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'Stories
from Syria"is a touching collection of
the Syrian refugees forced to flee their
country during by the civil war.
 
'Stories from Croft an Righ and Beyond'
is
a collection of wonderfully varied
memories of tenants from the Abbeyhill
sheltered housing centre run by
Viewpoint Housing.
Copies of
both books are available for £5. These
projects were funded by Foundation
Scotland
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2019 was the first
time Citadel focussed on a school,
Abbeyhill primary School, where
Citadel are the Artists-in Residence. We
collected memories of Abbeyhill former
pupils including famous footballer,
Billie Hunter. Historical research in
the City Council Archives and the
Abbeyhill HT's log book for WWII helped
us create an attractive book designed by
Eric Robinson. Citadel sound engineers
Stewart Emm and Allan Rhynas designed a
soundscape which covered the school and
its environs from the Victorian era to
the present day. Book and soundscape
were launched at the Colony of Artists
weekend in September 2019 and given to
the school as a resource. A play devised
by the after-school drama club with
teacher Marilyn Wilson and Citadel
playwright Alan Mountford was also
performed that weekend.
Our main 2019 project
focussed
on the SS Explorer,
the steam powered fisheries research
vessel built in Aberdeen in 1955 and
currently moored in Leith's
Edinburgh Dock. The Explorer
Preservation Society approached
Citadel Arts Group to collect
stories from those who worked on the
ship, as crew, officers, scientists
and cook. Thanks to Leith Benevolent
Association for supporting the
production of this attractive book
of memories which has gone to
Aberdeen and the Faroes.
  
In
2018 Citadel Arts Group produced
'Whaling Days
'a book
of memories of the Leith ex-whalers
which inspired two new plays "Whit aboot
the Wimmen" and "Malky". George
CumminS, President of Leith Ex-Whalers
Association, expressed his appreciation
for "the tremendous effort that you and
your staff have put into
recording the history of the men who
went to sea and the whaling industry.
You have enlightened the younger
generation of how these men went to sea
sometimes for over two years and also
the wives they left behind to bring up
children and look after home"
 
Since the
Women at Work
memory project in Jameson Place Citadel
Arts Group has produced a book of
memories of the old Leith Theatre.
This was launched in 2017 at our AGM.
About 35 people shared memories of shows
they'd seen and performed in, music gigs
they'd enjoyed - the Wombles was a
special favourite! - and a wide range of
events they recall from ceilidhs to
cooking demonstrations, and from
Ninagawa's MacBeth to the BBs.
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WOMEN AT WORK
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WOMEN AT WORK,
Citadel's latest
living memory
project was held
in Jameson Place
Shelter Housing,
a Port of Leith
Housing
Association (POLHA)
centre where we
have lots of old
friends. It was
our 4th and
largest POLHA
project and
focused on the
fascinating and
varied work
memories of 11
women from Leith.
This was a joint
project with
Edinburgh Art
Festival and
inspired by the
Dazzle ship
moored in Leith
docks. Many of
the Dazzle
designs, painted
onto our ships
in WWI to
confuse the
enemy, were
produced by
women, and Ciara
Phillips'
original
commissioned
design for the
Leith ship is
called 'Every
Woman'. A lovely
book of the work
memories was
launched on 11
Jan in Jameson
Place with
pupils from the
nearby Gaelic
School
presenting the
women with
portraits and
illustrations of
their stories. |
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WW1
Dazzle Ships
In
September, 2016, a trial reading
of a new project,
researched and written by Alan Mountford,
based on the World War 1 dazzle ships,
took place. The reading was in
Leith's Thomas Morton Hall with Trinity
P4 pupils and tenants from the Port of
Leith Housing Association Sheltered
Housing.
They
all enjoyed a draft of an early scene,
random arts giving will support the
project to develop a play about the WW1
Dazzle ships for Leith Festival 2017 and
we are seeking further funding. This is
a joint project with Edinburgh Art
Festival. 
