WOVEN TOGETHER
An exhibition showcasing artwork and research emerging from Stirling’s Covid Memorial Project, Remembering Together, runs at St Ninian’s Library until the end of the month.
Over 60 people attended the launch of Woven Together earlier this month, including Stirling MP Alyn Smith, where they were given the chance to explore the exhibition and meet the artists involved.
Kevin Harrison (Scene Stirling), Orla Stevens (Co-facilitation Artist), Carla Almeidi (Project Officer for Remembering Together) Saffy Setohy (Lead Artist), Lorna Swinney (Co-facilitation Artist) and MP Alyn Smith.
The project, supported by Stirling's cultural partnership Scene Stirling, is led by artist Saffy Setohy alongside two local artists Orla Stevens and Lorna Swinney.
Saffy said: “Remembering Together is designed to bring together communities, artists and creative practitioners in collective acts of reflection remembrance, hope and healing.
“For the past five months we’ve been working with communities to explore their experiences of the Covid-19 pandemic and how we could meaningfully mark this time. Gathering a wide range of perspectives in varied settings that have culminated in this exhibition of co-created artworks.”
Over 100 local people have engaged with the project through workshops and activity packs distributed through libraries and other services.
Saffy added: “The workshops were focused on themes of care, ritual and connections with nature which offered so much to so many people during lockdown.
“In response to the question ‘what could a memorial offer communities?’ strong themes came out around remembrance, hope, healing, closure, connection, togetherness and reflection.
“When asked ‘what sort of qualities should a memorial have?’ there were themes around place-making and experiences or events, accessibility and inclusiveness, tactility and warmth.
“There is a clear desire for artworks and experiences that can both bring people together and provide sanctuary.
“Lots of people we spoke to would like to see the memorials or events happen in public spaces, particularly outdoors and in green spaces. But also, in municipal spaces like libraries.
“It feels like a themed trail or constellation of artworks and events across Stirling in the coming year could be a way to enable this multiplicity of ideas.
“All of this research will inform making or curation of artworks, activities and events across Stirling to be shared in 2023-2024.”
Woven Together, which includes a variety of art forms from printing and weaving to movement meditation to writing, runs until January 31st at St Ninians library.
Remembering Together is a national program managed by Greenspace Scotland and funded by the Scottish Government.
For further information see: scenestirling.com/rememberingtogether
Exhibition images courtesy of Megan Sharpe Photography.