Bearsden Festival 2022: Our Story
Summer 2022 was the Year of Stories. Thanks to funding from Museums and Galleries Scotland, we were delighted to take part in this national celebration. The local story that we chose to tell was all about the Bearsden Shark. This 330 million year old internationally important fossil was discovered in the Manse Burn 40 years ago in 1982. Here is how we told the story!
The Bearsden Shark Show
We commissioned Scottish theatre maker Hannah Justad to work with actor and storyteller Raymond Wilson and cellist and improvisor Simone Seales to create our show.
They created a combination of live action, poetry, storytelling and music to tell the tale of a pair of time travelling fossil hunters who discover the Bearsden Shark.
The show toured to all 9 local primary schools, 2 care homes, and a sheltered housing complex and was seen by nearly 1600 local people over 16 performances.
A Summer of Filmmaking
Working with Felix Gilfedder of the Glasgow Mobile Film School, we devised four filmmaking strands to engage with all ages in the community.
Family Animation Day
After a fun morning learning about animating, the family teams created their own unique films starring the Bearsden Shark.
The Weekend Film Challenge
Five teams of young people aged 15-21 took on the challenge of creating their own unique short films, tackling the whole process from writing through to editing. The genres ranged from Sci Fi to silent film and comedy to horror.
Each team undertook a crash course on filmmaking before hitting the streets of Bearsden cameras in hand.
'Pushed for Space' (6mins 30)
By Max McGregor, Eilidh Robinson, Archie Nelson, Joseph McIntosh and Harry Paul.
'The Adventures of John Blue' (2 mins 40)
By Ivan Ip, Sophia Ip, Harleen Chow, Harman Chow. Edited by Craig Durning. Voice over by Melvyn Lu.
'Open Me!' (5 mins 45)
By Anna MacKay, Lincoln, Lynette Lu, MJ Patrick, Lewis Fitzpatrick and Ottavia Platt.
'You're Nothing to me but an Egg'
(7 mins)
By Harvey McDowall, Calum Henderson, Angus Henderson, Taylor Murdoch and Amy Tucker.
Behind the Scenes on 'Pushed for Space'.
Sharksden Documentary
Prize winning young filmmaker Max McGregor was commissioned to create a short documentary all about the Bearsden Shark. Made possible through help and support from the Dr Neil Clark and the Hunterian Museum as well as Neil Buchanan, Alan McBride and Nan Lawless of the Bearsden Shark Group. Actors Daniel Kerr, James Ruskin and Allan Cowan generously volunteered their expertise to bring the story to life.
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'An Account of Raining Fish' (2 mins)
by Rev Andrew Sym and read by Eliese Fleck
'Bearsden Shops' (4 mins)
Alfred Dallman
'Memories of the Clydebank Blitz' (5 mins)
William Mackinlay
'Flowers, Ice-skating, Eggs and Bunkbeds' (3 mins 30)
Joyce Deans
'Coal, Sand and the Bearsden Shark' (2 mins)
Sally Mudge
Bearsden Memories
Felix Gilfedder interviewed some older local people who shared some of their stories. These included everything from ice hockey matches on frozen lochs, to air raids over Bearsden during the Clydebank Blitz.
23rd of July 2022
29th - 31st of July 2022
'Closed on Mondays' (2 mins 40)
A short film by Amy, Rowen, Darius and Taishi Cheskin featuring the adventures of the Bearsden Shark itself!
Fossil Hunters Walk
Amateur fossil hunter and Mugdock ranger Alan McBride led shark hunters young and old on short walks to the site of the discovery of the Bearsden Shark.
The Festival Weekend
9th - 11th September 2022
Celebration of Edwin Morgan Evening
Hosted by Pip Osmond Williams of the Edwin Morgan Trust, we celebrated the life and work of Scotland's first Makar.
The evening featured performances of his work by Raymond Wilson, Hannah Justad and musician Simone Seales, the story of his remarkable life and anecdotes from his biographer, James McGonigal. The audience were also treated to a performance of the Bearsden Shark show and the work of young poets from local schools who had been inspired by Edwin Morgan's poem, The Bearsden Shark.
The Bearsden Shark Exhibition
The interior of New Kilpatrick church, Bearsden, was shark infested with an exhibition celebrating the discovery of the Bearsden Shark. Huge thanks to the carnival art workshop at Gartnavel Royal Hospital who created the giant willow and paper shark that hung over the chancel and also to the Bearsden Shark Group who provided the information boards and the slideshow. The exhibition also featured 140 artworks by local primary school pupils.
Shark Making Workshops
Artist Jane McInally showed family groups how to build their own Bearsden Sharks from willow and paper.
Treasure Hunt
Thanks to the support of over 30 local traders, families were invited to spot the shark in the windows of local shops and win prizes.
Nearly 200 people gathered in Bearsden Baptist Church for the premiere of all the films made during the summer. The audience were piped in and treated to popcorn and pop while they enjoyed the screening.
Gala Film Screening
Over the course of the 4 months leading up to the festival, we were delighted to commission professional filmmaker Felix Gilfedder to create a Bearsden Summer Film School for the Festival. Felix and his team of volunteers worked with 52 people from the community to create films inspired by the Bearsden Shark and the theme of discovering new things. Special thanks must go to Scotland's Year of Stories 2022 for the funding that has made the filming and the Gala possible.
A further thank you to the Bearsden Festival committee, especially Ashley and Craig who helped facilitate the film programmes, Jane Gordon for leading the festival, Hannah Justad for co-ordinating the festival. Thank you to all the venues that took part including Bearsden Cross Church, New Kilpatrick Parish Church, Bearden Baptist Church. And lastly but by no means least, thank you to all the filmmakers. You should be extraordinarily proud of what you have achieved!
Check our Youtube Channel for all our Festival Films!
Wellbeing Afternoon
After all the excitement from the previous days, everyone was invited to relax on Sunday afternoon. Activities on offer ranged from gentle yoga, mindful art, wellness sessions, to group music making and knitting yourself calm.
