A quiet movement took to the streets on Saturday 10 May with one aim: to brighten up the town and bring happiness to the residents in it.
Penicuik’s Community Arts Association has again craftbombed the town with help from local schools and community groups. The second annual Craftbomb, as part of Voluntary Art’s week, has seen the placement of hundreds of crafty items throughout the town, including bunting, knitted creations and a shop window full of newspaper roses.
After months of careful planning, and a final burst of work, the crafty works of schoolchildren and big children and artists alike have came to fruition covering local businesses in a tidal wave of colour. From Beeslack Community High School to the North Kirk and St Margaret of Scotland’s Hospice, no building has forgone the colour explosion, with the trail even continuing into Penicuik’s Lost Garden.
The second, and now doubt largest, Craftbomb was organised by the Penicuik Community Arts Association as part of Voluntary Art’s week, a countrywide event promoting artwork in the community, and kicked off on Saturday 10 May in an event in the Town Hall. It was opened by Citizen of the Year, Mose Hutchison. They have been helped by other community groups such as the YMCA and Penicuik’s Guides and Rainbows to create the many intricate pieces of artwork. This year organisers hoped for greater community awareness after last year’s Craftbomb was destroyed by vandals during an evening early on in the week.
Accompanying the Craftbomb is a whole programme of activities. On Sunday a writing workshop was held whilst the forthcoming Wednesday will see a painter’s workshop at 7Pm in the West St Art’s Centre. Further Craftbombing workshops will also be held throughout the week. The event will end on Saturday 17 May in an Open Day at Penicuik’s YMCA.
Some highlights of the Craftbomb so far…
The Penicuik Cuckoo Hospice Shop window takeover
We have been beavering away to create around fifty newspaper roses to help decorate the St Margaret of Scotland Hospice Shop’s window. The Letters were created by an art’s group in Glasgow whilst the felted Cuckoo Clock, which holds the display together, was created by Jenni Thomson. The roses have numerous creators, thank you to everyone involved. Bunting dons the top of the window. It was created by a local Girlguide group.
Lost Garden Rainbow Trail
The Lost Garden rainbow trail (seen at top) was formed using donated materials of various colours. It is magical to say the least.
BCHS Can Flowers and Pom Poms
A sixth year led group of first years spent Wednesday lunchtimes creating flowers made from recycled cans. Plastic bags were also reused to create Pom Poms.
If you’ve captured to Craftbomb, please send us your photos via Twitter @Penicuik_Cuckoo. You can find out more about all things Brightening Penicuik on their Facebook page.
[Images © Mhairi Coyle and the PCAA]