The aim of the Craigmillar Communiversity is to raise awareness of artistic and cultural tradition of Craigmillar and its worldwide network.
Helen Crummy Launches new book WHOM DYKES DIVIDE
Held on 17 February 2008, this year's World Community Arts Day was more than
three times larger than the 2007 event. With a theme of 'Art as a catalyst
for caring and sharing', this special day saw community arts organisations
from around the world joining in. Events took place in small community
centres, concert halls, bars and many more places besides, in countries
as far apart as Singapore, the US, Brazil, Ireland, Australia and
UK.
The aim
is to create a world festival society for a day, to illustrate how festival
and celebration
through art can provide answers.
New Bill Douglas Trilogy DVD and Documentary Film released.
Called "Intent on getting the image" by 400 Blows Production includes interviews with Helen Crummy and Davie Brown, amongst many others.
"A
profile of the acclaimed Scottish film director whose small output belied
his great influence.
Broadcast times
In a career spanning nearly 20 years, from 1972-1991, Scottish director Bill
Douglas only made four films – and three of those were shorts. But in
spite of this small output, he was highly acclaimed on the world stage.
He won the Silver Bear at the Venice Film Festival for his first film, garnering
praise from the likes of legendary film-makers Lindsay Anderson, François
Truffaut and Satyajit Ray; and in 1987 he picked up The Independent’s ‘Film
of the Year' award for Comrades.
This revealing documentary explores Bill Douglas’s struggle from childhood
poverty to acclaimed director. A fescinating insight into a remarkable man
and a remarkable film-maker."
Sunday
Herald
Daily
Telegraph
DVD
Times
The
Guardian
The
Scotsman
Flickr Craigmillar Archive online
Now at 70,000 hits with popular photos like Sculpture Gulliver and the once Real Mermaid.
Also includes The Craigmillar Heritage trail.
HELEN DUNCAN PARDON
The Helen Duncan pardon press story continues to grow. The extraordinary press coverage kicked off with a Glasgow Herald piece, where Mary Martin (Helen Duncan's grandaughter) was pictured laying a sprig of herbs of The Witches Gestalt,Prestonpans at Halloween Remembrance last October that led to the Edinburgh Evening News and Scotsman covering the story, which led onto BBC Newsnight (and website), then it was News at Ten (but it got pulled), then that led to The Guardian Leader, then Sevirins Carrels article, which kicked start the petition over xmas, then it went crazy in Jan with worldwide press coverage, with Reuters and PA picking it up, including the NBC/MSN poll of 16,000 and the 70 articles worldwide, plus the 300 + blogs, then CNN and now Channel Four News.
There are two petitions one at Downing Street and a bigger one Prestoungrange Arts festival.
Of course Helen Duncan lived in Craigmillar for many years, her family have live here including Mary Martin in The Thistle foundation.
This years event Helen Duncan Helen Duncan Pardon The Guardian, Leader, 8th December 2006 The Guardian article, 13th Jan 2007 The Witches Voice Vote on NBC
New photos of Gulliver being built from Ken Wolverton
See the amazing photo of Gulliver from space, on Google Earth
20th Century Society state in a letter to The Planning Department at City of Edinburgh Council:
"This striking structure is unique in its design and historic context: It is highly important for the social and cultural history of Scotland and should therefore be protected. We consider this piece of public art of great importance in terms of its architectural and socio-historic merit"
Historic Scotland
"the piece is of cultural and social value as a piece of art which contributed to community regeneration"
In recent months we have been working to raise awareness of the importance The Gulliver Sculpture and the wish to see it restored its full glory and part of a Public Art Trail. Sadly at present it is in serious neglect and is under threat.
Here is the links to
articles:
Glasgow
Herald
The
Guardian
Edinburgh
Evening News
API
News
Sunday
Express
Newstart
Magazine
And others not on internet anymore
BBC
Radio Scotland Culture Show
Craigmillar Chronicle
Travelling The Distance Public Art at Scottish Parliament
Helen Crummy is one of the 100 women marked in a work, about women and democracy. Helen Crummy's says "It is a tribute to the women of Craigmillar". She quotes Agnes Moffat who was one of the coalbearers of Niddrie, who gave evidence to the commission, which helped outlaw women and childrern working in coalmines.
Also Ruth Wisharts quote by Margaret Mead was about Helen Crummy and reads:
"It’s so true, committed citizens are the people who can really change the world."
Scottish
Parliament Press Release
John Maxwell Mural
Before (photo by Shona McMillan) and After
The revamped room where The John Maxwell Mural Room area looks fantastic. The mural has now been fully restored. The Theatre and rest of new arts centre and archive room is very impressive too.The Primary School has reopened as SPACE a Social Enterprise and Arts Centre. Here is a link to St francis Primary School, which tells of the importance of several buildings in the area including St Francis, Peffermill and Craigmillar Primary School. Also add to this The Children's House Nursery, The College Settlement and Castlebrae High School.
