The 700th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Arbroath has “massive potential” for the town.
That’s the view of Arbroath 2020 chair Norman Atkinson as he issued a rallying call for the public to get involved in the celebrations.
A public meeting being held at 7pm on Wednesday at Hospitalfield House will provide an opportunity to discuss ideas and encourage local people, groups, organisations and businesses to take part.
Mr Atkinson said Arbroath 2020 is currently a small group of locals and organisations working closely with representatives of Angus Council, Historic Environment Scotland, Visit Scotland and Hospitalfield.
He added: “We are very aware that there are many others out there with potential ideas about how the 700th anniversary should be celebrated.
“This meeting is an opportunity for everyone to air their ideas about how the 700th anniversary of the Signing of the Declaration of Arbroath should be celebrated and find out how they can become involved in planning and development.
“The 700th anniversary of the Signing of the Declaration of Arbroath has massive potential for our town.
“In 2011, the fabulous programme of celebrations to mark the 200th anniversary of the Bell Rock Lighthouse attracted thousands of people from all over the world, enhancing Arbroath’s reputation, shining the light on the town’s fascinating history and boosting the local economy and civic pride.
“The 700th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Arbroath is an opportunity to repeat this success and we’d like as many people as possible to come along to the meeting at Hospitalfield on the evening of November 16.”
Norman said the meeting will also include a chance to study the plans that have been drawn up for the proposed development of a civic square in front of Arbroath Abbey.
A proposal that the Declaration Statue be moved to a position near the Abbey will also be discussed along with ways to ensure the economic benefits of the anniversary are fully realised.
The estimated costs of creating the civic square and relocating the statue are in the region of £250,000.
These costs would be met by Arbroath 2020 who intend to raise funds through crowdfunding, other donations and appropriate grant applications.
Lucy Byatt, director of Hospitalfield Arts, explained that, at the time of the signing of the Declaration, Arbroath was an intellectual and creative centre in Scotland.
She said: “One of the legacies of this important period was the Declaration of Arbroath – it is this entire context for the Declaration that we wish to celebrate.”
One of the 700th anniversary ideas which is on the verge of becoming a reality is a special tapestry commemorating Arbroath Abbey and its history.
A group of members from Angus Embroidery and Textile Artists have been inspired by the Great Tapestry of Scotland to create a tapestry telling the story of the Arbroath Abbey.
