Castlebrae in the World: Castlebrae CHS

The Castlebrae in the World project lasted 3 years. Its aim was to use art (mainly ceramics but also print) as way of fostering a sense of global connectedness in school pupils living in an area of Edinburgh marked by multiple social deprivation. Clay was chosen as the preferred medium and TML funded the purchase of a kiln. The group of pupils engaged in the work were mainly those studying for the SCE Nat 5 qualification in Creative Industries. In the course of the 3 years of the project more than 50 pupils achieved this award while working with TML. They worked alongside groups of adult EL learners who attended classes at the school. Initially working separately, the two groups soon merged. The school pupils who were slightly ahead of the EL leaners in terms of proficiency with clay helped the adults learn new techniques. The adults in turn introduced the pupils to different cultures, and the ceramic classes became a space of unexpected and unprecedented exchange. Most of the tiles were produced collaboratively and express the fusion of different cultural traditions. The work was shown at a series of exhibitions in St Andrews and Edinburgh, as well as in digital form in Cesena, Rome and London. In 2017, Nicola Sturgeon visited Castlebrae and was photographed with one of the pupils who had been a major contributor to the project.