Youth Editor ANDREA MUIR discovers how New Media Artist in Residence GAVIN LOCKHART is bringing conceptual art to the young people of Merkinch

CONCEPTUAL ART is taking over in the Merkinch district of Inverness.

Arts in Merkinch is an initiative which has transformed an empty shop into ‘mp33’ – a youth centre that incorporates an art gallery, poetry and story telling sessions, community ceilidhs, and now has a New Media Artist in Residence in the shape of Gavin Lockhart.

Gavin, whose background is a closely guarded secret, confesses to recently purchasing Morrisey’s new album, and an old Specials album, a penchant for macaroni cheese pies, and a desire to begin a research project to discover other vegetarian delights in Merkinch.
“I used to be a Dada-ist,” he says with a sly grin, “but now I’m a Grandada-ist, and I think I’m getting the hang of ‘new media’ now.”

His conversation is wry, littered with ironies, but he allows the fact that he really enjoys his work with the young people of Merkinch, to seep out of him as he talks.

“We made a film yesterday about treating head lice,” he says. “We did it Blue Peterstyle.  It was ten minutes long but now we’ve edited it down to six, we’re going get it onto a CD Rom and onto the website we’re developing.  I think it’s an exciting use of technology and it’s relevant to the young mums who made the film.”

The scheme in Merkinch has been funded by Arts Council National Lottery funding to promote inclusion through public art.

“We are working towards something, but I’m not sure what it is yet.  I feel when I take on work like this, as if I’m about to parachute off a cliff.  I can’t see them but I know the thermals will catch me when I jump.  However, at the moment I’m just climbing up the hill, so there’s still a long way to go.”

Gavin has another six weeks before he will produce the final work that completes his residency.  Over the years, Gavin has enjoyed witnessing how empowered people can be when involved with work such as this.

“A couple of months ago we filmed the Primary 7 class of a tiny school in Orkney and then projected the film of the children onto the walls of the big school in Stromness that they were going to after the summer.  It’ll really make a difference to a lot of those kids in adjusting to the change from little school to big school.

“Another project recently involved working with young mums.  We filmed the struggle they have getting around town with babies in buggies.  In the end, with added music, we had a ‘dance video’!”

The next thought-provoking idea is to project film footage of ‘life in Scottish living rooms’ onto the blocked up windows of a building in Merkinch.

“You’ll be able to look up and see curtains opening and people peeping out.  It’ll be like putting life back into the building.”

Gavin Lockhart will be in residence at mp33 until September 2004.

© Andrea Muir, 2004