Irvine Camera Club is undertaking an ambitious project to document local community groups and organisations with the intention of putting on a major photographic exhibition towards the end of next year. Our plan is to involve as many of our members as possible. Getting them to go out into the local community and to work with other clubs and groups.
Colin Houston, Alan Kempster and I got the ball rolling last weekend when we teamed up with the Tidelines Book Festival at the Harbour Arts Centre in Irvine. We had already met up with the Tidelines Coordinator, Siobhan Staples, at a Creative Lives event in West Kilbride earlier in the year.
When the time came it was just a case of getting three of us to cover each night of the event. It worked out very well with our vice chair, Alan Kempster, attending the opening sell-out evening which featured writer and presenter Stuart Cosgrove discussing his book “Hey America!” together with live music from award winning vocalist, Kitti.
I came along on the second night for an evening of poetry and readings celebrating love in all its forms with David McLaughlan (aka Francis Gay), Michael Malone, Tracy Harvey and Morvan Gow. Several brave local writers also supported the evening with superb open mic performances.
On the third and final evening our Treasurer, Colin Houston, attended to cover a session with three popular crime fiction writers, Olga Wojtas, Caro Ramsay and Douglas Skelton. Closing off the festival award winning performance poet and playwright, Imogen Stirling, delivered readings from her latest collection “Love The Sinner”. A modern retelling of the seven deadly sins the work reflects on the meaning of being human today. Imogen brought “Love The Sinner” to Tidelines accompanied by a live musician.
We would like to thank Tidelines and the HAC for looking after us and allowing us to cover the event. I’m sure this will be the start of an ongoing relationship.
Irvine Camera Club meet every Tuesday evening at the Irvine Community Sports Club. If you would like to get involved then you can find all the details on our website www.irvinecc.co.uk
