Media release by Patrick Mainland, ARTIST ROOMS On Tour Young Ambassador
Over the next three months, a group of Young Ambassadors will be showing off their creative talents as part of a scheme in connection with the ARTIST ROOMS On Tour exhibition, in association with Shetland Arts and Shetland Museum and Archives. They have called themselves ‘Northern Lights’.
The ARTISTS ROOMS On Tour programme enables modern and contemporary art to reach audiences throughout the UK with an emphasis on inspiring young people. The focus of this particular exhibition is on the work of famed photojournalist Don McCullin, whose iconic images of conflict and social breakdown will be showcased at the Bonhoga/Da Gadderie exhibition entitled ‘Fallen’, beginning on 29th November.
The young ambassadors involved in the scheme are working as part of three creative groups to create original work that ties in with
The photojournalists, assisted by local photojournalist Calum Toogood, will be working as a team to highlight the contemporary issues of Shetland life, experiencing life in photojournalism and producing work that will be showcased at the opening of the exhibition. The filmmakers, led by experienced broadcast journalist Liz Musser, will use McCullin’s life and career as a platform for their own short film, which will be screened throughout Shetland and online. The singer-songwriters, helped by Lewie Peterson of The Revellers, will be working on original music that explores Shetland as home, and what this means to different people.
Jane Matthews, who is managing the youth ambassador scheme for Shetland Arts, said “this is an incredible opportunity for our 17 young ambassadors to gain professional experience and create new work with our three local experts on the project. Their work will be a unique legacy to this ground-breaking exhibition in Shetland”.
The young ambassadors’ scheme is funded jointly through the ARTIST ROOMS Touring Group by The Art Fund and Creative Scotland. Don McCullin’s work will be showcased at Shetland Museum and Archives and Bonhoga Gallery from 29 November 2014 to 22 February 2015. The works to be displayed are taken from ARTIST ROOMS, an inspirational collection of modern and contemporary art acquired for the nation by Tate and The National Galleries of Scotland through the generosity of Anthony d'Offay with additional support from funders, including the Art Fund. The ARTIST ROOMS tour programme, now in its sixth year, is showing at 18 museums and galleries across the UK in 2014. The tour is made possible thanks to the support of Arts Council England, the Art Fund, and in Scotland, Creative Scotland.
To find out more information about ARTIST ROOMS On Tour please visit www.artfund.org/artistrooms. To see the full ARTIST ROOMS collection please visit www.tate.org.uk/artistrooms and www.nationalgalleries.org/artistrooms
