March 25th, Perth Grammar School Community Wing

March 25th 2010
Perth Grammar School Community Wing, Perth

An Open Day in Perth. A gathering of over forty staff of Perth and Kinross Council’s Community Learning Department. All ages, levels of seniority and different jobs. They have come together an given over their Open Day to explore with A Scottish Wave of Change the future, their values and their imagination. An animated, lively morning followed.

Gerry Hassan introduced A Scottish Wave of Change, the event, what it was about, the work of the Cultural Olympiad, and what the project was undertaking: exploring the future, values and change through the idea of story, story creating and storytelling.

The main part of the session was then facilitated by Wendy Woolfson and Barbara Chalmers.

Family values
The session began with an icebreaker whereby the participants were asked to think of an anecdotal story and share with the rest of the group, informally circulating round the room. When the group gathered back to their seats they were asked to sit with someone they didn’t know.
We then asked for the group to share a word that surfaced from the stories they heard.

Community
Family
Together
Pay it forward
Spontaneity
Emotion time
Sense of loss
All
Different relationships
Caravans
Girvan
Fun
Trifle
Care free
Nostalgia
Familiarity
Fish suppers
Dumpling
Resentment
Beach
Connection
Happy

Exercise – Past, Present, Future
There was an introductory exploration of Scotland’s past, present, future
Wendy tells story – ‘Sometimes you have to tie the camel’
A young boy is sent to his master to become wise and learns that sometimes he has to prepare for the future as everything will not just be handed to him.

There is then a short minute brainstorm for individuals to write down what this topic means to them

They choose their own top three from each topic.

Each person reads out what their top three are and the group discusses to decide which three are most important for the group.

These were:

Post-its on wall

Past
Family
Hard working
Picture of Scottish man
Power struggles and change

Present
Family
Boxed in – think outside the box
Making small changes
Challenging

Future
Family
Fear of finances and need for community
Cultivation and growth
Strong enough to take our own place in the world – personally – nationally – communities
Connectedness
Identity – Multi-Scottish















The following comments were made in a further ten-minute discussion on what deeper meanings these post-its had.

Past
Countryside
Highland clearances
Struggles
Hard working
Family – freedom
Community

Present
Money
Change- all the time
Work/personal
Challenging
Being controlled
Can’t have identity
Family – looking after selves
Identity – Multi-Scottishness
P&K insular (was dark ages 20-30 years ago)
Religion: faith based schools – sectarianism
Socialist/European
Ethnicity – mishmash
Melting pot

Future
Grow your own
Self sufficient
Less consumerism
Sustainable
Fear: finances
Look after each other in community
Blank canvas
Create own
Family – concern for children
Strong enough to take own place
(women, personally, community, nation
Strong women = past, present, future.

Personal observations from participants

Past
Lost, identity suppressed, language/ culture/people/land
Self awareness distorted – who are we?
Life apprentice, centre of universe
Family, togetherness, young grandparents
Colourful history, romanticised
Family in Glasgow
Abused nation removed of all its’ treasures and pride
Hardy, resilient, tenacious, resourceful, creative/inventive
“I’m alright Jack”, relative affluence, right wing, intolerance
Sense of place, belonging, identity, confident, defiant, insular, solid
Enlightenment, Brigadoon!
Red Clydeside
rent strikes
Dundee women
Restricted – conditioned to think in a certain way
Full of freedom, fun, travel and love
Small town, community, family, local events, picking berries/tatties, travel, not being confident.
Family tree, ancestors and how people lived
Oppression, depression, dominance, fixed views
Nice scenic country, sense of quiet, childhood
Wars – Robert the Bruce, music and poetry – Robert Burns
Tenements, clearances, changing cities, community, extended families,
Hope of change.
Closer communities, hard working
Our history is related to our larger neighbour so often and to our relation with the land. The view of history has always seen England as the regal entity and written by the powerful and thus the effect of England and the English.
The folktales tell a different story. They tell of ordinary people also exploited by the law makers and cleared from the land. (not just in Scotland but in UK and world) (enclosure act, London Olympics are examples from south of the border)
Tolerant society known for its’ hospitality.
Having moved from Manchester at 8 years old I was amazed at the wide open spaces in Penicuik and the freedom I experienced.
Mining industry, less cars

