Tag: artwork

Budding young artists celebrated at Edinburgh’s Christmas

The artworks of twenty-four young budding artists were celebrated at Edinburgh’s Christmas this week as children from fifteen local schools received recognition for their festive Winter Window designs.

The Winter Windows are on display at Edinburgh’s Christmas Festival of Kindness in St Andrew Square and along the top walkway of West Princes Street Gardens. 

Pupils from schools across Edinburgh and Midlothian were invited to submit their festive frescos and wintery works of art through their schools, from which twenty-four were selected to be displayed at Edinburgh’s Christmas and featured on the event’s social channels. 

Designs featured a myriad of Christmas accoutrements, including elves and angels, Christmas trees and snowmen, as well as city landscapes of Edinburgh Castle, and one particularly jolly owl!  

The winning artists and their family were invited to a prizegiving on Wednesday 13 December where they received a certificate of congratulations from Carol Tuzun of City of Edinburgh Council, and were invited for an afternoon of fun at Edinburgh’s Christmas including unlimited rides at the Festive Family Funfair.  

The full list of winning artists (arranged by school) are:  

Fola Olaniyi Nursery Canal View Primary School 
Fareedah Alagbe Nursery Canal View Primary School 
Louisa Lu S3 Castlebrae Community Campus 
Christina Zaloni-Noulas P5 Dean Park Primary School 
Aria Enwood P3 Granton Primary School 
Noemi Obara P3 Granton Primary School 
Ruby Bremner P4 Granton Primary School 
Leena Bahemia P4 Liberton Primary School 
Zuzanna Kasperczuk P6 Liberton Primary School 
Olivia Fuentes Granadero P1 Parsons Green Primary School 
Alasdair Robertson P2 Preston Street Primary School 
Aiden Dunleavey P5 Royal High Primary School 
Natalia Rafa P5 St David’s RC Primary School 
Zofia Berdys P5 St David’s RC Primary School 
Diddy Aravantinou P6 St John’s Primary School 
Michael Williams P6 St John’s Primary School 
Cassie Griffith P3 St Mark’s Primary School 
Finlay McDonald P3 St Mary’s RC Primary School 
Annabelle Greene P3 St Mary’s RC Primary School 
Ruan Byrne P4 St Ninian’s RC Primary School 
Hannah Capes P4 St Ninian’s RC Primary School 
Emily Fortune P5 Wardie Primary School 
Esme Martin P5 Wardie Primary School 
Braxton Williams S1 Wester Hailes High School 

Councillor Joan Griffiths, Education, Children and Families Convener for the City of Edinburgh Council, said: “A huge congratulations to all Winter Windows winners. It’s wonderful to see young budding artists recognised for their festive displays which will bring joy to so many over the next few weeks!” 

The Winter Windows will be displayed at Edinburgh’s Christmas until Saturday 6 January 2024 and can be viewed at St Andrew Square and along the top walkway of West Princes Street Gardens.  

For further information and tickets to Edinburgh’s Christmas attractions please visit www.edinburgh-christmas.com. 

ELREC: Art through Language project

*** Starting next Monday 9th October ***

ELREC are organising a very exciting workshop in partnership with Heriot-Watt University exploring people’s perception of their language and how it can be reflected in a form of art.

Join us for this very creative course. Attendance at all the sessions is not necessary, you can come along to as many sessions as you wish. All materials and food are provided😄

Need more information? email mrostami@elrec.org.uk

#art

#language

#linguistics

#community

Artwork by over 500 talented Scottish young artists is now being showcased in Scotland’s National gallery

Your Art World

FREE

National Galleries of Scotland: National

24 June 2023 – 14 April 2024

Visitors to the National can now explore the spectacular Your Art World exhibition, showcasing the artwork of creative 3–18-year-olds from Scotland. The nationwide call out has inspired over 500 incredible young artists from across the country to get involved.

The Your Art World project aims to engage with young people and encourage them to think and act more creatively. Having uploaded their creations digitally to National Galleries of Scotland’s website, the artwork is now proudly displayed on screens at the National.

