The Makers are group of like-minded creatives with and without learning disability.  The Makers  involves a wide variety of creative workshops inspired by creative interests. It’s about working with others to learn something new, develop a skill, make something, or make something happen together and to have a whole heap of fun at the same time.

During 2021 The Makers have kept connected and creative with online sessions and joyful in person workshops when restrictions eased. Over the next six weeks we’ll be bringing you a series of three updates about what they’ve been up to.

Theatre for the Fabulous with Suzi Morrice & Keith McNeil

Theatre for The Fabulous came about because one of the Makers, Keith McNeill, and other Makers are passionate about acting and drama. Keith likes to make people laugh, he’s a showman and naturally puts people at ease. He loves drama and wants to develop his own skills whilst helping others to enhance their acting skills. He has been working in collaboration drama professional Suzi Morrice to learn and develop the skills to co-facilitate a series of Zoom and in person drama workshops with The Makers. Keith & Suzi brain storm workshop ideas together, and support each other to run the sessions. Theatre for The Fabulous workshops have involved improvisation, drama games, creating monologues and making people laugh. When restrictions lifted this year Suzi & Keith were able to bring the whole group together for the first time for a series of in person drama workshops at The Steading in Rosewell. We’re hoping with the help of additional funding that this can become a more regular workshop.

“Totally buzzing after the workshops, loved it”
Keith McNeill

Dance with indepen-dance
Cheryl, Sophie, Morvern, Ben, Leanne, Emma, Marc, Amanda, Sam, David, Nicola, Audrey and Michaela love to dance. When lockdown hit we all stopped moving as much, and were stuck at home most of the time so we asked dancers Wils & Aimee from Glasgow based Indepen-dance to help get us moving again on Zoom. We posted out a series of dance props to everyone. It was so sort after we added more dates, then more after that, people didn’t want it to end so it happened every Monday morning at 11am to see us through the darkest days of lockdown from January – April 2021.  Last month, we eventually all met up in person in Dalkeith Country park for a really amazing socially distanced boogie to the beats together in the park with Wils & Aimme.

“Loved it, Monday mornings were great, Wils is very funny, he makes us laugh as well as dance!”
Morvern Robb

“Dancing in the park was amazing”
Robert Kocaba

Due to the popularity of these dance workshops we’re working in collaboration with more local Dalkeith based KIC Dance to offer more in person dance workshops over the autumn.

Next up: The Makers in 2021 Part 2 – Music Making 

MARC MY WORDS is a magazine produced during lockdown by KMAdotcom and The Makers member Marc Smith. A prolific artist and wordsmith, MARC MY WORDS showcases Marc’s diverse skillset encompassing poetry, line drawing, collage and word art, inviting you to explore his ideas and share your own.

“Tell me about yourself, let me understand what you are on about – people see each other and they go one way. Understand different people but don’t take it to the end.”

A shared interest in ideas and collaboration led to Tate Curator Linsey Young getting in touch with Marc to find out more about his work and the work of KMAdotcom. Marc, Linsey and KMA artist Laura Aldridge met up over Zoom during lockdown to discuss his practice. Read the conversation and keep up with Marc’s work on his website.

“Believe in your self. Take me to the top. Always find something to do.”

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In March 2020 Artlink was asked by Mental Health Day Services in West Lothian to provide art sessions at Pentland Court, St John’s Hospital in Livingston as a part of the response to the emerging pandemic. Here adults with enduring mental ill health receive rehabilitation support in preparation for their return to community living. Being resident in hospital during these times can be incredibly isolating, mundane and does little to encourage an individual to think ahead with positivity. So, it was important for us to create an arts input that encouraged forward thinking and planning towards a time when there could be a positive and active involvement in our communities.

We mostly work in a small, adapted studio space in Pentland Court so that we can work in a socially distanced and Covid safe way. Whenever the easing of restrictions allowed, we have also made use of the well-equipped ceramics and arts studio at the nearby Howden Park Centre. We have been exploring ways that conversations about experiences during current Covid times can be visualised. The time together offers us an opportunity to look at different ways in which we can develop our ideas that reflect our shared interests and passions and think about how this work might be adapted for more public situations.

‘I Miss a Dance’ is inspired by conversations between Sharon and artist Francesca during the studio sessions. Both love music, dancing, and socialising. Their collaborative work is inspired by the things they miss. With the same energy and creativity they have shown in developing the work, they are now planning to create a series of props and backdrops for community and creative events at Howden Park Centre in the year ahead.

Continuity and the opportunity to get back involved in our studio workshops have been important over the past year. Stuart has been an ever-present creative force within our Sanctuary project at Boghall since 2015. When Stuart became unwell in 2020 he had to stay at Pentland Court for a short period. During this short time of ill health Stuart continued to explore his interest in poster making and screenprinting and when he returned home he continued this work at our studio sessions at Boghall.

We look forward to sharing the creative energy and experiences of the many people involved at Pentland Court and our other Leylines projects with others in our communities when the time comes.

