In celebration of Summerhall’s 10th year as a vibrant multi-arts venue and cultural hub, ten Summerhall regulars: artists, residents and visitors – have contributed work for a new online exhibition. ’10 Years of Summerhall’ will see their work displayed on the Summerhall website from Friday 19 March 2021 – one year to the day since Summerhall was closed due to the pandemic.
Work featured in the online exhibition will include: a LEGO® Summerhall by Tammy Watchorn; a Summerhall collage by Abbie Gladwin; two poems about Summerhall by Andrés N Ordorica; a maquette with miniature model fragments of Summerhall by Jane Frere; and ‘The Bone Library’, a collection of animal bones discovered in Summerhall’s attic, painted and inscribed with poetry by Jenni Fagan.
The exhibition also includes a new piece which ‘reviews’ the ‘She Drew The Gun/Peaness’ gig at Summerhall in November 2019 by Julia Mason; collection of Summerhall photographs from the last ten years by Peter Dibden; ‘Accretion’, an installation artwork by Jenny Mason using ephemera found in desk drawers belonging to the old Royal Dick Vet School; a new video animation by Mamoru Iriguchi, tracing his history with Summerhall, the Fringe and Edinburgh; and a reworking of SHHE’s music/video/installation piece DYRA, which was first shown at Summerhall’s Scratch Night in March 2018.
Each piece of work celebrates the artist’s unique relationship to Summerhall: from playful reimaginings of the Royal Dick Bar in LEGO®; to the discovery of long forgotten animal bones in the Summerhall attic; to memories of pints shared with loved ones in the courtyard. 10 Years of Summerhall is an extraordinary snapshot of an extraordinary venue.
Verity Leigh, Summerhall Programme Manager says: “This project has been such a tonic in these difficult times. We’ve been able to invite some of our favourite artists to share work with a Summerhall connection, and through our open call we discovered many more creative people who have been inspired in some way by this building and what it holds.
“The exhibition reminds us of what we are missing just now, but also of what we have to look forward to once we are able to welcome people back to Summerhall.”
The exhibition includes both new work and repurposed and reimagined iterations of existing work – many of which are the result of previous commissions or residencies with Summerhall. Artists received £200 each for their contributions. The project was supported by Creative Scotland’s Sustaining Creative Development Fund.
Contributing artist Tammy Watchorn says: “I was inspired by Summerhall’s whole general philosophy and approach to re-purposing and bringing together communities in different ways. I always have a positive emotional response when I come to the place.”
10 Years of Summerhall is part of the latest iteration of Summerhall’s artist development programme, supported by Creative Scotland and BBC Arts. Re-imagined for a world living with Covid-19, the principles for the 2020-21 programme are: localism and sustainability; equality and diversity; and new work for a new reality.
As well as 10 Years of Summerhall, the artist development programme includes: three Summerhall Labs, offering artists time, space and money to develop new work; six Summerhall Space development weeks, offering artists in-kind space to develop new work; and more pending the easing of Covid restrictions.
10 Years of Summerhall goes live on the Summerhall website today at 9.00am, and all work can be viewed here: summerhall.co.uk/10-years-of-summerhall-exhibition/
