Caithness Arts Week - Kinetic Kraft & Metallic Objects

8th September 2006

Background to Oormlie Community Association's Caithness Arts Week project
OCA is looking to build upon its track record of project delivery with a community led renewable energy project of national significance. There are abundant renewable energy resources in Caithness and OCA is hoping to use some of these in its plans.

OCA wants to create a modern day destination centred on the community and its children. OCA wants to incorporate educational areas, linking to potential skills training, giving a route to new jobs both directly and indirectly. OCA will emphasise the benefits of sustainable living with use of green energy and practices, as well as developing a major eco tourism site. The Renewable Energy Park will combine the best initiatives to enhance community life but also provide a source of jobs, income, food and a sense of community. Founded on community involvement, it will be a showcase for renewable energy technologies, and energy efficiency and energy saving measures.

Renewable energy presents an opportunity for the people of Caithness to bring together many strands from history, the present and the exciting future to build a renewable energy park. This people's park will allow people to explore and understand these new technologies whilst the community works together to develop a safer, cleaner future.
The combination of community projects with visitor attractions and children's activities will provide a park that is on both the renewables and tourism trail in the Highlands. As a contrast to the history of Caithness with its interesting archaeology, we want to establish a unique arts project.

We will be seeking funding for an artist in residence to work with the community and engineers to develop a series of 'kinetic art' installations for the park. These will co-exist with a variety of wind turbines that will make up the wind power section of the park. We are hoping that this will present an ideal opportunity for an emerging artist to weave together the threads of wind power, looking at themes, modern and historical, such as sailing ships used in the now defunct herring industry, trees bent over in the Caithness wind, through to modern turbine installation for power generation.
We hope that the artist will work with local groups including our children to also weave their interpretations into the designs, looking for synergy with the various turbines that will be part of the installation.

Caithness Arts Week project for children
As a forerunner to these ambitious plans, we will be running a children's event during Caithness Arts Week in September 2006. Our after school sessions, that run from Monday to Thursday, cater for young children as well as teenagers (under 8, 9-11, 11-14). We hope to deliver the project to 40 - 80 children in the Thurso area. For the Arts Week, these sessions will be run as a taster for things to come, looking at arts and the renewables.

Sessions planned
Under 8 s Monday 18th September 2006 4.00 - 5.30 pm
8 year olds Tuesday 19th September 2006 4.00 - 5.30 pm
11 -14 year olds(girls) Tuesday 19th September 2006 6.00 - 7.30 pm
9 -11 year olds (boys) Wednesday 20th September 2006 4.00 - 5.30 pm
9 -11 year olds (girls) Wednesday 20th September 2006 6.00 - 7.30 pm
11 -14 year olds Thursday 21st September 2006 6.00 - 7.30 pm

The under 8s and 8 year olds will construct small paper windmills in paper and plastic from kits supplied by the Energy Savings Trust. They will also be encouraged to design and build their own windmills and kinetic objects in string, straws and coloured paper and to draw and paint images that reflect what they have learnt about renewable energy.