Before lockdown every Thursday, a different entertainer would visit Cherry Road Day Centre, Bonnyrigg and perform in front of an audience of staff and visitors. Thursday Live! is curated by Artlink, putting the interests of the people who use the day centre first. Acts which encourage participation are especially popular – dancing is encouraged!

When visits to the centre were not possible, Thursday Live! went online. Performers filmed themselves at home, and videos were streamed to Artlink TV on YouTube , so that anyone could watch them on their phone or home computer. Local artists familiar to Thursday Live! regulars were able to tailor performances to an audience who they knew well – Annabel Sings ran karaoke sessions; cabaret singer and musical saw player Markee de Saw and clarsach player Siannie Moodie’s performances were particularly enjoyed by one day centre regular, who was able to watch recordings of their videos multiple times. The online performances built on the existing relationships and experiences that have been nurtured over the years.

As lockdown was lifted, socially distanced live performances were introduced, both in the homes and gardens of day centre visitors, and back at Cherry Road. The brilliant Edward Reid visited the centre, singing through windows, and moving through different areas of the building to perform to individuals. Markee De Saw played a set especially for the person who had so enjoyed watching her performance online. Harpist and song writer Esther Swift performed in the back garden of a person who loves the soothing sounds of the harp. For other individuals who enjoy comedy slapstick, clown artist Cammy Sinclair and comedy dance duo Buff and Sheen popped up in back gardens to bring some much needed laughter and delight.

People and their support staff have been telling us that they’re not physically moving as much as they used to. So, over November we are collaborating with Indepen-dance hit squad dancer Wils McAslan to bring tailored movement, dance, energy and fun into people’s back gardens and outdoor settings. Wils has created individual prop bags and a series of dance and movement based ideas and inspiration for people to keep moving after he’s gone.

Being flexible and innovative with the premise of Thursday Live meant that we were able to sustain the connections between day centre visitors, performers, and staff, and facilitate intimate, bespoke events which had the excitement of a live performance. Although managing the changes forced by lockdown was difficult, there were positive developments which came out of learning to work differently. Using online performances meant that performers not local to Edinburgh, or even Scotland, could appear on Thursday Live – a puppet cabaret show, a magician, dancers, could all perform from their homes all over the world.

Contact between Artlink and wider households and support networks also increased, as carers and family members phoned staff to discuss the logistics of events, and clients phoned to give feedback. These relationships existed before lockdown, but were intensified as communication and contact became more vital to people. In future, will things go back to normal? The live, face to face connections and physical interactions will continue to be important in establishing and sustaining trust with the people we work with, but having the option of online contact has proved useful for collaboration and contact with multiple agencies.

             “I am proud of myself for making something unique through being creative during a challenging time. It is a time capsule that I created myself.”

Chris McAdam has been working with Artlink’s Paddy O’Growney and artist James McLardy over the last months. He spoke to James about the work they have been doing together since March.

“For the last few months I’ve been working on a film based on the sights and sound within the home.   When lockdown started Paddy was trying to think about ways to keep in touch and creative even though we could not get out. Paddy had sent me a link to a video which James had shot from his window. When I watched the video, it made me want to give it a go. But most importantly I wanted to stay in touch. At first, we spoke on the phone and then began to meet up on zoom every Thursday. During the week I was making videos and sharing them through WhatsApp. I was editing the videos myself using apps on my phone. James suggested I use the phone camera functions to make it more organic and natural for future editing.

I started to find things that I was interested in experimenting with, like shooting in black and white and playing around with sounds around the home. I started to find my own style. When we met up on zoom, we discussed the video clips and began messing with editing software, screen-shared on his computer. I sent him a clip from Midnight Cowboy, and we chatted about films we liked.  Each time I started making a new video I began to think about how it could add something, and bring something different to my work. I started to experiment more with new ideas. This led to me looking at shadows, light, and reflection on objects in and around the house. 

I was thinking about old style film and how you can change how things look. It was at this point that we started editing a short film every week. Sometimes I doubted myself and I had to challenge myself to feel that what I was doing was worthwhile. Sharing the short films withive me the focus I needed to keep experimenting and challenging myself. I felt a sense of achievement. Because I had worked with James before lockdown I trusted that meeting up online would be fun. At the beginning we had a laugh messing around with shooting and editing videos. Once I had built up enough video material, I was able to begin to relax and talk more about the art. Working one to one has enabled us to discuss things that we would not normally have time to do. The quality one to one time was invaluable because it gave me a chance to work in my own environment. Working in my own house in this way has taken my mind off my anxieties. 

I am proud of myself for making something unique through being creative during a challenging time. It is a time capsule that I created myself. Lately I have been thinking about making films and using the editing equipment in different environments. This gives me a sense of hope. Obviously, I could not recreate what I have made during lockdown, but I would really like to use this experience to make new work.  I would love people to come across this work and be able to read the background of how it was made. I want it to encourage other people to challenge themselves to do something creative.”