Welcome to Marcela Skovranova's  Producing Cultural Project Blog 

                             Week 2 Defining Community

Case study 1: Artscape Wychwood Barns Project

This was an intriguing revelation to the first inaugural case study that I had to read for this class. I have never come across this project. Exploring the narrative of the community that collaborated well. They transformed an old neglected building into an Artspace and served as a profound inspiration to me and maybe the whole world. What resonated with me most deeply was the resilience, the struggle and the barriers that those individuals involved in this project faced on daily bases. The prolonged journey to just to attain official approval. 

We have also talked about words like collective, engage, develop, campaign, champion, motivator, lead, negotiate, support, democracy, persistence, and inclusion. Those words made me think about the article and have a better understanding of the roles of individual people who were part of this amazing project that took place in Canada. 

University Challenge

I was in a group with two other students and in 20 minutes we had to quickly research the terminology.

This exercise was a fun way to learn. I really enjoyed it. To make sure I am using the correct terminology I have used my lecturer's explanation:

Budget Conversation: A discussion or dialogue about financial planning and allocation.

Branding: The process of creating and maintaining a unique and recognizable image or identity for a product, organization, or entity.

Cultural Policy: Government or institutional guidelines and strategies related to the promotion and preservation of cultural activities and heritage.

Community Activist: An individual who advocates for social or political change within their local community.

Community assets: Resources, facilities, or elements within a community that contribute to its well-being and development.

Citizen’s Assembly: A group of randomly selected citizens who convene to deliberate and make decisions on specific issues or policies.

COSLA: Convention of Scottish Local Authorities, an organization representing local government in Scotland.

Community Empowerment: The process of enabling and strengthening communities to have more control over their own affairs.

Ethics Document: A written statement or code outlining principles and guidelines for ethical behavior.

Elevator Pitch: A concise and persuasive presentation, typically delivered in a short time, to introduce an idea, product, or oneself.

Fiscal Empowerment: The ability to make decisions and manage finances effectively.

Functional Empowerment: The process of enhancing one's ability to perform specific tasks or functions.

Ideation: The creative process of generating and developing ideas.

Impact Data: Information that measures the effects or outcomes of a particular action or initiative.

Outcome Agreement: A formal document outlining the expected results or goals of a project or program.

Participatory Budgeting: A democratic process in which community members are involved in deciding how to allocate part of a public budget.

Public Sector: Government-owned and operated organizations and services.

Private Sector: Businesses and industries owned and operated by private individuals or entities.

Risk Assessment: The process of identifying and evaluating potential risks and their impacts.

Subsidiary: A company that is owned or controlled by another larger company.

Stakeholder: Individuals or groups with an interest in or affected by the actions and decisions of an organization.

Third Sector: Non-profit organizations and entities that operate independently of government and for-profit sectors, often focused on social or charitable activities.

                                       Week 3 My Creative Self

Presentation of Pecha Kucha to sell myself as a versatile creative asset.

By making this presentation I have explored new possibilities for how to professionally present my past work and my current passions. Emphasising community engagement and my contribution, I aimed not only to capture everyone's attention but also to offer a glimpse into my personal identity. Understanding that sharing more about myself could build up better connections with my classmates. If I did this individuals in my class would get to know me better. I am a Make-up Artist and it is my passion. This is just a fragment of who I am, and through this presentation I wanted to introduce a holistic view of myself and my potential contribution to the community.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w8ZaGCXadNs

Feedback:

During class, I found it fascinating to observe my classmates' presentations, as they showcased their exceptional creativity. I was eager to learn about their approaches to presenting their work and to gain insight into their ideas for our community project. Each presentation offered unique perspectives and innovative concepts, inspiring me to further explore my own creative potential and contribute meaningfully to our collective project. 

Discussion and Identify groups for the culture project:

My teammates for our community project are: Billy, Phil, and Jakub

Research about communities in my area

Leslie community pantry

The mission: “our mission is to offer free and friendly support to people in our community going through a hard time” (Leslie Community Pantry, n.d.)

This local community where I live was founded in 2020. What they do is provide food and essentials to the members of the community who are experiencing financial difficulties. In this team are people who are volunteering and all essentials are provided to residents for free of charge.

Supporting this community are local businesses and donations from other people. 

“4000 Food parcels distributed

2200 Lunches for children

144 Christmas dinners provided

87 Children received Christmas presents” (Leslie Community Pantry, n.d.)

Gilvenbank hub

Is a Glenrothes Community Sport and Health Hub

Glenrothes Cricket Club and Glenrothes Athletic Football Club came together and created The Gilvenbank Community Sport Hub. “The business plan focuses on developing a purpose-built facility and associated playing areas within Gilvenbank Park, Glenrothes, for cricket and football with the aim of attracting more sports and activities to the park.” (Glenrothes Community Sports and Health Hub, n.d.)

