In October 2023, as part of the Culture Collective Celebration event, we installed a ‘Book Nook’ (reading room) at the Scottish Storytelling Centre in Edinburgh. Filled with the many books, pamphlets, zines and publications created by the Culture Collective network, it offered a fascinating insight into the breadth and diversity of projects, as well as showcasing the creativity that emerged from and with communities. Whilst some of those publications exist only in physical format, we’ve gathered digital versions of as many as we can to create this Virtual Book Nook. We hope this will serve as an archive of some of the Culture Collective’s creativity, as well as to offer a moment of pause, exploration and discovery for those looking to explore Culture Collective anywhere, anytime. Dive in…

 

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▴ Nicky Bolland – The Entangled Tea Set: CULTIVATE project by Creative Practitioner Nicky Bolland, in collaboration with the Cateran Ecomuseum and Alyth Development Trust in Perth & Kinross

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Findhorn Bay Festival 2022 programme Opens in a new window →
The 4th Findhorn Bay Festival presented a journey of exploration and discovery for Scotland’s Year of Stories, offering glimpses into the past and hopes for the future, and experiences of nature, culture and adventure.

 

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▴ Paradise Now! A climate justice handbook for young people – The publication comes from a 7-month residency at Deveron Projects where Hussein Mitha focused on engaging young people in Huntly with climate justice movements

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A commemorative zine inspired by Artlink's Leylines project at Howden Park, Livingston, and edited by Peter Johnstone. Features interviews between Peter and various participants in the programme, as well as artworks highlighting the breadth and diversity of work.

 

How Good is our Hall? toolkit Opens in a new window →
The ‘How Good is our Hall?’ toolkit was designed and developed by Claire Abbott as part of her role as Legacy Practitioner with the Safe Harbour: Open Sea Culture Collective project in Fittie, Aberdeen. Based on the Place Standard: How good is our place? Toolkit, ‘How Good is our Hall?’ uses the values of community learning and development to start conversations about community halls. The tool provides prompts for discussions, allowing everyone who has an interest in a community space to consider a range of elements – from access and transport to green space and sustainability – in a methodical way.

 

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▴ The Culture Collective Story by John Martin Fulton

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Sensory Collective: A Playful Manifesto – This is a manifesto that begins but will never end. This is a translation of my world to yours. This is a celebration of existence; mine, yours and theirs. This is a public display of affection for each and every creature. This is a protest of the notion that there is any correct way to live. This is a public display of rejection of the idea that one’s usefulness is a measure of their humanity. This is a love letter to joy to sadness to fear and discovery. A call to play written by Max Alexander, also known as Play Radical, who is an artist, writer and play specialist.
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▴ Read More is an ongoing Alchemy Film & Arts project designed to encourage additional engagement with its film exhibitions and other events. Mark Lyken’s contribution to Read More coincides with his six-month residency with Alchemy Film & Arts, where he developed Notes from a Low Orbit, a new feature-length study of the town, its communities and the rituals that inform their everyday experience. Mark’s commission is part of The Teviot, the Flag and the Rich, Rich Soil.

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▴ Safe Harbour, Open Sea – Voices of Footdee visitor trail

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▴ What We Do Now exhibition publication – The Story of What We Do Now. Documented by Kirstin McEwan and Patrick Rooney

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▴ What We Do Now – Know One Place readout

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▴ What We Do Now – evaluation snapshot

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Dreamlands: Publication 2 Opens in a new window →
Dreamlands is a cross-disciplinary project by artist Mina Heydari-Waite, weaving together ideas arising in collaboration and conversation with the dreamlands pottery (a group of women* from global majority backgrounds) and in walking together we make the path (a social dreaming workshop open to people of marginalised genders). The project asks: can the act of sharing our dreams create possibilities for new thought about how we occupy space in our shared waking world? Dreamlands is a Govanhill Baths Culture Collective project, interpreting the theme of OCCUPY! through socially engaged artistic practice.

 

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▴ Inverclyde Culture Collective: Together, a poetic celebration of community strength and diversity by Greenock Writers Club

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▴ From Acorns: An anthology of new writing from Inverclyde – Katharine Macfarlane

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▴ in the hope of placing roots... New writing from Inverclyde inspired by Of Earth and Sky – Katharine Macfarlane

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Journal extract by Salma Faraji Opens in a new window Download File Opens in a new window↓

Salma is currently an artist in residence with Dance North as part of the Arts in Moray (AIM) Collective programme. AIM is a Culture Collective project, funded by Scottish Government through Creative Scotland.

 

Deveron Projects Town Collection Art Map Opens in a new window →
Deveron Projects has been working in Huntly since 1995, producing socially-engaged projects with artists from all over the world. Our projects connect artists, communities and places locally, nationally and internationally through the process of artmaking, trying to break down barriers to contemporary art, share a multitude of cultures, and enact social justice. The town’s businesses, schools, churches, alleyways and riverbanks host artworks and as a collection - known as the Town Collection - they tell a story of the town through the lens of local, national and international socially-engaged artists who lived and worked in Huntly.

 

Christmas scripts & drama games Opens in a new window →
These plays were produced as part of the Highland Culture Collective, through Fèis Rois. Artair Donald was Drama Artist In Residence with the Highland Culture Collective. Artair travelled to Gaelic Medium schools throughout the Highlands, using his knowledge and drama skills to encourage and improve the children’s use of Gaelic. Over those 2 years he found there was a lack of Gaelic scripts for young people. At Christmas time, the schools would sing Gaelic songs as their Christmas show. Working with pupils at Acharacle Primary and Bun-sgoil Shlèite (2021-22), Artair developed scripts with the pupils through their work together, and presented plays based on Christmas. You can download the scripts using the link above, and use and adapt them as you please, using place names local to you, and individual situations.