April 2021 Newsletter

by Site Admin

Members Opportunity – Let us hear your voice

Last summer saw the society embark on an exciting new venture. We commissioned Aberdeen based film maker Martina Camatta to produce a series of documentaries about the Aberdeen Artists Society called ‘A Conversation in Time’. Our first release put the spotlight on Anna Shirron, an early career artist and member of the society. The film is accessible via our website. We are currently working on the second documentary which narrates the history of the Aberdeen Artists Society from its early beginnings to today.

The people who make up the Aberdeen Artists Society, its membership, are very much at the heart of this film. We, the membership, have shaped and driven the society through the centuries to the current day. Therefore, we would like YOUR VOICE to be part of our story. We are looking for volunteers to record a set of phrases which we can use as voiceovers. If you are interested, please read on.

Below you’ll find the first set of voiceover sentences we would like to include in the first part of the documentary.

AAS documentary – Set 1

• The Industrial Revolution was a time of pivotal transformations for Aberdeen as it was for the whole of Scotland.
• Union Bridge was completed in 1805.
• Union street and King street were modernised.
• Infrastructure benefited from the wealth that the industries created.
• Investment in Art and artists was the next visible result of the industrial boom.
• The history of the Aberdeen Artists Society starts in 1827.
• Scottish painter, James Giles and Aberdonian architect, Archibald Simpson, wanted to create an association for improving art in Aberdeen and raise money to support local artists.
• The first exhibition was organised in 1828 in Adelphi Court, in the premises of Mr. Corbyn, a dancing master.
• A total of 247 paintings and drawings were exhibited, including William Dyce’s portrait of Sir James McGrigor. Works by painters considered ‘amateurs’ were shown alongside the Professional artists. An indication that ‘Inclusion’ has been an important element of the Aberdeen Artists Society.
• The exhibition was deemed a success.
• Despite the success of the following show in 1829, no further exhibitions were held until 1855 when we see the “real” beginning of the Aberdeen Artists Society.

The technical bits

You can record all or any of them on your device/phone and send us the file.
You don’t have to read them word by word if you don’t want to, if you prefer to give your version of it, feel free to improvise, as long as the meaning stays the same.
Please keep the microphone/phone about 8-10 inches from your lips, and avoid putting emphasis on consonants like f/p/s/t.

If you have the chance to rename the file with “SET1-your name” it would be great, so we can take your name for the end credits. If you can’t don’t worry, but please mention in the email how you would like your name to appear in the credits (i.e. Elisabeth or Liz) or if you don’t want your name to appear at all.

Please email your recorded files by the 8th of May directly to Martina Camatta at smarty_78@yahoo.it and copy to Rita Kermack at ritakermack@aol.com.

The boring stuff

To make bureaucracy easier (and avoid forms to be signed, scanned etc..), please note that by submitting your voiceover you acknowledge that this is a voluntary contribution and you will not ask for payment (now or in the future). Your voiceover will be used only for the purpose of the Aberdeen Artists Society (AAS) documentary that will be broadcasted online (or any other venue) for the launch of the online exhibition, and will be kept online until the AAS finds useful. By sending us the file, you acknowledge the above.

Thank you for taking part and we look forward to HEARING YOUR VOICE!