Culture Heritage & Arts (Charts) Assembly Argyll and Isles 2023-24
Argyll and Bute Council · 4 September 2024
Back to Mid Argyll, Kintyre & the Islands Area Committee — 4 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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Mid-Argyll, Kintrye & Isles 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
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This report highlights CHARTS work including impact and key projects: W e 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 • W e support 680 professional members, including individuals, cultural organisations and venues PHOTO CREDITS; Argyll Collection at Mount Stuart June 23 (top) , Campbeltown Museum Aug 24
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Local impact 23/24 to date • Reflect, Remembering Together –community projects create places of memory across 4 Argyll locations as part of a national post-covid memorial programme (November 23- August 24). This included Campbeltown Museum and the Linda McCartney Memorial Trust working in partnership with lead artist Kirsten Millar and local artists to design a new sundial for the garden. Project participants included the Friends of Campbeltown Museum, Kintyre Care Centre, the Woodlands Centre and primary schools; Castlehill, Clachan, Rhunahaorine and home school groups in South Argyll. See film link enclosed: Our Community Reflects Day (August 24), including participants across the 4 Reflect Argyll locations. Funder, The Scottish Government, partners, Greenspace Scotland, Argyll and Bute Council. • Visual Artists and Craft Makers Awards (VACMA) – 7 VACMA awards were distributed throughout Argyll and Bute. This included 3 artists receiving professional development awards based in Mid-Argyll. Funders, Creative Scotland and Argyll and Bute Council. • Islands Support projects, funded by the Scottish Government and Creative Scotland included participation by island resident artists in business mentoring and international development projects. This included CHARTS supporting an artist in Jura to make new work links in Norway and Denmark. • See also Heritage & Museums and Youth Training & St Columba/Colmcille Exhibition Tour information to follow:
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Heritage & Museums Leadership includes Youth Training & Routes to Employability Campbeltown Museum CHARTS partnership with liveArgyll: • CHARTS manages the development of Campbeltown Museum; collections support, future planning, staffing, exhibitions, events and workshops • Facilitating an apprenticeship in Museums and Galleries Studies, supported by Museums Galleries Scotland (23—23) resulted in a new job for a local resident; Heritage Access and Learning Assistant (2023-current) • The museum now provides school and outreach education access and school holiday events • 1914 visitors (April 23-24) • See international visitor map created: • https://www.chartsargyllandisles.org/projects-and- showcases/campbeltown-museum/ Complementary CHARTS support includes Gaelic Culture Officer, communications and marketing, fundraising and project support to improve museum access.
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Heritage & Museums, Youth Training Local impact to date Argyll Aspires • Argyll Aspires – 14 month paid Archive Assistant Traineeship created at the Argyll Papers supported by Friends of the Argyll Papers and Argyll Estates. • 95 Schoolchildren took part in tours and talks and over 80,00 visitors saw the temporary exhibitions created by the trainee at Inveraray Castle. - Professional Youth-Peer Networks created at Campbelltown Museum - Collaboration with Developing Young Workforce led to films for national Creative Careers Week with outreach activities at Campbelltown Museum Funder – National Heritage Lottery Fund, supported by the Gannochy Trust • Archive Assistant Traineeship featured as national case study in Scottish Archives & Records Year in Review • See Argyll Aspires Evaluation Report at the CHARTS website: • https://www.chartsargyllandisles.or g/media/7335/argyll-aspires- report.pdf
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ST COLUMBA/ COLMCILLE EXHIBITION Five Venue Tour 23 -24 Campbeltown Museum Islay Gaelic Centre Kilmartin Museum Rockfield Centre, Oban Iona Community Hall
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Colmcille Tour Achievements 2023-2024 • 400+ attendees at launch events • 6,000+ people viewed the exhibition • 15 musicians employed from Argyll and Ireland • 4 artists employed to lead workshops • 1 young person event management experience • 4 photographers employed • 4 young musician performers employed • 1 Gaelic Cultural officer supporting launch events • 1 co-ordinator employed, managing the tour • 4 local caterers employed for launch events • Local accommodation providers utilised • New partnership with Donegal Museum, enabled through matched funding between Scotland and Ireland • Campbeltown Museum staff trained to facilitate the regional Colmcille tour by Donegal Museum • Tour concluding in Iona, included 5 venues including Islay Gaelic Centre (4280 visitors) and Kilmartin Museum event (454 visitors) • Campbeltown Museum year-long tour launch (1021 visitors)
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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 include, University of Andrews, University of Glasgow, Makerere University, Kampala
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Key Support GAELIC LANGUAGE & CULTURE HIGHLIGHTS • Gaelic Culture Strategy under development; region- wide consultation events took place including at Campbeltown Museum • 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 • Match project funding developed for Colmcille Exhibition Tour from Bòrd na Gàidhlig and Foras na Gaeilge in Ireland • PHOTO CREDITS: (Top) Gaelic environment event Kilmartin Glen; Gaelic strategy consultation
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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 • New Gaelic connections made between Argyll and Ireland • New Argyll Collection connections made: W orking with Makerere University, Uganda, regarding African art in the collection Profiling the 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