ABOUT US
Crag Community Arts is a charity based in Girvan, South Ayrshire, South West Scotland.
The group was established in 2004 with the aim of providing opportunities for local people to engage with and participate in quality arts events and activities.
Our most notable event is the Carrick Festival of Light which involves several weeks of lantern workshops in Girvan and surrounding rural area culminating in the River of Light Lantern Parade through the town ending at the shore front, where our resident artist David Powell has over the years developed a spectacular fire show.
Our Stance on Generative AI
In recent years, the use of Generative AI in everyday life has skyrocketed to a worrying degree. The hard work of artists, writers and creatives is being used without their consent to train AI models to replicate their styles, tone and content.
As CRAG Community Arts is built off the hard work of creatives in South Ayrshire, the generous funding from our partners and the participation of the local community; we firmly stand against generative AI as a concept and its use.
Listed below are several reasons why we have taken our stance on Generative AI:
The Environmental Impact– A single query on ChatGPT uses 10 times as much electricity as a single Google search according to a 2024 study by the International Energy Agency. According to the Government Digital Sustainability Alliance, AI is predicted to lead to an increase in global water usage from 1.1bn to 6.6bn cubic metres by 2027.
The Economic Impact– Countless artists and creatives have had their jobs, work and livelihoods stolen from them by AI aping their style. According to the World Economic Forum, by 2030 an estimated 92 million jobs will be displaced by AI.
The Social Impact- Chatbots and AI assistants echo or amplify the intrusive thoughts of those relying on them. This in turn feeds into the current mental health crisis and exacerbates it to a further degree.
The Creative Impact- The use of AI visuals, text and music is stifling, homogenising and sterilising the creativity of those who use it. It dulls the creative senses and reduces the output to simply output, no human touch or initiative to it.
To conclude, CRAG Community Arts firmly stands against the use of and training of generative AI in all forms.
Crag Community Arts aims to promote, maintain, improve and advance the education of children, young people and adults, particularly by encouragement of the Arts and creativity.
We run a range of free creative activities for the community of Carrick with a focus on re-using and upcycling and participants report an increased sense of wellbeing, enjoying activities with like-minded people and the opportunity to make new friends.
Key partnerships enable us to deliver annual festivals including Girvan Arts Festival and Girvan Folk festival and we contribute to local initiatives towards a thriving local town.
We are known for our annual Carrick Festival of Light involving the whole community in lantern making workshops. This culminates in a lantern procession through the town in late October/early November.
Crag Board Members
Crag Community Arts is administered by a Board of Directors, all with extensive experience of the Arts or related social enterprises. The current Directors are listed here.
Stewart Sheddon
BOARD DIRECTOR
Stewart is a retired solicitor who spent most of his working life in practice in South Ayrshire and Dumfries and Galloway. Stewart’s passions include traditional music and fly fishing. Stewart is a Trustee of Girvan Traditional Folk Festival and is involved with various other local projects.
Philippa Baird
BOARD DIRECTOR / CHAIR
Sally Graham joined the board in 2024 .
Isabel Archbold
BOARD DIRECTOR
David Powell
Creative Director
Helen Humphries
BOARD DIRECTOR
Helen Humphries is a graduate of the University of Aberdeen and taught Creative Writing at Clark University in Worcester, MA, for a number of years, before returning to work in International Education in London.
She established her own art therapy company, Art at Work Ltd in 2003, before moving back to Scotland. She had a book of her poetry, Framed, published in 2021, and in 2022 established the annual Girvan Arts Festival.
CRAG Community Arts 