Children from Granton Primary School have created a colourful exhibition of artwork to mark the 30th anniversary of Edinburgh’s Old and New Towns World Heritage Site.
The celebration commemorates three decades since the site was inscribed by UNESCO in 1995, inspiring pupils to produce 28 beautifully painted and mounted artworks. Their pieces feature historic landmarks and buildings including Edinburgh rooftops, the Royal Mile, White Horse Close, the Mercat Cross and many more.
The class of primary four pupils worked with local artist Stephanie Walker on their ‘Imagine if…’ project. Stephanie helped the children put together artwork using the Old Town to help spark excitement and curiosity for the world around us. The aim of the project is to create a connection and a sense of wonder for the valuable heritage Edinburgh is so famous for.
The exhibition is to open in the Museum of Edinburgh running from Saturday 10 October until Sunday 10 January next year.
Local artist Stephanie Walker said:
“It’s so exciting to see the ‘Imagine if…’ project come together. It’s about to open now and the children are so excited to see their work professionally displayed.
“They put so much hard work into their designs and final paintings following a series of art sessions to help them imagine and create their work.
“We visited the World Heritage Site twice and the children brainstormed and shared ideas about what they had seen. They used the areas historic features such as the cobbled streets and listed buildings as visual aids to start their paintings. After some time sketching they all settled on their favourite scene. They should be so proud of the colourful and vibrant work they have created.”
Cllr Joan Griffiths Planning Convener said:
“I’m really looking forward to seeing this project brought to life in the Museum of Edinburgh in the heart of the city’s World Heritage Site. The children have put so much effort into the paintings we are going to display. ‘Imagine if…’ is both creative and educational as it has allowed the pupils from a different area of the city to use art to help bring to life different aspects of the World Heritage Site such as the buildings and skylines that they find inspirational.
“It is important that we preserve our World Heritage Site for future generations and I’m hoping this experience, seeing their work so beautifully displayed, means they will remember it and will value passing on their knowledge about what they have learned about how special the site is to others in the future.”
Photography enthusiasts are also being encouraged to enter a competition to celebrate the 30 years milestone running until the end of October.
Entries will be grouped into twelve categories, each celebrating a particular value of Scotland’s capital city. The winning photograph in each category will become part of a year-long calendar, which will be sold on Historic Scotland sites and at Edinburgh World Heritage events to raise money for the Trust. The over-all winner will take pride of place on the front cover of the calendar and will receive a one-year membership for Historic Scotland, who run top-rated visitor attractions all over the country.
