Alexander McCall Smith Leads Online Workshop For The Cumnock Tryst

In the second of The Cumnock Tryst's series of online workshops, a part of the A Musical Celebration of the Coalfields community opera project, much-loved Scottish author Alexander McCall Smith will be on hand to share his literary expertise with 50 lucky individuals on 7 October from 7.30pm.

With a writing career spanning most of his adult life (and sitting alongside a career as a Professor of Medical Law for much of it), Alexander McCall Smith is one of Scotland's most well-known and prolific authors and as such, is perfectly placed to help aspiring writers get to grips with a whole host of techniques that they can employ across the board, from short story writing, to attempting a successful series of their own. He is also well known for his musical collaborations which have taken him into the world of short opera and poetry set to music.

Alexander McCall Smith has written novels based in, and inspired by, countries across the globe and although he was born in Zimbabwe, he returned to Edinburgh to study and then to teach at the University of Edinburgh and reflects the sights and sounds of Scotland in much of his prose. It is this ability to take what we see and hear every day and turn it into an art-form that is accessible to all, giving others and insight into the writer's reality, that will be a key focus of his workshop.

Alexander McCall Smith said: "Not ever writer writes in the same way. For some it is all about meticulous planning, the drawing up of detailed chapter outlines and character profiles, whereas for others the story seems to flow more organically onto the page. Regardless of which kind of writer you are, or aspire to be, I hope that this workshops will help you unleash your inner creative and I am thrilled to have been asked to help participants do so. Congratulations to The Cumnock Tryst and James MacMillan for finding such an innovative and collaborative solution in these uncertain times."

The project, part of the Coalfield Communities Landscape Partnership for which East Ayrshire Council raised £2,220,500 through the National Lottery Heritage Fund, aims to create a musical celebration of the heritage, culture and environment of Cumnock and Doon Valley.

Also featuring in the series are naturalist, nature photographer and television presenter Chris Packham, award-winning poet and librettist Michael Symmons Roberts, and composer and sound artist Pete Stollery, delivering sessions set to inspire the community to see their landscape, culture, people and history in new ways.

The Zoom workshops will refer to places of particular significance within the Coalfield Community Landscape area, for example: disused mines, the Barony A frame, open cast mining areas, dairy farms, Kirk of the Covenant, the Scottish Industrial Railway Centre, and the Scottish Dark Sky Observatory, and ask participants for other ideas and input.

Following the workshops, individual participants from the local community will be asked to send in their writing, video, sound or photography by 11th December 2020 which professional writers, film-makers and sound designers will then develop into four major pieces of sound and visual art to be presented at the Tryst's Summer Festival, planned for June 2021.

Workshop registration is now open. The workshops are free. Numbers are limited to 50 per session and priority will be given to people local to Cumnock and the Doon Valley. To take part in this exciting project you can register at www.thecumnocktryst.com Sessions will be sign language interpreted to give access to everyone.

Composer and Director of the Cumnock Tryst James MacMillan said, "Community and creativity are at the heart of The Cumnock Tryst. We know that every individual has the capacity to create something new, often in ways which might, until now, be unimaginable to them. Ultimately, this project will give community groups across Cumnock and Doon Valley the opportunity to create a piece of music theatre reflecting their own response to their landscape, social history, community, people and place.

"We are really delighted with an excellent line-up of renowned professionals in the fields of literature, poetry, composition, nature and environment, photography, video and sound recording as well as companies specialising in opera and music theatre during the next phase of the project. We will pool our experience and resources to ensure the highest quality experience for all participants providing the opportunity to be involved in the production of a major community opera for an international festival.

"I really hope that as part of this project we will be able to reach those who live in isolation, those who may be looking for employment or those marginalised for other reasons. This is a wholly inclusive project not only about developing musical and performing skills but also about providing opportunities that have a real and tangible outcome for those taking part. Together we will create a fantastic production to be performed in Barony Hall, the new Robert Burns Academy concert hall, at The Cumnock Tryst in October 2021 and 2022."

The Musical Celebration of the Coalfields, created and led by The Cumnock Tryst, will involve local community groups and individuals who will be at the heart of every part of writing, composing, producing and performing their stories. It will involve industry professionals in the field of opera and music theatre to bring production, logistics, stage direction and technical skills to the project. With significant experience of working with community groups and with the musical direction of Sir James MacMillan, The Cumnock Tryst will draw on a wide range of knowledge and resources to ensure the highest quality experience for all participants and the creation of a truly spectacular community musical.

Two major productions will then be performed in Barony Hall, the new Robert Burns Academy concert hall, as a highlight of The Cumnock Tryst festivals in October 2021 and 2022.