Student helps Stirling people create art to remember

Student helps Stirling people create art to remember
Lorna Swinney with her own artwork

A Contemporary Art student from Forth Valley College has helped local communities discuss how they might want to memorialise the pandemic in the Stirling area.

Lorna Swinney, who is in the second year of her HND course, has loved being part of an experienced team of professional artists to help launch the exhibition Woven Together as part of the Remembering Together, Stirling project. The exhibition at St Ninians Library, Mayfield Centre showcases phase one of the research project into how the community might want to memorialise the pandemic. This is part of a Scotland wide project called Remembering Together, Scotland that asks how each local authority might want to memorialise the pandemic.

The free art show – which runs until Tuesday 31 January, displays a range of prints, weavings, booklets, paintings and mark making tools all created during workshops with community groups involved in the project as a way of discussing their experiences of the pandemic.

Former English teacher Lorna was employed by the lead artist Saffy Setohy with Artlink Central and Scene Stirling to work as a co-facilitating artist on the project. Orla Stevens, a painter and print maker, was also appointed co-facilitating artist enabling the three artists to bring a range of disciplines to the workshops.

Lorna joined Saffy at three workshops: the William Simpson Care Home in Plean, Champs Stirling which works with care experienced people and also at the Braehead Community Garden, to support people in reflecting on their pandemic experience and think about how they want to remember it.

Lorna, said: “I have really enjoyed the whole experience working as a professional artist and it has been great working with Saffy and Orla who are well respected and talented artists. I have learned so much from them.

“My medium is print, weaving and being inspired by the local environment. I helped to design a series of three workshops and activities, which allowed those people attending to enjoy the process of making while discussing their varied experiences of the pandemic. The printing and weaving exercises allowed them to relax and think about our themes while also creating beautiful art works for the exhibition.

“I believe that one of the really important units of my Forth Valley College course  that has helped me in this role has been Professional Practice and Exhibition Studies. This looks as how to prepare your CV, looking at your digital presence, preparing artists statements and how you present yourself and I think this has been especially relevant to me while applying for my roles at Remembering Together Scotland.

“The course is not just about Art, it’s about what the College offers on how to help you take the next step to full-time work or higher study.”

FVC Creative Industries Curriculum Manager, Linda Paterson, said: “It’s fantastic that Lorna has been able to transfer the skills she has gained on HND Contemporary Art Practice, to secure this position while she is still studying and her lecturers and I were happy to support her. The experience she is getting working alongside professional artists coupled with the skills and experiences her course offers will give her an excellent CV on graduation.”