Stories to the fore at creativity showcase
Members of Blairgowrie and Rattray’s creative community are set to share local tales through music, art, photography, crafts and storytelling this month as part of the celebrations for Scotland’s Year of Stories.
The sessions are being held as part of the fifth annual Blairgowrie and Rattray Arts for Wellbeing Festival – known as It’s BRAW – and have been supported by the Year of Stories 2022 Community Stories Fund.
It’s BRAW runs throughout the year and aims to highlight the wealth of creative talent in the area and support the wellbeing of people in the community by providing opportunities to participate in arts, crafts, music and drama activities.
A grant of £3400 from the fund will enable those behind the initiative to offer more events this year throughout the whole of August and widen its audience.
Inspired by nature and the area’s rich cultural heritage, there will be music events telling the history of the famous Berryfields o’ Blair, accessible walks along the River Ericht with wildlife and plantlife experts, storytelling workshops about the historic – and rumoured to be haunted – Newton Castle, nature videography and photography workshops and several creative skills sessions.
A number of other events are also taking place in the town throughout the It’s BRAW showcase month.
Rattray Arts Festival, which this year takes place on Saturday, August 27, and
Sunday, August 28, celebrates the talent and skills of local creative artists with an annual exhibition of work and will feature hundreds of original paintings and selected designs.
As well as the exhibition, there will be several workshops run by artists.
There will also be a chance to enjoy a number of performances by awardwinning local amateur dramatic group, Blairgowrie Players.
The team behind the month-long celebration of arts, crafts, drama and music is looking forward to what they say is going to be “a braw month filled with workshops, exhibitions, demonstrations,
live music, theatre and more”.
Committee chair Lesley McDonald said: “We are delighted to have the opportunity to host a number of events that will celebrate the local tales and legends of Blairgowrie and Rattray as part of the Year of Stories 2022.
“We’ll be sharing well-kent tales and celebrating the area’s cultural heritage and biodiversity through music, art, crafts and drama.
“Our aim every year is to get folk interacting and experiencing the wealth of creative arts and activities within the town and maybe try something new.
“We want everyone to get involved –
young people, older people, people from the international community who have made their home in Blairgowrie and Rattray, and those who have lived here all their days – and the programme for this year’s showcase has something for everyone.”
The Year of Stories 2022 Community Stories Fund is being delivered in partnership between VisitScotland and Museums Galleries Scotland, with support from National Lottery Heritage Fund.
For further details and to book a place at any of the events, see the website www. itsbraw.scot.