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EVERYONE HAS
A STORY TO TELL
On 29th February 2016 we launched
'Everyone has a Story to Tell', a
book of powerful and moving memories
from Rowan Alba in Leith, The tenants
are all older men with a history of
homelessness and alcohol dependency.
Their stories were some of the most
candid and disturbing that we have
encountered, The project was supported
by Age Scotland.
  
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A SONG and a LAUGH
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A Song and a
Laugh' :
24th Sept 2015
Citadel launched another book of
living memories from the
Seagrove Centre for dementia
sufferers. A class from St
Ninian's Primary came along to
help us celebrate the occasion
with their drawings and drama
inspired by the older people's
stories.
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DANCING DAYS
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October 2014 saw the launch of
'Dancing Days',
a book of living memories of 7
tenants from Hermitage Court in
Leith. This gave us a hat trick
of projects from Port of Leith
Housing Association Sheltered
Housing complexes, the other
being Jameson Place and St
Nicholas Court. Thanks to our
funders Tesco Community Fund who
supported the work at Hermitage
Court
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Age Scotland Member Group of the Year
- Citadel Arts Group
On 1st October 2013,
Citadel Arts Group received the Age Scotland Member Group of the Year Award at a
ceremony in the Scottish Parliament. Left to right: Laure Paterson, playright;
Brian Sloan, Age Scotland Chief Executive; Liz Hare, Artistic Director; Cecilia
Rose, playright; Alan Mountford, playright.and David Urqhart,
The Age Scotland
Member Group of the Year Award is
sponsored by David Urqhart Travel.
You Never Forget the
Stories!
Dec 2013, saw
the launch of our longest living memory
book of reminiscences collected in
the Kirkgate Community Centre, Leith.
The group members, from a wide range of
ages from 60s to 90s, shared memories of
their lives in Leith and far beyond.
Their stories inspired Laure Paterson to
begin a new play project, ‘Leith at
War’, in which the older people will be
our script consultants and helpers.
HMS Cossack
returns to Leith 17 February 1940 after
rescuing the
British prisoners
held in Graf Spree's supply ship Altmark
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The
Robertson Trust is funding more living
memory work with older people with
dementia in Midlothian. A joint project
with Volunteer Midlothian - Community
Links Dementia Project is taking place
in Dalkeith's Welfare Hall. On 12th
March, the group were treated to
the premiere of Cecilia Rose's 'A Night
at the Pictures' with Mark Kydd, Rob
Flett and Laverne Edmonds as the
formidable Mrs Brodie who insists on
singing when the projector breaks down!
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Cecilia
Rose and Brenda Marr have been working
with a group,
who meet at Westfield Park Day Centre,
Midlothian, under the auspices of
Alzheimer's Scotland. Memories were
collected into a book as usual, but the
launch play was given a performed
reading by the old people themselves.
In
September they enjoyed seeing actors
Mark Kydd, Rob Flett and Sharon Erskine
read a longer version of Cecelia's 'A
Night at the Pictures' which will soon
be rehearsed to take into plder people's
centres. Our funders for this project
were Lloyds TSB.
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Stories and Memories from Nicholas Court
In June 2013
Citadel finished another living memory
project in Leith at St Nicholas Court
Sheltered Housing. Their book of
memories was launched with some
nostalgic violin music by Laure
Paterson, and a singsong in which
tenants were joined by P6 pupils from
Trinity Primary.
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Two
Memory Book Launches in One Week
Citadel has
just completed two living memory projects and launched
illustrated books of the participants’ reminiscences.
The first project was in Leith’s Jameson Place Sheltered Housing
where nine tenants met with Liz Hare, Laure Paterson and Warden,
Elaine Edwards to share
 memories
of growing up – in Leith, Crail and even south of the Border!
Vivid reminiscences ranged from the traumas of the War years to
bringing up baby.
The resulting book of memories was launched on 27th June
with story
telling from Jemima Sinclair and poetry readings from the pupils
of St Mary’s Primary.
The P6 pupils who starred in Citadel’s recent Leith Festival
show, reprised some of their songs and scenes for a group of
residents and families.
