Cultural Heritage and Arts Assembly for Argyll and Isles (CHARTS)
Argyll and Bute Council · 11 September 2024
Back to Oban Lorn & The Isles Area Committee — 11 September 2024 and its agenda
Text extracted from the council's PDF. Layout and reading order may differ from the original.
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28 GEM Case Studies Vol.32 2024 Kathleen O’Neill The Culture, Heritage and Arts Assembly, Argyll and Isles (CHARTS), in partnership with Argyll and Bute Council Community Summary The Argyll Collection, Reconnected, explores the cultural significance of a collection of artworks, built from an idea first conceived over 60 years ago. Believed to be unique in the UK for its forward-thinking concept and transient composition, this moveable collection is located throughout Scotland’s second largest region, currently in 13 schools and 2 libraries, including four islands and mainland Argyll. Background Enabled by the former local authority, Naomi Mitchison, well known Scottish artist, author and Argyll resident and Jim Tyre, Council Arts Advisor, created the collection in the 1960s to a total of 179 pieces, paintings, ceramics, textiles and sculptures. Astutely sourcing works from artists Reviewing a Museum Without Walls – The Argyll Collection, Reconnected in Scotland and Uganda, they made contemporary art accessible to pupils attending Argylls rural primary and secondary schools. Creating the collection as a tool for learning, they were authorised to spend up to £100 per single purchase. “Argyll school children have very little chance of visiting art galleries. Even if there is an art exhibition in the few centres of population, only those who live close are likely to see it.” Naomi Mitchison Challenge The collection now contains what is believed to be amongst the best collection of African art in Europe and includes some of Scotland’s best-known artists. Therefore, the Reconnected challenge was always multi-fold, to know how best the collection could be profiled and utilised, while still meeting its original purpose as a tool for educational progression. Approach To address challenges, the culture- support charity CHARTS appointed both a Reconnected project and research manager to simultaneously ascertain both the current and former educational and social life of the artworks. Intended outcomes Aims included to raise the profile of the collection in schools across subject areas, in community contexts, and nationally in the context of museums, galleries and heritage. Intended outputs Intended outputs included to create exhibitions, case studies, assess protection needs and build evidence to enable future resource. Obstacles and issues Essential external funding for infrastructure support ceased for the collection in 1990 and therefore Reconnected became the much- needed catalyst from the outset to inform new collection systems and management processes. Relationship building with schools and others was also a critical project component, as staff sought to understand any ongoing use of the artworks across the curriculum and otherwise. Locating a trail of archival information GM171 Gem Case Studies 32_AW.indd 28GM171 Gem Case Studies 32_AW.indd 28 25/04/2024 10:1225/04/2024 10:12
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29 GEM Case Studies Vol.32 2024 dispersed nationally, became vital for future-proofing the collection. Collectively this placed additional demands on staff scheduling, compounded by travelling across mainland and islands with poor roads, limited ferries and train services. Actual outcomes Outcomes have included a new inventory with priority to arrange central storage for works identified as at risk and to offer CPD and online toolkits for teaching staff keen to uptake all the project ‘re-offers’. Global audiences are now possible by the recent merger of the digital springboard Smartify, enabled by support from Highlands and Islands Enterprise Xpo North initiative, including content development support. Exhibitions are being curated and academic partners are now working with Reconnected to create higher education and in- school learning opportunities. The project was presented at the Scottish Association of Art History fortieth anniversary conference in March 2024. Actual outputs As an organisation with co-working at the heart of its operational structure CHARTS has enabled its international staff to collaborate on development by visiting Uganda, ‘re-connecting’ with related people, institutions, and place, regenerating the life of the African pieces in the collection. New economic and educational relationships have been built to contribute to exhibitions and presentations and this has included an exhibition research traineeship supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund, also assisting to build youth engagement beyond school walls. Lessons learned Since the inception of the Argyll Collection, cultural-economic and educational circumstances have vastly changed nationwide, leading to the local authority seeking CHARTS support to protect this key asset. Initial partnership quickly revealed far greater potential for Reconnected and demanded more time than anticipated for foundational work. Reconnected has been vastly assisted with generous in-kind support of St Andrews University’s Find out more CHARTS – The Argyll Collection, Reconnected, Showcase chartsargyllandisles.org/project- showcase/the-argyll-collection- reconnected Argyll and Bute Council – The Argyll Collection www.argyll-bute.gov.uk/ argyllcollection/about St Andrews – African Collection st-andrews.ac.uk/art-history/ research/impact/modern-african- art-in-the-argyll-collection Contact: Rosalyn McKenna, Project Manager Rosalyn@ chartsargyllandisles.org Kirsty McNab, Research Manager Kirsty@chartsargyllandisles.org Kathleen O’Neill, CHARTS Director Kathleen@ chartsargyllandisles.org CHARTS will continue to develop paid training opportunities focused on the Argyll Collection, mindful to maintain the original concept that the collection be ‘owned and of value’ to young Argyll residents. School of History (Dr Kate Cowcher) and Glasgow University (museums and conservation). We now better understand how a complex range of stakeholders can be positioned for ongoing development and consider this essential to fully realise the significance of this outstanding collection. Next steps Next steps include local area discussions with young people and new stakeholders to help inform a codesigned development strategy between CHARTS and the local authority. This will assist to enable future benefits with cross-curricular outcomes and attract resource for ongoing development in both cash and kind. CHARTS will continue to develop paid training opportunities focused on the Argyll Collection, mindful to maintain the original concept that the collection be ‘owned and of value’ to young Argyll residents. International development will also include Makerere University, in Kampala, fostering opportunities for refreshed interpretation of African works and exchange projects for Argylls artists. GM171 Gem Case Studies 32_AW.indd 29GM171 Gem Case Studies 32_AW.indd 29 25/04/2024 10:1225/04/2024 10:12