All-INKlusive - What is the 'Away Weekend'?
So we’ve been through the selection process. We’ve all had our Christmas break and the rest of the world is hunkered down for January. But there is no time to rest up at Vanilla Ink. January is such an exciting month for us. It’s when we get our new intake of INKers together for the first time and we all pile into a minibus and head up to gorgeous Aberdeenshire for our induction weekend.
January 2023, I pulled up in the car park at Brook Street our Glasgow HQ in a minibus to collect the 2023 INKers for our weekend away. It was a bright morning and there was a real buzz in the air. Most of our new cohort were just introducing themselves to each other, and the excitement about the start of this journey was palpable.
So all aboard the bus and off we headed for our first stop in Dundee. Did you know that the fabulous addition to the Dundee Riverside, the V&A, hosts a video exhibit about Vanilla Ink? The video was taken in the early days back in Hidden Lane and focuses on Vanilla Ink as part of Scotland's design and education culture.
The visit to the V&A in Dundee, particularly to the design exhibition, gave our INKers so much food for thought and time to bond over their own interests and inspiration. There was plenty of time to explore before we jumped back on the bus for the rest of the journey north.
Vanilla Ink The Smiddy
Our gorgeous community based studio and centre of excellence in Banff Aberdeenshire.
A fabulous place to kick off our INKubator Professional Development Programme
A few hours later we arrive in the beautiful coastal town of Banff. Now this is not to be mistaken (let’s be honest it often is) for the ski resort in the Canadian Rockies. Banff, Aberdeenshire is a gorgeous understated little town on the coast with an incredible history of silversmithing. Our Centre of Excellence, The Smiddy is based in the heart of the town just a few moment’s walk from the beach. So, what a great place to kick off our INKubator Programme!
The weather and light on the beach at Banff never fail to disappoint
Banff is overflowing with history and the local pub, the Market Arms is no exception! The walls are full of great pictures of the area. And the pub itself played more than just a bit part in the cult classic Local Hero. So this made a venue to kick back and enjoy some food and a few beers at the end of our first day.
The beginning of day two was all about inspiring our INKers to seize opportunities and think about how they can make their dreams a reality. So all aboard the mini bus to visit our inspirational friends at WELAN.
Jason and Yvonne ran a successful business in London before deciding to make their home on a remote Scottish Island. After having a cup of tea with a neighbour and being asked to look after some orphaned sheep, Jason and Yvonne’s lives changed forever. Now based between Tiree and Banff, Jason and Yvonne have absolutely dedicated themselves to their dream of a rural life and being part of the circular economy.
Embarking on a commitment to their careers in jewellery making and for some stepping away from other careers and taking a leap of faith in themselves, a morning spent with Jason and the gorgeous sheep that are at the centre of WELAN, was just the inspiration our INKers needed.
After an incredible morning exploring the small holding Jason and Yvonne are building and bonding with the beautiful sheep our INKers were fired up to start planning and talking about their own plans and dreams for the future.
On our way back to The Smiddy we threw in a little more inspiration with a stop off a the incredible Tarlair Swimming Pool in Macduff. Once a thriving outdoor pool, this incredible location is now receiving regeneration funding thanks to local interest and support, but there is also an incredible beauty in the abandonment and dereliction of this man-made pool on the edge of a wild and unforgiving coast.
Our INKers were, as we have been so many times, completely taken with the contrasts and juxtaposition of this unusual setting.
Now it was time for some real work. With all that fresh air in our lungs, we split into two groups, with one in The Smiddy turning their hands to making copper spoons, and the other working together for a couple of hours on working out some of the priorities for the next ten months and understanding what being an INKer would involve. Then it’s time to swap places before we wind up with a celebration drink and a trip to the local Indian for some great grub.
Day three finds us back on the road, all very sorry to be saying goodbye to Banff. But the excitement is not over. Further inspiration awaits us at the Blackwatch Museum in Perth. Welcomed with a wonderful lunch, we then had time to explore the museum, which is full of some of the most incredible pieces of silverware from goblets to daggers and swords and so much more.
The INKer Away weekend is a fabulous mix of inspiration, connections and focus. It’s hard to describe the incredible feeling of coming together as a cohort. The thing that overwhelmed us was the way in which we saw our values being demonstrated by this new cohort right from the outset. There was a hunger to learn, not just from the course content and tutors, but from each other, with the willingness and openness with which the INKers were ready to share their experiences and journeys confirmed for us that these were the right people in the right place at the right time.
As we come towards the end of the Programme, we are so proud of how our class of 2023 has worked together, has supported each other and how incredibly far they have come.