The project was funded by the Robertson Trust and the
Cooperative Community Fund.
Wedding
Photo taken beside the Water of Leith in 1997 of Walter and
Marilyn Paterson.
Walter and
Marilyn both live in Jameson Place and contributed their
memories to the project.
Westfield Park Living Memories
On 29th June 2012,
Citadel launched another book
of memories of clients from the
Midlothian Day Care Centre at Eskbank.
The stories of this well-travelled group
range from memories of Cairo and
Cambodia to South Africa and Zambia. The
participants told us: ‘It’s been
absolutely wonderful and I’ve thoroughly
enjoyed it.’
‘I’ve enjoyed it very
much listening to other people talking
about their lives.’
‘I was learnin the things
I’m forgetting all about.’
‘I’ve enjoyed it. It
makes you feel how different your
childhood was from someone in the city.’
People opened up and
spoke more confidently, shared their
humour, appreciated hearing one
another’s experiences and clearly
enjoyed taking part.
Funding for the project
came from The Robertson Trust and
Dalkeith Rotary whose new president
attended the launch and enjoyed seeing a
performance of Cecilia Rose’s
ever-popular ‘Jimmy and the War’ with
group members, staff, carers and
relatives. We hope this will only be the
first of many projects in Eskbank.
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Midlothian Community
Hospital
 In
July 2011 Citadel finished a living
memory project in a new venue for us
– the Occupational Therapy Department of
the brand new Midlothian Community
Hospital. Working in close
co-operation with the OT staff, we ran a
pilot project, stimulating and
collecting the memories of a group of
patients with memory loss and other
disabilities.
Their
stories were compiled into an
illustrated booklet which was launched
in July with a performance of Laure
Paterson’s Gold Rush, fresh from its
successful run at Leith Festival.
The participants, their relatives and
the staff told us how enjoyable and
stimulating the whole experience had
been:
‘interesting
to hear people’s memories’
‘The book is
excellent. . . enjoy it every time I
read it’
‘I felt like
I was part of the play’
Our
funders were Midlothian Small Projects
Regeneration, Dalkeith Rotary, and
Voluntary Action Fund Community Chest.
With further funding, we hope to
continue our association with Midlothian
Hospital and deliver a longer project
there. The OT staff are keen to welcome
us back.
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Penicuik Play Project
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In 2010
Cecilia Rose and Liz Hare carried out
the Penicuik Play project.
Memories were recorded, transcribed and
corrected by the old people themselves;
Cecilia then wrote short simple scripts
which they were able to read aloud
themselves – even providing the sound
effects! These impromptu readings not
only gave great amusement but also an
opportunity for the participants to use
their literacy skills and so avoid
losing them. This work was
supported by our partners, WEA, and
Midlothian Adult Literacy and Numeracy
Initiative (MALANI).
In 2009,
Cecilia and Liz have just completed two
similar projects: one in Pentland House,
Penicuik, with a new group of residents;
another in Kirkliston Community Centre.
As one Pentland House resident said:
‘This makes everyone into an
individual’. Both these Citadel Arts
Group initiatives culminated in the
production of a memory book, and
included opportunities for the old
people to have fun reading a script
based on their own stories, as well as
experiencing a short live theatre
performance by Citadel actors.
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At the
launch of the Penicuik Memories book,
the residents enjoyed seeing Cecilia
Rose’s play, ‘Jimmy and the War’ and
hearing Citadel’s co-founder, Millie
Gray, share her own wartime memories.
Pupils from nearby Cornbank Primary
attended this event and chatted with the
old people after the show.
We even
re-united a wee boy with her great aunt,
now a Pentland House resident! In
Kirkliston Community Centre, Caroline
MacKellar, Mairi Jayne Weir and Ian Watt
performed Laure Paterson’s Gold Rush
musical comedy, ‘There’s Gold in Them
Thar Hills’. Again local primary
children shared the experience and
chatted with the old people afterwards.
Our
sponsors in Penicuik were NHS Lothian
and Penicuik Common Good Fund. In
Kirkliston we were funded by Awards for
All.
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