Welcome to the Ties to the Tay Project

Welcome to the Ties to the Tay blog. This  site provides information about activities and ongoing research related to the Ties to the Tay project, which is a collaboration between an interdisciplinary group of academics at the University of Dundee, the Nethergate Writers, artists, and community organisations.

 

The project aims to explore the changing relationships with, and representations of, the River Tay and its surrounding environs. Drawing on the work of creative writers, artists, film makers and many others, we hope to engage, document, create and celebrate diverse Ties to the Tay.

 

 

Through the process of storytelling we will investigate how we produce and challenge connections to places, and how we formulate new relationships with various landscapes. To begin this journey we are drawing on Watermarks–a new collection of poems and short stories related to the theme of the River Tay–produced by the Nethergate Writers. (The Nethergate Writers Blog provides further information about the group, as well as their related Nethergate Writers Twitter feed.)

 

 

The project is coordinated by Susan Mains, Lecturer in Human Geography at the University of Dundee.

 

 

 

This project has been made possible with financial support from Geography (School of Environment, University of Dundee), the Centre for Environmental Change and Human Resilience (CECHR, University of Dundee and the James Hutton Institute) and the Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland.

Ties to the Tay Reflections

Ties to the Tay has been a wonderful opportunity to work with a range of writers, residents and landscapes to explore our connections to place. I would like to thank all the project participants, The Carnegie Trust for the Universities of Scotland, and the University of Dundee for their enthusiasm and support for this completed initial stage of our River Tay reflections. I am currently developing ideas for future activities and project related funding, and if you are interested in collaborating please get in touch.

Best wishes, Susan P. Mains, Project Coordinator, Ties to the Tay.

TTTT will be at the Dundee Science Festival!

 

We have some exciting news of an upcoming event: Susan Mains will be discussing the Ties to the Tay project at the 2016 Dundee Science Festival. The event, titled Ties to the Tay: Narrating Stories of Belonging, Community and Place, will be an open discussion held from 13.30-14.30 on Wednesday, 2 November at the Dundee Science Centre. We will chat about the key goals of the project, the activities the group has been undertaking–including some reflections from participating writers–and share some short film clips with attendees. We are looking forward to hearing about your connections to the River Tay and welcome ideas for future activities.

The event is free and tea/coffee and cake will be provided! You can book tickets at the link here – Ties to the Tay Dundee Science Festival Tickets.

Completed Films and Upcoming Filming Activities

We recently held a Ties to the Tay meeting to catch up and plan further filming activities. It was a nice chance to chat and plan how we can build on our filming and storytelling ideas.

So far, we have completed three short films. The first is My Song, based on Megan Heather’s prose poem. Megan’s poetry eloquently captures the diversity of riverside places and emotions.

 

Based on the short story by David Carson, the second film produced, A World Away, explores evocative places that remind us of the importance of past experiences, relationships and memory.

 

The third film, Wade’s Bridge, builds on the poetry of Gladys Taylor, to begin a journey through the historical, architectural and cultural landscapes of Aberfeldy.

 

We are now planning additional editing and filming activities and are looking ahead to potential screening and outreach activities, as well as possible future collaborations with other Tayside groups. Further updates will be posted here in the near future.

River Stories with the University of Dundee Nursery

My son attends the University of Dundee Nursery, and invariably we get chatting about the various kinds of activities they are exploring. Following a conversation we had a few months ago, and enthusiasm expressed by our youngest campus members, Anne McIntosh, the Deputy Manager for the Nursery, decided to build on the topic of the River Tay with a group of the children. We are delighted that the project has been a catalyst for a pilot project through which the children have demonstrated wonderful artistic and literary skills! We are aiming to build on this activity and continue the collaboration.

The short film below shows some examples of the poems, artwork and stories that the children have developed about their Ties to the Tay.

CECHR Workshop and Fieldtrip

We’ve been getting out and about with our Ties to the Tay project. A few weeks ago we held a CECHR funded workshop at the Royal Scottish Geographical Society (RSGS) Headquarters in Perth. This was a very productive meeting where we explored: our progress so far; what sort of activities we would like to develop–including dissemination of the films we are producing; additional collaborators we may work with; and, the RSGS exhibition areas (where we may host future project events/screenings).

We also welcomed geographer and artist, Amy Woolvin, who recently moved to the Centre for Mountain Studies, Perth College-UHI (and is completing the final stages of her PhD in Geography at the University of Dundee). Amy’s participation in the group helps to strengthen our creative-human geography-environment connections, and further information about her fascinating dissertation project can be found here: Dissertation overview by Amy Woolvin (née Holden).

Following on from the RSGS gathering, we more recently held a fieldtrip workshop at a selection of sites that feature in the stories and poems of the Watermarks collection. One of the ideas behind the day’s events was to record project participants’ experiences and to document how the River Tay and environs had acted as a catalyst for creative activity and communicating new understandings of place.

We began our journey with a trip to the site of David Carson’s story, ‘A World Away,’ and recorded a short conversation about how the location had acted as inspiration. We also tried experimenting with some new camera equipment and a ‘furry’ microphone–kindly coordinated by Tracey Dixon–and realised that we’re getting closer to overcoming our battle with gusts of gales (but still have to look out for tufts of microphone fluff appearing in shot!).

