Heather Floyd from Community Arts Forum chats to Andrew Crummy on a visit to Belfast to explain and promote World Community Arts Day which is celebrated each 17th February.

“All we ask of you on that day is to do an arts project, however small or big. Be creative about an issue that you believe promotes “caring and sharing”. Song, dance, theatre, draw, paint, write, make, poem, photogragh, lecture, walk, tour, talk, art class anyway that you feel you are creative!”

Andrew was born in Craigmillar, Edinburgh which is often seen as a poor area, Andrew talks about his introduction to art through the Craigmillar Festival Society: festivals, drama, music, clowns, colour and laughter.

Having trained as an illustrator, his professional life started off working for New Musical Express and the Observer but developed into large scale, collaborative artworks in public and community settings.

Since 1985 he has been involved with many mural projects around the world and the production of the Prestonpans Tapestry which presents full colour images of all 104 panels of the world’s longest embroidered tapestry together with accompanying historical analysis of each. It tells the story of the hopes and ambitions of 25 year old Bonnie Prince Charlie to regain the British throne for his exiled father.