Imagining the Centre: Art in the Old Town of Inverness

Church Street is the venue for a free day-long event on Saturday 9 September aimed at involving the public in a major regeneration programme for the old town of Inverness.

From 11 am until 11 pm, the public is invited to the main thoroughfare in the old town to view and comment on the work of 14 Highland artists, writers, musicians, filmmakers and aural historians, who will represent the past, present and future of the city.

In daylight hours, “Imagining the Centre” will feature sculptural installations, performance, audio art and murals. 

As darkness falls, giant projections and multi-media performances will emerge and bring the streets to life. 

Lead Artist, Matt Baker, has selected participants for their diverse practices and professions, to ensure a variety of styles and approaches. 

The event is funded by the Inverness City Partnership with support from the Scottish Arts Council as part of a £6 million schedule of improvements for the old town.  The aim of Imagining the Centre is to involve artists and the general public in a creative and lively conversation about the nature and identity of the area.  Feedback from the public will be recorded and will inform other permanent works planned for the old town by Matt Baker and other artists.

Projects planned for the day are:-

Cape Reality   by Graeme Roger and Jeep Solid
A Multi-media performance featuring one of the city’s prodigal musician sons. Cape Reality draws on a personal Highland genealogy within the highly charged historical context of the Old Kirkyard. Performance at 10pm

Lorg  by Caroline Dear and Rosie Newman
Installation featuring materials from the landscape surrounding Inverness and featuring the songs of birds that would have lived in the Old Town when it was simply the bank of the River Ness.

Prey Pray  by Sam Barlow and John McGeoch
A giant steel Sea Eagle dives on Church St. During the day a hidden camera gathers images that are combined with footage from the natural landscape for an evening projection work with live music accompaniment. Performance at 9pm

One Day Revoledium ution by Dufi and Sophie McCook
The streets of the Old Town are infused with radical messages from the past and future of Inverness. Look out for giant banners, wall paintings and the reincarnation of the city’s lost Victorian statues ‘Faith, Hope and Charity’

Hidden Heroes  by Dean Melville and Evelyn Pottie
Contemporary portraits local personalities accumulate in the weeks preceeding ‘Imagining the Centre’ resulting in a unique interpretation of the city as a whole.

to the power of by Gavin Lockhart
Powerful projection work showing the generation of power as one facet of the complex relationship between an urban centre to the landscape surrounding it.

Soft City  by Gordon Urquhart
A sound collage of local voices, opinions and memories about Inverness.

Inverness is Pants  by Sarah Barnes
Your opportunity to air your opinions and ideas about your city through the unlikely medium of artistic underwear.

Contacts:
Evi Westmore, Public Art Coordinator, Inverness City Partnership
01463-723-533
evi.westmore@highland.gov.uk

Matt Baker, Lead Artist Inverness Streetscape Programme
07885-957-401
info@mattbaker.org.uk