Airing your dirty laundry…

Posted on September 4, 2015

Walking with Words got off its marks this week on a stroll up the Great Canal to Falkirk Wheel. Eyes were sharpened, photos posted, tweets twittered and words were even committed to paper. Falkirk historian Geoff Bailey gave us food for thought in a fascinating talk with archive maps in the social history section on the top floor of Falkirk Library framed by stunning views. From bleaching sheets with sour milk in public parks to tar works and ...

Read More


On the hoof and other ramblings…

Posted on August 24, 2015

Shy bairns get nae sweeties is one of my favourite expressions and so it was that a few months back I emailed Radio 4’s Ramblings program to suggest that if Clare Balding hadn’t seen the Kelpies yet they’d be happy to meet Radio royalty! The Autumn series of Ramblings is about walking with artists and so I am delighted to report that we will indeed be rambling down the canal from the Falkirk Wheel to see Andy Scott’s glorious Kelpies as ...

Read More


Knitted Kelpies

Posted on August 24, 2015

Whilst the Princess Royal visited Falkirk’s stunning Kelpies created by sculptor Andy Scott this summer I have been working on a knitted Kelpie head as part of my Reader in Residency with the Scottish Book Trust and Falkirk Libraries. Several libraries in Falkirk have knit and natter sessions and Meadowbank even has a Lego group, Bo’ness will also be creating a virtual library using Minecraft later in the year! My theme for the year is to ...

Read More


Best Bib and Tucker…

Posted on August 24, 2015

A lot can happen in Falkirk in a summer…not one but two royal visits. I am delighted to report that a First World War project that I worked on with Falkirk Community Trust last year was on the schedule of His Royal Highness Prince Edward. Thanks to the Learning Team at Callendar House we all had a lovely day and the former pupils of Laurieston Primary School did a great job at remembering the story of their ‘memory boxes’. It was good to ...

Read More


Poetry with a small ‘p’

Posted on June 25, 2015

Everybody's a poet these days, digital spray can in hand - busy on the twitter. So when National Poetry Day planning looms and you're organising an event what right do any of us have to pose as poets? (more…)

Read More


Gretna 100 – Seven of the 7th

Posted on May 20, 2015

A busy time this week installing the community exhibition at Out of The Blue Drill Hall. I am really proud of the creative writing that the 7 member strong research group have produced. I gave a series of workshops on telling stories simply and looking at exhibition design to illustrate core themes. The volunteer research team then rose to the challenge and have produced a moving exhibition. The Gretna 100 project opens at The Drill Hall on ...

Read More


Out Of The Blue

Posted on March 22, 2015

I have been working with two wonderful organisations Citizen Curator and Out Of The Blue arts centre to curate a community response to the Gretna Rail Disaster for their Gretna 100 project funded by HLF. 7 researchers have chosen 7 men of the 1/7th Battalion Royal Scots. The men marched out of the Drill Hall on Dalmeny Street on May 1st 1915. They were off to advanced training in Falkirk. Three weeks later they left Lambert Station to travel to ...

Read More


Inspiration and a new project

Posted on January 17, 2015

Stories run through your work like a red thread. An interesting comment this week from Dutch artist Guda Koster whose work has long inspired me. Meanwhile storyteller Bea Fergusen promises me a story of Stone Soup on her return from her travels. As I take down the Away Being exhibition one door closes and another opens. My next project as curator of The Thrive Archive is Hearth Heart Earth which will link passion, provision and food ...

Read More


Everything begins and ends with a story…

Posted on January 7, 2015

Some great comments in our Away Being visitor's book this week. After our musical launch on Sunday when the EYG Big Band played to 150 guests and a dog the pop-up exhibition continues in Gallery 1 at St Margaret's House until Saturday 10-4pm. More images of the launch of our Enterprise Music Scotland commission by Big Band Dad and photographer Mark Archibald http://bit.ly/1rXLE4k.

Read More


‘It made me cry, and made me sick…homesick!’

Posted on January 5, 2015

'It made me cry!' was one of the lovely written in our comments book yesterday, 'A fantastic way to dispel the post Chritsmas lethargy!' read another. Away Being, my latest exhibition as curator of  The Thrive Archive saw the launch of a new Scottish concerto yesterday played beautifully by the Edinburgh Youth Gaitherin Big Band to over 150 people. A mixture of installation, digital and textile art complemented the haunting images of aba...

Read More