Acts of kindness from Tayside in 2020 have been honoured in a new exhibition.
Photographer David P Scott, who learned his craft at Duncan and Jordanstone College of Art and Design, interviewed and took portraits of 18 local heroes and groups as part of the #Dundeekindness campaign.
His work is on display at City Square and will remain there until Monday.
The stories are also told on the Dundee City Council website for those who cannot leave home.
It was a lot of responsibility because we were telling people’s stories, but it was uplifting and inspiring.”
David P Scott
The project is part of the national St Andrew’s Day One Million Kind Words campaign, which seeks to highlight positive acts in an otherwise turbulent year.
Among the 18 people profiled in David’s work include Carnoustie-woman Irene Morrison, who spent her free time making facemasks for charity, and Broughty Ferry ice cream vendor Francesco Bastianiello, who gave away free cones to children as schools reopened.
Groups such as Carse of Gowrie Men’s Shed and Kirton Larder are also championed.
Organisers are encouraging people to use #Dundeekindness on social media to highlight other positive acts.
🎄 Selection Box Collection
🎅 Thank you to Paul Hastie who visited Kanzen HQ today in order to collect 50 Boxes for Total Recall Memories Choir and 12 for Weavers Burn Sheltered Housing – all donated by our members. #DundeeKindness #teamkanzen pic.twitter.com/QFHKSmrzJh
— Kanzen Karate (@kanzenkarate) November 27, 2020
Claire Dow, Dundee City Council (DCC) principle events officers, said: “We knew we couldn’t include everyone who had done a good deed this year, so the hashtag makes sure everybody gets a chance to contribute.”
Some of the people starring in the campaign will get to take the city centre panels home with them when the exhibition ends next week.
David, 38, said: “I asked everyone three questions: who they are, what they do and what inspires them.
“It was a lot of responsibility because we were telling people’s stories, but it was uplifting and inspiring.
“My wife would always say I came back home with a smile on my face.”
Councillor Mark Flynn, DCC convener for city development, said: “The campaign is a brilliant way for the public to recognise the people, organisations and local businesses who have gone out of their way to help others.
“Our online exhibition features only a tiny fraction of the kind work here in Dundee so as we celebrate St Andrew’s weekend, I hope everyone will join in celebrating our shared values of fairness and inclusion by posting their own stories online.”
One Million Words of Kindness
The national campaign, as part of the St Andrew’s Day weekend celebration, sees the Scottish government asking people across the country to remain positive in a turbulent year.
Culture secretary Fiona Hyslop said: “Our national day is an opportunity to recognise the resilience and shared kindness we have experienced this year and which has helped us get through these difficult times.
“We may not be able to get together physically to celebrate St Andrew’s Day, but that doesn’t mean we can’t continue to look out for each other and lift spirits by sharing words of kindness.”
As part of the celebrations, Edinburgh-based artist Emily Hogarth designed limited-edition postcards, which will be available from Lidl stores, and created a short clip highlighting moments of kindness across Scotland in 2020.
Dundee’s lockdown heroes
The 18 people chosen for the #Dundeekindness project was whittled down from a shortlist of about 40.
Claire Dow and David P Scott admitted it was a difficult process.
Here, we highlight just some of the 18 people whose stories are on display at City Square.
Irene Morrison
Irene, a key worker at Ninewells Hospital, decided to make facemasks at home after seeing reports of PPE shortages across the country. She sold them to raise money for Parkinsons UK.
She is now working on an improved design in a range of fabrics, including some with a festive-tinge.
She said: “Initially I wasn’t looking to make loads of masks. It was at work when people mentioned masks I said I’d made one or two and they asked me to make them one.”
Sadie Cook
Inspired by a fundraiser for NHS, youngster Sadie made badges from her own paintings in her dad Richard’s Spex Pistols shop.
Selling them, she raised hundreds of pounds for the NHS.
Richard said: “A lot of my friends are nurses or work in the NHS so it was quite important for us to support them. A lot of the people that come into the shop work for the NHS so we just thought it was a nice thing to do.
“We loved doing it, it was a nice activity for all of us as a family to do while lockdown was on. It was great fun”
Halima Kolo and the Yusuf Youth Initiative
Halima and fellow members of the Yusuf Youth Initiative found most of their volunteer work had to stop because of coronavirus.
But determined to still help others, they decided to spend Ramadan delivering hot meals to households across Dundee.
The group also organised a platter of different foods for Eid.
Halima said: “I started off as a youth club kid when I was about 11 or 12 and from there my youth leader inspired me by supporting me through the different stages of my life. I went on to become a youth leader and I just wanted to give back and do the same.”