More opportunities for the community to be healthier and the easiest way is through some sports activities. What a great idea, this is where I used to live before and the park is ideal for smaller or bigger groups activities. Even going for a walk, you can always meet people and connect with them because everyone is friendly and loves to visit this area.

Vision, Aims, and Objectives

The Gilvenbank Community Sport Hub has the following vision and aims:

Vision

“A healthy community actively involved in leading, participating in, and performing in a variety of sporting and physical activities.” (Glenrothes Community Sports and Health Hub, n.d.)

Aims

• “To maximise opportunities available to the local community through the promotion of current activities and exploring the development of new activities.

• To support sports clubs and their members to continue to develop and expand their organisation and improve service delivery.

• To maximise working relationships with key partners.

• To continue to improve, upgrade, and create facilities as well as improve access to facilities and protect green space.

• To provide educational opportunities for the local community.” (Glenrothes Community Sports and Health Hub, n.d.)

Rosyth Community Market

This is a monthly Community Market that takes place in Rosyth. They have over 40 stalls, serve street food, organise community café and all activities for kids are free including face-painting.

I am definitely going to explore this market that will take place at the very end of this month of October. From a business point of view, I want to see the layout and what fun activities they are offering for the kids.

Referencing:

‌Fife, W.O. (n.d.). Rosyth Community Market at Parkgate Community Centre, Rosyth. [online] What’s On Fife. Available at: https://www.whatsonfife.co.uk/event/124382-rosyth-community-market/[Accessed 3 Oct. 2023].

Glenrothes Community Sports and Health Hub. (n.d.). Glenrothes Community Sports and Health Hub. [online] Available at: https://www.gilvenbankhub.co.uk/home/our-story/[Accessed 3 Oct. 2023].

Garfield, S. (2019). Why do people join communities? [online] Medium. Available at: https://stangarfield.medium.com/why-do-people-join-communities-4ac1d9418e95. [Accessed 3 Oct. 2023].

Leslie Community Pantry. (n.d.). Home Page. [online] Available at: https://lesliecommunitypantry.co.uk/?fbclid=IwAR07Jtf_R7JatEkrBXl65c7W9ekGhmz8BB6qpVn3fyABrhfpMyPa2uBLeGA[Accessed 3 Oct. 2023].

                            Week 4 The Collective

Videos about the collective:

It was inspiring to watch the videos together as a group and see how the collective are working together. Especially because they all come from the same background as we are. So, the sky's the limit when it comes to ideas and working on a project where a creative collective can rise and shine. They are learning about discipline when working together, and have neutral respect for each other. I like where they say the phrase working under one umbrella, it describes collaboration accurately.

Working collaboratively, sharing the expertise, and sharing experiences, my personal and main focus while working as a collective would be the positive energy that I can bring to the table and I would expect the same from others. It’s strange to explain this because we just met a couple of months ago and now, we can create a collective idea for our group project. I have never collaborated with creative people apart from one day of the Braveheart challenge, that way I knew what to expect. Anyway, this is on a different level because we are creating a business and want to work with a community. What we are learning together is to share vision, but at the same time, we are building our confidence as mentioned in the video. 

A, Discussion about principles: personally, it would be a clear purpose of our project, communication is key when working as a collective and commitment.

B, Manifesto: as a group, we are still working on this

C, Our group logo and name: SwaveArt

Group Task

1, Our website has been created, but it is still in the working process: www.swaveart.co.uk

2, About us: As Queen Margaret University students, we are thrilled to contribute our creative talents to this remarkable project. Throughout our academic journey, we have dedicated ourselves to refined individual skills, meticulously building our respective portfolios. What sets this collaboration apart is our deliberate selection of each other, despite having only recently crossed paths at the onset of this course. Today, we present an exclusive offering, a distinctive method of crafting a personalised image from a sound wave.

3, Manifesto:  We are SwaveArt, converging from three creative collectives who are composing their most remarkable ideas and transforming sound into timeless art.

Referencing:

Highland Culture Collective. (2021). About. [online] Available at: https://highlandculturecollective.com/about/ [Accessed 19 Nov. 2023].

