NEWBATTLE (MAYFIELD AND EASTHOUSES)

From autumn 2021 - 2022, the project for the civic parish of Newbattle took place in Mayfield and Easthouses, Midlothian.

Led by fieldworker Yvonne Weighand Lyle, students, community members, and partner organisations explored the questions who are we? And what do we value?

The community engaged in a variety of creative action research, focusing on well kent (known) places to tell the story of the lives of local folk and the surrounding landscape. 

This included:

  • a Facebook page

  • weekly creative workshops with local organisations and schools

  • six advertised public creative workshops

  • Well Kent Places postal packs

  • a photographic record

The project concluded with two key productions: Well Kent Places Exhibition and Well Kent Places Public Artwork.

The Well Kent Places Exhibition comprised community artworks created during the public creative workshops:

  • three community pom-pom knitted gala day bowers

  • six cyanotype fabrics of the landscape installation

  • three MAEDT craft group paper quilling artworks

  • ten Project posters 

  • sound file recording of stories of Mayfield and Easthouses from community interview

  • Well Kent Places postal pack & sample of completed returns

  • creative Fieldworker sketch book, workshop posters & sample of workshop items

The Well Kent Places Public Artwork comprised 24 concrete tiles, sculpted by members of the community and local schools, cast and installed by the Creative Fieldworker, formulated a map of Mayfield and Easthouses corresponding to participants’ well kent places and the completed returns from the well kent places postal packs.

 

Fieldworker
Yvonne Weighand Lyle

Partners and Contact Organisations
MAEDT (Mayfield and Easthouses Development Trust), Mayfield and Easthouses Community Council, Ageing Well Midlothian Walking Group, Mayfield Church Art Group, Community Access Team (CAT) Midlothian, Lawfield Nursery, St Lukes RC Primary School, Lawfield Primary School, Mayfield Primary School, Newbattle High School, National Mining Museum, National Library of Scotland, Black Diamond Radio

 Aims

  • To creatively connect communities to their local culture: intangible cultural heritage, history, literature

  • To stimulate participation and bring together local activists and organisations

  • · To record aspects of local culture - songs, stories, dances, traditions

  • To affirm the work of local practitioners

  • To broker platforms for the expression and celebration of local culture and creativity