Review: Stirling’s 1st Cultural Symposium

Written By Kevin Harrison

Stirling’s Place Partnership had a vibrant and exciting first year helmed by Creative Stirling with Ruth Currie who was Place Partnership Coordinator. Thanks to Creative Stirling we have this fantastic film showing some of the highlights of the event. We will be sure to share more of the hard work and successes from year one in future posts.

The Theme of the Cultural Symposium was:

If you had a discussion with someone about Stirling’s creative identity in 5 years time, what would you like to hear them say? What will you say? 

Now think forward 5 years, to your conversation about Stirling’s creative identity, and ask yourself ‘what will we do to get there?’. =

In May 2019, we drew towards the end of our first year of Place Partnership activity. The culture symposium was an opportunity to share the experience of this first year. Creative Stirling led an event to celebrate and explore Stirling’s creative identity: past, present and possible. Hosted by the Engine Shed (Historic Environment Scotland) and facilitated by representatives of Stirling’s Cultural Partnership, the symposium was a participatory event that welcomed anyone who wanted to, to work together towards Stirling’s sustainable and thriving creative identity. 

Prior to the event there was sharing of key questions and themes via social media, and via email with those who signed up for the event. The aim was to stimulate discussion too be continued throughout the symposium and beyond. The symposium aimed to connect discussion and action.

This event welcomed over 70 artists and other professionals and residents of Stirlingshire includingpolicy makers; and, arts, culture and heritage organisations who are committed to working in collaboration in Stirling. 

The framework for the day included the use of technology to provoke questions and form opinions, a series of lightning talks, workshops and performances, followed by a drinks reception. From the symposium an exhibition was developed to share the ideas and responses with a wider public. The exhibition hosted at 44 Kings Street offered the public an opportunity to engage with and respond to the ideas coming from the Symposium.

      

Kevin Harrison
Kevin Harrison is the Director of Artlink Central, a charity and social enterprise designing creative experiences in conjunction with artists, public bodies and led by disadvantaged or marginalised people particularly in health, social care or criminal justice contexts. . Kevin joined the organisation five years ago and was previously Arts and Wellbeing Manager with Sense Scotland since 2006, supporting a Scotland-wide participation in the arts for disabled people with communication needs. Kevin managed the development of a range of arts projects including Threads and Found in Translation, projects exploring cultural diversity and disability, and Leaving New Craigs, a life history project in Inverness for people leaving the last long stay hospital in Scotland. He managed a national arts and wellbeing team and supported the establishment of a strong creative programme in the TouchBase, a new inclusive base for people and communities supported by Sense Scotland in the south side of Glasgow. Kevin who has a degree in theatre and film from Roehampton University and who undertook postgraduate studies in Arts Management and Policy at Birkbeck University of London is also a trustee for Scottish Prison Arts Network, chair of Dementia Friendly Forth Valley as part of a Dementia Services Development Centre (DSDC) programme. Previous posts include freelance editor and administration roles with key national disability arts organisation, Shape Arts and public sector roles in Arts Development and as Business Manager, Creative Academy, Slough Borough Council, supporting a multi-million pound EQUAL creative industries inclusion programme . He also has experience of managing Music 4 Slough, a Youth Music Action Zone.
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