Tayside Mountain Rescue are working in partnership with Andie Sewing School and UNESCO City of Design Dundee on a tartan design competition
Young People across Tayside are encouraged to create their own tartan design inspired by the colours of the landscapes across Tayside and the Tayside Mountain Rescue brand.
Tayside Mountain Rescue is a team of dedicated volunteers who respond to emergencies 24 hours a day, 365 days a year, rescuing members of the public in crisis. They always look for innovative ways to engage with the public, encouraging others to safely visit the outdoors. They currently do this through the Hamish Hub.
The idea to create a tartan for Hamish the Highland Coo was developed by Andie Sewing School student Zoe, aged 13.
Zoe, Andie Sewing School student, said:
“I've been going to sewing classes at Andie Sewing School for a few years now and I already knew about Hamish and his song. I thought, why can't Hamish have his own tartan?
“I mentioned it to the volunteers I know at Tayside Mountain Rescue Team who thought it was a great idea. I'm looking forward to helping choose the winning tartan and then later making an outfit from it during my sewing classes at Andie Sewing School. I think other kids will really enjoy taking part over the summer holidays.
Paul Russell, Tayside Mountain Rescue Senior Team Leader, said:
“Tayside Mountain Rescue Team is always looking for ways to engage with the community and we already have our Hamish Hub which aims to encourage kids to visit the outdoors safely. The Tartan design project is another way to interact with kids in Tayside in a fun way to help show them the wonderful landscapes they have on their doorstep. The pictures in the design pack show the variety of landscapes within Tayside and the variety of colours both in nature and as part of our uniform. We hope the kids will be inspired from these pictures and use their imagination to create a beautiful Tartan. We are all volunteers and rely on public donations and we hope that Hamish’s Tartan will help us stay on the hills for many years to come.”
The winning design will be registered as an official tartan which will be used across Tayside Mountain Rescue merchandise and as outfits for Hamish. Each finalist will receive a surprise from Hamish, and the winner will be invited to attend Tayside Mountain Rescue’s Volunteer Fun Day on Sunday 28th September. Students of Andie Sewing School will have the opportunity to design a brand-new collection with the winning tartan design in the Autumn.
Gillian McIver, Andie Sewing School Director, said:
“Tartan is such a powerful part of Scottish identity, and a huge part of the Andie brand as we’ve made thousands of tartan garments over the years. The chance to be involved in designing something that weaves tradition with the fresh perspective of our young creatives is so exciting. Young people bring such raw creativity and energy and giving them a platform to build confidence and discover what they’re capable of is incredibly rewarding. I love that this project combines heritage, storytelling, and hands on design. It’s exactly what Andie Sewing School is all about.
“It’s such an honour that Zoe and Tayside Mountain Rescue have asked us to work on their tartan. Zoe has such a brilliant creative mind, and she leads with purpose, so to be nominated by her feels incredibly meaningful. It’s a big vote of confidence in what we’re doing at the sewing school, and I’m so grateful for the chance to collaborate on something with both cultural and personal significance.”
Kirsten Wallace, UNESCO City of Design Dundee Project Coordinator, said:
“We were thrilled to be asked to partner on this project to help celebrate the work of Tayside Mountain Rescue and their team of volunteers, through a developing their own tartan. Two of our designation’s key aims is to champion local design talent and to encourage public participation in design, which we are excited to deliver through this tartan competition with Andie Sewing School.
“We are excited to see and hear the imaginative ideas that the young people come up with through their design process in selecting colour palettes and telling us about the symbolism their design represents. Tartan is a creative form of storytelling and Hamish’s new tartan will showcase the work that Tayside Mountain Rescue do for many years to come.”
A design pack, including a brief, inspiration and a tartan template is available to download from UNESCO City of Design Dundee’s website or can be picked up from Level 1, Central Library, The Wellgate where drop-in sessions will run throughout June and July.
The competition will close on Monday 28th July and is open to anyone aged 18 and under. One entry per person should be emailed to kirsten.wallace@leisureandculturedundee.com or physically submitted to Central Library.
Pictured back L-R are Deirdre Matthew - Mountain Rescue Team Member, Victoria Simpson - Project Co-ordinator, Gillian McIver - Andie Sewing School Director, Front L-R Kirsten Wallace, UNESCO City of Design Dundee Project Coordinator, Zoe - Zoe, Andie Sewing School student, Hannah Watson- Sewing Teacher with Hamish the Highland Coo