Present
Life apprentice, part of something bigger/Scotland
Family, dreams, choices
Strong women, confused men, freedom struggle, music and arts
Complicated, mixture of ideals, Scotland holds great wealth of natural beauty and resources
‘big party’ politics – ineffectiveness, inequality
Kept, thrown scraps to keep us from rebelling
More dangerous
Exemplifies our past
Is not be undervalued and is the only part of this that actually exists
Blurred/confused/glimmers of hope-good, sparks of invention
Take life as it comes society.
Still an island but that’s drifting towards civilisation unaffected by Scotland’s wider ills (still)
Uncertain, change, seeking place, fearful
Tartan tories, nae money, petrol = gold
Challenging, economy inequalities
More choices, freedom
Separation, political mess, loss of certainty/hope, digital age, power, change
Hardworking concerns with life, work, children
My young family, my career, wife, being confident, feeling different from when I was younger, happy.
Living in busy times, where routine’s established
Uncertainty, financial problems, growing self-esteem, changing views.
One step closer to an independent Scotland – for me not a good thing. Moving towards encompassing and integrating hard to reach people and tackling their needs.
My family, football, my community, change
Good place to live but has its’ problems – sometimes I see the people as divided.
Working
Sanitised, distant, brainwashed

Future
Embrace future, own voice, independence, place in world
Life apprentice, life tutor, equity, eradication of negative stereotyping
Full circle
Whole community, retired, happy
Strength, intelligent, strong men, strong women, fair, a positive mindset, musical theatre arts.
Unsure, holds opportunities, sense of community, identity, belonging
Smaller scale
A nation of test monkeys for the rest of UK.
A more sustainable and eco-friendly future
That will always face change
Enforced evolution in relation to societal norms like structure, politics, energy and education
In charge of our own destiny.
Orange, balance, fruitful, opportunities for all.
Scotland will qualify for a world cup
A place of infinite possibilities?? Caring Scotland??
A more united cosmopolitan place
Cloudy open hopeful, lost
Revolution, unrest
Community, fear for financial security for children/older people, relationship with neighbours
Multi –cultured, freedom
In a set path, children’s future, hope from research, need for community
Great concerns with life, work, children and even play opportunities. Obviously not the same as they were in the past.
Better working opportunities for ourselves and children.
Hoping my family are happy, hoping my children follow their dreams
Independence, self governance, confident people/country, sense of pride, no bigotry
Better community, leadership, opportunities for creativity
More hatred for English people, more integrated.
The future would be a re-negotiation of the relationship between Scottish and English people – not state – not government, but people.



Exercise – Scotland’s Values
Words have different meanings for each of us
Attention was drawn to the seven Olympic and Paralympic values on the wall

People were invited to choose the three most important words out of the seven on the wall. Think of a personal meaningful story/anecdote you have connected to each one and discover another two words for each one word that you have chosen.

Olympic and Paralympic values

Inspiration
Life changing
Positive
Creative
Chinese restaurant menu
Innovation
Encouraging light bulb moments
Strength
Bravery
Determination
Support
Leadership
Self-belief
Stand out
Role model
Sharing
Outdoors
Nature beauty
Powerful
Motivation
Family
Breathing in!
Innovative
Self-esteem
Helping
Guiding
Self-awareness
Lion
Hero

Courage
Self-belief
Strong
Faith
Brave
Be all you can be!
Support
Team work
Togetherness
Trying
Lion
Hero
Strength
Longevity
Family law
Doing it afraid
Dreams
Truth
Wizard of Oz
Fearless
Dignity
Hope
Help
Beer

Friendship
Together
Food
Strong bond
Trust
Happiness
Share
Comfort
Caring
Warmth
Partnership
Consider each other
Understanding
Chums
Memories
Needed
Closeness
Support
Listening
Accepting
Empathising
Being yourself
Peace and love
Welcoming
Comfortable
For life
Special
New day
Rare
Important
Admiration
Club
Fun
Food and drink

Excellence
Best
Striving
Top
Trying
Hope
Football
To do your best
Reach
Top notch
Potential
Repetition
Achievable
Self
Brilliance
Recognition
Skilled
Us
Music
Inspectors
 
Determination
Eddie Izzard – marathon man
Focused
Ambitious
Hard working
Drive
Strength
Strong minded
Hard work
Strong
Scott Street
Keep going
Courage
Succeed
Fight
Self-reliance
Wilful
Thrawn
Respect yourself and others
Belief
Faith
Balance
Trust
Trying
Bloody minded
Fairness
Honesty

Respect
Caring
To give and get
Trust
Self/others
Honour
Earned
Admire
Empathy
Choosing to give others space
Each other
My boss
Equality
Mutual acceptance
From within
Shared
Difference
Responsibility
Honesty
Openness
Mutual
Admiration
Needed
Integrity

Equality
Admire
Balance
Everyone
Opportunities
Fairness
Life
Understanding
You tube e-quality
Essential
Equity
Inclusion
Humanity
=
True equality – not lip-service
Same/different?

Concluding Comments

This was a fascinating, vibrant, animated morning discussion – which got through a lot of material, areas and subjects.

Most of the participants really took to the event style and discussions – welcoming the notion of a work Open Day not in the style of their normal experience. They also very much got into the idea of A Scottish Wave of Change, and the whole notion of using the Olympic and Paralympic values and principle to explore values. In particular, the notion of values and stories – produced a diverse, challenging and thoughtful set of observations about Scotland, our society and identities and its future.