The young people could be as imaginative as they liked and use any type of materials for their creations, resulting in a superb collection of artworks. The exhibition is a celebration of what happens when young people are encouraged to be wildly imaginative with no limitations.

Your World celebration day at the National Galleries.

Four community and school groups, from the Scottish Highlands to the Borders, also worked alongside the National Galleries of Scotland to create physical installations. Groups involved included Dounby Community School and Nursery, secondary schools from across the Scottish Borders and Granton Primary.

A group of children and their families from PAMIS, an organisation in Scotland working with people with profound and multiple learning disabilities for a better life, are also featured.

The result is a creation of extraordinary displays ranging from environmentally inspired projects made with rubbish collected from the shores of Orkney to stunning paintings, drawings, and 3D sculptures, along with sensory led artwork by the PAMIS group.

Families and young people inspired by the creativity will also be able to get involved in making their own creations in the galleries this Summer. With a specially created ‘make and share’ area allowing them to produce and upload their own work to the website. There is also the added bonus of having their artwork added to the digital showcase on the screens.

Your World celebration day at the National Galleries.

Siobhan McConnachie, Head of Learning and Engagement, National Galleries of Scotland, said: “I feel so excited and proud to be showcasing the artwork of the talented young artists of Scotland.

“The response has been truly inspiring and we have been so impressed with everyone’s creativity. The Your Art World project is incredibly important to us at National Galleries of Scotland as it hands over the creative process to young people and celebrates their work.

“Art has its place in every school, home and young person’s life, whether that be encouraging people to think creatively, use it as an expressive outlet or simply for some fun, this project and exhibition celebrates that art really is for everyone.”

Your World celebration day at the National Galleries.

Dounby Community School Head Teacher, Islean Gibson, said: “Being part of such an amazing gallery exhibition has given everyone here at Dounby School such a sense of pride and motivation.

“Sharing our thoughts and ideas as part of a national project has really inspired our whole school community. The power of creation will have a lasting legacy.

“It makes me swell with pride every day seeing just how impactful creativity can be for a wee school and its community. I would wholeheartedly recommend everyone take that step into Your Art World and see where it takes you!”

The exhibition is part of a wider Your Art World project which aims to engage and encourage young people in the world of art. With online resources available for teachers and families to support children in art-based activities, the project encourages everyone to get involved no matter ability or knowledge. By providing tools and guidance, Your Art World demystifies the creative process and makes art accessible to everyone.

The exhibition is made possible thanks to funds raised by players of People’s Postcode Lottery, who have raised more than £5 million awarded by Postcode Culture Trust to support National Galleries of Scotland.

All submissions can be viewed via the online gallery and will also be displayed digitally at the National until 14 April 2024.

New art reveals what the next James Bond could look like

  • New art imagines what the next James Bond looks like, based on an AI interpretation of official casting requirements outlined by Barbara Broccoli 
  • The Bond producer revealed that the next 007 would be a British male actor under 40 years of age and over 5’10 in height, following fan speculation 
  • When those requirements are inputted into an AI generator, the resulting images bear a notable resemblance to some fan favourites for the role 
  • The image looks most like current 007 frontrunner Aaron Taylor-Johnson, who coincidentally meets both the casting age and height requirements

New art reveals what the next James Bond could look like, based on the only official confirmation of casting guidelines released so far, from Barbara Broccoli herself.

The image, created by Hearts Land, was a result of inputting the casting guidelines as a prompt into an AI art generator as follows: ‘British actor under 40 years old and over 5′ 10 in height, to play the next James Bond’ – and the results are pretty astounding. 

And despite not including any reference to any current actors or James Bond frontrunners, the image bears a strikingly close resemblance to current favourite, Aaron Taylor-Johnson.

The image shows a James Bond with the same skin colour, eye colour and hair colour as Taylor-Johnson, and even bears a similar facial expression as the High Wycombe-born star.

