The immersive project with Holy Cross High School pupils - If Not You, Then Who? - was delivered in partnership with Scotland’s national youth dance organisation, YDance, through a series of creative workshops run throughout May. All pupils from the school’s S1 year group were given the opportunity to be involved in the project, and from these taster workshops, pupils keen to progress further signed up.
Over the past week, twenty S1 pupils took part in a creative deep dive. They explored Bothwell Castle, learned about the impact of climate change on Scotland’s historic environment, worked with heritage specialists, artists and choreographers, co-created a powerful response and, with support from Media Education, captured and edited their experiences on film.
The result is a dance film, blending movement, behind-the-scenes moments and creative reflections from the pupils’ experience. The film will also be screened at Holy Cross High School and shared with Scottish educators as a digital resource and teaching pack to inspire creative projects. It builds on a similar youth-led dance piece created at Dryburgh Abbey last year with Earlston High School.
Making Sense of Scotland launched in October 2024 as HES’s bold new programme to bring heritage learning and engagement together under one inclusive vision. It aims to make Scotland’s historic environment a valued national resource for lifelong learning, reaching out to a wide and diverse audience, encouraging creative exploration and meaningful participation.
Different themes will curate content from across the programme and inspire participants to develop their activities. The Sounds of Scotland theme runs throughout 2025 and features a varied programme of projects - from youth dance workshops and sensory storytelling to the golden age when ‘talkies’ replaced silent movies in a new publication celebrating Scotland’s Art Deco heritage.
By working closely with partners such as YDance, HES is broadening access to heritage, championing diversity and inclusion, and supporting fresh voices to keep Scotland’s history vibrant and relevant for everyone.
Stephen Duncan, Director of Marketing and Engagement at HES, said:
We believe heritage is a living, breathing resource - not just to be observed, but experienced. Making Sense of Scotland is about unlocking the power of our historic places to inspire creativity, participation and connection.
“This project with Holy Cross High School pupils and YDance brings together climate education, local history and the expressive power of dance to help young people make sense of their world - past, present and future. It was incredible to see how the students interpreted their learning and showcased the Sounds of Scotland theme with their creative performance under the backdrop of the historic Bothwell Castle.”
Anna Kenrick, Artistic Director and CEO of YDance, added:
“This was a truly inspiring project that gave young people the chance to engage creatively with their heritage. Through dance, they explored and communicated complex ideas around climate change in a way that was personal, bold and authentic. It was a privilege to witness their confidence grow and their creativity come to life in such a unique setting.”
Support for this project was provided through HES’s Free Learning Visits and School Visits Travel Subsidy scheme, which offers schools across Scotland free entry and transport to historic sites.
About HES Outreach and Learning
- The HES Outreach and Learning group sits within the Marketing and Engagement directorate and makes creative use of our historic environment through services and programmes including:
- Supporting schemes and resources that remove barriers and provide inclusive access to heritage sites, collections and archives.
- Learning programmes as part of formal education for early years, schools, further education, and higher education.
- Informal learning activities for visitors, friends and families, and communities.
- Targeted partnership projects and outreach programmes that support priority audiences including underrepresented groups, school outreach and youth engagement, working with creative industries and education partners.
- Commercial publications
- The HES Commemorative Plaque Scheme
- YDance is the national dance organisation for children and young people in Scotland. Through its Cultural Collaborations programme, YDance works with partners across the arts, heritage and education sectors to create inspiring, inclusive dance experiences that give young people a voice and platform for creative expression.
- Media Education is an Edinburgh-based social enterprise that helps people share their stories through film, audio and digital media. Working with schools, youth groups and communities across Scotland, they support creative projects that build skills, confidence and social impact.
About Historic Environment Scotland (HES)
- We are the lead body for Scotland’s historic environment, a charity dedicated to the advancement of heritage, culture, education and environmental protection. It is at the forefront of researching and understanding the historic environment and addressing the impacts of climate change on its future, investigating and recording architectural and archaeological sites and landscapes across Scotland and caring for more than 300 properties of national importance. We are also the lead on delivering Scotland's strategy for the historic environment, Our Past, Our Future.
- Historic Scotland, trove.scot, The National Collection of Aerial Photography (NCAP), The Engine Shed, Stirling Castle, Edinburgh Castle and Stòr are sub-brands of HES.
- View our press pack and keep up to date by registering to receive our media releases. Already registered? You can unsubscribe at any time by following the unsubscribe link, included in every email.
Follow HES
Facebook: @HistoricEnvScotland | @VisitHistoricScotland
Instagram: @HistEnvScot | @historicscotland
Blog
LinkedIn
For further information, please contact:
Stacey Shaw
Historic Environment Scotland Media Office
07881 512 379
communications@hes.scot