We were delighted when the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Arran Trust granted us funding to establish an island wide Arts Heritage Trail. Recruitment began in earnest at the start of the year for a Project Manager, Lead Researcher, and a Facilitator – the core team to drive the project forward. The calibre of applicants for all three roles was incredibly high, and the interest and excitement which the applicants showed for this project was, we have to admit, heartening; bolstering our sense that this is an important project for the Isle of Arran, with a wide reach. In what seemed like the worst series of bad weather and ferry technical issues squeezed into a 3-week period in years, our recruitment schedule was somewhat thrown out. The disruptions were felt by us all, and it made coordinating interviews very tricky. With some trepidation, we decided that rather than delay the interview schedule, we’d undertake them by Skype. Little did we know at the time that it would be good practice for lockdown communications! After several rejigs, and some very patient applicants, we came out the end of the recruitment process with a fantastic team to whom we are delighted to introduce you. Our Project Manager is Ruth Impey. Ruth is an experienced teacher, researcher and maker with an impressive history of managing projects both in the UK and internationally. Most recently she developed community projects for a large-scale National Lottery Heritage Fund project, Rediscovering the Antonine Wall which included an arts trail as one of the many elements she coordinated simultaneously. Ruth is a keen ceramicist, and has a great knowledge of Arran, having visited the island every year since childhood. Our Lead Researcher is Alex Boyd. Alex is a skilled researcher, with a background in visual arts and culture. He has had experience with officer roles in museums, galleries and archives across Scotland before working as a researcher, most notably in 2019 as the inaugural Graham Brown Research Fellow of the National Library of Scotland, focusing on mountaineering collections and visual art. Arran formed an important part of this research. Some of you may remember the talks Alex has delivered on Arran for the Saltire Society in recent years on his work as a photographer, and his book on St Kilda. Our facilitator is Arran local, Simon Ross-Gill. Simon has a decade long international career in Marketing and Communications in the travel industry. As a local, he has returned to Arran and works extensively with community led groups, as well as running his own Graphic Design practice. His family history and heritage are intertwined with the development of fine arts on Arran. This fantastic team are already working incredibly well together, particularly given the challenges our current situation has thrown at them, and Arran Theatre and Arts Trust are feeling confident and excited to see the project develop and come together. Please do keep an eye on this blog for updates on the project from the team. We look forward to bringing you all on this journey with us. Best, Eileen Arts Coordinator, Arran Theatre and Arts Trust Screenshot of the Team meeting on Zoom. Simon Ross-Gill Facilatator on on the left, Lead Researcher Alex Boyd on the right, Ruth Impey Project Manager below