We then travelled west along the River Tay to the hamlet of Kingoodie. This is the site for Roddie McKenzie’s soon-to-be-filmed short story, which explores some hidden ‘undercurrents’ of Tayside life. The area provides a striking backdrop to a tale of intrigue, unexpected adventure and humour. The area was also known for its quarrying resources and much of the nearby stone was used to reinforce seawalls built to protect this ‘Ceann na Gaoithe’  (or windy head(land)).

And although we found it in a relatively tranquil state, signs of change in the river landscape could also be noted in the form of a new residence being constructed on its edge at the old Kingoodie Pier.

Errol train station was our final stop before sustenance at our local favourite cafe, The Horn (which is becoming a regular creative stopping point!). Although no longer in use as an active station, trains still pass by on the adjacent line, and the station building itself is now a private residence. This is also one of the settings for Ann Prescott’s short film, ‘Wheels for Feet.’

The morning provided a unique opportunity to converse about how people and places have come together in situ, and how these connections can be interwoven through the mediums of creative writing and film.

Lots of Activities: Sound, Editing and Workshops!

Still from “A World Away” short film based on David Carson’s story.

Still from “A World Away.”

Things are moving along with our Ties to the Tay project. We’ve recorded the sound and now completed the short film of David Carson’s story “A World Away.”  Through the context of visits to a garden allotment, the film explores the central character’s relationship with his father, and paints a poignant and evocative story of the connections between past and present landscapes. Filmed on location at the Dundee City Council allotments near Magdalen Yard, we benefitted from great weather and learning new ways to create convincing sound effects!

Still from “The Point” based on Cathy Whitfield’s story.

Still from “The Point,” based on Cathy Whitfield’s short story.

We’ve also had a look through the rough cut of the visuals for Cathy’s film “The Point” and now have the complete voiceover, so following another editing session this should be our next film appearing shortly. This includes some dramatic shots of Tentsmuir Beach and the surrounding area.

Earth Room at the RSGS Headquarters, Perth (RSGS 2015).

In terms of upcoming activities: next week we will be holding our CECHR funded workshop, “Creative, Sustainable and Transformational Communities.” This event is kindly being hosted by the RSGS at their headquarters in Perth and will give us the opportunity to explore the progress of the project so far, upcoming filming, fieldtrip and screening activities, as well as the possiblities for expanding the project over the longer term. An update on the workshop will follow shortly along with details of accessing the films and future screenings.

We’re Screening at StAnza, Scotland’s International Poetry Festival

We have a very exciting week ahead. Three of our Ties to the Tay short films will be screening from 4-8 March, 2015 as part of the StAnza International Poetry Festival. The films begin screening in the Byre Theatre Conference Room in St Andrews on Wednesday evening (4 March) and run from 10am to 10pm during the rest of the festival (with pauses when other activities are being held in the same location). The screenings are free and provide a nice opportunity to sit back and enjoy some innovative audio visual entertainment in-between readings and performances.

The three films we are screening are based on the work of Roderick Manson, Gladys Taylor and Megan Heather.

A still while filming ‘Chase the Evening’ introduction.

Roderick’s short film provides an introduction/trailer to the longer film of his poem ‘Chase the Evening,’ which we will be filming during the coming months, following the river from the sea to its source.

Our recent filming took place on a ‘fresh’ (!) Sunday morning next to Broughty Ferry Castle, and provided us with some nicely atmospheric shots.

Esther Read, Alan Long and Gladys Taylor at Wade’s Bridge during filming.

The second film, ‘Wade’s Bridge,’ provides a historical poetic journey through the film’s namesake structure found in Aberfeldy.

Based on Gladys Taylor’s poem, the piece provides an evocative picture of changing architectural features, such as bridges, and their wider social and political presence. We were also able to celebrate Esther’s birthday, with a wee bit post-filming coffee and cake (an essential component of collaborative team building!).

Megan Heather, author of ‘My Song.’

And, finally, the third film poem, is based on Megan Heather’s poignant prose poem, ‘My Song.’ Filmed along the Dundee City Waterfront, in an appropriately moody and stormy day, the film encludes a range of striking textual and visual imagery enhanced by Megan’s expert narration.

Lights, Camera, Action!

The past few months have been busy for the Ties to the Tay project. We’ve been meeting up to explore the more detailed development of the storyboards for our short films based on a selection of the Watermarks short stories and poetry. This has given us a chance to think further about what sorts of locations, actors, and props may be useful as visual imagery. We’ve also been chatting about audio components: voiceover, music and, one of the writers, Gladys, has been sharing information in relation to audio software, particularly useful when accessing computer files and using iPads in relation to visual impairment.

We have also talked about other technical issues: sharing large video files, moving between iPad and android devices, how we may record sound–we now have a shiny new space-age looking microphone, so that should be a good help with recording voiceovers.

