On a sunny afternoon, three years ago in our community garden at Whyte Place, the conversation somehow got onto beekeeping. It often happens, as we chat we meander into different subjects and then hit on something that gels.

Our work with the Scottish Beekeepers Association (SBA) can be traced back to that conversation and the workshops by local beekeeper David Wright which followed. This growing interest sparked an idea to make hives and led us to the Chippendale School of Furniture in Gifford where we designed and built two. A group of us were then inspired to complete the SBA’s ‘Introduction to Beekeeping Course’ in 2013.

Our growing confidence in design and making came to the attention of the Scottish Beekeeping Association. They asked us to help freshen up the look of their tent for the 2014 Royal Highland Show. We designed exhibition furniture for the entrance and tables with marquetry veneers for the wax workshop area. Our visual artists produced honey sampling ceramics and pollen coloured aprons for the SBA stewards.

We’ve extended the product range this year. Again drawing on the fantastic individual design and making skills, we have created honey dispensers and a tasting bar with technical support from ceramicist Frances Priest and furniture maker Susan Harper. Susan has also guided the redesign of the SBA merchandising area. Artist Francesca Nobulicci gave suggestions on creating an overall visual identity which links all the different elements together.

The work forms new partnerships between the talents of artists with mental health problems and others who share their interests. This process has forged new and closer working relationships not only with the SBA but also with Edinburgh Sculpture Workshop, Edinburgh Contemporary Crafts and Basic Mountain Studio.

We thrive on the input of local expertise and specialist knowledge. The opportunity to expand our horizons and use our skills in different ways keeps our ideas fresh and our motivation high. Each product has a story, so if you are at the Royal Highland Show please come to the Scottish Beekeepers Association tent and say hello – we’ll be the ones wearing bee pollen coloured workers aprons. We will be delighted to tell you more about the work and are always interested in forging new partnerships.

The Royal Highland Show – Thursday 18th to Sunday 21st June.

The artists who have created the furniture, textiles and ceramics are: Chelley Campbell, Ian Monteith, Richard Gardener, Alex Erskine, Franco D’Acunto, Neil McKay, Julie Busk, Lewis Reay, Leigh SK, Vic MacRae, Aidan Stephen, Frank Merry, Jeremy Roberts, George Robertson, Nuala Boyle, Helen Peak and James Carter.

Artlink connects the creative skills of artists with mental health problems to people and organisations who share their interests.

If you’d like to get involved, work with us or know more contact:
patrick@artlinkedinburgh.co.uk or annabel@artlinkedinburgh.co.uk

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At the start of October 2013 Artlink and the Scottish Beekeepers Association met to discuss the possibility of working together to create a welcoming and interesting display for the 2014 Royal Highland Show. When we took these initial discussions to our participants, a team of designers and makers quickly formed to create the series of unique commissions which you can peruse at your leisure in the Bee Store.

Creating a welcoming entrance for the RHS Scottish Beekeepers display tent proved to be a real test. We had many ideas, but ultimately a hexagonal structure you see is the initial idea of Aidan Stephen. The rest of our team George Robertson, Ian Monteith, Iain Dunne, Vic Macrae, Helen Peak, James Carter and John Paul Costello brought together their ideas and skills to create this structure with furniture designer and maker Susan Harper.

Bees and beekeeping have an endless amount of facts to get absorbed in. In our studio we further immersed ourselves in the topic, which evolved into designs for three tables inlaid with marquetry. Each table carries a particular motif or piece of information that is illustrative of the team’s ideas.

Of the many talents inherent within our team is their interest in design and the practical use of everyday items. Julie Busk, Jeremy Roberts, Lewis Reay, Aidan Stephen and Leigh SK set about creating a range of ceramic and patterned designs with the skilled input of artist and ceramicist Frances Priest.

Jeremy Robert’s illustrations are the main design you see on the work aprons crafted by Annabel Bartle in a series of five unique pollen colour inspired designs.

For further information of this work or to commission your own bespoke piece of ceramics, textiles or furniture please contact patrick@artlinkedinburgh.co.uk or annabel@artlinkedinburgh.co.uk.