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" Poverty is not only lack of an adequate income to live on, it is being classed as of little or no value to society"

Quote from Helen Crummy’s ‘Let the People Sing’, used by The Social Impact of Participation in the Arts Seminar, 1997 at The House of the Art Lover, Glasgow, organised by Scottish Arts Council, chaired by Seona Reid, Director.

" The story of how the craigmillar festival began is the stuff of which legends are made."

Donald Campbell (Cities of the imagination/Edinburgh, 2003, Signal Books)

" The creation of art in any its forms is perhaps the most profound and powerful affirmation of life against death that we humans can make, of harnessing the constructive and destructve forces. The cultivation of the imagination develops a resourcefulness which enables reality, however grim, to be contended with more innovatively. The Craigmillar folk had not much else than their imagination to fall back on. Their imagination was their road to greater self reliance".

Eric Trist (New directions of hope, 1979)

'The Craigmillar Festival Society had pioneered a stragegy that did in effect offer a "new direction of hope" for the urban poor in"advanced" Western countries".

Rafael Ramirez (The Beauty of Social Organization, Accedo, Munich, 1991)

" All of these activities provided not only socially valeable employment, but also cohesion and meaning to community life."

Alan Barnett (Community Murals, The Peoples Art, 1984, Associated University Press)

" By its pioneering example the Craigmillar Festival Society may do more for Edinburgh’s social balance sheet than all the millions the Edinburgh International Festival has earned in the last 20 years."

Malcolm McEwen (‘The Other Edinburgh’, New Statesman, 18 August, 1972.)

" Copies of the plan (CPA) have been dirtributed to China, the USA, Russia, Israel, Canada and India and throughout Europe - the imagination, vivacity and local creativity that has blossomed from a community arts festival in 1962 is seen as an example with worldwide signifinance."

George McRobie (Small Is Possible, London: Jonathan Cape, 1981 — this is part of the E. F. Schumacher Small Is Beautiful trilogy)

" I have known the developments in Craigmillar for almost 20 years. They serve as a source of inspiration to communities around the country, and indeed around the world"

Kenneth Calman (Arts The Catalyst, Craigmillar Communiversity Press, 2004)

" The (Craigmillar) community is at the leading edge of post industrial innovation and has greatly influenced my search for alternatives."

Professor Eric Trist (QWL Quality of Working Life and the 80’s (The Closing Address to the International Conference on QWL and the 80’s, Harbour Castle Hilton, Toronto, August 30 - September 3rd, 1981)

" It is in the visionary work of the musicals, play sculptures, murals and other arts that the Festival Society does intuitive-creative planning, revealing not only present realities and future scenarios, but also its profound, creative share in the transformation that our world is undergoing."

From ‘A GIANT STEP’ An Appraisal of The Craigmillar Festival Society’s Approach to Community Development, Relative to the Craigmillar (European Economic Community Programme of Pilot Schemes and Studies to Combat Poverty, Abstract, p. 6. By M Stephen Burgess in consultation with Eric Trist November, 1980.)

" I was most impressed by what I learned I am quite sure that this organisation (Craigmillar Festival Society) represents a most useful model for the containment, if not the solution, of many of the social problems that crowd upon us. I believe that a thousand such associations throughout Britain would not only relieve the so-called public sector of a great deal of its social work (broadly defined), but also enlist communities in the containment of deviance as well as of other problems. Furthermore, it would give much meaning to the notion of grassroots democracy."

Professor Albert Cherns of Loughborough University (in a letter to the Michael Young Rt. Hon. Lord Young of Dartington, 2nd August, 1982)

" It is perhaps no co-incidence that the model of the Craigmillar society has become a legend and inspiration to other community groups seeking ways of resisting social dereliction."

Dr. Helen Wood (‘Festivity and Social Change’, Leisure in the 80’s Research Unit, Department of Social Sciences, Polytechnic of the South Bank, London Road, London SE1, December, 1982)

" This approach to community initiative and development, of leading from the expressive creativity of people did indeed spread in smaller and larger ways, but most notably to Easterhouse in Glasgow and Bootle in Liverpool." (Wood, 1982)"The Craigmillar Festival Society, founded in 1964 on an Edinburgh housing estate, has become a model of community empowerment for many other initiatives like Easterhouse and Cranhill Arts Projects or the Pilton Video Project in Glasgow."