Click HERE
THE GOLDEN COW OF CRAIGMILLAR
(photo by Sandra Givan)
As part of ;ast years Edinburgh Cow Parade, The Golden Cow was created. It is interesting to note the interest it has gathered and how many times it was photographed. Telling the history of Craigmillar, it attracted a lot of attention in Princes street Gardens.
Click on Cow, on Flickr to sample its popularity. Cow
ANYBODY SEEN THE NIDDRIE PLAQUE
From our archives a picture of the Plaque that was stolen.
REG BOLTON/NORA SMITH
Sadly Reg Bolton and Nora Smith passed away in 2006. We pay tribute to these people for all thier work and vision.
More on Reg
The Violin Lesson by Michael Marra
Regarded
as one of Scotlands finest songwriters, Michael having worked in Craigmillar,
penned "The Violin Lesson" in
1993, in his Candy Philosophy album. Inspired from the story of the little
boy who wanted
to play the violin.
It can be purchased for £1 on The Michael Marra MP3 site
https://www.groupsites.co.uk/client/marra_me_uk/music_store/view_product.php?product=MMADLCP05
"Arts The Catalyst, The People Story" wins Saltire Award at International Film Festival
In Aug 2005, this documentary, commissioned by Craigmillar Communiversity won The Saltire award. Working closely with Mickey McPherson (Producer at Plum Films) and Director Simon Hynds, we were able to inteview a range of Craigmillar folk to tell this unique story.
The documentary
tells the story through the words of local people, actors and professionals
who were involved
in creation and development of The Craigmillar
Festival Society. It uses footage from The BBC and local filmmakers from
the sixties, seventies and eighties and excerpts from Bill Douglas classic
1972 film " My Childhood".
The film includes many voices from Craigmillar including Janet Howie singing " When
the People play their part", Helen Crummy, Muriel Wilkinson, Alice Henderson,
Heather Henderson, Clare Elder, Joanne McPherson and many others. Also interviewed
are Willie Roe, Richard Demarco, Steve Burgess and River City star John Murtagh.
Buildings of importance
Click here
As we build this website we wish to highlight buildings of importance that have gone or still there.
Such as Wauchope House, Craigmillar Primary School, Roxy Film house, Jack Kane Centre, Craigmillar Secondary School, etc.
If you have information please email
Mine a Rich Vien
In 2000 the late Dave Smith as part of The Communiversity put the most recent draft of Helen Crummy's history of Craigmillar online. The book was updated and published as part of the exhibition Arts: The Catalyst Craigmillar.
and
We have put it on The Communiversity website as well.
Click here
NIDDRIE BRICK AWARD 2006
Dave also started the The Niddrie Brick award. Which we are interested in bringing back "Fer Bein Smashin".
This years winner is Veronica Thomson "Fer bein smashin" and helping with so much regards Helen Duncan and the archive.
Congradulations Veronica.
Here is her website
AIM OF CRAIGMILLAR COMMUNIVERSITY
Welcome to
the Crarigmillar Communiversity, where we hope to build up examples of
projects which illustrate how Communiversity can work. We welcome
any papers, links, examples and comments which cover our aims. To understand
what we are looking for, the starting point for this debate is The abstract
of Communiversity:
*Unleash peoples`creativity by using art as the catalyst.
* Use technology to take education and training out of its institutions to where people are and provide the opportunities to develop their potential.
* Create a learning exchange network which will make maximum use of existing capital and human resources inside and outside the community who can educate, train, fund, inform and empower people.
* Provide an innovative degree and post graduate course for academic study, job training and situational learning.
* Start with people who are at present involved in community work in its broadest sense.
* Be part of a long term holistic approach which includes health, environment and employment.
The aim of the Craigmillar Communiversity is to raise awareness of artistic and cultural tradition of Craigmillar, collect similar projects worldwide, to show the importance of this model and how it has evolved. To create a learning vehicle to carry forward the 'Arts the Catalyst' tradition of such grassroot community groups to enable it to evolve and carry on for the future. The term Communiversity is taken from a Craigmillar Festival Society workshop of 1972, where it sought to combine 'local community talent and knowledge with universities, thus creating a communiversity'.
The Craigmillar Communiversity was started in 1996 after an article was published by Helen Crummy in mailout Magazine. You see this click here
The Craigmillar Communiversity is a voluntary group. The photos taken in this website are mainly by Scott Whitelaw, Lee McCormack. The older photos are mainly taken by John Brown, Angie Catlin and Sandra Givan. All the images have been collected by Helen Crummy over many years, with many gifts and additions from far and near. Veronica Thomson collated most of these images.
Craigmillar is rich in history, but it was the Housing (Scotland) Act 1925 which created "housing for the working classes of Scotland'. Edinburgh Council bought this land, from The Wauuchope family, through this act to create The Craigmillar Housing Scheme to house "the working classes" to give them decent housing. Thus Craigmillar became a 100% "working class" area that has developed a rich artistic culture that has influenced many around the world.
For further information please contact Andrew Crummy.