Collective Gallery Podcasts

The third audio work in the Observers’ Walks series is by Tris Vonna-Michell. Tris has made a work centred on the pioneering calotype photography of David Octavius Hill, who worked with Robert Adamson at Rock House, which overlooks Waterloo Place on the south west side of Calton Hill. Funded by Outset, Scotland.

Ruth Ewan and Astrid Johnston concentrated on the monuments and geology of Edinburgh’s Calton Hill. Centering around the Political Martyrs’ Monument, this tour reveals the stories behind this glaciated landscape and the rocks we have placed upon it, inviting us to re-engage with the rich diversity of history on Calton Hill. Narrated by Tam Dean Burn and Ruth Milne. 54 mins Funded by Outset, Scotland.

Outwith by Bedwyr Williams is the second in the Observers' Walks series. The audio takes the listener through a series of stories created by the artist, which are all set in a local hotel, visible from Calton Hill. Performed by Hilary Lyons. 22 mins Funded by Outset, Scotland.

20 November 2012 | 7 pm. A special one-off event with architectural historian, Kirsten McKee and architect, Malcolm Fraser coinciding with Collective's exhibition, Adaptation. Kirsten completed her PhD thesis on the landscape, politics, architecture, social organisation and culture of Calton Hill and its environs throughout history. This research is informing Collective's future plans. Malcolm is Director and founder of Malcolm Fraser Architects who are currently developing an architectural master plan for the long-term development of the City Observatory on Calton Hill for Collective. Kirsten will draw on her extensive knowledge of the history and architecture of Calton Hill to introduce and contextualise Collective's new location and its varied history. Malcolm will reflect on his previous experience of working with cultural organisations and redeveloping historic buildings to consider how this new location might impact on Collective's identity, and how such a dramatic change could develop the ambition of the programme. Adaptation was a phased, year-long research project initiated by Sarah Tripp with Collective. The project considers the effect that change can have on form and content - which is particularly pertinent at this time when the gallery is in its own process of adaptation. Duration 1 hour 22 minutes.

Saturday 13th October 2012. A discussion with some of the Adaptation practitioners. Banu Cennetoglu, Philippine Hoegen, Dominic Paterson and Sarah Tripp will discuss the project and their work within it. Adaptation is a phased, year-long research project initiated by Sarah Tripp with Collective. The project considers the effect that change can have on form and content – this is particularly pertinent at this a time when Collective is in its own process of adaptation, preparing to move from its current site on Cockburn Street to a new site in the City Observatory on Calton Hill at the end of 2012. 1 hour 30 minutes 51 seconds.

Saturday 30th June 2012 Artist Simon Martin discusses his exhibition at Collective in conversation with Collective's Direction, Kate Gray. 1 hour 20 minutes 33 seconds

Sunday 22 April 2012. Artist Grace Schwindt discusses her exhibition and performance at Collective. In conversation with Steven Cairns. Duration 34 mins 45 secs.

Saturday 3 March, 2012. An informal talk with artist Sun Xun and Collective's Programme Manager, Siobhan Carroll. Translation by Chi Zhang. For his first solo exhibition in Scotland, Sun Xun created a new, wall based work for Collective, exhibited with seven animations. Hangzhou-based Sun Xun studied printmaking at the China Academy of Fine Arts before establishing his own animation studio, Pi, in 2006. Duration: 43:15

Interpretation by Blood Tears & The Moral Highground feat. Jim Colquhoun & Andy Hopkins As one element of his contribution to New Work Scotland Programme 2011 Oliver Braid is working alongside a variety of sound and music makers to produce new audio works in response to a set score. The original score takes the form of an undignified Skype conversation between Oliver Braid and a friend which presents an argument around the concept of expectation. This argument also inspired Oliver’s other contributions to the programme this year, ‘I’ll Look Forward To It: A Visual Essay on Expectation’, his design for the 2011 Christmas Window at Collective and a live music event taking place at Collective on 15th December. PLEASE BE AWARE THIS SOUND PIECE CONTAINS STRONG LANGUAGE

As part of Collective's exhibition - Against the Realm of the Absolute, Jesse Jones, a specially selected panel of creative practitioners from diverse fields and backgrounds have been invited to share their practice in the fast-paced environment of the Soapbox. Speakers include Vicky Horne, Ash Reid, Katie Crook, Neil Cooper, Tessa Lynch and Screen Bandita.

Owen Hatherley is a writer and journalist based in London who writes primarily on architecture, politics and culture. Hatherley is a regular contributor to Building Design, New Statesman and New Humanist and has also written for The Guardian and Icon. His first book Militant Modernism was published by 0 Books in 2009 and was described by The Guardian as an "intelligent and passionately argued attempt to 'excavate utopia' from the ruins of modernism". Hatherley presents 'A New Kind of Bleak: Blair's Buildings, before and after the boom'. Unfortunately due to an error with the recording equipment Hatherley's talk is incomplete.

