Town and Sea, Rothesay

A public art project to prompt conversations about Bute’s town and sea, 2021

Project Summary:

Community Engagement

Historical Research

Pattern Design

Video Artwork

Project Management

Event Planning

In collaboration with landscape architects Iglu Studio Ltd, ‘Town and Sea’ celebrates the townscape and maritime heritage of Rothesay, Isle of Bute.

The animation was projected onto the facade of Rothesay Castle, with permission from Historic Environment Scotland, to reach as many people as possible.

Engaging with the people of Rothesay and Bute, we captured their imagination and provided a glimpse of what it means to live on the island. The video takes the viewer on a journey across Rothesay town centre and its surrounding environment such as Ascog Fernery and Mount Stuart.

The event celebrated and promoted the maritime and townscape heritage and culture of Rothesay and Bute, its colours, textures and materials, its building form and its connections with the coast and the sea.

We hosted several workshop sessions through Zoom and Teams with participants from Rothesay Primary School to gather creative ideas.

From large hotels along the water front to the Glasgow style tenements there is a wide range of architectural styles present in and around Rothesay that inspired the artworks.

The iconic palm trees on Rothesay’s sea front, the ferns from the Ascog Fernery and the exotic plants within the glasshouse at Mount Stuart remind us that during the carboniferous era Bute was located near the equator.

Delving into the rich history of the town and meeting local islanders inspired us to create a video artwork with recognisable elements as well as hidden layers.

We created a narrative to take the viewer on a journey through six iconic parts of Rothesay and the Isle of Bute, starting from the boat at the pier and ending the journey along the beach and promenade.