Charles Landry and Franois Matarasso (Art of Regeneration, Comedia, 1996)

" Craigmillar Festival Society, founded and run by local people since 1962, is still regarded as a model for the use of the arts in cultural and social action in this country and abroad."

David Harding, Head of Environmental Art and Sculpture (1985 – 2001), Glasgow School of Art. Art with People, AN Publications, 1994.

" What is astonishing about the Craigmillar story is that, while incisive, creative thinkers like Augusto Boal, Paulo Freire and Ivan Illich, among others, were publishing their ideas on approaches to the issues of the poor and excluded, intuitively the Festival Society was actually carrying them out."

David Harding (Arts The Catalysts, Craigmillar Communiversity Press, 2004)

 

Memory Book

Arts the Catalyst Exhibition 2004

A small selection of the hundreds of comment from our comment book. Most comments are along the lines of "Inspirational", Moving".

“ Every teacher should be given a copy of Let The People Sing”

“ Everyone should have a fun time at least once in their life, this was mine The Craigmillar Festival Society 1969 – 1986” Muriel Wilkinson

“ I have fond memories of Sandy Brown, George Burgoyne, Malcolm Muir and all the children and Youth workers and the many children who took part in The Festival Society” Reg Wilkinson

“ I would like to mention to someone who helped and inspired me. But is no longer with us “Faye Milligan”. God Bless” Micky McDonald

“ Oh so many happy memories” Dot Whitelaw

“ Proud to be part of it” Claire Elder

“ We were in the “Bingham Belles” ye know” Jean McDonald

“ Craigmillar is a wonderful place and we are still to this day showing off the many talents that we have”. Stacey Elder

“ It is good to see all things people can do when we take our part”

“ So much talent, inspiration, makes me proud to come from Craigmillar”

” Thanks for giving me the chance to do all I have done” Joanne

“ Interesting and fun” Someone from Sweden

“ This is what makes me proud to say I am from Craigmillar” Nikki Barnes

“ I recently moved to Craigmillar from the “smoke”. I had guessed I’d moved to the centre of the earth. This exhibition simply proves it” Kenny

“ An Inspiration” Carol

“ Thought it was wiz gid” Megan

“ This exhibition shows that if you all pull together great things can be achieved” Helen

“ Great exhibition, real photos, real people, real estate “Inspiring”.

“ CFS. If you were around in 1957 maybe I would not have left for the new world” Archie

“ If people from other housing estates in Edinburgh came to this exhibition they would surely be inspired”.

“ Give an ear to our demands, what a fantastic words, it looks like they’ve listened”

“ Negation of the negation…..well done” Andrew

“ Negation of a future” Billy

“ Great film about CFS” from Aberdeen

“ I thought the exhibition was so good I came back a fourth time” Clare, aged 12

“ This is my first time and I have to say I am most impressed” Rosemary

“ Felt moved by the film”

“ Excellent, originally from the area, very moved”

“ Great Exhibition, very inspiring and moving” Elaine

“ What an inspiration” Fiona, Jewel and Esk Student

“ Amazing, complex, moving stories of people and communities, making sense of their lives, Great stuff”. James

“ I can’t believe ‘they closed” the Festival. Great Exhibition”

“ The people of Craigmillar should be proud of themselves”

“ I came to see my bro’s painting” Callum

“ Really enjoyed this exhibition. Made me laugh” Kelly

“ It made me smile”

“ It has been a privilege to work in Craigmillar since 1976” Mike

“ Oh so many fond memories came flooding back when I visited this exhibition.” Annie

“ Just back from Mexico to see this fantastic exhibition” Chrissie

“ Quality!!!”

“ Visited in memory of John Ross who helped create Gulliver” G Anderson

“ A most moving and beautiful exhibition, Terry

“ A truly historic exhibition and as important as the world famous Edinburgh International Festival and Fringe. I congratulate all those involved who fought to make it a reality” Richard

“ How interesting. I had no idea of the rich and creative history of Craigmillar. This exhibition has changed my perception of the area”

“ Totally inspiring”

“ Art is a small word, but covers all well and truly a catalyst” Mags

“ Great” YNT

“ The world could use more successes like Craigmillar”

“ You can’t be here and not feel inspired” Mike

“ I am Craigmillar born and bred, my heart lies there” Irene

“ Excellent example of people power” Alex

“ It fair takes you back”

“ A very worthwhile project “Craigmillar will not be forgotten”.

“ Fantastic work…. A great example that should be duplicated in all areas of Scotland… we are all creative, all have something to offer and all special”. Anne