On the Edge Research

We’ve had a long and exciting relationship with the On the Edge Team who are based at Gray’s School of Art. The role of the Arts in remote rural areas is key to their remit and they have run several distinct projects investigating this area. open|box|design have produced a variety of design work for the team including websites, CD’s and leaflets. Key to On the Edge have been the production of a suite of books and CD’s based on particular projects.

Edge FM

A research project about identity and the meaning of home, involving young people from Fraserburgh in the development of a temporary radio station and broadcast. Radio became the site and the means of giving the young people a voice within the town, and a means of production where they had control over presenting the town’s voices back to the town, along with their own views of Fraserburgh. A small temporary exhibition was displayed in the museum inserting their work as a chapter within the official history there. The work was done in collaboration with the artist Paul Carter, The Museum of Scottish Lighthouses and the On the Edge Team. The book was designed by OpenBoxDesign and included an audio CD of the radio broadcasts that were produced.

Celestial Ceiling

The Celestial Ceiling project was developed in partnership with Charles Burnett of Duff House, Banff, the Schleiffer family of Cullen House, On the Edge Research and the artists John McGeoch and Robert Orchardson. Duff House, an Adams building, is part of the National Galleries of Scotland. The challenge posed by the research partner was how to change the image of the house from being simply a collection of national treasures to a more responsive cultural and historical resource. open|box|design produced the book for this project.

Maakin’ Lab

The Maakin Lab project was developed in partnership with the Shetland College Department of Textiles and Design, On the Edge research and artist Susan Benn of PAL. The research challenge offered up by the project partners was how to revalue traditional Shetland knitting in terms of its relevance in the lives and livelihoods of Shetland people. Although indigenous Fair Isle pattern and the fine Shetland lace knitting are known world wide, the different socio-economic picture in the wake of the oil boom of the 70’s and the old fashioned image knitting has for many of the younger Shetlanders contributed to the decline of interest in the knitting. Finding ways to revalue these forms of making in artistic-cultural, and economic terms was a complex question.

The project is available as a CD and a jewel case booklet.

open|box|design created the site, booklet and the CD.

Inthrow

Inthrow was developed in partnership with Chris Fremantle of the Scottish Sculpture Workshop, On the Edge Research and lead artist Gavin Renwick. The Scottish Sculpture Workshop (SSW) is based in the rural village of Lumsden, Aberdeenshire. The challenge posed by the partner organisation was how to forge meaningful connections between the workshop as arts organisation and the local community. OpenBoxDesign produced the book which also contains an audio CD.