to create a sculpture in the playground, so I had a good look at all the possible spaces. Recently the school has acquired a strip of grassy land that is currently out of bounds and unused. It is, however, the warmest outdoor space, as it faces west and is relatively sheltered, and when the sun shines up here that is something to make the most of! It also has the best views over the voe and surrounding hills. I came to the conclusion that I could turn this forgotten but potentially promising space into a secret garden; a place where the children can play, hide, relax and enjoy the grass underfoot and whatever interactive elements I end up installing there. Having scrutinized the space, I would like to make something that is multi-purpose, with play/functional purposes that kids can run around, jump over, sit on, etc, as well as fulfilling an aesthetic requirement.
In the afternoon I went to visit Margaret Manson, our school knit teacher. Knitting is taught to all pupils in primary schools on Shetland. Margaret told me about the local knitting tradition and its history. Coincidentally my landlady, Jenny Bradley, also teaches knitting and has lent me a wealth of books and samples of Fair Isle knitting. Fair Isle is the most remote of the Shetland Islands, located half way between Shetland and Orkney and it is where the tradition of iconic, highly colourful knitted design commenced, becoming hugely fashionable in the 1930s. The choice of this as the guiding theme for my project lends itself perfectly to the medium of mosaic, as the knit patterns, fascinating as aesthetic designs in themselves, are composed of geometric patterns on a grid square base.
In the evening we held a welcome evening in the school, which parents and their children attended, along with members of the schools services team and community officers.
MONDAY 8TH MARCH
Frances Browne, my commissioner, met me for lunch at the restaurant in the most wonderful Shetland Museum and Archives. This building is relatively new, boasting a most interesting a thorough history of Shetland, extensive archives, a wealth of public art, and a fabulous restaurant serving tasty delights with gorgeous views across the water. I saw several seals dipping and diving in the space of a few minutes.
Frances took me on a whistle stop tour of Lerwick, Shetland’s capital town, and then we attended a meeting at Olnafirth Primary School with Madge Peters, the acting head teacher, where we discussed the inns and outs of the project.
