FR EE EV EN T I WINCHBURGH FREE ART WORKSHOP SATURDAY 14th FEBRUARY 1.30pm - 4.30pm Winchburgh Community Centre Craigton Place Winchburgh EH52 6RW This St Valentine’s Day we want to find out what you LOVE about Winchburgh. Please join us for a free art workshop exploring what makes Winchburgh special through collage, badge making & card making. The event is open to all ages and abilities. No need to pre-book. This workshop is one of a series of events contributing to the creation of a public art strategy for Winchburgh - The BIG W. At the workshop we would also like you to be a matchmaker, marrying up potential sites for public art with creative ideas relevant to Winchburgh. If you would like further information about the event, please contact: David Pierce on [email protected] THE BIG A vision for Public Art in Winchburgh A EXTR for ity activ - make ren child ur own yo e! badg Introduction to The BIG W In the next few years funding will become available from the new housing developments for commissioning Public Art for Winchburgh. Artists David Pierce and Jonathan Dallas of the collective ‘Dallas Pierce Quintero’ have been commissioned to write a Public Art strategy - The BIG W - that will inform how money is spent in the future. These artworks will be delivered over many years, however the artists will be producing one permanent bespoke piece of Public Art for the village in 2015. In the meantime David and Jonathan will be working in the village to deliver a number of arts-based community events. The free art events will give participants a chance to share their thoughts about living in the area. If you would like to know more about the project and be involved, please contact: David on [email protected] The history of Winchburgh can act as a basis for some of the Public Art. This will mean that in future when public art is commissioned for WInchburgh, it is truly specific to the place. These are some of the themes that the artworks may be inspired by: Shale Oil Works The two shale oil works in the village, Hopetoun (c.1872) and Niddry Castle (c.1903) were pioneering; they built housing including the Rows, and were the first to use electricity. We have been exploring the village and the landscape around it to find potential sites for public artworks. At the event on 14th February visitors will be asked to vote for their prefered sites for artworks whilst taking part in art activities. Gardening & honey: John Reid, author of ‘The Scots Gard’ner’ (1683) was born at Niddry Castle. The walled garden he planted and beehives villagers kept made Winchburgh famous for honey. Gala Day: Still going today, Gala Days take place in mining villages and were a chance to dress up and focus on the children of the community. Agriculture: Before the shale industry Winchburgh was primarily agriculture-focused. Being part of the Hopetoun Estate the farms were advanced. The Railway: The railway station opened in 1842, but closed in 1930. Winchburgh Junction even has a piece of music named after it by Billy Connolly. Mary Queen of Scots: After her escape from captivity in Loch Leven Castle, Mary Queen of Scots stayed at Niddry Castle on 2 May 1568, .... and the Future Winchburgh is once again in a period of transformation and growth with new arrivals and opportunities. What does the community imagine is the future of Winchburgh? The Union Canal The last canal to be built in the UK, hundreds of Scottish and Irish navvies worked on building it with every spadeful shifted by human toil. Miners’ pastimes: Pigeon racing, keeping and racing greyhounds, Pitch and Toss, and bowling were all popular pastimes. Date for your diaries... Saturday 14th March Have a first look at the designs for the trailblazer artwork for Winchburgh. A pop-up exhibition will move around the village over the course of the day. Come along and leave your comments on the designs and enjoy free refreshments.