In January 2023, Curious Pilgrims was one of 36 organisations across the UK and Ireland to be shortlisted for Creative Lives Awards 2022 with the project Community Voices: Memories and Stories of Island People. A COVID Community Memorial.
Community Voices was a platform through which people in Shetland could portray the social and emotional effects brought about as a result of the pandemic. An open call invited people of all ages and from diverse backgrounds to devise and create first-hand narratives of their lives, stories and perceptions, and it was left up to participants to decide what they chose to share and which creative/expressive medium to use.
Through the use of words, animation and film, Community Voices unveils personal perspectives of pandemic and post-lockdown community resilience and human connection. The resultant 22-minute docufilm, which is specific to Shetland, acts as a memorial that preserves a moment in time during an exceptional event in recent history, and delivers a strong message of hope for the future and of new beginnings. Community Voices features contributions by Melvyn Heath, Katrina Christie Loynd, Alex Purbrick, Claire Davenport, Heather Christie, Colin Smith, Michele Simms, Yolanda Bruce, with video editing by Renzo Spiteri.
Creative Lives is a registered charity established in 1991 that champions community and volunteer-led creative activity, and work to improve opportunities for everyone to be creative. In particular, it celebrates and promotes people expressing themselves creatively with others, recognising the benefits this can bring.
Creative Lives Awards started in 2010, as a way to celebrate and spotlight the incredible achievements of groups and projects providing creativity activity for people of all ages and abilities across the UK and Ireland. Judging panels from each nation will choose a winner for England, Ireland/N.Ireland, Scotland and Wales.