Remembering Together: Scottish Borders
Tartan together
We are delighted to share the final design for the new Borders Together tartan, chosen by over 60% of those voting in December.
Since the project began last autumn, over 700 contributions have helped shape the decision to create a new tartan, and what that looks like. These resulted in two designs which draw on the experiences Borderers shared and the particular colour and design ideas they contributed -- and on which Borderers voted at the end of 2023.
Many people spoke about Borders landscapes: the sea, rivers, lochs and reservoirs; the brilliant skies of 2020’s spring and summer; and the brightness of gorse, broom, heather and forests.
There were references to the uniforms of health and care workers, the masks and warning signs of the pandemic.
Emotionally, people shared loss and grief, while others spoke of hope and new-forged community. The challenges of isolation came up often, not just for those living alone but also for those who gave birth or experienced other milestones they couldn’t share. Guilt came up often, too, as people wished they had been able to do more.
The design draws on colour combinations selected by contributors, and the meaning of those will be different for each person. It incorporates a reference to the five localities of the Borders, because so many people wanted the tartan to be something that joins us across the region.
torn asunder
The new tartan design will be woven for the first time this spring, and pieces distributed to village halls and community spaces across the Borders. These are lasting markers of the full range of events and emotions which people experienced, set in the places and events where communities gather.
If you manage a community space, you can...
Community Creative projects
Using the Borders Together tartan design and the newly woven fabric, these projects have been supported to bring communities together across The Scottish Borders in Spring and Summer 2024.
You can find out more about each, and how to get involved, below.
At Birkhill House
Interactive origami inspired by the Borders Together tartan at Birkhill House near Lauder. There will be two free workshops for people to attend and there will also be the opportunity for people to drop by during their open sessions on:
Dates:
Tuesday 23rd and 30th April, and 7th May
Friday April 26th, and May 3rd & 10th
Can't make it? Request a pack by post!
For more information:
Facebook: At Birkhill House CIC
Instagram: @atbirkhillhousecic and @atbirkhillhousefibre
Isabell Buenz and Borders Buddies
Participants in Walkerburn will have the opportunity to create their own custom Memory Book. Each book will serve as a personal record of each individual's journey through the COVID-19 pandemic.
Isabell says: We will be creating collages, exploring family, location, hobbies and memories of days gone by, beautifully folded into accordion books. The books will then be thoughtfully bound and adorned with the Borders Together tartan, symbolising resilience and unity.
This collaboration is in partnership with Borders Buddies, an initiative by Outside the Box, dedicated to providing support for individuals who have experienced disconnection from others.
These are free craft workshops for members of the public (16+, from absolute beginner to expert crafters) who would like to join the Scottish Borders Remembering Together Project. This project focuses on looking back on our time during COVID-19 and what it meant for each of us.
Each participant will create their own collage and memory book over the two workshops and will cover this in the new Borders Together Tartan.
For more information look out for announcements coming soon on the Walkerburn Facebook site, posters in the village and Isabell's Facebook and Instagram @isabellbuenz
Dates: 8th and 15th June from 10.30 am - 1.30 pm.
Location: Walkerburn Village Hall
To find out more:
Ruth Noble at Outside the Box on 07711 21043. Or email: ruth.n@otbds.org
LINKS Eyemouth
Open to families with children, these sessions offer a safe, creative space to explore lockdown experiences through art. Led by two talented local artists, we'll be crafting lockdown shoebox dioramas using the Scottish Borders tartan.
Dates:
Friday afternoons, 1pm to 4pm, on 26 April and 10 May. Additional dates may be added as needed.
Location:
Eyemouth Community Centre. Healthy snacks on offer.
For more information:
Request to join the LINKS Eyemouth closed Facebook group or email Ruth at ruth.n@otbds.org for more info.
Website: https://otbds.org/projects/links-eyemouth/
Facebook https://www.facebook.com/otbds
Borders Community Sewing Club
Individual members will be encouraged to research how purposeful objects can be made that will have a lasting legacy - making something useful, beautiful and purposeful. In this way, the memory of the pandemic will be sustained and transformed.
Interested in joining? New members are always welcome! Sessions held in Leitholm, Stichill, Roxburgh, and Gavinton.
