Community Projects

UNCRC Mural

United Nations Convention for Rights for the Child Mural – to be exhibited at The Scottish Parliament Autumn 2017 This seven panelled mural was created over three days in June 2017, working with children from P.6 class at Sciennes Primary school in Edinburgh. The content was informed by the Implementing and Monitoring UNCRC in Scotland …

Darue Malungo, Recife, Brazil

Working with Children and young people at Darue Malungo Afro-Brazilian dance centre in Chão De Estrelas, Recife, Northeast of Brazil. This was our first Latin American residency under the Save the Children pARTners Project (Feb 99-Dec 01).Funded by the National Lottery, this pioneering arts project spanned over three years and included visits to Brazil, Peru, …

Streets Ahead Tranent

Streets Ahead Tranent, commissioned by Children’s Parliament . This initiative explored children’s experiences of living in Tranent, an ex-mining town in East Lothian, and presents their ideas for regeneration of the local community. The resulting eleven metre public mural depicts Tranent’s history, its present and a vision of how its young people would like to …

Aspirational models

I’m just starting to build up a collection of some of my favourite paper-mache models made by Children from across Scotland working with myself and Cuban paper-mache artist Lyver Chavez. Children were imagining themselves in 20 years time ! TBC

Healthy, Happy, Safe Aberdeen

This mural painted by twenty children in Aberdeen in 2016, explores the idea of human dignity and human rights and reflects the views of 300 children talking about life in their community, at home and at school. For more information: http://www.childrensparliament.org.uk/our-work/imaginingaberdeen/

Commonwealth Tree

Sitting on the branches of this Tree are the national birds of the 54 commonwealth countries. These were created working with an inter-faith, inter-cultural group of over 50 adults and children, all clients of the Cranhill Development Trust in the East end of Glasgow. Funded by Forestry Commission, Scotland

Climate Change Mural

In spring 2008, I was commissioned by The Children’s parliament to work with 20 children and engage them in the global debate on climate change and particularly the national debate on the Scottish Climate Change Bill which was being developed by Scottish Government.To do this I designed and coordinated a series of interactive workshops where …

Many Birds – One Forest

A forest of 70 Birds from around the world – created working with Dalry Primary School . Pupils and Parents painted birds from their cultural heritage and created this display for their Multi-Cultural Garden of Enlightenment! Funded by Forestry Commission Scotland and the International Year of the Forest 2011

Birds and Plants of the Dry Forest, Azua, Dominican Republic

‘Birds and Plants of The Dry Forest’, Feprobosur Dry Forest Organisation, Azua, Dominican Republic (1997) While staying with my brother, an NGO worker in the small village of Azua, I met a group of campesinos and the next thing I knew, I had agreed to help them paint the walls of their new office! We …

Fichaed Eun

Project Fichaed Eun – which in the Gaelic means 20 birds, was based on an Old Persian story called The Simurgh (meaning 30 birds in Farsi) Produced on the beautiful Isle of Barra it was created working with Children and their Families from across the Southern Western Isles. Each child was tasked to complete …

Seagulls and Monsters

Working in the Outer Hebrides, this Mural was painted with 20 Children from across the Southern Western Isles, and reflects their first year experience as Members of the Children’s Parliament ( MCP’s)

Feast For the Senses

This was a Mela Woodland Arts Project – it involved several trips to wild green places with woman and girls with a wide mix of age, faith and cultural heritage. The mural is a celebration of all the beautiful days we enjoyed together . We worked with all ages to draw and paint the boards …

Preston Street, Primary School

Engage Visual Arts Education Award 2004 AND Standard Life Education Award 2004 For: “The Roots of Language and the Family Tree”. Client: Edinburgh City Council Education Department This was a large-scale installation produced in collaboration Spirit House Theatre, working with pupils and parents of Preston Street Primary School exploring their diverse cultural backgrounds through visual …

Cojimar, Havana, Cuba

“We all have a right to live. We all have the responsibility to make Life better for all living things.” Working with children from Guerilla Heroica Primary School in Cojimar, near Havana, Cuba, as part of the third residency under the Save the Children pARTners Project (Feb 99-Dec 01). A 3-day cyclone interrupted painting …

The Secret City of Hope, Cuzco, Peru

” The Secret City of Hope” Mural and “life boxes” created by Children in the Pulkna Sunchis School in Cusco, Peru. This was part of my second Latin American residency as Visual Artist for Save The Children pARTners Project (Feb 99-Dec 01).