At 32 years old and 5’ 11 in height, Aaron is a perfect fit – and is currently having a resurgence in popularity on social media, as fans praised his images from Calvin Klein’s Spring 2023 campaign, which he starred in alongside Michael B. Jordan and Kendall Jenner.

Coincidentally, he’s currently the favourite to play the next James Bond at most bookmakers, having dethroned The Witcher’s Henry Cavill last week in the running. 

And whilst the image is by no means conclusive evidence that Aaron-Taylor Johnson is the next James Bond, it’s a good sign that even AI is able to imagine him stepping in the role, with speculation still rife after Daniel Craig stepped down from the role two years ago. 

The argument could be made for other James Bond favourites, too, as the AI image bears some passing resemblance to James Norton, Sam Hueghan and Michael Fassbender. 

As well as imagining what the next James Bond will look like, Hearts Land also asked the AI generator to visualise the next Bond girl, based on the following prompt: ‘Mid-twenties British actress at 5’ 7 in height, to play the next Bond girl’ – and the results are also cool. 

There are no official guidelines for Bond’s love interest, but previous casting choices reveal she’s typically aged between 20 and 30, and has yet to be taller than 007 himself. In fact, Gemma Arterton previously revealed Daniel Craig wore shoe lifts to appear taller than her.

And based on the image, the next Bond girl will be a bombshell, with luminous blue eyes, a stunning complexion and long flowing hair that’s sure to turn 007’s head.

It’s harder to match the AI interpretation to a specific actress given there’s less speculation for that role compared to Bond, but it does bear some resemblance to Doctor Who’s Caitlin Blackwood (22 years), and her superstar cousin, Karen Gillan (35 years). 

Arguably, 28-year old Eloise Smith of Cyn fame could also be a good fit, were she to dye her hair, as well as Liason’s Olivia Popica (29 years), and Apostasy’s Molly Wright (27 years). 

Speaking on the images, Hearts Land said: “One of the most exciting applications of AI at the moment is to imagine what producers and casting directors are imagining or looking for when casting popular characters – particularly for shows where it’s really all up in the air. 

“It’s fascinating that AI is able to create a realistic image of someone based on such little information – and it’s particularly exciting that this bears such a close resemblance to frontrunner Aaron Taylor-Johnson. It’ll be amazing if he actually lands the role now!”

Flooded people asked to share their experiences for exhibition

The National Flood Forum are joining forces with The Chartered Institution of Water and Environmental Management (CIWEM) to create an exhibition highlighting peoples experience of flooding.

The exhibition will take place as part of the Flood & Coast Conference at Telford International Centre in June 2023.

People who have been flooded are being asked to share artwork, poetry and / or photographs that show their experiences of being impacted by floods.  There may also be the opportunity to attend the event and give your personal experience of flooding.

Tracey Garrett, CEO, National Flood Forum, said: “We would like to increase understanding between the industry and those who flood and putting this exhibition of flooded people’s experiences into the Flood and Coast Conference, gives a chance to do just that.’’

Terry Fuller, CEO at CIWEM, said: “We want our conference to place communities at the heart of our thinking and discussions.

“Flood & Coast provides a great opportunity to raise the importance of community engagement amongst the flood risk professionals and decision makers who attend. It is personally important to me that everyone with an interest in flood and coastal risk feels welcome and able to participate”.

For more details and to submit your contribution visit:

https://zealous.co/ciwem2/opportunity/Flood-Coast-2023-Your-flood-experience-story/

UK’s largest marine plastic mural to be unveiled in North Berwick

Eight-metre installation with vital message to launch this Saturday

LOCALS are encouraged to attend North Berwick Harbour for the official launch of a highly anticipated mural which is made up of 13,000 pieces of plastic collected from East Lothian beaches.

The event will be taking place on Saturday 25 March between 1pm and 4pm and will involve educational workshops from the Scottish Coastal Clean Up.

Attendees will also be able to speak to the artist behind the mural – award-winning local artist, Julie Barnes – who created the installation to illustrate the concerning levels of marine waste along Scotland’s coastline.