Our first day of filming took place, in glorious sunshine, in the vicinity of the Magdalen Yard (Dundee) allotments and went very well. This first film is based on David Carson’s short story, “A World Away,” and was very much a team project: two cameras, a sound effects expert (thanks Beth for the hard work raking stones and for your husband’s willingness to become an acting extra!), and impromptu meetings local residents. We’ll soon be posting some short clips so that you can get a feel for what we’ve been recording.

Our second day on location took place on the Fife side of the River Tay, as the river meets the sea, at the atmospheric Tentsmuir Beach. Once again we struck gold with the weather and got some great shots filming Cathy Whitfield’s short story “The Point.” On returning to Tayport we had a quick look through the footage, and we should have some super landscape shots!

So now we are moving on to further filming–Megan Heather’s prose poem, “My Song,” is next–and we will also be working through the footage compiled so far, including editing and adding in audio (without quite so dramatic wind effects!).

We’ll keep posting updates on the process, so please watch this space!

Storyboarding Workshops: Mapping out Words and Space

Over the last few weeks the Ties to the Tay group has been meeting in order to discuss and develop our storyboards for filming various short stories and poems from the wonderful Watermarks collection.

In many ways storyboards provide a ‘map’ for plotting out where scenes will be filmed, the chronology of images, how these match with text (or not in some cases!) and what audio may also accompany the visual components, especially in relation to emphasizing particular sentiments or associations with characters and settings.

(source: https://acomp.stanford.edu/tutorials/storyboarding)

In essence, storyboards provide a helpful tool for planning out filming and what comes next. They also help to transform the written word into, well, a visual and audio world!

During our discussions, one of the things we’ve explored is the ways in which visual images provide a shorthand for whole sections of written text–and also the ways in which certain events, histories, and perspectives can be hinted at through the perspective of the camera (or multiple cameras). A good example of the latter is shown in the short clip below–where the narrator discusses angles and the use of perspective in terms of how the viewer determines their relationship with central characters.

 

 

 

In terms of documenting how we imagine the films to take shape, we had a diverse range of approaches taken, including collage, dialogue and animation.

Storyboard design by Bet McCallum.

This diversity provided further fuel for thinking about the key elements of the stories and what parts could be adapted further.

Storyboard design by Bet McCallum.

University of Dundee Archives

Along with moving images, we have also been investigating the use of still photographs and relevant pictures held in local archives, such as the University of Dundee Archives, which host a wide range of material, including photographs, manuscripts and maps.

This investigation has led to fascinating discoveries including hidden histories and geographies of local institutions, such as St. Ronan’s home for unmarried girls in Dundee–the setting for one of the stories.

So there’s lots of activity going on, with our next storyboarding meeting in a few days, and the scheduling of our next set of soon-to-commence filming days–where there will be lots of “Lights, Camera, Action!”

And, in the very near future, the Nethergate Writers can be seen and heard at the Dundee Literary Festival at 5.30pm on Saturday 25 October in Bonar Hall (on the University of Dundee campus)–please come along and enjoy!

City River: Day 3 on Location

Last Thursday we completed our 3rd day of ‘location scouting.’ This one was actually more of an evening trip (than a day trip), and began with another mini-workshop in the Geography Department here at University of Dundee, and gave us another chance to get more familiar with the use of our iPads. Chatting with everyone during the workshops has been really helpful in terms of thinking about how we will plan out our ‘for real’ filming and what opportunities/limitations there may be in terms of the types of shots, audio, and stills that we can use.

 

 

Since this was the first scouting trip for a few people, we used The Law again as a starting point to orient ourselves and the impressive views–particularly a striking sky!–gave us some interesting inspirations.

While up on The Law we got chatting about the sort of length of film each of us may want to create: we’re thinking in the range of 3 1/2 to 5 minutes–enough to tell a story, but not so long that we start to become a bit too river-like and needlessly meander! There’s a lot you can do in 5 minutes: a look at the BBC Film Network – Films shorts section, gives an idea of the variety of content and approach a short film can incorporate. So our next meeting, sketching out our storyboards, will be a good opportunity to focus on the key points in each story and poem we will be using as a basis for our first set of films.

 

After The Law we headed down to the City Quay neighbourhood of Dundee’s waterfront. This is an area that has seen significant social, economic and material changes during the past century–from a shipping centre linked to the whaling and jute industry, to the current transformation as a creative arts hub (and lots of other things inbetween). Some vestiges of old harbour structures remain alongside more recent hotel, retail and apartment developments, as well as a waterfront walkway. The area adjacent to City Quay is also going through a substantial transformation as part of the Dundee Waterfront redevelopment, incorporating the high profile V&A Museum of Design, Dundee.

As we walked through this area we were joined by Nethergate Writer, Ward McGaughrin, who took some great photographs of our activities and has kindly allowed us to include several of these here.

 

 

The Panmure Passage sculpture, a granite structure that inhabits the 1901 slipway site of the RSS Discovery, provided a catalyst for even more photographs and (arty!) film shots as well as conversations about how this landscape has changed.

The Panmure Passage sculpture by Marion Smith at the City Quay, Dundee.

This was then followed by a short walk along the City Quay waterfront and a chance to practice some River Tay shots, before tracking down all of our group (!), hopping back on to the bus, and heading back to the campus.