Public Engagement

Waterways is an art-science collective that addresses the conservation of a threatened species. It follows Atlantic salmon into encounters with local landscapes, distant seascapes, community histories, and the choices that shape our future. The interdisciplinary project, co-led by Dr Laura Bissell at RCS (in collaboration with marine scientists and mathematical modellers at the University of Strathclyde, and a lecturer in Interdisciplinary Studies at the University of Edinburgh) brings complex earth-system data into dialogue with artistic practice to ask questions about the interconnections between conservation, ecology and culture. It aims to establish a regular annual cycle of field research, collaborative writing and art-making, and public performance, along with a porous interdisciplinary network.

The project includes work with future projections and historical reconstructions from global climate models and intensive regional ocean simulations. It will visit (either physically or conceptually) many salmon rivers around the UK, considering the outward stages of the salmon migration, as they move from rivers to sea, and following the fish across the North Atlantic, and make connections to the North Pacific and Arctic.

Engagement outputs have already included a co-authored performance, presented at Edinburgh Futures Institute in November 2024 entangling the human and aquatic worlds, moving between freshwater and the deep ocean, learning through performance, video, music, poetry and song.

Future activities, specifically designed to augment public awareness and engagement, have been enabled by funding from an RCS Athenaeum Engagement Award. These include:

• A Public art trail: Creation of a salmon food web origami/crochet and poetry trail.
• Collecting samples and creating a visual display: Members of the Waterways team would source salmon plankton either from land or via Lighthouse Field Station boats. Communicating the biology and the naturalist element will allow people to connect with the salmon story through contact with real organisms.
• Creation of a film: Working with a filmmaker to capture the activities and outputs of a field trip to Cromarty, following the outward journey of Salmon.
• Targeting Conservation Groups: Sharing their work at events organised by the Atlantic Salmon Trust and at the future global salmon forums dedicated to sustaining wild salmon.

This project converges Singing for Health practitioners, researchers, and health professionals from across Scotland to form a network which supports practitioners and facilitates collaboration and knowledge exchange to boost public health and wellbeing. Singing for Health groups aid the management of a range of conditions such as respiratory conditions, dementia, Parkinson’s, and mental health concerns. It is the first Scotland-wide network to unite practitioners, researchers and health professionals working in these health-related fields.

Led by Dr Brianna Robertson-Kirkland at RCS and Dr Sophie Boyd the initiative, supported by the Royal Society of Edinburgh, the RCS Innovation Studio and The Founders Fund for Creatives, provides a space for a diverse community of singing practitioners and researchers working on singing and health, to come together to share knowledge, ideas and practice and to open-up avenues for communication between individuals and organisations.

The initiative so far has produced: a digital map showing the locations of Singing for Health groups in Scotland; created three podcast series’ that highlight different approaches and issues related to Singing for Health; and provided links to research evidencing the potential impacts singing can have on individuals, patients, service users, and singers. SSfHN have also worked with the Musicians’ Union to offer guidance on rates of pay for Singing for Health Practitioners, developed a CPD short course for current and future practitioners to develop their skills in understanding Singing for Health research and maximising their chances of obtaining funding, and are currently working with universities throughout Scotland to embed Singing for Health in medical school curricular.

The network hosts a range of workshops to support Singing for Health groups allowing them to showcase their work as well as providing a space to consider larger issues including how to engage and work alongside health professionals. Following the workshop that took on 7 March 2023, SSfHN have produced a report identifying key challenges in delivering Singing Health services in Scotland, and what Scotland’s Singing for Health Network are doing to address these challenges.

The Orchard Project (TOP) is a community arts initiative at RCS, to transform underutilised urban spaces in Glasgow into thriving green hubs, fostering ecological stewardship, social cohesion, and improved public health. Centred around an eco-centric approach, TOP combines placemaking, site-specific performance, and participatory performance to engage local communities and artists. The project, led by RCS’s alumnus and RCS SU Vice President Dale Thrupp, with seed funding from RCS Innovation Studio is now in its 3rd year, having successfully completed three phases, each involving ecological restoration, creative expression, and educational workshops for the public.

Currently, the focus is on community building, in partnership with the Glasgow Seed Library (supported by an RCS Athenaeum Engagement Award). This entails workshops, educational resources, and advice on rewilding, seed collection, and native plant species from Glasgow Seed Library. Additionally, it involves the creation of planters, and the development of a covered seating area which will be roofed with plants in Glasgow city centre.

Ultimately focused on highlighting themes of biodiversity and ecological restoration, the project also integrates with the Green Wall Initiative, which is supported by Glasgow City Council’s Youth Climate Action Fund. An educational and artistic mural will be created inside the RCS building, focusing on Scottish ecosystems, the climate crisis, and how communities can engage in ecological restoration. By fostering cross-sector collaboration and encouraging community ownership of public spaces, the project is set to achieve lasting impact.