                                   Week 5 Planning

1, Discussion about

The AA 2.8 million Minds and AA manifesto:

What I have learned is how many people are creating safe havens for young people. This is an amazing project where they thought about prioritising mental health. I have learned that engaging with a community is

more accessible than I initially anticipated. A business can also recognise the wealth of opportunities by involving itself in a different community. There are so many potentials around us, the possibilities are endless.

To me, AA represented an exploration of creativity and urged people to unlock their inner passions and freely express themselves. For individuals, it was a journey of engaged openness.

2, Manifesto: we are three creative collectives that were inspired by a sound resonance. In our vision, the audible becomes visible and will be cherished forever as visually personalised art.

3, About us:

Our skills come from various fields. Myself as a beauty therapist and make-up artist I have an open mind to new possibilities, I am creative and have an eye for details, when it comes to perfection and suitable make-up applications. I am organised, my time-keeping is on point, I am always positive and trying to find ways to help people in difficult situations, and I am a good listener and hard-working person.

What I can bring to this project is my driven fascination with constantly expanding my skills and learning through new challenges. 

What I have learned so far about my two groupmates is that Billy has a great portfolio of music experiences, working with various clients and also in the past being a member of his band. He has inspired me by his commitment to Andy Man Club and we are going to find ways we can bring it together with our project.

Jakub is a creative and positively driven person, he puts good energy into everything he is amazed by, and no challenge is too big for him. He is a photographer and videographer who has understanding and experience in working with clients. I have learned that Jakub works fast on new ideas, and his way of thinking is similar to mine, that way, we as a collective are constantly moving forward.

Task

Where we live and who we are:

The material I read provided valuable insights, I can now understand the layout and in what order we as collectively can work to bring our project together. It is evident that we still have a considerable amount of work ahead of us. Every step, no matter how small, contributes to the process of our project. Given that this is a completely new project we have never done anything like it. This is a learning curve and it transforms all of us into a tangible reality.

Pitch document: discussion between Marcela and Jakub 

Assigning a chair = Jakub, scribe = Marcela and timekeeper= Billy

SwaveArt Project Meeting Minutes

Date: November 

Location: in person

Attendees: Jakub and Marcela

Agenda:

• Review Progress on Website Development

• Discuss Product Designs and Prototypes

• Plan Marketing and Promotion Strategies

• Explore Opportunities for Community Engagement

• Assign Action Items and Next Steps

Meeting Notes

Review Progress on Website Development:

• • Marcela provided an update on the status of the website development. She mentioned that the layout and design are almost complete, with only minor adjustments needed.

  • Jakub suggested adding more product images and descriptions to enhance the user experience.

  • Both assignment task for Billy to review the website content for accuracy and clarity.

Discuss Product Designs and Prototypes:

• • Jakub presented the latest designs and prototypes for SwaveArt products, including keychains and personalised lamps.

  • The team discussed potential modifications and improvements based on feedback received from protentional clients.

  • Marcela proposed exploring new product ideas, such as personalised bracelets, and agreed to conduct market research to assess demand.

Plan Marketing and Promotion Strategies:

• • Marcela and Jakub brainstormed ideas for marketing and promotion, including social media campaigns, collaborations with local influencers, and participation in community events.

  • Billy could reaching out to local media outlets for potential coverage of SwaveArt's unique products and story.

  • Jakub volunteered to create visual assets for marketing materials and social media posts.

Explore Opportunities for Community Engagement:

• • Marcela highlighted the importance of community engagement and suggested organising workshops or events to showcase SwaveArt products and interact with customers.

  • The team discussed partnering with local shops or community centres to host educational sessions on sound wave art.

  • Marcela proposed collaborating with local charities or organisations to donate a portion of SwaveArt sales to community causes.

Assign Action Items and Next Steps:

• • Marcela will finalise the website design and update product listings.

  • Jakub will create visual assets for social media marketing and promotional materials.

  • Task for Billy, he will reach out to local media outlets and influencers to pitch SwaveArt's story.

  • The team will continue to refine product designs and explore new ideas for expansion.

  • Marcela will research potential community engagement opportunities and partnerships.

  • The next meeting will be scheduled two weeks from today to review progress and address any outstanding issues.

Feedback: as a group at this point, we have not discussed much about the documents we have to fill in for our pitch presentation in December. All of us have been working together on the logo, the website, and the email. We have pooled our ideas to shape the concepts and methodologies for creating specific products aimed at new potential clients. Our timeline aims to prioritise selling products before Charisms season. Myself and Jakub will be working on Pitch presentation as Billy hasn't been involved as much as he promised at the beginning. 

