Kemnay Academy's film showcased at national gallery

A film created by Kemnay Academy pupils has been displayed at the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art after a local high school won a national competition.

Kemnay Academy pupils at My Land My Story closing event

Pupils travelled to the capital to watch a film they created on local land being projected onto the museum after being announced as winners of the Scottish Land Commission’s MyLand.Scot ‘My Land, My Story’ campaign.

The film told the story of the area around Kemnay Quarry and the transformation the land has seen in the past, present and future – from producing granite that was used in the Scottish Parliament Building and Forth Road Bridge, to becoming a community and educational space.

Dexter Cook, a 16-year-old pupil from the school, said: “Creating the film has been a brilliant experience. It’s been fascinating to learn about our local land and get creative to showcase its use.

My Land My Story projection at the National Gallery of Modern Art

“The highlight was actually winning the competition. Everyone is extremely proud to have seen our film projected onto the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art and it was such a fun day travelling to Edinburgh as a class for the event.”

The ‘My Land, My Story’ competition was launched by the Scottish Land Commission as part of its MyLand.Scot campaign in connection with Visit Scotland’s Year of Stories 2022 to raise awareness among the younger generations about the range of positive ways land can be used and reused around the country.

Kemnay Academy received a £500 grant from the Scottish Land Commission to create their film, which saw the school’s Environmental Sciences and Media Studies classes combine to bring the project to life.

Land Reform Minister Mairi McAllan said: “Scotland's land is a precious national resource that is fundamental to our economy, our environment, our wellbeing and our just transition to net zero. It also forms an important part of our history and culture – as demonstrated by Kemnay Academy in their impressive film."

Hamish Trench, Chief Executive of the Scottish Land Commission, said: “Pupils at Kemnay Academy have been incredibly creative in demonstrating ways in which young people in Scotland can engage in conversations around land use.”