PMUK Blog

As we blogged before this summer we were joined by JiaRun and Yang Gang our friends from China. They spent the summer experiencing everything Pure Media UK does – the planning and execution of projects, the training of our team and meeting all the different people we work with. In addition during this time they made plans for their return to China and how to take forward the work in China.

It was a joy to spend the summer with the pair of them and while they were here they given a real chance to experience different parts of Scotland with trips to the Highlands, Borders, Arbroath and catching the Fringe vibe in Edinburgh. They also made many good friends, with many people inviting them into their homes and the pair had a major impact on the people that they met. This was evident when people descended on the Workshop from all over Scotland to say farewell. All in all it was a great experience for everyone who was involved in their stay.

Below some of the highlights from the trip.

For some of our new volunteers there was no time to rest as they were given the chance to put what they had learnt at the Summer School into action as we led two iGNiTE’s, Salvation Army in Dundee and City Chambers in Dundee. Our Team in Salvation Army worked with a group of people in Strathmore Lodge to explore the theme of What Dundee Means to Me. They started the project by showing them the work that takes place at Pure Media UK and what was possible for them so feeling inspired they set about making a film of them dancing across Dundee and leaving it open for members of the public to get involved, they also had portraits taken and printed off so they could write what Dundee meant to them and finally one of guys in the group was a keen photographer so put together his own exhibition of Dundee. Our second group worked in City Chambers with a group of young people who are preparing for a meeting with young delegates from Dundee’s Twin Cities. We split into three groups, film, performance and event to also explore the theme What Dundee Means to Me. The film group worked to produce an introductory film to Dundee showing many points of interest accompanied by facts. The performance group created a piece title Dundee a Divided City, they would present different scenarios and the audience had to decide the outcome. The events group organised an event called One City many Discoveries which combined the work from the Salvation Army and City Chambers, it took place in City Chambers and they generated interest by spending time in City Square asking people to design t-shirts with their views on Dundee and interviewing people. These t-shirts were exhibited at the final performance and the audio was mixed with music and played as people arrived. There was a real excitement at the event and the audience enjoyed all the work that was produced. To end the proceedings both groups made their way to city square for once last dance and even members of the public got involved. All this was caught on film so watch this space for the DVD.

In July we embarked on our first iGNiTE Summer school in which our newest volunteers came to the Workshop to work with our core team and experienced iGNiTE volunteers to prepare them for leading their own iGNiTE workshops. During the three days we took time to look at the paper work and planning that goes into organising an iGNiTE and we spent the afternoons running an iGNiTE. For our iGNiTE we used a performance piece created by Ashley Christie (Musicians), Gregor Christie (Musicians), Mark Monteath (Dancer) and Yang Gang (Dancer/Chinese Volunteer) as a stimulus. Their piece collaborated both Scottish and Chinese creative forms. We then separated into four groups to explore the themes presented in this piece. The film group produced a documentary that detailed the iGNiTE journey from Scotland to China. The creative writing/ art group created a sculpted a bridge made from driftwood, decorated with pictures of Chinese and Scottish bridges this was presented with a poem in Scottish and Chinese, this represented bridging the gap between Scotland and Chinese. The performance group celebrated being Scottish by combining traditional Scottish music and Dance and the piece ended with the audience joining in a rendition of Auld Lang Syne. Finally the events group worked together to put together all the work produced by the groups and advertise the event. They named their event ‘Who we are’ and transformed the Workshop with Chinese decorations. On the final day the Workshop was packed out with an audience who appreciated all the hard work invested by each group. All in all the Summer School was a great success, enjoyed by both participants and workers and more importantly it was a great learning process.

Right now we have the pleasure of two visitors from China……JiaRun and Yang Gang. We first met them in November 2008 when we travelled to North West China to deliver our first iGNiTE abroad experience. They are across here to “enhance our understanding of iGNiTE and to observe the details behind organising iGNiTE“. So far they have had the chance to take part in the Arbroath Academy iGNiTE and we are currently in the Highlands for some sight seeing and planning sessions. We will keep you updated on their trip. 

The 10th June saw the climax of our year long film when it was premiered at the DCA in Dundee. In June 2008 Nathan Brake and Emma White embarked on a long emotional journey when they began the filming of Opal Fruit a film which followed a group of young people within the care system in Dundee for a year. The film gave us a glimpse of the highs and lows for young people within the care system. The making and the showing of this film was an emotional roller coaster for all involved and it has provoked great debate within Dundee City Council. A special mention to Nathan Brake and Emma White for all their hard work and emotional investment in the film which contributed to a beautifully sensitive film, to JJ Cranston for his help and support during the filming and editing process and to Tom Mitchell and to Ashley Christie for their contribution to the soundtrack.

Hello everyone, Layla and JJ here, to welcome you to the new Pure Media UK website and Blog. Right here on this Blog you can find out all the exciting things that are happening within Pure Media UK. This is also where you can get the new AMP Online which will be out at the end of June. So take a look around and feel free to leave us a comment!

the man with the camera was pulling a face too!oooooooooooooooh!

oooooooooooooooooooh!