Achieving Priorities

Arts Officer LYNN JOHNSON rounds up some of the work going on in Badenoch and Strathspey.

THE MANY COMMUNITIES in Badenoch and Strathspey have a thirst for the arts, and as a result many exciting projects are taking place in the area.

The population of the area is just over 11,000, spread between many villages with two main towns: Kingussie is the capital of Badenoch, and Grantown-on-Spey is the main town in Strathspey. The village of Aviemore is placed almost in the centre of the area but lies within the Strathspey boundary.

Below are examples, each with a brief synopsis, of some of the projects that we are working on in the area to help us to achieve our key priorities within the Education, Culture and Sport Service.

Advising and working with community groups and associated schools groups on how to access resources and how to make the most of the opportunities relating to the year of Highland culture in 2007.

Providing support to voluntary groups to assist them to run successful arts events and activities in the area, such as Kingussie Arts Network (an arts promoting group in Kingussie) and Strathspey in May (a traditional music and community workshop and performance festival weekend in Grantown).

Developing a youth arts programme in partnership with the youth development workers in Aviemore to provide an on-going arts programme for the youth club. The content of the programme is being based on what the young people enjoyed in a series of taster sessions run over the past year.
 
Managing an exhibition programme in the Iona Gallery in Kingussie that includes works from the National circuit as well as featured exhibitions from local artists.

Providing quality arts experiences for the community by organising occasional visual art workshops led by professional artists respected in the field, for example, adult evening art workshops linked to exhibitions in the Iona Gallery.

Developing and supporting new groups in the area to run arts activities, as in Sound Start Plus, Grantown-on-Spey’s first community ‘big band’ which runs classes and workshops in brass, woodwind and percussive instruments for primary and secondary school pupils.

Working in partnership with other arts organisations – for example, setting up an after school traditional music club in Grantown Primary, with funding from Friends of Highland Music. The club has now been adopted by Fèis Spe, who are running it as part of their core year round tuition programme.

Running a summer activity programme with over 1000 participants involved in various activities including circus skills, drama, dance, music workshops.

Working in partnership with the Highland Council exhibitions unit to enable a Craft Residency to take place in Kingussie, making best use of the makers time within the school and wider community context.

Working in partnership with schools to run out of school hours activities in various artistic media.

Supporting the Cairngorms National Park Authority to facilitate the development of an Art and Crafts Association within the Cairngorms National Park area.

Managing an Arts Diary of arts events and activities taking place throughout the area, some of the activities in the diary are organised solely by the Highland Council, some are supported by the Highland Council and some are run by entirely independently.

If you would like any further information regarding any of the above projects, or any other matter regarding arts and community development in Badenoch and Strathspey, or would like a copy of the area Arts Diary, please don’t hesitate to contactme: Lynn Johnson, Arts and Community Development Officer, Highland Council, Badenoch and Strathspey Council Offices, Ruthven Road, Kingussie, PH21 1EJ, 01540 664535, lynn.johnson@highland.gov.uk

© Lynn Johnson, 2006