Lorna Scanlan

Seasonal work in Blairgowrie has drawn people to the area for over 100 years with the recent workforce arriving from Eastern Europe and living in static caravans. With the fruit pickers being housed outwith the town in temporary accommodation there has always been a divide between Blairgowrie’s seasonal agricultural workers and residents. This creates segregation between two neighbouring communities for an extended period of the year.

I am intrigued by the character of a place as partly an embodiment of ‘culture’ and how complex it can be when you have a resident population, and also historical and current transient seasonal communities. I am interested in investigating how this seasonal influx of people could be better integrated into the mainstream life of the town. How do we make Blairgowrie the ‘Tin City’ - a place that has space to celebrate the influx of different cultures? With agriculture continuing to draw people to Blairgowrie could the key be the celebration of locally grown food? Can places be made that facilitate and celebrate the seasonal mixing of different cultures and seasonal change in what we eat? 

We are losing touch with our food - how it is produced, where it is sourced and the pleasure of communal eating. Sharing a meal is a social experience that transcends language barriers and drives curiosity. Is there room for this sort of intervention in Blairgowrie - a community dining table, something that creates a more meaningful place for both communities?