Buscando Una Vida Mejor, The Sacred Valley, Peru

“Buscando Una Vida Mejor ” – Looking for a Better Life. This charming mural was painted in one day, working with children and young people from Culca in the Sacred Valley, near Cusco, Peru. This was part of my second Latin American residency as Visual Artist for the pARTners Project (Feb 99-Dec 01), Save The …

Sikh Sanjog

These are a few details from our Sikh Sanjog Mural – telling, from a female point of view, the story of the Bhattra Sikh community in Edinburgh – from the first arrivals in the 1940’s to present day .We worked with women and girls spanning 4 generations and produced two murals, many artworks and a …

Woodland Water Colours

This community watercolour project was a collaboration with Botanical Artist Alicia Salazar and 12 art lovers from Glasgow’s Cranhill community. From Late Winter to Late Spring 2012, our art sessions included woodland walks, nature study and Botanical drawing workshops where participants developed drawing and painting skills using watercolours, coloured pencils and pen and ink. “The …

Immigration into Edinburgh Mural

Working with students at Kaimes Special school, we explored immigration into Edinburgh from 8000 BC to the present day. It’s packed with fascinating stories and is bordered by an extensively researched timeline. The mural was part of the school’s Unsung Stories project – a large-scale lottery funded programme of animation films linking the themes of …

Mela Kidzone

The Edinburgh Mela Kidzone supported by Forestry Commisson, Scotland and Scottish Natural Heritage. Between 2003 and 2015 I have designed and managed an annual interactive arts event for families at the Edinburgh Mela multicultural festival.

Paper-mache Rickshaw

A paper-mache collaboration with artists Lyver, Yanoski and Filiberto from Cuba and Rahul and Piplu from Bangladesh. We worked with children at Dalry Primary School in Edinburgh to make this rickshaw along with several other street characters. These were exhibited firstly at the Edinburgh Mela and later we used it to welcome the public to …

Healing in The Fields and Forests

Science for All Nomination 2011 – Good practice case studies (“Going beyond the usual suspects”). Healing in the Fields and Forests funded by Scottish Natural Heritage and Forestry Commission Scotland. I delivered this project over four seasons 2009-2010 in collaboration with Nepal Scotland Association and the Gurkha Association, Scotland and Napier’s the Herbalist. This was …

Streets Ahead, Glasgow

Commissioned by the Children’s Parliament, working in collaboration with the Violence Reduction Unit. This mural was created working with children in the East End of Glasgow . It presents their views on what their communities need to be safe, healthy and happy. After touring the Glasgow Museums and the East End of Glasgow, the StreetsAhead …

Fairer Fife Mural

This eight metre mural, informed by school workshops in Fife, expresses the children’s views around the question “What does a fairer Fife look like for children?” It was painted by sixteen children over a five day period. For more information: http://www.childrensparliament.org.uk/our-work/past-work/fairer-fife-mural/

The Way of the Woods

Way of the Woods 2013 was a collaboration with Performer/Director Philip Knight This project was specifically designed to help develop life skills, confidence and responsibility in young people with additional support needs at the TEEN+ Project. The sessions were based on forest school holistic learning principles and involved six trips to the same woodland …

Black History Month Performance

This was a Creative Art Works Project funded by The Forestry Commission, working in the Royal Botanic Gardens with a multi-generational group from Edinburgh’s Indian Mandir Cultural Centre. The event formed part of the Diwali celebrations in 2016. The group worked with puppets, storytellers and artists bringing to life the story of 18th century botanical …

Joanna Boyce

Artist, Illustrator, Art Project Organiser, Art/Object Handler

Community Projects