Some more of Scott’s pictures of the World Heritage Day event at Croy and The Antonine Wall.

The physical theatre students of Adam Smith college got the evening going with a chant and movement piece that was developed on the day of the celebrations in their spontaneous collaboration with Denise Stout and the Mayfield singers from Orkney – art happening in front of our eyes.

After the opening piece the audience were taken up onto Croy Hill – in wonderful evening light and weather – to discover more of the Roman history from our guest guides and historians of the day, Adrian Cox and Jim Devine.

More photos soon.

On Croy Hill

Photographs by Scott Morris during the final set-up and the space then the space cleared of lighting desks, ladders, string and gaffa tape as the first audience arrivals begin to explore the strange, suspended Roman tent.

A final rehearsal for the Mayfield singers from Orkney led by Denise Stout. 

The Exhibition is open.

Photograph by Florencia García Chafuén

Seven Questions


What is seven?

seas and sleepers
sorrows and sisters

brides and brothers
magnificent samurai

pillars of wisdom
and ages of man

the days of creation’s
labour and leisure

godly virtues
and deadly sins

the lost wonders
of the ancient world

of hills you need for a city
the requisite number

•

What are Edinburgh’s seven hills?

a hinterland
of unreal estate

urban meadows
and untended suburbs

a thronged trig-point
and hillside sun trap

a library of barkbooks
composed by lovers

a cruising spot
and an unfenced drop

vantage points
and a field of monuments

a shallow burn
and a shady grove

*

What is a wall?

a unilateral declaration
of binary division

a line drawn in the sand
and fortified

a lasting reminder
that we’re not all in this together

official suspicion
and informal resentment

a register
of comings and goings

a project to keep your own
onside and occupied

an immutable frontier
time can’t help sniggering at

*

Who are the Romans?

the wolf-twins
and Trojan Aeneas

Etruscan kings
and republican consuls

razers of Cathage
and lovers of Egypt

translating Greek
and crossing the Rubicon

emperors long-lived
or four to the year

bearers of laurels
and builders of frontiers

instigators and keepers
of mare nostrum and pax Romana

*

What is a barbarian?

One who reckons wealth in cattle
and honour in raiding

prefers fighting his neighbour
to uniting with him

offers tribute to Rome
only when pushed

remembers enough not to need
to write anything down

has stone calendars
and bone implements

builds brochs and duns
in lochs and glens

makes the most
of forests and mosses

*

What lies beyond the Antonine Wall?

among the bays are
Rerigonium Vindogara and Volsas

among the estuaries are
Tavae Tvesis and Varar

among the headlands are
Taezalorum Verubium and Virvedrum

among the river-mouths are
Devae Caelis and Nabari

among the inland places are
Bannatia Tamia and Orrea

among the tribes are
Vacomagi Caledonii and Carnonagae

among the islands are
Sketis Dumna and Orcades

*

What is Roman Edinburgh?

Hume’s simple Roman tomb
in Calton Burial Ground

the unbound fasces
of the parliament

the Christians as those of the Roman church
on the pediment of St Patrick’s

Finlay’s baskets of olives and grapes
on the south-facing terrace of Hunter Square

Stoddart’s be-togaed Hume
on his pedestal at the law courts

the museum altars
to Mercury and Fortuna

the Cramond lioness
exhumed from the silt

***

Ken Cockburn
Shadows of our Ancestors
World Heritage Day 2012

Tomorrow, Sunday 22nd April, is open day at the Fingerpost in Croy and also the last day of the Shadows of our Ancestors exhibition. A highlight of the day will be talk by Seamus Coleman, chairman of the Croy Historical Society, giving a fascinating insight on the Roman legacy at Croy and Nethercroy.

This will include items which have a mixture of original Roman links and various modern “Antonine” references such as the brand new Antonine Sports Hub at Croy Railway Station.

Along with manager Catherine Martin and all staff at The Fingerpost, Seamus has been a fantastic supporter and helper of Shadows 2012 and Red Field Arts would like to thank Catherine, Seamus and all the staff for their enthusiasm, help and encouragement throughout the whole project.

Added here are a few more of the images from World Heritage Day and we will continue to add to these pages in the coming days and weeks as more photos, film clips and comments are sent in to the team at Red Field.

 

This link will take you to my Flickr site to see photographs of the students performing yesterday on the Antonine Wall.

A great evening and terrific fun making this project with the Students, Jane Howie, Tim Fitxpatrick, Simon Abbott, Laura and everyone else involved. Thank you!

assembly at ground level

Monday the 16th of April and it’s our first day on site with Northern Light and the beginning of the build of the flying gallery!

A giant 10 metre diameter rig gives us the basis for hanging walls of the gallery and part time performance space.

Quite a number of people looked in on the space as the morning progressed with a lot of surprise at the structure that was unfolding and complete amazement as the structure then lifted off and headed for the roof at the touch of a button.

We have lift off

Lots and lots of focussing and set dressing (if that’s allowed in a gallery) tomorrow and results to be posted here soon after.