Articulation Director Angela Adams-Gray shares some reflections on our Winter Gathering event at Dundee Rep Theatre on Thursday 5 December.
Articulation Gatherings are all about bringing the outdoor arts, circus and spectacle sector together, to spark conversation, learn from one another and be inspired. The year’s Winter Gathering explored outdoor arts and festivals’ role linking people and place. Our speakers shared projects that showcased how urban and rural locations are being reimagined as places for participation, congregation and transformation.
We were delighted to bring our Winter Gathering to Dundee, the UK’s only UNESCO City of Design for the first time. The city has been described as a ‘goldilocks city’- not too big, not too small, just right – in terms of its ability to foster creative collaboration and innovate, all whilst staying true to its roots. This was evidenced by presentations from Art Night Dundee and Generator Projects whose artist-led work is embedded in place and rooted in the communities in Dundee that they work with.
The programme included a spotlight on pioneering artist Angus Farquhar, who shared insights from over 3 decades experience delivering groundbreaking site-specific work with NVA and Aproxima . This innovative and visionary creative engagement with Scotland’s heritage continues with Glasgow Requiem, a 3-year creative programme spanning public ceremony, community archaeology, horticultural design, sound works, live performance, writing and imaginative responses to Glasgow’s mediaeval roots and founding mythologies.
We heard from artists and organisations who are creating some of the most compelling multi-artform outdoor events in Scotland, incorporating installations , experimental performance, puppetry, music, dance and film (and more). These collaborative invitations for participation and co-creation include professional and non-professional performers of all ages and backgrounds , from 8 to 100 years old, involving school children, asylum seekers and refugees, embalmers and construction workers. Work that is being developed and delivered in contrasting settings from conservation areas, sites of scientific interest, art deco lidos located within sea cliffs, live fire MOD sites, practice war zones to a City of the Dead – Glasgow’s Necropolis.
The Winter Gathering prompted fascinating discussions and responses to some challenging provocations. Asking questions about who enters the stage, how to make work at scale and exploring powerful creative approaches that encourage community collaboration and allow local people to have a meaningful say in how their area is developed and regenerated. What came through clearly in the discussions on the day and in subsequent feedback is that one of the most powerful aspects of outdoor arts and festivals is their ability to bring people together. They offer a unique ability to connect people, share experiences, and break barriers within communities.
An awareness and understanding of the fundamental artform strengths is crucial if we are to foster a sustainable outdoor arts, circus and spectacle sector in Scotland. We will be continuing this work to analyse and evidence the impacts of our sector. A huge thanks to everyone involved in the Winter Gathering and we look forward to expanding the discussion in 2025.
