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Charts (Argyll and the Isles)

Argyll and Bute Council · 10 September 2024
Back to Helensburgh & Lomond Area Committee — 10 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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Page 1

HELENSBURGH & LOMOND
ARGYLL & BUTE COUNCIL AREA COMMITTEE
SUMMARY REPORT August 2024
CULTURE, HERITAGE AND ARTS ASSEMBLY,
ARGYLL AND ISLES (CHARTS) 2023-2024.
‘To raise our profile as a centre for
cultural activity and vibrant and sustainable
creative sector’
Argyll & Bute Council Economic Strategy 2019-2023
For details see Annual Review 2023-2024

Page 2

This report highlights CHARTS work
including impact and key projects:
We support Argyll and Bute’s culture, heritage and arts sector
under 4 strategic areas, Achieve, Connect, Promote, Sustain:
• Key project supporters 2023-2024, include the National
Lottery Heritage Fund, Creative Scotland, the Art Fund,
Bòrd na Gàidhlig, Museums and Galleries Scotland and the
Scottish Government (islands)
• National collaborators include the School of Innovation and
Technology at the Glasgow School of Art, University of St
Andrews, University of Glasgow
• Key regional partners include Live Argyll, the Argyll and
Bute Tourism Cooperative and the Argyll and Bute Museum
and Heritage Forum
• We support 680 professional members, including
individuals, cultural organisations and venues
PHOTO CREDITS; Argyll Collection at Mount Stuart June 23 (top) , Garden Day,
Garelochhead, Aug 24

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Local impact 23/24 to date
Reflect, Remembering Together –developed community projects, creating places
of memory across 4 Argyll locations as part of a national post-covid memorial
programme (Nov 23- August 24). Funder, the Scottish Government, partners
Greenspace Scotland and Argyll and Bute Council.
• In Garelochhead, Emma Henderson worked with Centre 81, Route 81, Garelochhead Station
Trust, Helensburgh and Lomond Carers and the F.A.C.E Ability Group.  Together they developed
a garden project, including the design and build of a new garden shelter. This was based on
positive memories of care across the community during the pandemic period and 150 people
attended a garden party. Garelochhead commission value £16.5k.
For details see link: FILM, Shelter by Centre 81, Our Community Reflects Day
August 24, including  participants across the 4 Reflect Argyll locations.

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SHELTER – Garelochhead
Led by local artist, Emma Henderson, the
project involved people of a wide range of
ages and abilities, encouraging participants to
try new techniques such as printmaking,
collage, and ceramics to tell stories and
express emotion.

Page 5

Other key local impact
• Visual Artists and Craft Makers Awards (VACMA) – 7 VACMA
awards were distributed throughout Argyll and Bute. Funders, Creative
Scotland and Argyll and Bute Council . This included 1 awardee resident in
Helensburgh who received a professional development award of £750.
The Argyll Collection, a key regional project was funded by the Art Fund
and the National Lottery Heritage Fund 22-24. This included:
 New inventory created of council owned asset including those located at
Hermitage Academy
 The council’s education service has requested that Hermitage Academy be
included in phase two development including teacher training, academic
partnership and new arts commissioning opportunities

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Key Support
THE ARGYLL
COLLECTION,
RECONNECTED 23-24
• New CHARTS partnership with Argyll
and Bute Council, Education
• £50k fundraised from the Art Fund (UK)
to review cultural value and build
awareness of the Argyll Collection
• Youth training, regional school and
community activities also supported by
the National Lottery Heritage Fund and
Gannochy Trust
• Collection inventory and condition check
- 179 council owned art works in every
school and library
• Collaborators, University of Andrews,
University of Glasgow

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Key regional project
ARGYLL ASPIRES
This 2-year youth-heritage training
programme ended in April 2024, to be
further developed in 2025. Photographs
show exhibition trainee qualification stages,
focused on the Argyll Collection.
See Argyll Aspires Evaluation Report

Page 8

Key Support
GAELIC LANGUAGE & CULTURE
HIGHLIGHTS
• Gaelic Culture Strategy under development based on
interest region-wide
• Gaelic Culture Officer, reports to the Gaelic Policy Lead
Group,  Argyll and Bute Council. Funder Bòrd na Gàidhlig.
• Gaelic Culture Officer supports development and delivery
of the Argyll Gaelic Gathering working in collaboration with
the Council.
• Projects include building relationships between Argyll and
Ireland – CHARTS commended by Bòrd na Gàidhlig
• PHOTO CREDIT: Gaelic consultation at Dunoon Burgh Hall

Page 9

Our Impact
2023-2024
Argyll and Bute Council funding of £75k (23-24) enabled CHARTS to generate a total of £371,825, to
support cultural development.
Impacts included:
• 67,700 views to the CHARTS website
• 25 media features – regional and national press & tv
• 33 opportunities created to work in Argyll
• 5 paid apprenticeships/traineeships delivered for young people
• 11 countries and 4 continents hosted international work by Argyll’s artists
• 24 arts and heritage commissions created & 2 projects used as national case studies
• New Gaelic connections made between Argyll and Ireland
• New Argyll Collection connections made:
 Working with Makerere University, Uganda, regarding African art in the collection
 Profiling the Argyll Collection via the world leading Smartify App

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CHARTS grows local opportunity, creating work in partnership with others regionally and nationally
to support and raise the profile of the cultural sector in Argyll and Bute.
Argyll and Bute Council funding of £75k (24-25) despite inflation, enables CHARTS to continue its
valuable work for education, employment, social and economic development.
This currently includes CHARTS management and research of the Council-owned Argyll Collection,
further to the Council’s additional request for support and new investment secured by CHARTS
from the Art Fund (£50k -2023/4),to enable first stage review of the collection’s cultural significance;
educational, economic and social values. This project has resulted in wide-ranging interest in this
heritage asset created by the Council in the1960s and has built its profile regionally, nationally and
internationally. As the Art Fund’s support for this first phase review is due to end in Autumn 2024,
this means that additional funds will be required for continued Argyll Collection development
facilitated by CHARTS in partnership with the Council.
Since 2020 CHARTS has fundraised more than £1.4m in total - including and due to annual Council
investment (2020-25). Our work brings significant return.
For further information, contact CHARTS Board
Seymour Adams
Seymour@chartsargyllandisles.org
https://www.chartsargyllandisles.org
CHARTS is a SCIO registered in Scotland SC049113