In partnership with North Berwick Harbour Trust, local businesses Jerba Campervans and Caledonia Horticulture commissioned Julie to create the 8-metre-long mural which is believed to be the biggest of its kind in the UK.

Julie, said: “As a local artist who loves living in East Lothian, I care passionately about our beautiful environment. Each piece of plastic tells the story of today’s culture and its obsession with convenience, despite the shocking consequences.

“It feels amazing to have been chosen to create this educational artwork and I hope, like all my work, it will inspire viewers to stop, think and make a conscious effort to help preserve our planet.”

The mural has been made from approximately 13,000 bits of a 27,000-piece plastic collection that was gathered by East Lothian local, Elizabeth Vischer, from a 200m stretch of Longniddry Bents.

Over lockdown, Elizabeth set herself the task of completing 100 beach cleans and decided to document the process along the way – the images she took will be on display in the nearby Seabird Centre for a 3-month period.

Simon Poole, co-founder of Jerba Campervans said: “It’s fantastic to see the local community supporting this inspirational initiative.

“Not only does it send out a vital message about plastic waste in our seas but also brings a new and vibrant piece of wonderful art to North Berwick Harbour.

“To see the project grow from an initial idea into a large-scale physical depiction of such an important issue in today’s society has just been incredible.”

The intricate artwork – which will illustrate a beach scene and image of Bass Rock – will span North Berwick’s harbour wall and will be accompanied by an interpretation board explaining the meaning behind the mural, urging people to act now.

Kate Miller, Head of Communications and Environmental Projects at Caledonian Horticulture said: “When Simon from Jerba got in touch after being inspired by another educational marine plastic mural and reading about our beach cleans, it was suggested we create something similar in East Lothian – it was an opportunity we couldn’t turn down!

“Caledonian Horticulture started The Scottish Coastal Clean Up initiative in 2021 and through our beach cleaning work, we became aware of Elizabeth and the monumental task she had taken on.

“The mural seemed like the ideal use of the astonishing 27,000 pieces of plastic gathered off the East Lothian coast line and really drives home the issue of marine plastic.

“From a distance, the mural appears to depict a colourful beach scene, but as you get closer and the details become clearer, you can make out the sheer scale of everyday items that have sadly ended up in our seas.

“We want the illustration to make people question how these items ended up in our seas and on our beaches and think about what they can do to help stop that happening.”

The artwork will last for many years in the sea spray environment and its impact is hoped to be maximised as tourists flock to the hotspot.

The North Berwick Harbour Trust, a small local charity that aims to maintain, conserve and improve North Berwick Harbour commissioned the co-operative project across the supporting companies, Jerba Campervans and Caledonia Horticulture and the artist, Julie Barnes.

The charity believes that all participants in the project are enhancing the Harbour and enlightening the massive numbers of visitors and locals at the community asset.

The eight panels making up the mural have each been sponsored by a local business; Steampunk, Turnbulls Home Hardware, The Lobster Shack & Rocketeer, Meg Maitland, Peppermint Beach, Fidra Charity and North Berwick Trust.

To find out more about The Scottish Coastal Clean Up and how you can get involved in future beach cleans visit: https://caledonianhorticulture.co.uk/the-scottish-coastal-clean-up/

To find out more about Jerba Campervans, visit www.jerbacampervans.co.uk

To find out more about Caledonian Horticulture, visit www.caledonianhorticulture.co.uk

To find out more about Julie Barnes, visit https://juliebarnes.co.uk/

90ft sculpture of the bacteria E.coli goes on show at the National Museum of Scotland

National Museum of Scotland E.Coli by Luke Jerram 5 million times bigger than the real bacteria, Bristol-based Luke Jerram’s inflatable E. coli sculpture will be suspended from the ceiling of the Grand Gallery. Neil Hanna Photography www.neilhannaphotography.co.uk 07702 246823

A 90ft long inflatable sculpture by Bristol-based Luke Jerram has been suspended from the ceiling of the National Museum of Scotland’s Grand Gallery. The E.coli, which is 5 million times bigger than the real bacteria, is on display in Scotland for the first time.  