Stay tuned for more details as we await the fabric delivery. In the meantime, visit our Borders Community Sewing Club Facebook page for information and inspiration.
To find out more:
Visit the group’s Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/people/Borders-Community-Sewing-Club/61552708156397/
Dance for Parkinson’s
Tartan Ceilidh - A ceilidh-style dance, accompanied by the lively tunes of a fiddle, will beautifully depict how Borderers navigated the challenges and isolation of the pandemic, eventually rediscovering the joy of dancing hand in hand. The Tartan Ceilidh will be shared publicly at special events in the Borders and through a step-by-step video guide, allowing other community groups to learn and join their dance.
Dates:
The project dates are from 9 May to 4 July. The group will meet weekly on Thursdays from 11:30am - 1pm in the Eastgate Theatre's studio. Contact Eastgate Theatre for more information.
The Tartan Ceilidh public event will be on Thursday 4th July, 11:30am at the Eastgate Theatre. The event is free but ticketed. Tickets will be available from the Eastgate Theatre box office on 01721 725 777.
For more information:
Dance for Parkinson's - Scottish Borders on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=61554869267137
Contact Eastgate Theatre: 01721 725 777
Galashiels Scout Group
The Galashiels Scouts group is holding a Tartan Camp. Join them for a tartan-themed two-night Scout camp on filled with textile-inspired activities, cooking, wide games, and a campfire.
Dates:
10 -12 May
For more information:
Go Wild Selkirk and Vicky Mohieddeen
Join drama therapist Vicky Inam Mohieddeen and the Go Wild Scotland team for outdoor creative workshops at Mauldsheugh Wood! You'll be able to explore the elements of the Remembering Together tartan and reflect on your pandemic experiences in a safe and supported environment.
Dates:
Weekly workshop starting in June. Session dates coming soon!
Location:
The project is open to adults living in Bannerfield, Selkirk! Activities will take place at Mauldsheugh Wood near Bannerfield, Selkirk.
For more information:
Email: email hello@vickyinam.com to join
Tweed Swimmers
Tartan in the Tweed with the Tweed Swimmers' project will take place in the river between July and August.
Wild swimmers are invited to join in with three colourful events taking place along the River Tweed. Swimmers will recreate the Borders tartan using huge lengths of brightly coloured ribbons in the waters of the river. This event creatively honours the connection people found with water during the pandemic. The events will be captured and shared through an online photographic gallery.
Dates:
There are three events between July and August. The exact dates, details, and locations will be shared soon.
To find out more information:
Visit ‘Water+Moon’ at www.waterandmoon.co.uk
Greener Peebles
Greener Peebles – Growing the Tartan will draw inspiration from the tartan colours to design raised bed plantings, creating a peaceful, sensory space in the Greener Peebles community garden. The project will host planting sessions and nature-based drawing workshops, welcoming volunteers of all ages and abilities in our community.
The community garden is open to all ages and abilities. Anyone can join them for a volunteer session. They have a range of activates for all abilities. Enjoy a friendly chat and cuppa, and a free harvest at the end of each session.
Dates:
10am to 12pm on Tuesdays and Fridays.
For more information:
You can get in touch via info@greenerpeebles.org or call 07380 167086 to find out more.
Website: www.greenerpeebles.org
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/GreenerPeebles
Crafts 4 U
Quilting Memories and Craft Exhibition with Crafts4U.
Crafts4U invites you to join them in Walkerburn to create a special memory quilt, woven with the threads of our community's shared pandemic stories and experiences. From local landscapes to well-loved places, stitch together our shared memories using the new Borders tartan.
Whether you're a seasoned sewer or just starting out, your contribution is welcome.
Do you have a favourite local flower or a scenic spot that holds a special place in your heart? Crafts4U are also on the lookout for ideas and inspiration from you to add to the memory quilt. Please contact them and let them know.
Dates:
Session dates: to be announced.
Exhibition: Saturday 26 October from 11am to 3pm at Innerleithen Memorial Hall on for their exhibition which will include the Remembering Together quilt.
For more information:
Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100063509955731 (or search Crafts4U Walkerburn on the internet).
Remembering Together: the Scottish Borders is commissioned by greenspace scotland with funding from Scottish Government
