Strength In A Whisper

PROJECT PRODUCTION

Strength In A Whisper is one of HELM’s Kirsty Law’s own self-produced creative works. It is a theatre piece, involving folk song and contemporary dance, that explores the theme of empowerment through unaccompanied singing, queer sexuality, Scots language and snow… for this project Kirsty successfully applied for around £15000 from Creative Scotland, and engaged two theatre companies to help realise this first iteration of the show - Magnetic North Theatre and The Royal Lyceum Edinburgh. The project’s development is ongoing.

Twelfth Day

ARTIST SUPPORT

HELM is establishing an ongoing supportive relationship with this exciting musical duo, who are Catriona Price and Esther Swift. This primarily involves writing funding applications and engaging in project planning for their upcoming ambitious work.

Twelfth Day are more than the sum of their parts and their music is vivid, complex and engages with a whole host of subjects and stories that HELM is passionate about promoting like equality, female empowerment, pacifism and human connection.

Freya Rae

ARTIST SUPPORT

HELM played a key role in helping Freya Rae plan her first ambitious debut album project, Divergence.

This included advice on project structuring, collaboration methods, and drawing up a budget and plan for fundraising.

Forest VIDEOLAB

ARTIST SUPPORT

Helm has worked with projection artist, Mettje Hunneman, on her project Forest VIDEOLAB, advising on a successful funding application to Creative Scotland and taking part in the production of the project’s initiation.
Forest VIDEOLAB is run entirely from an ebike, projecting site-specific artworks into urban nature before departing and leaving no trace. The batteries are charged using solar panels and Mettje cycles to all of her locations on the Ebike with the kit on the back - right across Scotland.

EXPOSURE

PROJECT PRODUCTION

Helm Arts worked with artists Andy Metcalf and Giles Perring, creatively producing the tour for their exhibit, EXPOSURE.
So far this large multimedia exhibition has toured to white-cube Clydeside gallery Dunoon Burgh Hall, to Hulabhaig contemporary art gallery - a disused church on the wild west side of the Isle of Lewis and then to Scottish Storytelling Centre right in the centre of Edinburgh's historic Old Town. Each of these spaces provided exciting challenges and made for very effective exhibitions. For more details on the work please visit
exposure.exchangeart.co.uk

‘Exposure was a fantastic exhibition, which transformed our public space in the Scottish Storytelling Centre, filling it with immersive sounds and incredible artwork. It was one of the first exhibitions we hosted since reopening after lockdowns and it fully contributed to the sense of live activity again in the Centre. Thank you for all your creativity and hard work!’

Daniel Abercrombie, Scottish Storytelling Centre, EXPOSURE venue

Aurora Engine

ARTIST SUPPORT

Helm Arts assisted Deborah Shaw aka Aurora Engine in fundraising for her upcoming album, Imaginary Friends and growing her online presence through social media. Creative Scotland granted her the funding which we are delighted about, and now Helm has been further commissioned to continue to support Aurora Engine throughout the album release process. It's very special, look out for it in Spring next year!
www.auroraengine.com

‘War Stories’ - a creative workshop

ARTIST SUPPORT

In this project HELM worked with Matin Moors, an academic from St Andrews University studying how war narratives are portrayed in popular culture, such as comics and games.

From assisting Matin in crafting and structuring the workshop itself to planning and booking a tour of creative workshops in various comic and game shops around Scotland, the production help from HELM set Matin up in a way where it was easy and enjoyable for him to go on tour, share his ideas and start new discussions around this important topic.

Mike Vass - Decemberwell Decade

ARTIST SUPPORT

For this project, HELM took part in managing the crowdfunding and release of folk musician Mike Vass’s album Decemberwell Decade.

Helm structured, created and launched the crowdfunder campaign and created content for and managed the social media.

The project overreached its mark in fundraising and was picked up by the media, allowing Mike’s great music to be heard.

Sarah Calmus

ARTIST SUPPORT

For installation artist Sarah Calmus, HELM carried out a one-off support and planning session with follow-up at a time when they were feeling in need of direction.

It is incredibly common for artists to become overworked and unsure of how to take the next steps to achieve what they know should be possible in their creative ambitions.

HELM sat down with Sarah, asked questions, went through their past work and discussed where they would like to go. Together, a plan was made on how that might happen, and dates for a follow up check-in put in the diary.

The Paradise Palms

ARTIST SUPPORT

HELM has provided assistance with editing and writing funding applications for this exciting Edinburgh venue’s ideas. Paradise Palms is a live performance venue, restaurant, bar, queer safe space, record label, club and a joy to collaborate with.

‘I really can't thank you enough and the whole process was made much less painful through your involvement. It would be great to work with you again…’

Trystan O’Brien, business owner

Pianodrome

ARTIST SUPPORT

The incredible Pianodrome is a 100-seater amphitheatre performance space made entirely out of unwanted pianos. HELM created their Instagram page and managed their socials at a time when the next step was to gain ore attention to fundraise for upcoming projects. This is a venue that Kirsty has now used again and again, and hopes to work more with them in the future.

‘Kirsty helped us establish our presence on social media at a very early stage for the Pianodrome. Her knowledge of social media and positive engagement with our networks really helped us reach out authentically to our audience, whilst garnering significant attention on Twitter by reaching out to key influencers.’

