We are into our third week of the Impact Arts’ Gallery 37 programme here at the National Museum of Scotland and the young people are hard at work. The standard of work has been amazing and we are all really excited to see the finished pieces in action at our showcase event on the 13 August.
Working in the museum provides the groups with a fantastic opportunity to engage with the museum collections and draw creative inspiration from the wonderful pieces on display. This provides a great foundation to support the objectives of our funding partners and as a starting point for everyone to explore their ideas.
Being based in Edinburgh city centre has also allowed us to visit some other locations. Our music group performed at a live music stage in St Andrew Square Gardens. They performed a song they had only learned that day and it was a great experience for them.
The visual arts group took a trip to the City Art Centre to view their Scottish Art collection and draw some ideas to incorporate in their final projects.
Our showcase ‘Our Nation, Our Voices’ is curated from the work our young people have produced during the program inspired by the One Nation: Five Million Voices film within the ‘Scotland: A Changing Nation’ exhibition. The groups have been exploring how their own experiences shape their heritage and identity, how they feel as a teenager living in Scotland. The showcase marks the end of that creative journey and is a chance to show how the work they have created relates to their own perception of ‘heritage’.
The level of work produced has been astounding and all of us from the Impact Arts team are incredibly proud of everyone that has been involved. Our final showcase is open to all and we’d love to see you there!
Impact Arts’ Gallery 37 programme uses a variety of artistic and creative approaches to engage young people aged 14-19 who are at risk of disengaging from school. Working with professional Creatives, young people engage in an intensive programme, lasting 1-4 weeks which culminates in an exciting showcase. This years event will take place on the 13 August 2015 at the National Museum of Scotland.
+ Impact Arts: Gallery 37 at the National Museums of Scotland