Fiona Jardine has a BA in Fine Art from Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art and Design, and an MFA from Glasgow School of Art. Currently, Jardine is pursuing a PhD programme of research at the University of Wolverhampton. Fiona presents The Transfiguration of the Commonplace. Taking Muriel Spark's novel "The Prime of Miss Jean Brodie" as a starting point, Jardine makes links to Arthur Danto's analytical philosophy of art and Jacques Ranciere's pedagogical considerations in "The Ignorant Schoolmaster" and "The Emancipated Spectator" in order to establish a notion of the artwork's rhetorical function in framing experience.

Tom Leonard's Outside the Narrative (poems 1965-2009) won the poetry category in the Scottish Book of the Year awards 2010. His essays and political satires have been published as Reports from the Present, and his Places of the Mind is the only modern biography of the 19th century Scottish poet James Thomson. In 2001 he was appointed chair of Creative Writing at Glasgow University alongside Alasdair Gray and James Kelman. Leonard retired in 2009 and maintains a journal including visual work and comment on his website.

As part of the ongoing project between Collective, Arrow Factory, Beijing and piST///, Istanbul, Collective presents How To Turn The World By Hand - Soapbox, with guests invited across creative worlds to share their ideas in a series of quickfire presentations relating to the themes within the How to Turn the World by Hand exhibition.Speakers include John Mackie, John Vella, Anna Mclauchlan & Rebecca Bell, David Marshall, Alex Frost and I, the idea.

12/12/10 David Beattie talks about his work, some of which is in Collective's Contemporaries Guest Room. He is joined by Laura White, the artist invited to create Collective's Christmas Window, who discusses both David's work and her own. 36Min 49Secs

25/11/10 As part of the New Work Scotland Programme, Collective stages an annual Artists' DIY Soapbox. This event aims to provide a platform for new & exciting artist-led initiatives. It's a great way for people to become aware of these new initiatives and find out what's going on at the grassroots in Scotland. This years contributors were: LINE Magazine, Hidden Door Festival, 85a Collective, David Dale Gallery & Studios, JaAliceKlarr, Contemporary Art Exchange and FINN Collective. Duration: 41Min 21Secs

Sunday 17 October From 16 October – 28 November 2010, Collective present Lucy Clout’s work in the Contemporaries Guest Room. This year the Guest Room has a focus on NWSP contemporaries who are working outside of Scotland to act as a relevant reference point for the artists involved in the NWSP and the wider audience. London based artist Lucy Clout discusses her practice and the development of projects since graduating. Duration: 20mins 40sec

To celebrate the launch of two new commissions, Collective devised a symposium which took place on 30th July 2010 featuring exhibiting artists Hito Steyerl, Kim Coleman and Jenny Hogarth. Other speakers included theorist Alfredo Cramerotti (author of Aesthetic Journalism), Francis McKee (curator and writer), Lisa Panting (Director of Picture This, Bristol) and Collective director Kate Gray. The symposium was chaired by Ian White (LUX, London) and was held at the City Observatory atop Calton Hill.

Thursday 10th June, 2010. Artist Torsten Lauschmann discusses his practice at Collective in conjunction with the Edinburgh International Film Festival. Torsten’s collaboration with Collective results in his exhibition ‘Patchwork Cinema’ and a one-off screening of the work ‘Sideshow’ at Edinburgh’s Filmhouse on Thursday 24th June. In conversation with Steven Cairns, co-editor of MAP magazine. Duration: 53 minutes 35 secs.

Thursday 22 April, 2010. Artist Tessa Lynch discusses her practice and residency at Edinburgh International Climbing Arena, Ratho. Tessa’s residency and workshops formed the basis for a one-off performance and subsequent exhibition, Alexandrite. In conversation with artist Henna-Riikka Halonen. Duration: 23 minutes 22 secs

Sat 16 Jan 2010 2-4pm | Talk Event NWSP 10YEARS The New Work Scotland Programme is TEN! Over the past ten years we’ve seen not only the development of the NWSP at Collective but also the progression of the New Work Scotland artists and writers from emergent artists to successful and acclaimed international practitioners. NWSP 10YEARS invites Neil Clements, Craig Coulthard, Ruth Ewan and Michael Stumpf to participate in a discussion around emergent practice and reflect on their own professional development and the support they’ve received since NWSP. Free. All welcome. In running order: Ruth Ewan ,Neil Clements , Craig Coultard and then a brief discussion about the programme.

Suzanne Treister, Kirsty Skinner and Kate Gray in discussion. 13 February 2010

To conclude New Work Scotland's Fanzine Sunday Workshops, Collective held a discussion around emergent publishing and writing with guest speakers, Stephen Goodall, Rose Ruane, Yuck n' Yum and XYM. Sunday 31 January 2010.