Exhibition opens at the Scottish Fisheries Museum

As part of her 'May Day Memories' project, supported by the Impact and Innovation Fund, Dr Asha Hornsby has been working with Meeting Centres and other community-led social groups which support people living with dementia. This summer, in partnership with storyteller Jan Bee Brown, she held a series of creative workshops in Edinburgh, Montrose, St Andrews, and Dundee.

These collaborative sessions brought historical accounts of May Day celebrations aboard Scottish whaling ships and amongst coastal populations to life through storytelling, historic artefacts, and music. Participants explored how this seasonal celebration connected shipboard communities with families ashore, and each group created their own ribboned garland, bringing together recollections of childhood, work, family, places, and people that mattered to them. An exhibition of their work will run throughout September 2026 at the Scottish Fisheries Museum.

On Friday 29th August, there will be an exhibition opening and drinks reception. The following day, on 30th August, during the Anstruther Harbour Festival, there will be a creative workshop.

Image credit: Aly Wight