Deveron Projects is based in the rural market town of Huntly, Scotland. It connects artists, communities and places through creative research and engagement, working with local people since 1995. Artists, the organisation believes, are cultural activists who can energise people and communities, adding vitality to our society. Creative and playful processes can be employed to untangle and overcome real-life challenges, defuse conflict, solve problems and open new possibilities. It works in its hometown with artists from around the world to connect local communities internationally.

يصنع الشعر والجمال السلام دائماً, وحين تقرأ شيئا جميلا تجد تعايشا, انه يحطم الجدران

Poetry and beauty are always making peace. When you read something beautiful you find coexistence; it breaks walls down. Mahmoud Darwish

Walking Without Walls

Deveron Projects, in collaboration with Who Are We? hosted a Lunch linking London, Huntly and Gaza in May 2018 on the Tate Exchange 5th Floor in the Blavatnik Building, Tate Modern.

Artists’ May Murad (Gaza) and Rachel Ashton (Huntly) digitally collaborated throughout 2017 to plan and execute two 2018 Slow Marathons in the places they come from. This series of digitally-driven exchange Projects ‘Walking Without Walls’ partnership explored ways in which artistic and social collaboration could function despite restrictive political situations. The two artists shared their respective landscapes through image and video, Skype and WhatsApp, sketches and text, through their very different geo-political settings. While Rachel negotiated her way with landowners and farmers, May dealt with the complexities of living in an occupied territory. Drawing on the plant journals of WW1 pacifist Rosa Luxemburg – created whilst imprisoned – the artists recorded and shared plants with curing powers in their different climates while looking for new paths, friendship and ways of healing along the way.