Muirkirk Creatives
Robert Jacobs is the Company Secretary of Muirkirk Creatives, a group with ambitions not only for the arts but the preservation and improvement of the village itself.
Muirkirk Creatives are not part of the CCLP but have been inspired and supported by the network to apply the principles learned to offer a new solution to some old problems.
This site was once a public park, racetrack and site for highland games before they were buried under thousands of tons of spoil from the iron works. During the 1980's and 90's the material was removed to form the basis of the Cumnock bypass and it has lain derelict ever since.
The ambitious plan is to construct a heritage and arts centre that will also serve as an educational facility and accommodate council and social services. The centre will be surrounded by a wellbeing park, not just for humans, but a habitat for wildlife as well.
Muirkirk is the most Easterly village in East Ayrshire and its position as a gateway to the Shire can become a bonus, however right now it is a threat to its very existence.
"We could easily become like Glenbuck, a lost village. People say the village is too big for that but if the shops cant stay open… Shopkeepers say that the footfall is terrible at times, we have already lost the cafe, we could easily lose the shop if it is unsustainable. If the shop goes then people will have to travel ten miles for a loaf of bread and a newspaper. People will move out!"
The pressure on health and other council services is already being felt. There are currently no permanent facilities in the village so people either need to travel or the council have to come to them from Cumnock or Kilmarnock. I terms of time, costs and efficiency that is not sustainable. The idea is to act before the tipping point of depopulation is reached.
A new facility will be expensive to build and maintain so it is going to be multi functional with shared costs and a full range of uses. The Creatives have that covered.
The plan includes workshops, gallery and exhibition space to give tourists a reason to stop in the village. A cafe will not only cater for them but can provide a social focus to combat isolation and offer meals to children and the elderly alike.
“This will be a facility for every generation in the village. A day centre for the elderly with health and social care services all on hand. Academic kids in school are fine, the system is catering for them. There are too many kids who are not academic who are not catered for who leave school with no direction. There will be people in this building with skills that can be passed on to those kids.
A case in point is one kid who wanted to do what I do, photography and videography. The editing software alone costs around £2000, no one has that here. We can get kids in and find out what they like then see who can help.
They can come here and get fed and work with someone and if necessary get fed again before they go home. The scope for intergenerational support is tremendous. I was privileged to film a project where retired people taught kids how to build a river skiff. It was a great success, so much so they built another one.
Having workshops will allow us to set up a men's shed, not just for retired or unemployed men but for younger men and school kids to learn skills. Schools often don't have the technical departments that they used to so we can assist with that, we are looking at all opportunities.”
Looking to the past has also inspired thoughts for the future. The nearby Glenbuck Loch once had a sluice and was the power source for the mills. The same principle could be used to power a turbine.
Wind and solar options are being looked at not just to power the facility but to export surplus to local houses. Similar schemes are already in place in other communities in Scotland providing cheap clean energy at a local level.The wind turbines will not be the giant windmills seen around the area but smaller, more compact and technologically advanced options to suit a smaller area.
The joint approach extends beyond the purely local as The Outdoor Partnership Ayrshire have expressed an interest in becoming involved to teach outdoor skills for recreation and employability.
Developing tourism in this beautiful area with a rich cultural, historic and industrial heritage is a high priority. Having a facility as the focal point could be the catalyst to regenerating and rejuvenating the whole area.
This is a plan that has taken account of the lessons learned throughout the Landscape Partnership to bring different sectors and services together in a holistic way. Doing more for lower costs with real tangible benefits for everyone must be a great thing.