Inspirational work will begin soon to bring heritage and arts sculpture trails to life across East Dunbartonshire.
Trails and Tales - created by East Dunbartonshire Leisure and Culture (EDLC) Trust - is a programme uniting artists, groups and residents to celebrate local history.
Ideas for a series of trails have grown from the heart of communities - including Twechar, Torrance, Milton of Campsie, Lennoxtown, Lenzie, Kirkintilloch, Bishopbriggs & Auchinairn, Baldernock, and Bearsden, Westerton & Milngavie.
Work will begin in the New Year to create 40 artworks - including a mixture of sculptures, heritage films and artworks attached to existing buildings and structures - along 11 trails.
Examples include a unique tree installation at Kilmardinny House, replicating a Lennox Castle window at Lennoxtown Community Hub, and film projections at Kirkintilloch Town Hall and Bearsden Community Hub.
Provisional foundation works are taking place in December/January with trails due to be completed by March.
Once work is finished on the heritage routes - devised through consultation with communities - they will include wayfinding and QR codes, engaging people with local stories as they walk. There will be an official launch later this year.
Plans have been developed over the last two years through a series of engagement projects. The Trails and Tales team then delivered six touring consultation events across communities.
Councillor Jim Gibbons, Convener of East Dunbartonshire Council's Place, Neighbourhood & Corporate Assets Committee, said, "The Trails and Tales programme - supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund, East Dunbartonshire Council and Creative Scotland - will create a series of outdoor sculptural arts and heritage trails across East Dunbartonshire.
"A huge amount of work has been carried out by the Trails and Tales team within local communities and it will be very interesting to see how the project develops as the artworks are installed."
The Trails and Tales programme explores heritage and local stories with people of all ages - working with care homes, sheltered housing, community groups, schools and early years.
Sandy Marshall, Chair of EDLC Trust, said, "I am delighted that so many people from local communities have been helped to engage with artists in new and innovative ways.
"The heritage learning is also very apparent, particularly in the school environment with teachers applying some of the artists' practices to their own teaching methods."
The 13 artists working with Trails and Tales are:
- Alex Allan
- Doug McLeod
- Elpida Hadzi-Vasileva
- Graeme Roger
- Jacqueline Donachie
- Katja Larsson
- Marion Smith
- Rachel Barron
- Rachel Mimiec
- Roddy Buchanan
- Simon Whatley
- Toby Paterson
- Trevor Cromie.
For more information on the routes and artists visit www.trailsandtales.org or e-mail info@trailsandtales.org
Other Trails and Tales projects include women's history, stone carving, metal forging and photography.
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