NEWS 2021 Artist Jonathan Baxter commenced his 'Craigmillar & Communities Walking Residency' in January 2021 with a series of regular monthly walks around Little France Park. Please note from February his walks have been rescored in view of the ongoing lockdown situation, enabling participants to join in alone, in pairs, or as part of a walker's bubble. Read more here
Following on from further funding from Creative Scotland we are also delighted to announce the extension of many of our 2020 residencies through our 2021 'ASSEMBLE' programme. These will enable many of the original intended outcomes to be delivered in 2021 along with a number of new projects that draw on subjects of migration, climate change, food value, and other artist responses to the recent pandemic. Artist Iman Tajik starts a new residency from February 2021.
A new Edinburgh walking app is also being created for 2021 supported by Paths for All's Smarter Choices, Smarter Places Fund and the National Lottery Community Fund, providing a creative way for users to log their own walks or follow a number of curated walks.
We hope during 2021 to also be able to bring back our 'Art Houses' with local artists having the opportunity to showcase their own work. Further news on this will be announced in Jan/Feb.
RECENT PROJECTS
'ALL AT SEA' taking place over 3 weekends during Sept and Oct 2020, involved ten socially distanced artist projects including beach installations, live art, online conversation and large-scale projections on Portobello Prom, Edinburgh. Some of the work is shown below.
See full programme here...
'WHERE THE BODY MEETS THE LAND' | IMAN TAJIK Using his artwork as a tool to weld together trauma and awareness, Iman
Tajik brings his frustration to the fore with jarring silence in his durational performance which took place as part of 'All At Sea'. In an almost unwavering
manner, Tajik creates an indented space as he paces hundreds of
thousands of times from a flag pole, buried in the sand, hoisting up a
shimmering gold emergency blanket, to the seashore and back. This act of
line making refers to the thousands of refugees and migrants that have
disembarked, including those that did not survive, onto UK shores.
In his research, Tajik explores the notion of the emergency blanket as an
allegory for both the past and the future, not only for those who have
experienced forced displacement, but also those to be displaced due to
imminent climate change. The emergency blanket as a flag is additionally
used as a tool to critique nationalism and comment on people’s incessant
attachment to this coloured item of fabric.
Iman will be returning to Portobello in 2021 with a longer artist residency as part of our 'Assemble' programme.
'FLOW LINES' | DEIRDRE MACLEOD Deirdre's longstanding interest in how cities work and how those who live in cities experience them, creates the foundation for her 2020 residency. Her current research exploring how gesture-based performance might help tell the story of cities has led to a collaboration with New York based artist, Christopher Kaczmarek, whereby gestures observed in one city are recorded in the other. This video work shown above was projected at Portobello Promenade, Edinburgh, as part of 'All At Sea'.
'THE NEIGHBOURING ORCHARD' | ANNIE LORD The first apple trees as part of the Neighbouring Orchard will be arriving soon, and being distributed to participants and community gardens across Portobello, Craigmillar and Musselburgh shortly.
LISTEN above to this exclusive new audio story written and performed by Annie Lord, exploring Portobello's historic orchards and how the new Neighbouring Orchard will link together different neighbourhoods and communities. As a companion to the audio story, during the Art Walk's 'All At Sea' 2020 programme, audiences can visit Figgate Lane Residents Garden in Portobello to see some of Annie's drawings.
'The Neighbouring Orchard' created by artist Annie Lord involves a network of apple trees to be planted this winter in local front and shared gardens across Portobello and beyond.
'THE DECORATORS' | NICKY BIRD This residency which culminated in March 2020 focused on a group of women who worked as decorators for Buchan & Co potteries in the late 1960s. Mostly in their teens, the women painted thistles, among other motifs, in workshops near the present-day site of the kilns in Portobello. By paying attention to voice, image, pattern on pottery including the marker on its base, the residency produced a series of events and site-specific related artwork that teased out the significance of stories of the decorators, and how in their own subtle way, they continue to leave a mark on the Portobello landscape. 'The Decorators' project is due to be continued in 2021 recording and documenting the work and lives of many women who worked as decorators at Buchan Potteries in the 1960s.
'FOOTPRINT MAP PROJECT'
Commissioned Artists: Chris Dooks, Alec Finlay, Deirdre Macleod, Holger Mohaupt, Suzanne Parry
In 2019 we worked on developing a community mapping project that linked the areas of Leith, Portobello & Musselburgh with a number of alternative routes that encourage everyday activity.
Our printed map illustrating all five routes is now available, designed by artist, David Lemm.
FOOTPRINT is funded by Paths for All ‘Smarter Places, Smarter Journeys’ fund, and Scotrail Arts & Culture Fund, managed by Foundation Scotland.
ART WALK PORTY 2019
The 2019 Art Walk Festival saw a number of participatory events, works and installations relating to the 'Land Mark' theme taking place from 7-15 September.
VIEW MORE HERE:
Land Mark | Satellite
Film Nights | Diary+Map | Newspaper
Next up:
'line walk mindful drawing' around Little France Park
with Jonathan Baxter, from Sat 2nd Jan 2021
