Applicant: Impact Arts Projects Ltd
Partners: Irvine Housing Association, Dumfries Museum and Camera Obscura, Stakeford Youth Group, Oasis Youth Project
Location: Stakeford, Dumfries and Galloway
Grant awarded: £23,000
Grant programme: Young Roots
Benefits: Raised awareness of a wealth of local heritage, and enabled young people to gain hands-on experience of local heritage sites. Fostered stronger community relationships, and created a focal point for residents on the Stakeford Estate.
Background to the project
Initial contact was made with HLF by Irvine Housing Association, the social landlords for the Stakeford Housing Estate. The initial idea for the project came from the Stakeford Tenants and Residents Association who wanted to encourage young people living on the estate to take a more active part in the community, and to take greater pride in it. The young people who took part in the project are involved in the local youth club, and the project was shaped to involve them in the entire research, design, selection and creation process leading to the creation of a public work of art. The young people researched the history and heritage of Stakeford and Dumfries through a series of interactive workshops, enabling them to understand more about their area, and to visit areas of their town that they would otherwise not have had the chance to go to. The project was lead by Impact Arts.
What did the project involve?
The project brought history to life through a series of themed workshops, field trips, object handling sessions, role playing and re-enactment, and arts support. The young people visited a range of local heritage sites from the Aviation Museum to Caerlaverock Wildfowl and Wetlands Centre, and from the Robert Burns Museum to Shembellie House Museum of Costume. An oral history tea party was held to enable the young people to interview and record the memories of older members of the community, and the group worked intensively with artists to design and create a mural for the gable-end of the Community Centre, and new decorative metalwork to replace dilapidated railings near the centre. The wider community have been drawn into the project through an exhibition giving them the chance to vote for their preferred choice of designs for the mural and metalwork.
What difference did the project make?
The project succeeded in genuinely engaging the young people in their heritage, and enabling them to visit areas of their neighbourhoods that otherwise they would not have gone to. It also strengthened the relationship between the young people and other members of the community. Comments from the exhibition tell their own story: ‘Brilliant! Well Done Kids, you’ve done Stakeford Proud!’
How did the project meet our criteria?
Involvement: The project involved 25 young people who shaped the initial idea
Delivery through partnerships: The project was a partnership between Stakeford Tenants and Residents Association, Impact Arts, Dumfries Museum and Camera Obscura, and Stakeford youth group.
Heritage Focus: The initial focus on famous buildings and people associated with the local area was developed by the young people during the project, according to their interests. The workshop structure allowed them to investigate local history relating to World War 2, natural history, costumes, JM Barrie and Robert Burns, medieval and Victorian history
Learning: The historical exploration and visits provided source material for the young people to use imaginatively in creative workshops. These resulted in the young people creating their own period drama costumes and performance, based on their new knowledge of the history of their area. They also learned to film and edit a video which documents the whole project.