Projects

Reconnecting Communities, Inspiring Creativity: The Village Creative Journey

Since 2021, Heids and Herts Scotland has championed the power of creativity to build connection, belonging, and wellbeing across North East Fife and the East Neuk. What began as a response to COVID-related isolation — with artist-led workshops in village halls funded by the University of St Andrews — has grown into Village Creative, a community-driven initiative supporting locally designed arts projects that bring people together through shared imagination.

In 2023–24, supported by Fife Council's Local Community Planning Budget, the Binn Wind Turbine Community Fund (via Foundation Scotland), and GoFibre’s GoFurther Community Fund, we worked with eight community groups to deliver bold, local creative ideas. Each community pitched its project and partnered with us to shape, deliver, and evaluate it. Together, we saw glass murals, storytelling workshops, cooking classes, podcasts, and poetry events take root — with all kinds of people coming together to collaborate and connect.

2023–24 Project Highlights:

Giffordtown Village Hall Committee: A writing project culminating in the community’s second published book, Once Upon a Time…

Colinsburgh Community Trust: Cooking workshops using fresh produce from the community fridge to promote affordable, seasonal meals

The Listening Library: An intergenerational podcast project with Balmerino, Gauldry, Kilmany and Logie Youth Ambassadors.

Garden Tales (Collessie Village Hall): Art workshops celebrating village gardens and local green spaces.

Gateside Community Association: Creation of a glass mosaic mural marking the 100th anniversary of Memorial Hall.

Kilmany Parish Church : A heritage storytelling project resulting in a "100 Years of Memories" village book.

Families First St Andrews : Photography workshops engaging children, young people, and parents.

CiC Community Café & LGBTQ+ Hub, Cupar: Arts and poetry workshops celebrating diverse voices and experiences.

These projects sparked joy, pride, and connection across generations and communities — laying strong foundations for what comes next.

Village Creative 2025: Communities Across Fife Unite Through Arts and Wellbeing

We are delighted to announce the latest round of Village Creative projects, running throughout 2025.

Now in its third year, Village Creative empowers local organisations to co-design and deliver inclusive, imaginative projects that foster community connection and promote mental wellbeing.

Supported by the Fife Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund (managed by Fife Voluntary Action with Scottish Government funding), the initiative continues to show the transformative power of grassroots creativity.

From music to movement, sewing to storytelling — this year's projects span coastal culture, folklore, food, and the power of words. Each one is locally led, artistically inspired, and rooted in connection.Now in its third year, Village Creative empowers local organisations to co-design and deliver inclusive, imaginative projects that foster community connection and promote mental wellbeing.

2025 Collaborators and Projects

Fife Seaweed Fest & Methilhill Community Children’s Initiative (Methilhill) - Seaweed Funday – Coastal Creativity and Connection

A hands-on celebration of our coastal environment, this joyful family event dives into the surprising world of seaweed! Led by a team of local seaweed experts, the day features creative art-making with foraged seaweed, delicious snacks enriched with sea greens, and enriching conversations about seaweed’s many uses — from compost to skincare. Blending nature, nutrition, and creativity, Seaweed Funday invites families to explore, make, taste and learn together in the heart of Methilhill.

Abdie S.W.I. (Abdie) - Restore and Renew Sewing Workshops

Bringing generations of women together in rural Fife, Abdie SWI is stitching creativity, connection and sustainability into community life. These friendly, skills-based workshops will introduce the art of visible mending, upcycling and basic sewing — from sewing on a button to giving tired clothes a second life. Led by professional tutors, the project aims to empower participants with practical knowledge, spark creativity, and keep good garments out of landfill. It’s a space to learn, share, chat and sew — one stitch at a time.

East Neuk Centre Trust (Anstruther) - Making Space – Craft, Conversation and Community

In the heart of the East Neuk, a group of women from all walks of life come together each week to connect, create, and support one another. This new collaborative project will explore themes of community, nature, isolation and identity through hands-on craft activities, group dialogue and nature walks along the coast and forest trails. With a focus on wellbeing, participants will use craft and filmmaking to reflect on their lived experiences — sharing stories, skills and solidarity. A quiet but powerful creative space for connection, self-expression and finding your voice.

Rio Community Centre (Newport-on-Tay) - Unity in Diversity – A Week of Celebration and Connection

A joyful, week-long community celebration honouring the rich mix of cultures, stories, and talents within Newport-on-Tay. Through art workshops, storytelling, global games, shared meals, and a vibrant parade and festival finale, this project brings neighbours of all ages together. With creativity at its heart, Unity in Diversity encourages inclusion, understanding, and pride in what makes every community member unique.

What Moves You CIC (Newburgh) - Family Fun Day with My Friend Selkie

A magical day of dance, crafts, and imagination for families in rural Fife. Led by professional artists, the event features creative movement workshops, hands-on art activities, and a joyful live performance of My Friend Selkie — an interactive dance-theatre show inspired by Scottish folklore. With a relaxed, drop-in format and healthy snacks provided, families can connect, play, and create together in a welcoming, pressure-free space.

Fife Writes (Anstruther & Coastal Villages) - Words from the Coast – Poetry, Prose & Performance

A warm invitation to explore writing inspired by our unique coastal communities. Open to anyone curious about creative writing – especially those experiencing loneliness or isolation – this inclusive project offers a chance to find your voice, meet new people, and develop confidence in a welcoming setting. Through poetry, prose and performance, participants will share stories shaped by the sea, the shoreline, and their own experiences, culminating in opportunities to read aloud, reflect and connect. A gentle way to discover the joy of writing and the power of shared words.

The Dolphin Centre (Tayport) - A Creative Community Collaboration (Shhh... It’s a Surprise!)

