By Creative Toolbox Lead, Georgia Blue Ireland
Earlier this year, I wrote about the writing workshops that Creative Toolbox participated in during their time as graduates and in partnership with The Stove on their Creative Caerlaverock project. At the end of May, The Stove put together a finale event for this which showcased the work of all partners, including us, at Caerlaverock Castle. So, what was shared and how did we get there?
After completing their writing pieces, the Toolboxers worked with Sonic Labs, led by Calum Walker at Lover’s Lane Studio. They discussed their ambitions for their pieces with the musicians, thinking about the ambience they wanted to create. Having the opportunity to record in a professional recording studio was a really exciting prospect. Not everyone wanted to record, but everyone had one of their pieces recorded as Jenny and Kayla were kind enough to lend their voice to each piece.
The musicians improvised background music to complement the written pieces. They had a few shots at getting it right; practicing their breath; moments of silence; finding the right intonation and expression. With each try, their confidence grew, they started to understand what worked and what didn’t. By the end, both the readers and the musicians knew when they had got “the one”. It was a joy to watch. Creative Cohesive Collaboration at its finest.
Once recorded, they were added to an app called Echoes, an immersive audio AR experience. So, if you ever have the joy of strolling the castle grounds, download the free app and listen to our young people’s work at your leisure by clicking here.
Kirstin McEwan and I also created a short film, to emphasise the visualisation of the poetry pieces. I’m really proud of how it turned out and is a concrete artefact of the project. It was first shown at our Creative Wellbeing Symposium back in February. It can now be watched by everyone below.
I am really proud of everyone who took part in this project. Every participant had a part to play and showed such commitment and dedication. The graduate programme is designed to further the skills learned from the first block of Creative Toolbox, and this was definitely displayed both practically and personally.
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