Two women hope to help shape the future of Perthshire communities as they embark on new six-month projects from next week.
Taylor Waggoner of Perth has teamed up with the Scottish Crannog Centre while Nicky Bolland of Caputh will work alongside the Cateran Ecomuseum and Alyth Development Trust.
Using their creative skills, the duo will work with communities to help tackle the climate emergency at a local level.
They will also look at other challenges affecting towns and villages as they work to improve wellbeing.
The initiative will include a number of workshops, activities and events in a bid to come up with ideas which will then be shared across the Tay region.
Taylor and Nicky are two of seven people appointed by Creative Dundee’s Cultivate programme, which will also involve other organisations including Perth and Kinross Council.
Community-led development
Taylor is looking forward to working with staff at the Crannog Centre.
The 24-year-old hopes to use the skills she gained in her creative writing and theatre practice degree in her work.
She said: “I’ll be immersing myself in the Crannog lifestyle, speaking with staff and volunteers as well as planning some workshops with the communities surrounding Loch Tay.
“I’m a huge believer in community-led development. The Crannog, above all else, always puts people at the heart of what they do.
“They’re offering apprenticeships to develop skills and hosting emerging artists like myself.
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“They’re constantly adapting their work to suit the wants and needs of people around them, all while encouraging cultural immersion and responsible tourism in our beautiful part of the world.”
She added: “I have vivid memories of visiting the Crannog Centre as a young girl and clearly remember that magical feeling, walking out onto the boards of Loch Tay.
“When I read the brief, I knew this was for me.”
‘Active tension in rural communities’
Meanwhile, 33-year-old Nicky said engaging with Alyth locals would be a key part of her project.
Working with the Cateran Ecomuseum and Alyth Development Trust, she hopes to build community resilience in the face of the climate crisis.
“There is often an active tension in rural communities between what has come before and what might lie ahead”, she said.
“I see this project as an opportunity to meaningfully address these tensions, through compassionate dialogue, taking the heritage of Alyth as the springboard for creating a different future.
“I feel the possible activities of the project are still quite open, but I know that conversations and workshops with local community members will be a key part of the project initially.
“Building our understanding of how the Alyth community envisions a just future and using historical resources as a jumping off point.”
What is Cultivate?
Cultivate is a regional leadership programme.
It allows creative people to work with communities to produce work related to the climate and social justice.
Claire Dufour, Creative Climate Producer at Creative Dundee said: “We’re delighted to join forces with these brilliant talents and Cultivate will offer them brilliant opportunities to explore how their creative skills and expertise can be harnessed for the benefit of the resilience and wellbeing of our communities in face of the climate emergency.
“The Tay region is so diverse, geographically, socially and economically, and Cultivate will also enable regional learning and sharing around being a sustainable place to live, work, play and visit.”