Bacteria were the earliest form of life on our planet, and so this artwork could be considered as a curious portrait of our distant ancestors. If there is life on other planets (or moons) in our solar system, it may well look like this.

This artwork was also made to reflect upon the importance of bacteria in our lives. Although some forms of Escherichia coli (or E. coli) bacteria can cause illness and even death in humans, the use of the bacteria is vital in medical research.   

Luke Jerram’s E.coli is part of the 18th edition of Edinburgh Art Festival which runs from 28 July – 28 August 2022 at venues across the city, as are the exhibitions Anatomy: A Matter of Life and Death and Japanese Contemporary Design, both of which are also on at the National Museum of Scotland during the Festival. 

Luke Jerram said: “Making visible the microscopic world around us, the artwork was made as an experimental object to contemplate. 

“When standing next to it, does the bacteria alter our personal sense of scale? Does it look scary, beautiful, comical or alien? Will audiences be attracted or repelled by it?” 

Alison Cromarty, Head of Exhibitions and Design at National Museums Scotland said: “We’re delighted to be bringing this spectacular creation to Scotland for the first time.

“It’s great to have it on display during the festival period and particularly as part of the Edinburgh Art Festival.” 

This giant inflatable E.coli sculpture was made for the KREBS Fest, presented at University of Sheffield.

The artwork was first displayed for a month in the Winter Gardens in and then in Firth Hall, Sheffield. The artwork has since been presented in other venues around the UK including the Eden Project.

It has been brought to Edinburgh with the support of the University of Sheffield and the and UKRI strategic priority fund “Building collaboration at the physics of life interface”. 

Inspiring plastic waste artwork planned for North Berwick

Work to begin on eight-meter installation with vital environmental message

A MURAL made up of 27,000 pieces of plastic collected from East Lothian beaches to illustrate the concerning levels of marine waste along Scotland’s coastline is going through the planning process.

In partnership with North Berwick Harbour Trust, local businesses Jerba Campervans and Caledonia Horticulture have enrolled Julie Barnes – an award-winning local artist from Aberlady – to create the educational mural.

The intricate artwork – which will depict a beach scene and image of Bass Rock – will span eight-metres along North Berwick’s harbour wall and will be accompanied by an interpretation board explaining the meaning behind the artwork and urging people to act now.

Both the family-run campervan convertor and the horticultural products producer are the main financial contributors towards the project, inspiring other local business to also make donations.

Simon Poole, co-founder of Jerba Campervans said: “The planned mural will not only be visually breath taking, but will also send a clear message about the real harm that waste plastic is causing to our seas and beaches.

“We’re delighted to have Julia on board with this project as it is an important message that hopefully will chime with a range of audiences, locally and also out with the area.

“As a company that is enthusiastic about all things outdoors, these initiatives are so important to us as we strive to preserve the beautiful coastlines and natural land. A plastic-free beach shouldn’t be a novelty, but should be something that is standard.

“East Lothian is becoming increasingly popular with tourists, with so many visiting North Berwick’s Harbour, so the visual representation will be seen by hundreds. We expect it to very quickly become a local talking point and quite possibly a tourist attraction in its own right.”

In addition to being one of the primary sponsors, Jerba has also helped Julia prepare eight individual panels required for the base of the artwork which have been treated and cut to size before being delivered to the artist.

The 27,000 fragments of plastic were collected by one dedicated local who spent 100 days gathering the pieces along Longniddry Bents and the intricate artwork is expected to take Julia over two months to produce.

Kate Miller, Marketing, Communications and Environmental Manager at Caledonian Horticulture said: “We are committed to being a business with a positive environmental and social impact, as we’ve seen first-hand the damage marine waste is causing to our wildlife.

“Simon from Jerba got in touch after being inspired by another educational marine plastic mural and reading about our beach cleans. It was suggested we create something similar in East Lothian – it was an opportunity we couldn’t turn down!

