My passion for football was honed on a pitch deep within the German forest near the airbase where my father was stationed as an RAF serviceman in the Cold War. It’s the kind of upbringing that raises questions about who you are and your place in the world. These are issues that are crucial to Scotland, and all who live here, at what could prove to be a decisive point in our history.
Looking at identity and belonging
It’s these issues of belonging and identity that I am confronting head on in a major experiential artwork commissioned by Creative Scotland for the Cultural Olympiad – which runs in tandem with the 2012 Olympic Games. Forest Pitch involves creating four amateur teams predominantly made up of people who are new to Scotland, including refugees.
On 21 July, they will play two matches on a pitch specially cut into a large commercial spruce forest, belonging to the Duke of Buccleuch, near Selkirk, the town where my grandfather was twice a standard bearer in the Common Ridings.
Diversity celebrating Scotland
The first training session took place a few weeks ago in Glasgow, and it was astonishing. Around 60 men and women took part – a few had never played before, while others had professional and international backgrounds.
For a lot of the Forest Pitch volunteers, football is something they adore about Scotland and is something which adds quality to life. It’s a way to mix, to join, to enjoy and to be a part of a culture which they value. Their origins are as diverse as their reasons for being in Scotland – they include Africans, Asians, North Americans and people from the Middle East.
For some, this country is a place to work or study, others have been drawn in by love and family, and to others we offer a haven. For everyone I spoke to, being in Scotland is something to celebrate.
Get involved
Forest Pitch is ultimately about much more than the matches. After the goals and the laurels, the pitch will see another transformation. Native trees will be planted along the white lines, growing into a living sculpture which visitors will be able to wander round for decades. And when the surrounding spruce monoculture is finally felled and hauled off to the sawmills, the Forest Pitch will remain standing in all its richness and diversity.
● Tickets for the matches are available now – £5 for adults and must be booked in advance and are available online or on 01665 833751.
