by Margot Henderson
When Kresanna invited me to be the local artist working with DJ McDowell from the Stove Project on the Missing Museum project, I was delighted and daunted. Delighted as it felt so much in tune with my own work as a Community Artist. Daunted, when I looked at DJ’s website and saw how dynamic her work was. I was so impressed and wondered whether I would be a good match.
Artistic collaboration can be a bit like a blind date. You have no idea how you will get on. It can be hit or miss. Luckily, Kresanna is pretty good at artistic matchmaking. From the word go, DJ and I have been revelling in a really enjoyable creative flow, imagining the shape that the Forres Missing Museum might take.
The theme is intriguing and pertinent, given that we have a missing museum here in Forres! At the outset, we wondered about focussing it around the actual museum, given that there are moves afoot to re-open the museum once the conditions are right and the governance is in place. We had meetings with a few key people and had hopes of getting the actual key to have a look around to host the Missing Museum event there in March as a way of re-engaging people with the treasures on our doorstep. But it became clear that conditions are not in place yet so we let that idea go.
Luckily Forres is blessed with a few iconic spaces, one of them being the Tolbooth which is wonderfully maintained and managed by the Heritage Trust. So we had a wander around the nooks and crannies of the Tolbooth getting more excited about how the space could play host to the magic, mystery and mischief of The Missing Museum… I hope you are feeling curious.
Over the next few weeks, I will be meeting with some key people and groups to set up some introductions to the Missing Museum early in the New Year. So watch this space…
A wee footnote.
When I was asked to write a blog as part of the project, I had to admit I had never blogged. I am pretty old school. In my work as a writer, poet, performer and storyteller, writing is at the heart of what I do. But writing about the heart of what I do is another matter. I love what I do but I find writing a blurb or a biog can feel like getting blood from a stone. I do keep a journal so self-reflection is a familiar practice for me but keeping a ‘work’ journal is new. I chose to write this free hand first as there is something about that brain hand flow that feels more natural to me and flows more easily. One of the themes of the Missing Museum project is to consider what is precious to us, and what may be at risk and be worth preserving.
What would you choose? I realise I would choose a notebook and pen to preserve the art of writing because a notebook and pen are two of my best friends.
Hmmm! If this is blogging, I think I like it.
