END OF THE SHIFT CONSERVING OUR INDUSTRIAL HERITAGE - PERTHSHIRE & FIFE
The End of the Shift is an oral history project which records the skills and experiences of industrial workers in Perthshire and Fife which has now recorded over 70 people, aged 15 to 103.
The project is a collaboration of Grace Notes Scotland, a charity dedicated to handing on traditions to new generations, and funded by Heritage Lottery and the Gannochy Trust.
The remit was to record the oral history of people who had actually been involved in industrial work in the area. The project brought together 93 volunteers – people who would conduct interviews, people to transcribe the material, photographers etc. This began with the mining communities but soon grew to embrace the stories of mill workers, bleach workers and hydro workers in the local area.
The project soon uncovered hidden heritage. What is documented as official history in local newspapers are the accidents that happened rather than the daily lives of the community. What is missing, for example, are the stories of women: wonderful stories from the wives and sisters of miners. Missing also are accounts of the cultural traditions - the colliery bands or community brassbands. One of the aims of the project was to create material to give to schools, communities and libraries.
DIGHTY CONNECT - DUNDEE
Dighty Connect is a volunteer-led project working along the Dighty Burn in Dundee, Scotland, exploring ways to enhance the green spaces along the burn through a mixture of conservation and cultural activities. Dighty Connect logo
The group was formed in 2013 out of a small environmental group in Broughty Ferry. The idea for Dighty Connect arose when the original group asked local communities it worked with what would make a good focus for a project.
Membership of the new group consists of people from the areas the DIghty passes through. People of all ages and abilities are involved, with an age range of 11 to 75!
Led entirely by volunteers, Dighty Connect runs activities ranging from creating amphibian habitats to outdoor art performances. These can be regular volunteer groups or they can be organised as one-off events. Most events take place at the Douglas Community Centre.
CATARAN'S COMMON CULTURE - PERTH & KINROSS
Cateran’s Common Wealth will use one of Scotland’s hidden gems, the Cateran Trail, as a stage for a multi-year programme of diverse arts, cultural and heritage activities and events aimed at inspiring people to think about and celebrate our ‘common wealth’.
The original phrase “the common-wealth” or “the common weal” dates from the 15th century and comes from the old meaning of wealth, which is well-being. Today it defines the things that belong to all of us: the biosphere on which we all depend; our cultural heritage and history; public infrastructure like the judicial system and the internet. Some are bestowed to us by nature; others are the product of co-operative human creativity, some are entirely new (think of Wikipedia), others are centuries old (like our language, our skills in managing the land, our myths and our musical traditions).
All these and more are examples of assets we hold ‘in common’. Each forms part of a dynamic combination of laws, relationships, values, cultures, and commitments – interdependencies that are present in all our communities which enable us to live and work.
The Cateran Trail itself exemplifies this ‘common wealth’ and the people who live and work around the Trail and the many visitors who spend time in this beautiful part of Scotland enjoy its abundance.
Each of the activities and events in the Cateran’s Common Wealth programme will be designed to offer new insights into these valuable assets and their importance in creating a more liveable world.
Our hope is that by harnessing the perpetual physical presence of the Cateran Trail, together with the ancient metaphorical power inherent in pathwalking and path making, this new project will act as a catalyst to involve, engage and inspire residents and visitors alike in revaluing this shared inheritance and find new ways to sustain it for future generations.
HUNTLY HISTORIES - ABERDEENSHIRE
Huntly HIstories is a great model for using social media as a way to create a depository for photos, stories and news about Huntly and its surrounding area.
THE STOVE NETWORK - DUMFRIES
“The Stove Network is a membership, artist-led organisation based in Dumfries. We are a means for the creative community to play a significant role in the future of our region. We see the arts not as something sole for an ‘arts audience’ but rather as a vital contribution to society on all fronts.”