Photograph by Raymond Keith
Clovenstone Voices is an exhibition which explores the relationship between place and identity and celebrates the Clovenstone community. It contains photographs of Clovenstone Residents and staff, taken by local photographer Raymond Keith, alongside interviews by Digital Sentinel reporter Craig Tyrie.
The project was managed by Meghan Bidwell, WHALE Arts, with support from Prospect Community Housing.
Here is the photograph and interview with Isaac Adejumo who speaks about his involvement with the Clovenstone Community Garden, moving to Clovenstone and his plans to see more available for local kids.
If you are unable to listen to the interview here is a transcript of what was said.
My names is Isaac Adejumo and I’ve been living in Clovenstone for the past thirteen years now, 2003 up to date.
How did you find moving in to the area?
Ah lovely. At one point some of my Scottish friends would ask me “Isaac where are you living, where are you staying?” and then I said “Clovenstone in Wester Hailes” they go “Oh come on you are living in the jungle!” I said “what do you mean jungle?”.
It is a lovely place and there is no jungle there! They start the story with how this place was in the past. I later realised that it is a lovely place, you know, living like a family, a community. There is no hassle where I stay, no stress, lovely place, good environment. I am enjoying the place.
How has the area changed since you’ve lived here?
It has changed in a positive manner because the environment has changed. There are areas of recreational facilities that have been provided. The beautification of the environment with parks, gardens. The garden in Clovenstone I plan to be a foundation member bringing the garden from scratch to the present place now. I really enjoy the place we have been harvesting things like potato, I still have some potato in my house so there’s salad! You know a lot of things like that. It has changed, really, really changed positively.
Do you think the garden has been good for bringing people together?
The garden has been very effective in bringing people together. It’s like leisure for some people. When you do a little bit of gardening you bend and there is no way you can stand up with reaching so effective you are exercising the body. You are reducing tension and stress you know. That’s the beauty of it. There are even some flowers over there, before I didn’t know you can use to mix with wax and rub your body. You can do that.
Are you involved in any groups in the area apart from the gardening group?
Yes, Wester Hailes Coommunity Council, I happen to be a member. Trying to contribute to the community through that group.
Is there any community work in the area you are particularly proud of?
The garden. I’m very, very proud of that. I’ve told you the benefits it has given people in terms of good living, in terms of what you eat, the exercise and the coming together of people. Another thing I’ve been involved in or that I’m planning to do is how to. I used to talk to these children when they hang around especially the teenagers. I mean you can’t blame them because an idle hand! What I’ve been trying to do is see how one can effective make use of them so that in the long run they can be useful to themselves. Take for example having a table tennis. Then a project that I plan to do for the community especially these kids is Volleyball. That’s because it saddens one’s mind when you see teenagers hanging around Wester Hailes around eight, seven, everything from six o’clock. During these periods you see them. Girls, in fact girls will come all the way from Granton to come and be with their friends over here. It’s not, they are not violent but when you see girls and boys hanging around for maybe three, four hours, doing nothing just chatting, hanging around, smoking. It’s things like that to see what I can do to help them, because when you train a child, to me you are building them, and when you build a child, you are building a nation. Because the youth, whether we like it or not they are the leaders of tomorrow.
You can read and listen to the other Clovenstone Voices interviews here and the interviews from the previous exhibition in Westburn here.
