Remembering Together - Memory Bundle Workshop

Members of Kythe Youth group, Kinross took part in a memory collecting workshop asking that they share their stories of the covid pandemic. Many of these young people encountered the onset of the pandemic at a time of transition: preparing to go to high school and moving in to the first few years of their adolescence. The opportunity to take part in a youth group offered solace for many and the contributions reflected a spectrum of experiences and emotions. In Perth and Kinross the need to be in nature was a common thread to the experience of many children. With this in mind the day began with a walk towards Loch Leven, taking a route which the group visited and revisited in 2020. It was interesting as the young people retraced their steps reflecting on the time they spent there 4 years ago and the changes that have occurred since then. Stops were made at various points - an ageing oak tree, a drystone wall, a view of the hills - where drawings were made and objects were collected and attached to boards. The results on each person’s board formed a collage of thoughts and reflections.

In this case nature had a part to play in every person’s story. The young people placed seeds and dried flowers found on their walk into their parcels and placed their drawings from the walk inside. Using a series of prompts involving nature, friends, food and drink they painted their I remembers. They enclosed their most secret memory in a small envelope also included in the bundle and assigned a particular colour to this thought - a colour which reflected the myriad of emotions involved. The most common colours included reds, magentas and purples - a spectrum of jewel tones.

Returning to the work space, the young people took part in a number of drawing and writing tasks distilling their memories of this time. With Kristie’s memorial in mind they discussed the meaning of a memorial - Was does it mean to remember something difficult or complex ? And how do we make universal works of art which make room for every persons story?

The bundles were wrapped in cheesecloth and tied with a label which described their most significant I remember memory. Though on the outside every bundle looked similar, inside every small artwork told a unique story.

Huge thanks to Kate McAllan for running the workshop, to the kids who attended, and to Katy-Beth at Kythe for all her time and help.