Introductory Blog (3rd Blogger)

by Sarah Grant, 17 May 2008

I was asked recently to be the third ‘Blogger’ on the Inverness Old Town Project development whilst I complete my Masters degree in Paris. I am a native ‘Invernesian’ and have worked within the city (marketing/events) for a few years prior to beginning my course in September 2007. At this time I was able to participate in several events in relation to the public arts programme that was developing at the time. I was also fortunate enough to work in the previous city partnership office and observe some of the projects come to fruition.

I listened with excitement yet confusion as my colleague and dear friend (now sadly missed) Evi Westmore, the Public Arts Co-ordinator discussed with me in the Summer of 2006 the planning for the ‘Imagining the City’ event as we stopped for a coffee one day at work.

“So what will this one day event involve?” I asked, having seen some of her sketches on the desk and noticed an influx of varying artists arrive to the building over the previous weeks.

She turned to me and said in her ‘straight to the point’ New York accent “Well, its simple…its basically a one day public art event in Church Street with several projects taking place throughout the street including a project involving Papier-mâché Pants” …..

I stopped her mid-sentence “Papier-mâché Pants you say”?

“Yes” she continued, oblivious to my raised eyebrows “and also graffiti artists invading the city, a one day revolution project, some abseilers descending from the Ramada Jarvis Hotel…oh and Jeep Solid [a local musician] is maybe going to play a concert in the graveyard…although I don’t know if we are allowed access in there as yet”.

“All this, in Inverness?” I thought a bit taken aback to the say the least.

“Yes…in Inverness” she finished and with a smile bounced off coffee in hand.

A month later I have been talked into donning a black wig and am dancing around the Old Town on the ‘Imagining the City’ one day public art event as a “Pants Girl” assisting the artist Sarah Barnes with her project “Inverness is Pants” at the top end of the street.

A beautiful sunny 9th September 2006 the one day event transformed the Old Town area with an array of several ambitious arts projects with crowds of visitors and locals to the area taking it all in. The public’s participation on the day was amazing to see. It felt very surreal asking passer-bys on the street if they would “Fill in some pants” (no…really!!) as I chased after them with a feather duster around a temporarily placed Papier-mâché washing line. Spectators could walk a few metres down the street to see people enter into a hut made of heather (‘Lorg’ project by artists Caroline Dear and Rosie Newman) and a group of ‘revolution’ protestors parading up and down the street opposite with placards declaring we should “Do Justice for Tea and Cakes!”

….Vive la Cakes!

A wonderful day and really the start of the many other exciting projects that the city has seen of late.

….and on the ‘cake’ note I will finish today’s blog and go in search of a fresh Pain au Chocolat (a student budget allows for cake).