Matthew Wright, Pianodrome producer

Young Night Thought

PROJECT PRODUCTION

This is one project that HELM’s Kirsty Law produced from beginning to end. An interdisciplinary album project, she Fundraised over £40,000 to make it happen, oversaw the collaborative process and vision, handled the cashflow, booked gigs from the first Celtic Connections concert to the subsequent tour. The following year she then obtained £10,000 further funding as part of the prestigious Made In Scotland programme at Edinburgh Festival Fringe, evolving the project to include not just music, film and artwork, but dance. Throughout her role as producer, her mantra was and still is ‘adapt but never compromise’.

Kirsty took Young Night Thought from an idea she was personally passionate about to a collaboration that we all became gladly committed to over a two-year period. The initial funding application was inspiring, her production was solid, and she consistently communicated with the team openly which allowed us to all have great experience on a truly rewarding project.

Kirsty was decisive when Young Night Thought needed it but was always open to shifts in creative from the team. She kept her vision for the project but managed the collaboration at arms-length letting her fellow artists work freely. The fact that the project still feels fresh and could still reappear in the future in another iteration is testament to Kirstie’s energy, professionalism and that she is generally a good person to be around.

Daniel Warren, filmmaker

Ben Seal

ARTIST SUPPORT

One of the trickiest moments when making music can be when you’ve finished - and then people need to hear it! This is where the incredible Ben Seal was at when HELM’s Kirsty sat down for a couple of progress meetings with him and helped him see the wood for the trees, formulating a plan to move forward and get his new colourful candid queer-pop out into the eyes and ears of those that dwell outside his studio.

‘Kirsty has great insight and communication skills with which she was able to help me get out of my own way. With Kirsty’s help I have been able to promote my music much more successfully.’

Ben Seal

Lighthouse Books - exhibition - ‘Reclaiming Space’

ARTS CURATION

‘An exhibition of feminist art, and make it somehow work in the bookshop’ - that was the brief. You have to get creative when the walls are lined with shelves. HELM’s Kirsty managed the whole process - from artist selection to installation, to organising and promoting the opening. She took the approach of embracing the bookshop environment, one where you find treasures around corners that you weren’t expecting. Featuring artists Kirsty Whiten, Jannica Honey, Samantha Boyes, Pat Law and Jennifer Robson, the shop was packed out for the opening and the work - which included painting, drawing, sculpture, moving image and photography - was the star of the show.

Daniel Allison - book launch - ‘The Bone Flute’

PROJECT PRODUCTION

HELM was brought onboard to design, organise and execute the launch of Daniel Allison’s debut fantasy fiction novel, The Bone Flute. Based on evocative traditional Scottish tales and landscapes, this could be no ordinary bookshop launch.

The night took place in the majestic Pianodrome which was in residence at Leith Theatre. Across the evening there were musical performances, storytelling from the author himself, followed by a Q&A chaired by HELM’s Kirsty. There was even arranged an afterparty nearby where the audience joined the performers for an informal musical /storytelling session.

I didn’t really have a clue where I wanted to hold the launch, or how to structure it. Kirsty supported me through the whole process, helping to define my ideas, think big and offered guidance and suggestions. As well as this, Kirsty compered the evening, doing a brilliant job and facilitating a wonderful event. I was so glad she came on board and I’d recommend her services to anyone.

Daniel Allison

Esther Swift

ARTIST SUPPORT

Innovative composer-harpist Esther Swift enlisted the help of HELM when it came to writing and editing an application for arts funding.

It is always a particular joy to be able to support groundbreaking and community minded ideas, and Swift’s work does just that.

Kirsty gave me a lot of support in what felt like a really overwhelming project.  Her skills in budgeting, writing skills and communication were all invaluable and provided a structure of support that I had been missing. 

Crucially, she helped me articulate my vision with her thorough and insightful questions about all aspects of the project, as well as helping me brand myself as an artist for my practice in general.

She was organised and allowed me to me feel supported whilst motivating me and holding me accountable.  

Esther Swift

Mhairi Law / Island Darkroom

ARTIST SUPPORT

Mhairi Law’s new Island Darkroom has become a nucleus for contemporary analogue photography practice situated on the breath-taking Scottish Hebridean Isle of Lewis. Creating innovative world-class work with its feet firmly rooted in the surrounding community and landscape, this business stands on an international stage from a island croft.

HELM supported Mhairi on a number of occasions in the early stages of this venture, from brand articulation to the proof reading of funding applications. Seeing this project grow from fledgling to established arts business has been hugely rewarding.

Liam Baker

ARTIST SUPPORT

Liam Baker is a songwriter, poet, filmmaker and performance artist. He writes deeply personal and evocative work that he showcases in a variety of different ways from vlogs to film poems to live gigs.

Liam wanted to broaden his audience and connect with other artists on the scene, getting his work ‘out there’.

This is where HELM’s Kirsty was able to step in, helping Liam to articulate what was most important about his work, assisting him in formulating a plan of action and providing him with useful tools. So much of what HELM aims to do with its artists is to ‘join the dots’ for them, helping them feel part of the arts scene at large.