Cultural project and collaboration with a community: we are exploring the idea of partnering with Andy's Man Club, an organisation linked to Billy. There are numerous opportunities that exist out there, but this collaboration holds more personal meaning. It could create a good impression and positive impact aligning with our mission. This is still work in progress, but we love the concept Sound Heals and this could reach out to many people in the local community 

Referencing:

the vacuum cleaner. (n.d.). 2.8 Million Minds. [online] Available at: https://www.thevacuumcleaner.co.uk/2-8millionminds/#manifesto [Accessed 19 Nov. 2023].

Highland Culture Collective. (2021). About. [online] Available at:

https://highlandculturecollective.com/about/ [Accessed 19 Nov. 2023].

Hidden Door. (n.d.). Hidden Door. [online] Available at: https://hiddendoorarts.org [Accessed 19 Nov. 2023].

‌Wasps. (n.d.). Home. [online] Available at: https://www.waspsstudios.org.uk [Accessed 19 Nov. 2023].

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www.facebook.com. (n.d.). Facebook. [online] Available at: https://www.facebook.com/G31Collective/ [Accessed 19 Nov. 2023].

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www.facebook.com. (n.d.). Log in or sign up to view. [online] Available at: https://www.facebook.com/p/Andys-Man-Club-Methil-100084506594087/?paipv=0&eav=AfbXpPKFzn2aFUfPbLROVwAVxJcRDVdvhlIsXvjv_4JrsTTmEFRG8P9AW_gCpVxn6CY&_rdr [Accessed 19 Nov. 2023].

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                                           Week 6 Planning 2

Research:

What is art: when we mention “art,” many immediately assume it is something that they can look at and appreciate. However, the term art holds diverse meaning for individuals and some forms of art aren’t for everyone. For some it is something that is important in their life. It could evoke vision or enhance the environment that we are part of. We need to learn that art is and always will be part of humanity regardless of political, personal, cultural differences, background or an imagination. 

What is sound: it differs in size, material and shape. Sound can have different colours and intensities. We can recognize musical instruments by hearing. We can also recognise when someone is talking by the colour of the sound. Each sound we can distinguish by physical intensity levels, which are measured in decibels.

Beginning of sound art: Luigi Russolo was an Italian painter who made art at the beginning of the twentieth century. He was inspired by noises from cars, guns, different objects, or sounds that were produced while a factory was in operation.  He used all those weird sounds and created new types of musical sounds. 

Our competition: I have found an American-based website that offers what we want to create. Their product prices are quite high and, in my opinion, not really affordable by many. I am taking inspiration from their website and what they do because their products are made in high quality. They offer jewellery, sound wave prints, and more.

In the UK I have found websites that offer this unique idea, but almost all of them only offer sound wave prints on canvases as a part of an art collection. Only one of them is offering products such as lyric night lamps. The base for this lamp looks basic and it only has white light as an option. We have created a similar product that could be used as a night lamp. Our light base is made by us from scratch and displays multiple colours, controlled with a remote control.

Reflection

What we as a collective want to create is to translate sound into a timeless art.

The fundamental question for us is how can sound art heal. Through this research journey I have delved into fascinating articles about evolution art and sounds, how they grew through time and how creative minds shaped sound into an artistic form that we know today. Now I can recognise that art in this essence serves as escapism.

We know that the path we are walking on is not straightforward, but in the past few weeks, it has been a profound learning experience for me. I have found that there is a gap in the UK market for what we want to create. Scrolling through all these websites one of them offers an extensive range of products, but they are based in the USA. With a positive approach, there is an opportunity for us to extend our reach in the UK market.

This is all an evolving process for us at the moment but I am prompt to reflect more on the ways that we could include the community into this project. I envision something truly unique, and it has never been done before. All the websites I have observed mainly offer products that are personal to specific individuals. However, our ambition is bigger. What we want to do is to include people facing physical or mental health challenges, and demonstrate our commitment to support and inspire.

Note to myself: I have started using words that I have not used before. I never make excuses that English is not my first language, what I am developing on my UNI journey is professionalism. I now have the understanding that this would not happen overnight, instead I need to expand on it every day.

Referencing:

www.gov.scot. (n.d.). Community Empowerment Act: easy read guidance - gov.scot. [online] Available at: https://www.gov.scot/publications/community-empowerment-act-easy-read-guidance/.

‌Tate (n.d.). Sound Art – What Is That? [online] Tate Kids. Available at: https://www.tate.org.uk/kids/explore/what-is/sound-art.

Ernst Billgren (2010). What is Art and 100 Other Very Important Questions.

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Tate (n.d.). Sound Art – What Is That? [online] Tate Kids. Available at: https://www.tate.org.uk/kids/explore/what-is/sound-art.

