Press Release
Da View fae me Window
McLellan Award winning writer Jacqui Clark has been working with young people on a creative writing & art project about the importance of buildings and place in Shetland called “Da View Fae Me Window”.
A large window has toured Scalloway and Brae Youth Centres and will visit Sandwick, Whalsay and Yell after the Easter break. The window made a short appearance at the Knab in Lerwick. As the window tours each area Jacqui leads workshops with young people exploring themes relating to home and belonging. During these sessions the young people are encouraged to make recordings, write short pieces and draw about the view from the window in their community. They are asked to answer questions on VOXUR (a film studio in a box which enables organisations to easily make, manage and publish their own videos) about their own home, how they feel about their community, what buildings are important in their area and how all of these will change by 2030.
The writer will then take all of these recordings and write a piece, which will explore the different views recorded during the project, and incorporate young people’s opinions and thoughts about the view of their community from the window.
Writer Jacqui Clark said “It has been fascinating to hear what young people have to say about their communities, especially as they are all aware of major changes which are going to happen in the short to long term such as the TOTAL Gas development as well as Viking Energy.” She added “It is also important for young people to have the opportunity to voice their opinions on their communities and to say what they would like to see happen longer term.”
’’Da View Fae Me Window’’ has been organised in partnership with Youth Services, Shetland Islands Council, and as part of Power of Place (PoP). PoP hopes to bring greater community involvment with architecture and more participation in decision making about public buildings and spaces in Shetland. To participate in the project you can join the facebook group “Da View Fae Me Window”. Visit www.powerofplace.co.uk or www.youngscot.org/shetland to find our more.
This project has been funded by Shetland Islands Council and the Shetland Arts Fund.