I'm a photographer and sound artist, living in Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire and I want to create a beautiful portrait of a much-loved woodland.
Dunnottar Woods is sometimes referred to as "Stonehaven’s back garden", a much-loved community woodland on the edge of the town. On any day you can meet old friends walking dogs, young couples taking a stroll, families playing and a diverse range of wildlife from common garden birds to buzzards and deer. Artist David Officer is documenting a year in the life of this vital woodland, from Spring through to the end of Winter; creating a portrait of a community both wild and human. Intimate studies of woodpeckers and grey heron, time-lapse footage of the trees shedding their leaves in autumn and all mixed with the voices of the people who walk the woods every day in all the weather north-east Scotland can muster.
We need to raise £2000 to ensure completion of this exciting project, leading to an exhibition in the woods themselves and an extensive archive of material documenting the living history of Dunnottar Woods. By supporting this project you'll be directly helping to create a vital document of our living history in north-east Scotland, preserving it's use for future generations.
I'll be creating a rich portrait of the woodland by taking intimate photographs of the wildlife, fauna and people that spend their time there; creating a sound map of the woods and recording the voices and stories which spring from the trees; and collecting mementos of my time there as the woods change with the seasons. The result will be an in depth look at a much-loved woodland in Stonehaven and a stunning exhibition held in the woods themselves.
We've already secured the support of Forestry Commission Scotland who own Dunnottar Woods, they will provide some logistical support and vital knowledge of the woods themselves.
How much money do we need to make this happen?
This crowdfund is to raise £2000 to go towards the costs of undertaking and completing the project. The bulk of which I'm hoping to fund through Creative Scotland funding and corporate sponsorship. The total budget for the project is currently £16, 660.
With full funding for the project, I'll be committing 18 hours a week for 48 weeks to document a year in the life of the woods. This time will include all artistic practice, administration and promotion. Calculating this time at a £10 living wage amounts to £8640.
Other costs include essential equipment, graphic design, website design and maintenance, exhibition costs, other promotion and a small contingency fund.
If the only funding we get is from this Indiegogo page then the project can still go ahead but I will be working for free. That means I might not be able to spend as much time on the project as I hoped, simply because I might have to take on some more paid jobs so that I can eat. The scope of the project will still be huge though and the money from raised here will allow us to have a website, buy essential equipment like a camera trap for capturing images of shy wildlife and holding an exhibition in the woods themselves. Without any funding though, there is no project.
As a thank you for your support, there's an exciting perks package for you to choose from:
- 1 on 1 photography lesson in Dunnottar Woods
- Guided tour of the woods
- Guided tour of Stonehaven featuring Dunnottar Woods, Dunnottar Castle, the historic harbour, Cowie and Skatie Shore. Followed by a drink on the harbour wall
- A very ltd handmade book featuring images from the project and a usb stick full of digital images and sounds
- Photographic prints that feature in the project
- If You Go Down to the Woods Today... CD in handmade woodland theme cover
If we don't reach the goal then the project will still go ahead provided all other funding has been achieved. In the event that there is a critical lack of other funding then the project may be cancelled and indiegogo funding returned.
My background and expertise
I graduated from Aberdeen College in 2006 with an HND in Professional Photography and have been developing my practice over the last 7 years including a stint as a studio photographer for a major family portrait company. My passion has always been nature photography though. This project allows me to document a woodland close to my heart, exploring the wildlife and recording the stories from the people who use the woods.
Having successfully completed a crowdfunding project in 2013, you can have confidence that I'll deliver on the project goals and perks. That project was a major commission for the Fram Museum in Oslo which resulted in a performance at an opening event attended by the King and Prime Minister of Norway. You can have faith that I have experience delivering high quality work to a standard fit for a King.
I also work in Marketing and Communications, so I have the expertise needed to ensure the project is promoted successfully, meaning you'll be supporting a successful and exciting project.
Risks & Challenges
There are a number of minor risks associated with this project. The main one being that other sources of funding aren't successful meaning the project would have to be abandoned or changed drastically. The chances of this are slim as I work in the cultural sector and have strong knowledge of constructing funding applications. In the event of any critical failures of funding, I will ensure clear communication with project backers and if the project is cancelled, pledges will be refunded.
I will have photographers insurance in place so equipment failure will only result in a change to timetabled tasks while a replacement is sourced.
The other main risk is that something happens to me which means I am unable to complete the project. Rest assured it would have to be something fairly serious to lead to a project stop. In the event of illness or other incident, I will ensure as much communication with backers as possible but money may not be returned if the project is under way.
Other Ways You Can Help
I understand that not everyone can afford to support an art project. If you think it sounds cool and still want to support it without giving me any money, then please share the project on social media or with friends. The more shares we get, the better our chance of hitting the target.
Thanks for supporting If You Go Down To The Woods Today...