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Digicult | Digital Art, Design and Culture. (2011). The ‘scoppiatore’. The Intonarumori By Luigi Russolo • Digicult | Digital Art, Design and Culture. [online] Available at: http://digicult.it/digimag/issue-065/the-scoppiatore-the-intonarumori-by-luigi-russolo/.

‌Soundwave Art. (n.d.). Soundwave Art TM - Augmented Reality Artwork. [online] Available at: https://soundwaveart.com [Accessed 21 Nov. 2023].

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Mono Wave Art. (n.d.). Mono Wave Art - Unique Sound Wave Art Styles. [online] Available at: https://www.monowaveart.co.uk [Accessed 21 Nov. 2023].

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Aimee Rose Designs. (n.d.). Soundwave. [online] Available at: https://www.aimeerosedesigns.co.uk/soundwave [Accessed 21 Nov. 2023].

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songlyricprints.co.uk. (n.d.). Music Night Lights - SongLyricPrints.co.uk. [online] Available at: https://songlyricprints.co.uk/music-night-lights/ [Accessed 21 Nov. 2023].

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Blim & Blum UK. (n.d.). Soundwave Prints - Our Top Picks. [online] Available at: https://blimandblum.co.uk/pages/soundwave-print [Accessed 21 Nov. 2023].

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www.notonthehighstreet.com. (n.d.). Personalised Sound Wave Art You Can Hear By MixPixie | notonthehighstreet.com. [online] Available at: https://www.notonthehighstreet.com/mixpixie/product/spotify-personalised-sound-wave-print [Accessed 21 Nov. 2023].

‌🥇 Soundwave Art. (n.d.). 🥇 Soundwave Art - Sound Wave Art of Your Voice or Songs! [online] Available at: https://www.soundwavepic.com [Accessed 21 Nov. 2023].

Munki Magik. (n.d.). Munki Magik - The Sound Of Art. [online] Available at: https://munkimagik.co.uk [Accessed 21 Nov. 2023].

‌SongLyricPrints.co.uk. (n.d.). Sound Wave Minimal Black & White Any Song Lyric Personalised Music Art Print. [online] Available at: https://songlyricprints.co.uk/sound-wave-minimal-black-white-any-song-lyric-personalised-music-art-print/?gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiApOyqBhDlARIsAGfnyMrvsrqdWn_aZNg6964DcvagAgSjkPwEW7dACEHjGK_raPnV1YvftVEaAq7-EALw_wcB [Accessed 21 Nov. 2023].

Reflection

Our contribution to cleaning up Camby burn has been a deeply rewarding experience, as this act hasn’t been shown for years. Witnessing the amount of rubbish dumped there was disheartening, especially considering the consequences it had during heavy rains, causing flooding and posing a threat to both the environment and residents.

Our efforts to clean up the burn were driven by a desire to make a positive impact on our community and mitigate the risks posed by the accumulation of rubbish. By clearing the debris and waste from the burn, we aimed to prevent future flooding incidents and ensure the safety and well-being of our neighbours.

Through our hard work and determination, we were able to organise two clean up events and even secured a skip through our connections, demonstrating our commitment to making a difference. The response from the local community was encouraging, with our efforts garnering attention from the local council. This recognition has opened the door to potential support and funding for further clean up initiatives, paving the way for a cleaner and more sustainable future for Scotland.

Overall, our experience of contributing to the clean up of Camby burn has been a testament to the power of community action and the importance of taking responsibility for our environment.

Reflection

Moreover, we are committed to collaborating with local artisans, suppliers, and businesses to promote economic growth and sustainability within our community. By sourcing materials locally whenever possible and collaborating with local artists and craftsmen, we not only support the local economy but also celebrate the unique talents and creativity of our community members.

DaVinci Garden 

In addition to participating in events, we also prioritise giving back to the community through various initiatives. For example, we support Ecologi projects and have our own tree planting project to contribute to environmental sustainability.  

This means a lot to us and anyone can support our mission via this link:  

https://ecologi.com/plan?r=65bd64ba7246fa83075e222a

Reflection

Overall, our tree planting initiatives reflect our dedication to making a positive difference in the world and leaving a lasting legacy of environmental stewardship. We are proud to be actively involved in tree-planting efforts and look forward to continuing to support initiatives that benefit the planet and future generations.

What I have learned is that community engagement is an integral part of our business philosophy, and we are dedicated to making a positive difference in the communities we serve. Through our efforts, we strive to build stronger connections, support local initiatives, and create a more vibrant and inclusive community for everyone.