Moray Art Centre  

How did this project link with the Curriculum for Excellence?  

-Expressive Arts
– Art and Design:
I have the opportunity to choose and explore an extended range of media and technologies to create images, comparing and combining them for specific tasks. EXA 2-02a
I can create and present work that shows developing skill in using the visual elements and concepts. EXA 2-03
I can respond to the work of artists and designers by discussing my thoughts and feelings. EXA 2-07a
Religious and Moral Education:
I am developing my understanding of how my own and other’s beliefs and values affect their actions. RME 2-09d
Social Studies:
I can compare and contrast a society in the past with my own and contribute to a discussion of the similarities and differences.
SOC 2-04a 

Moray Art Centre and Kinloss Abbey Trust

Rekindle Kinloss

Rekindle Kinloss is a project developed by Moray Art Centre in partnership with Moray Council, Kinloss Abbey Trust, Historic Scotland and other members of Moray Heritage Connections to revitalize the site of Kinloss Abbey for the benefit of local young people and wider community. Through the project, young people have been participating in the study of history and archaeology and the organization of related exhibitions and educational events.
 
This project was designed to stimulate learning about heritage while offering a new focus for the community to come together under a shared purpose. The project provides new opportunities for a wider range of young people aged between 13 and 25 to acquire knowledge about their local cultural heritage and develop useful transferable skills. Since the start in November 2011, the steering group of young people has been involved in activities including field work, graphic design, film making, architectural drawing, archaeological illustration and tours to local sites.
The closing of Rekindle Kinloss will be an exhibition at the Moray Art Centre with the material gathered by the young people during the project.

Earthtime is a not for profit organisation based in Elgin’s Cooper Park but we can deliver sessions anywhere in Moray and beyond.  We offer a range of exciting, creative, woodland/nature based and environmentally themed experiences for all ages and abilities.  Earthtime strives to provide activities suitable for everyone irrespective of learning ability and any physical or financial difficulties.

Earthtime will enable families, children, young people and local groups to explore the outside environment and engage in social and educational activities that enhance their lives and create a sense of wonder and shared responsibility within the wider community.  Earthtime works with groups including schools, nurseries and some of the most vulnerable and isolated children and families in Moray.  Earthtime have developed a range of activities to complement the Curriculum of Excellence including Forest School sessions.

www.earthtime.co.uk/

www.facebook.com/loveearthtime

Elemental Arts

The Fun Galore Store – The Magical Enchanted Forest.

Monday 30th July – Friday 3rd August. St. Giles Centre, Elgin.

Another exciting project this summer was held in a disused shop unit in the St. Giles Centre in Elgin. Elemental Community Arts worked in partnership with The Moray Council Arts Development,  St. Giles Centre and Elgin Business Improvement District. A fantastic example of the arts working with local businesses for the educational and economic benefit for all.

The project was to create a Magical Enchanted Forest. Day by day the forest took shape with trees, magical toadstools, fairies, elves, wolves, owls, ravens, glittering unicorns, princes and princesses. At the end of the week the participants processed in their exciting costumes through the shopping centre and outside around St. Giles church. Parents and friends were invited to journey through the magical gateway and through the truly enchanted environment which had been built inside the shop unit. What an incredible week! The workshops were full throughout the week and the response from all involved was unanimously magical!

Elemental Arts

‘Olympic Dream Team’

Lossiemouth High School 2nd – 5th July

Forres House Community Centre 6th – 9th August

Elemental Community Arts, in partnership with Moray Council Arts Development, have had a busy and successful summer delivering art and performance workshops in Lossiemouth and Forres. The project was called ‘Olympic Dream Team’ for 5 – 12 year olds. Each day the children learnt different skills, Monday was Circus Skills with Aliza Graham, Tuesday was Carnival headdress and costume making with Celia Forestal Smith, Wednesday was Samba Drumming and Percussion with tutor Carol Scorer and Thursday was performance day! The children worked with the tutors to create a fifteen-minute show for parents and friends to watch.

A lot of fun was had by all!

Drumuir 21

Nature Day – ‘Bioblitz’

21 July 2012

The Nature Day was held on July 1st 2012 and facilitated by Drummuir 21, a Scottish registered charity and environmental group who teamed up with North East Scotland Biodiversity, to hold a ‘bioblitz.’  This is where professional ecologists, and environmentalists, make recordings of the flora and fauna in a specific area.
On this occasion we turned the all abilities path from Drummuir station, through the walled garden and Lochpark into a giant outdoor classroom. There were many activities beside the recordings to engage visitors of all ages such as bushskills, guided walks, eco art, pond dipping and electro fishing, it was active, educational and a lot of fun, we achieved 280 recordings in all!
I am an Art teacher at Speyside High School and secretary of Drummuir 21. It’s good to have access and opportunity to participate in several projects like this a year and its always great to involve the pupils and local community.

Past projects include a beautiful meadow maze at the walled garden, St Fumacs Den and fairy dwellings. This year the Speyside film club were commissioned to make a documentary and students were roped in to help make a geodesic dome.  

Interestingly the idea for a geodesic dome has been burning away quite a while, I attended a Creative Education Inset day at the Findhorn foundation in 2007 where we made geodesic forms, weaving found materials, grasses, leaves, sticks etc. onto triangular frames.

Moray Art Centre

Greener Moray

Based upon a successful pilot project on ecology and creativity, Greener Moray was expanded as perfect vehicle to raise public awareness of global warming and climate change to outlying areas and groups not normally targeted.

A series of workshops allowed participants of groups to explore, understand and appreciate their environment and gave them innovative practical solutions to help them to make a long-term commitment to reduce their carbon footprints through a creative-arts focus.

Workshops in 4 areas of ecology (16 workshops total for all groups) over a 1-year period looked at Vegetarian, seasonal cooking, Allotment design, Home Energy Concept, Creating Useful Household Objects from Non-Recyclable waste.

The workshops provided a creative approach to ecology; included diverse creative themes that will raise people’s awareness of their environment, recycling and general reduction in energy use and CO2 and provide them skills and tools that will address and help alleviate climate change and global warming.

The workshops were designed and led, by Earthtime based in Elgin who specialise in fun, creative workshops. Over 500 people attended events throughout Moray.  One group leader said of a workshop “From the feedback I received I would say that the tips you gave for saving household fuel were very helpful and I will certainly be ‘recycling’ them at the groups in the autumn”