“An East Lothian local, Lil Vischer, who was just about to complete a challenge she had set herself over lockdown to achieve 100 beach cleans on a 200m stretch of beach at Longniddry Bents removed around 27,000 pieces of plastic over her challenge. Her collection of marine plastic is being used to create the mural, raising awareness of the issue that is so close to our hearts.”

The planned artwork will last for many years in the sea spray environment and its impact is hoped to be maximised as tourists flock to the hotspot.

Julie Barnes, whose most recent project comprised a life-sized seal structure made from waste plastic for an environmental competition, said: “Art can speak a thousand words and I hope that this important mural will make a connection with the viewer.

“Alongside my regular work as a painter, I use the power of art to provoke emotional and practical responses to environmental issues facing us all.

“It’s an honour to do the installation and the visual power of art is an incredible way to inspire, educate and bring vital behaviour change across society as a whole.”

The North Berwick Harbour Trust, a small local charity that aims to maintain, conserve and improve North Berwick Harbour commissioned the co-operative project across the supporting companies, Jerba Campervans and Caledonia Horticulture and the artist, Julie Barnes.

The charity believes that all participants in the project are enhancing the Harbour and enlightening the massive numbers of visitors and locals at the community asset.

Current additional sponsors who have each pledged a donation towards the artwork include Peppermint Beach, Turnbulls Home Hardware, North Berwick Trust, Steampunk, Meg Maitland, Fidra Charity and The Lobster Shack & Rocketeer.

To find out more about Jerba Campervans, visit www.jerbacampervans.co.uk

To find out more about the organised beach cleans, visit: 

www.caledonianhorticulture.co.uk/the-scottish-coastal-clean-up

Census 2022: ‘Scotland Connected’ completes its tour in Edinburgh

Pictured: India Winston and Lauren Boland ‘Scotland Connected’, a large-scale artwork created to mark Scotland’s Census. The 4 metre by 2 metre artwork visited Edinburgh on Sunday where locals coloured in sections and found out more information about filling in the census.

‘Scotland Connected’ completed its tour of the nation’s communities on Sunday as it visited the heart of Edinburgh on Census Day.

Created by the Edinburgh-based artist, Pilar Garcia de Leaniz, the artwork represents the fabric of Scotland, its people and the role of the census, an official count of everyone in Scotland which is used to plan vital public services and inform investment in areas such as education.

The census is a unique count of everyone in Scotland; it is used to plan vital public services and inform investment in areas such as education, transport, health and social care.

For the first time it is anticipated that the majority of census responses will be made online, with paper questionnaires available for those who wish to use them.

More than one million households had already completed Scotland’s Census 2022, ahead of Census Day on Sunday.

These households are making sure their contribution count when it comes to important services in their communities, from health and social care, to transport and education.

It’s essential that everyone in Scotland takes the time to fill in the census to ensure that every household is heard and their needs captured; it’s also a legal responsibility.

The artwork – which represents the fabric of Scotland, its people and the role of the census – was met by Pilar Garcia de Leaniz, the artist who designed it, and Registrar General and Chief Executive of National Records of Scotland (NRS), Paul Lowe.

Pictured: Lara Fabiani and Gary Moncreith ‘Scotland Connected’, a large-scale artwork created to mark Scotland’s Census. The 4 metre by 2 metre artwork visited Edinburgh on Sunday where locals coloured in sections and found out more information about filling in the census.

Paul Lowe said: “To reach one million completed returns, ahead of Census Day on 20 March, is an amazing milestone. I want to thank everyone who has participated so far. I am delighted to see such a terrific response from the people of Scotland.

“The census only happens every ten years and its results will be important for generations to come. By taking a few minutes to answer questions about yourself, your household, and the place where you live, everyone plays a vital role in helping shape important services in your community, from the building of new schools and hospitals to improving transport links and understanding health needs.

“These one million  households have ensured their voices have been heard. Make sure yours is too. It’s quick and easy to complete online, with paper forms available for those who need them.

