Alchemy Film and Arts wins national award for Creative Regeneration

Alchemy launched a two-year film-making and digital skills project, working with all seven of Hawick’s primary schools.

The SURF Awards, held at the city's Voco Grand Central Hotel on Thursday, December 8, showcase best practice in regenerating Scotland’s towns.

A statement from the judges said they were “impressed by the breadth of groups and communities which Alchemy Film & Arts were engaging with across Hawick, the wider Scottish Borders, nationally and internationally.”

It continued: “The strength of partnership development, reaching across higher and further education, heritage, culture and the third sector, was clear. Alchemy’s year‐round structured and supportive approach offers multiple marginalised groups and communities the opportunity to be creative using all aspects of filmmaking, and more.

"For example, the Viewfinders programme, supporting teachers across seven local primary schools to develop filmmaking and digital skills, shows that creativity can be used in all aspects of learning, from maths to biology.

"The judges considered this an innovative approach to embedding creative learning across the curriculum, with clear benefits to teachers and pupils. The judges were particularly impressed by Alchemy’s determination to embed ‘Film Town’ as a meaningful driver for change for communities in Hawick and beyond.”

Delighted Alchemy director, Michael Pattison said: “Winning the Creative Regeneration award from SURF is a massive achievement for the Alchemy team, who work so consistently to uphold our values of warmth, openness, solidarity, hospitality and humour.

"It was the Southern Reporter who first said Alchemy had put Hawick on the map as Scotland's film town, and this award feels like a validation of that sentiment.

Fellow director Rachael Disbury added: “Hawick is a place of multiple communities and it's an honour and joy to count ourselves among them. The award is testament to the creative energy of the town and wider Borders region, and to the positive outcomes and working methods of collaboration and experimentation made possible by our funders and supporters.”