2014 - Year in Review

The endless, trudging march of time sees us once again stare bleary eyed into the uncertain future of a "new year" and "fresh start", while cursing the yawning chasm of empty darkness which now lies behind us. But we had a laugh eh? As the end approaches, a quick look back at our most read posts for this year, in no particular order...

Our main project focus for this year was 13 Commonwealth Tales, which explored folktales from other parts of the world, and also continued to encourage local storytelling. The project was supported by Big Lottery Celebrate funding.We all pitched in with our favourite stories and Mhairi did a smashing job on the artwork to create a storybook which we released during Doors Open Day in September. The 64 page book is available for free from Dutch Gable House and 7 1/2 John Wood Street, but will also be free online in January.

13 Commonwealth Tales cover by Mhairi

As well as details on the project itself, one of the most popular stories we shared on the blog (but which did not appear in the book) was the tale of Maddy Glasker...

Battle of Largs by Andy Lee

Details of our Viking comic strip exhibition, featuring artwork specially created to accompany the gothic poem Battle of Largs by Greenock's very own John Galt was well received. Which is good....as we will have some more news to share on this project next year...

One of our most viewed posts from way back in January, was actually not about heritage at all, but some well meant, hard learned advice from myself about finding funding for projects, and how the "community" bit isn't what you add in to get the project to look nice for funders, but instead, the fundamental building block for the whole process.

Tin Jimmy by Andy Lee

In March we shared a page from a comic strip featuring "the robot James Watt built", Tin Jimmy. And we will have more, slightly longer adventures for our Victorian Robot in 2015. Meantime you can read James Watt's own notes on the robots creation right here... In a similar vein, news of An Ancient UFO sighting in Greenock caused quite a stir...

And we haven't actually talked much about it yet, but it would be remiss not to mention how much fun Andy and I had working with the Gies Peace project and St Ninian's Primary Seven in Gourock all through November and December on a particularly wintery comic...Coldheart. Here's a wee sneaky peak...

So aye, 2014 has been a busy and rewarding year for us, but there have been a few other heritage projects delivering across Inverclyde over the year as well, so props to Rig Arts Are Ye Askin project,  the major event that was White Gold at the Sugar Sheds, Dutch Gable House's WWI drama project which you can watch here, the Absent Voices project, which explored the history of the Sugar Sheds and produced a whole archive of creative responses to that story and of course the start of Inverclyde's Great War project. Hats off all round.

We also turned Fifteen in 2014, which was nice, especially as we seem busier now than we have ever been. 2015 is shaping up nicely too, but there will be lots of time to talk about that next year. For now, here's another chance to see the trailer for our upcoming Time and Place project, featuring a new soundtrack from the band British Sea Power. The film and accompanying exhibition will be displayed in February...

Thanks for reading!

Steam! Sugar! Superpowers!

A slightly off topic post from me today, not directly Magic Torch related, but (maybe) of interest to fans of local heritage, folklore and stories.

The Superpower Project is the name of a children's book I have written. It's set in and around Inverclyde, using a backdrop of the sorts of folklore and legends of the area that are frequently found on this blog and featuring lots of local spaces and places, such as the Tobacco Warehouse, Glebe and the Sugar Sheds.

The book was shortlisted for the Kelpies Prize 2014, and was also shortlisted for the Montegrappa / Scholastic Prize for New Children's Writing 2014 under it's original title of Tin Jimmy.

I'm delighted to be able to say that the book will be published by Kelpies in Spring 2016. Kelpies are an imprint of Edinburgh based Floris Books and they publish some amazing, award winning Scottish children's fiction. Check out their wonderful new winter publications catalogue.

If you are interested, you can read some of the early draft chapters over on my personal blog.

The Superpower Project
Megan has a secret, a big secret that only her recently exploded Grandmother knows. To uncover the truth behind her secret, she and her best friend Cam must follow an old town map down forgotten roads and disappeared places, through abandoned bomb shelters and railway tunnels, to graveyards and secret passages beneath the river. And all the while, the sinister men from the Waterworx company are watching, with their strangely menacing Public Art sculptures...

Sugar Sheds Event - Free Tickets!

Its been almost a year since the Tall Ships and we're delighted to see that there's still an interest in The Sugar Sheds...


The Heritage Lottery funded Identity project run by Inverclyde Community Development Trust has worked with Riverside Inverclyde, James Watt College and Inverclyde Council to secure permission for a one day event in the Sugar Sheds...a performance of a play written by pupils from Saint Columbas with support from scriptwriter Danny McCahon (Waterloo Road, Casualty, River City)

Tickets will be available from today (Wednesday the 20th), and they are free! Show times are 4 o'clock and again at 7 o'clock on Thursday the 28th of June. Tickets are limited and are on a first come first served basis, so rush down to 7 1/2 John Wood street as soon as possible to get yours reserved.

Attendees MUST ARRIVE VIA PROJECT'S PROVIDED TRANSPORT, it is also free, but once everyone claims a ticket they will choose a location suitable to them to be picked up via bus, and then returned to that location after the show.