“Help and support is available on our website census.gov.scot or via our free helpline 0800 030 8308.”

Pictured: India Winston ‘Scotland Connected’, a large-scale artwork created to mark Scotland’s Census. The 4 metre by 2 metre artwork visited Edinburgh on Sunday where locals coloured in sections and found out more information about filling in the census.

Pilar de Garcia Leaniz added: “It’s been great to see communities across the nation fill in the ‘Scotland Connected’ artwork and bring it to life. It’s inspired by the people of Scotland as well as the role of the census.

“I’m proud to have been part of this exciting project and hope it will continue to help encourage the nation to fill in the census”.

Census Day was 20 March but households have been able to complete their return since 28 February. Responses should reflect their circumstances on Census Day itself.

The census asks questions on a range of topics, including the types of accommodation people stay in, household relationships, age, sex, health and employment status.

New questions for the 2022 census include use of British Sign Language (BSL), passports held, previous armed forces history and new voluntary questions on sexual orientation and trans status.

Census letters have been issued to more than 2.7 million households representing 5.5 million people.

A census of the population has been taken every 10 years in Scotland since 1801, with the exception of 1941, because of World War Two and in 2021 owing to the Covid-19 pandemic.

You can still complete online and on paper. For more information and to complete the census online, visit census.gov.scot

Betty the basking shark takes up residence at Ocean Terminal

Edinburgh artist Johnathan Elders illustrates the scale of Scotland’s electronic waste
with powerful installation

Reindeer, penguins, and polar bears are the sort of animals you would usually expect to see taking pride of place in a retail display at this time of year. However, one Edinburgh shopping centre is adding a little more ‘bite’ to its seasonal offering with the installation of a powerful new sculpture – Betty the e-waste shark!

The work of Edinburgh artist Johnathan Elders, Betty is a life-sized basking shark which aims to illustrate the sheer scale of Scotland’s electronic waste problem.

The sculpture was created using a range of second-hand electrical devices including more than 200 keyboards and water cooler panels, all of which have been saved from landfill, plus two projector lenses and TV screens which display a hard-hitting film about the true impact of e-waste.

Previously displayed at the National Museum of Scotland, local sustainability campaigner Sara Thomson of The Leith Collective has successfully secured Betty a residency at Ocean Terminal, and the artwork is available to view now.

Created in response to a call-out from the Edinburgh Science Festival, Jonathan had a clear vision of what he hoped the artwork would achieve. Firstly, it needed to demand attention.

He was determined to craft something that was simply too big to be missed, and instantly recognisable in order to create a reaction. Secondly, it needed to be engaging – something that people would want to touch and interact with.

It was also important that the piece was inclusive and accessible in its entirety to people of any height or level of mobility. Finally, it needed to inform viewers of the immense problem of e-waste faced by Scotland. 

Commenting on the piece, Jonathan Elders explains: ‘I chose the basking shark, native to Scotland, as I encountered one as a child whilst on a boat trip to Bass Rock in North Berwick. This moment had a huge impact on me, and it has stayed with me ever since. 

‘I didn’t want to be subtle. As a nation, we have so much to be proud of – like these magnificent creatures – but we also have a massive problem that we’re just not doing enough to address. Like producing such vast quantities of e-waste. 

‘As the footage shows, much of this waste is shipped away to other parts of the world so that we can forget about it. But that needs to stop.’

When asked about the name, Jonathan said: “Betty is the name of a lovely local lady – a total character who knows everybody. She lives overlooking Newhaven Harbour but won’t go anywhere near it because she is scared of the sea. Hence the reason I called the shark Betty, because like the real-life Betty, this shark will never go to the sea!’

Betty the e-waste shark is available to view now at Ocean Terminal, Edinburgh. Guided tours and talks about the artwork are available upon request for schools, clubs, and organisations.

If you are interested in giving Betty the e-waste shark a home after her residency at Ocean Terminal ends, please email info@theleithcollective.com to discuss.