Cove Park: Jackie Baillie visits artists' centre to hear its plans on climate

Jackie Baillie MSP met up with staff from the international artists residency centre at Cove Park on the Rosneath peninsula to hear more of the site’s innovative, long-term commitment to place tackling the climate crisis at the heart of its work.

The visit was arranged in connection to the national campaign ArtUnlocks, led by Scottish Contemporary Art Network (SCAN), which seeks to showcase Scotland’s contemporary visual arts industry, targeting and engaging politicians and policy makers to demonstrate and lobby for greater support and investment for the sector.

Jackie Baillie MSP, staff and artists of Cove Park and Scottish Contemporary Art Network representatives

Francesca Bertolotti-Bailey, CEO of Cove Park said: “We were delighted to welcome Jackie Baillie and provide her with an update on our plans and aspirations for the future of the organisation.

“We are convinced that artists’ residencies represent a unique opportunity, and therefore have the responsibility, to facilitate the imagination of new ideas.

“We believe that working at hyper local level can affect change at planetary scale and this is where we see our civic responsibility: to cooperate with our communities and generate new opportunities.

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“Working in collaboration, and through national and international networks is also the way of SCAN, and we are grateful to Moira Jeffrey for her great advocacy and linking power.”

The centre was founded in 1999 and has hosted many world-renowned artists, working with traditional and contemporary art forms.

Ms Baillie said afterwards: “It was wonderful to catch up with the team at Cove Park and to meet many of the artists who are in residence this week.

“The inspiring location and scenery provide a wonderful environment for creative people to work.

“And I particularly want to thank the staff and trustees at Cove Park for the valuable opportunities they provide for our local community.

“It was also great to have the Scottish Contemporary Art Network at the meeting and to learn more about their Art Unlocks programme. Our local area is so fortunate to have such a variety of programmes to access and a brilliant team of creatives to work with.”

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SCAN director Moira Jeffrey aid: “It was wonderful to hear about the exciting work undertaken at Cove Park on our visit.

“We saw how giving space to artists to create, and sharing the wonderful facilities with the local community, was supporting new investment, creativity and innovative thinking in the stunning landscape and vibrant community of rural Argyll.

“At Scottish Contemporary Art Network we believe culture has a huge role to play in our wellbeing.

“As part of our ArtUnlocks campaign, artists and arts organisations across the country, like Cove Park are unlocking vital conversations about issues like climate change and how we want to live after the challenges of lockdown.”