For more information or any questions please e mail gemma.callan@the-trust.org.uk or phone 7 1/2 John Wood Street at 01475 806 760.

We've also heard about another very interesting event hopefully happening in the Sheds sometime in the future. Cardboard Bay...find out a little more on Kim Simpson's blog.


And taking inspiration from the buildings a new local website has been set up to promote the Inverclyde music scene, listing everything from event management and recording services through to tutors and wedding bands. While they don't have any events scheduled in the Sugar Sheds at the moment, they will be running band nights at other venues across the area very soon. Check out The Sugar Sheds and a whole lot of local bands right here.

Something Wicked..

We're busy trying to compile and create a few new Ghost Stories for throughout December, but in the meantime, here's a few wee links to other stories and things we've been involved in over the last few weeks.

Over at Zuckerbeckers blog, you can read an excellent piece on one man coming to terms with what side Greenock took during the American Civil War. Hang on...are we the baddies?

On the Sugar Sheds blog, you can read about our journey into the heart of sugary darkness as we wander round the Sugar Sheds with psychic medium Joan Charles.

On TrustInverclydes Scribd page, you can download a copy of the Port Glasgow Social History book "Newark to Newark".

If you havent already, take a look at the Identity project blog...some good Galoshans video heading there soon.

And of no particular folkloric significance...I've been trying hard to work on National Novel Writing month. Here's a few chapters of my West of Scotland alien invasion story "Wasted", just to get them out there...

Now here's some Rik Mayall storytelling cheer....

Keep Greenock Sugar Sheds A Community Space

On Wednesday morning, following the Tall Ships weekend, we put a facebook page up suggesting that we should Keep Greenock Sugar Sheds A Community Space. Since then, thousands of people have liked the page, and hundreds have signed the online petition.

For many years Magic Torch have expressed our views on how the Sugar Sheds could be used more creatively, even before the arrival of the current regeneration initiative.

Since Wednesday, a group of around half a dozen new volunteers have been involved in keeping the page up to date, collecting petition signatures, running a twitter account and generally attempting to gather support.

We have been totally delighted with the positive response and alos the optimism of the people who have been commenting.

Sometimes in Inverclyde, we are too ready to be told what can't be done. What's been so great about this, is that people have not felt so confined or restrained, as a result we've seen some genuinely creative thinking.

We feel it would be wise to try and harness some of that thinking for the good of the community.

The Sugar Sheds currently have planning permission to be developed into offices, a cafe bar and restaurant. This is not the same as community space. "Public access" does not mean community space.

Yes, these suggestions offer the traditional opportunities for investment and employement, but there are other ways. Have a look here at Maryhill Burgh Trust, or here at Penicuik House. There are other ways to regenerate.

In the last two days we have had funders, promoters, businesses, artists and performers all come to us to offer support and suggestions. The key now is to build on that momentum, which I am sure our local Urban Regeneration Company would want to do.

We have asked to meet with them to see if we can take forward discussions on more formal community involvement in the further development of the building. With the community on board and actively involved as partners, a whole range of funding and development opportunities can be opened up which the URC would not generally be able to access.

In the short term, here's what we're suggesting

- Keep signing and sharing the petition

- Express your support for the campaign, in your own words to your locally elected representative

- Lets get back into the Sheds to run some more community events. August 6th is the 130th Anniversary of the James Watt Dock, Spetember 10th and 11th are Doors open Days.

In the meantime, if you have a particular expertise you feel may help the group, you can contact us on keepsugarsheds@gmail.com.

You can also visit our campaign blog.

Sweet.

Sugar Sheds

Most folk who ventured down to the tall Ships at the weekend had a good time, the sun shone, there was free music, the boats were lovely and the visiting crews were friendly and chatty, people were smiling.

However, a wee glance at online comments on Inverclyde Now, or various facebook pages associated with the event shows that clearly many people were unhappy with what they see as an ill equipped site for the thousands who attended with little postive impact for the local economy. I suppose that's all a matter of your personal opinion or experience over the weekend, as local stallholders, we were there from Friday night and pretty much stayed there for four days. But amidst the controversy and public opinion, there is one recurring theme.."the Sugar Sheds are an excellent venue". It's great to see the sheds being used and viewed in such a positive way, after all, their very future was in doubt after a mysterious fire swept through them 6 years ago.

The Sugar Sheds remain the centrepiece of the regeneration plans for Greenock, but perhaps, after the weekend, we should view those plans differently. Are the sheds really the right venue for more over-priced housing and nice new empty office space, unlikely to sell, or should we be daring to think differently...considering performances, indoor markets, exhibitions and art installations while we bide time waiting for the market to change. Assuming it ever does.

The brickwork, the high windows, the captured atmosphere of hundreds of years of history, once again brought this building to life in a way that nothing else has for years. We should capture that momentum and build on it, before the most recent ten year regeneration mission ends, and the building once more slides back into silence...

If you agree, you can visit Keep Greenock Sugar Sheds a Community Venue on facebook, go here to sign the online petition.


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