Something special is brewing in Tayport! The Dolphin Centre’s new evening craft group is bringing people together to share skills, make new friends, and get creative with yarn, thread, and imagination. With over 30 members already involved — and local schools, nurseries, churches, and community groups joining the fun — this joyful, hands-on project promises to brighten the town in unexpected ways later this year. You’ll have to wait and see what unfolds… but trust us, it’s worth keeping an eye out!

Bread For Good (St Monans) - Breadsong

In the heart of St Monans, this joyful project invites people to come together to learn bread-making in a relaxed, creative, and supportive group. Baking bread can feel mysterious, but here it’s all about the fun of kneading dough side by side—and sharing simple, uplifting songs while you wait for your bread to rise. Over four weeks, participants will explore different breads, nutrition, and the magic of baking as a shared experience. The project aims to build new local connections, boost wellbeing, and celebrate community through a public sharing of bread and song. Breadsong hopes to spark an ongoing tradition of baking and singing together in St Monans, bringing neighbours closer one loaf at a time.

A Word from Our Chair

“These projects show the incredible creativity and care that exist within our communities. From sewing and storytelling to bread-making and singing, each initiative helps people feel more connected, supported, and inspired.”

Ian Harrower, Chair of Heids and Herts Scotland

Heids and Herts Scotland is a volunteer-led organisation dedicated to promoting wellbeing, creativity, and community connection. Through Village Creative, we help communities across Fife respond to isolation and mental health challenges — using the arts as a catalyst for inclusion, resilience and joy.

Haiver FM: Amplifying Community Voices

Our Haiver FM broadcast on 87.9FM became a powerful platform during Mental Health Awareness Week, running from May 9th to 15th, 2022. This initiative featured engaging daily bulletins and transitioned into an exciting two-week live broadcast, offering 12 hours of captivating programming each day from May 16th to 29th. All of this creativity blossomed from our lively temporary studio in the Jubilee Hall, Burnturk.

The results were extraordinary! Our Haiver FM media player attracted over 2,500 listener sessions from 22 different countries, with audiences tuning in for a remarkable 28,353 minutes of content throughout the month. On social media, Heids and Herts reached an impressive 12,900 individuals, garnering 2,291 engaging interactions that sparked conversations and connections within our community.

Join us on this journey! Subscribe to our YouTube Channel to stay updated with regular podcasts and project highlights as we advance the Haiver Community Radio and Podcast Project—putting Community Voices at the Forefront.

This transformative project was proudly funded by the Fife Communities Mental Health and Wellbeing Fund, administered by Fife Voluntary Action with support from the Scottish Government.

Introducing The Sonic Museum: Capturing the Sounds of Land and Sea

Heids and Herts Scotland proudly announces The Sonic Museum, a new initiative that empowers local communities in North East Fife and the East Neuk to explore their rich intangible cultural heritage through sound. Following the success of Haiver FM, our temporary community radio station established during Mental Health Awareness Week in 2021, we aim to combat loneliness and isolation by using digital recording technologies to capture and share stories.

With recent funding from the Community Learning and Development Device Fund managed by SCVO, we have created a field recording lending resource featuring 12 professional digital field recording kits. This allows communities to record memories, nature soundscapes, songs, and sonic postcards. Four pilot projects are currently underway with the Youth Ambassadors from Balmerino, Gauldry, Kilmany, and Logie Community Council, as well as volunteers from St Andrews Heritage Museum and Garden, Kilmany Parish Hall in Rathillet, and the Hamlet of Collessie.

Recently, we enhanced our initiative by loaning a complete audio production station to Fife Writes, a peer support group for writers. This collaboration will enable members to record spoken word, short stories, poems, and podcast plays celebrating Fife's rich landscapes, history, and heritage.

Ian Harrower, Chair of Heids and Herts Scotland shared, “The Sonic Museum will be a digital collection that highlights the cultural and natural wealth of North East Fife, fostering collaboration with community groups and encouraging creativity through new skills in podcasting, writing, and performance.”

Marianne Berghuis, Chair of Fife Writes, added, “The professional production equipment provides an exciting platform for our members to explore and share their narratives while also allowing us to record and stream live events that encourage writers of all experiences.”

Access The Sonic Museum on Soundcloud: https://on.soundcloud.com/nZWMjJfGb5UNz89F6

A Successful Gathering for Community Building - Wed, 26 April 2023 Falkland Estate

We were thrilled to host our first-ever collaboration day, featuring Professor (Emerita) Karen McArdle, FRSA, from the University of Aberdeen, alongside our facilitator, Peter McCaughey from Waveparticle. This event brought together dedicated colleagues working to build stronger communities across North East Fife.

The day was filled with bonding experiences and insightful discussions focused on enhancing social cohesion and resilience. The inspiration we drew from each other was truly remarkable.

Subject to funding, we hope to include follow-up events soon and will keep everyone updated on the dates.

Our heartfelt thanks to the Arnold Clark Community Fund for their generous support in making this initiative possible.

Hearth in the Howe

Hearth in the Howe was a vibrant series of community story-catching events centred on the belief that sharing stories fosters common values, combats loneliness, and inspires compassionate actions.

We collaborated with local communities and the talented professional storyteller Sheila Kinninmonth to celebrate the diverse narratives and reminiscences reflecting rural living.

Hearth in the Howe Sponsors

Hearth in the Howe was part of the Year of Stories 2022 Community Stories programme, made possible with funding support from EventScotland, Museums Galleries Scotland, and the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

Scotland's Year of Stories 2022 celebrated tales inspired by, written in, or connected to Scotland. Stories are a vital part of our cultural landscape, with each community offering a unique narrative. Throughout the year, numerous events organized by community groups, museums, cultural and heritage organizations, and visitor attractions showcased our rich storytelling and literary heritage.