The proposal The Dispersed Memorial Forest was co-createdwith communities across the region in Phase 1 of the Remembering Together D&G project, June-December 2022. As the Covid Memorial for D&G, it included the creation of a Dispersed Memorial Forest, hosting community events to allow opportunities for shared reflection, and the creation of an Community Archive which recorded stories of loss and resilience from people across the region.
Phase 2 began in July 2023, and Artists t s Beall and Katie Anderson were recommissioned to co-design and deliver the memorial project. The artists hosted further conversations and workshops across D&G, building on earlier collaborations. The workshops and activities were designed to share information about the memorial project, and to help decide the locations for the Memorial Forest. Five sites were identified in Dumfries, Castle Douglas, Moffat, Sanquhar, and Stranraer, as the artists were keen to ensure that the forest was spread across (or ‘dispersed’) across D&G, so that people across the entire region would be able to visit the memorial.
TreeSurv, a D&G-based organisation specialising in planting native woodlands, were brought on as advisors. TreeSurv staff visited each of the five Memorial Forest sites with the artists, met with site partners and local community members, and recommended native tree species to plant at each site. Local community members were consulted on the types of trees they preferred, and this was taken into consideration when deciding what species to plant on each site.
Tree Planting Events were hosted at each of the five locations (learn more about Planting the Forest). After the trees were planted, sculptural markers were co-designed with local communities, and fabricated and installed.
Community Gathering Events
To mark the opening for each of the sites, the project hosted a series of Community Gathering Events at each location in June 2024, with activities including walks, sharing stories, music and food. The project’s artists worked alongside local community partners and individuals to create unique events for each site, inviting guest speakers, musicians, and local businesses to support activities.
The events allowed an opportunity for reflection, and for communities to come together – both key themes identified during Phase 1 of the project. The opportunity to share stories allowed individuals to speak about their experiences, and to have them documented and heard. Events were created with, and attended by, primary school children, care home staff and residents, NHS staff and their families, local choirs and musicians, and other local groups and individuals.
Learn more about the project: Phase 1.
