Frank McElhinney appointed to work with communities in North Lanarkshire
Culture for Climate Scotland and Northern Corridor Community Volunteers are delighted to appoint Frank McElhinney, a Scottish-based visual artist, as the project artist for Thriving Tomorrow.
Thriving Tomorrow is a pilot project exploring how arts-based methods can help develop climate action in ex-coal mining areas. Culture for Climate Scotland is working with the Northern Corridor Community Volunteers in the Northern Corridor area of North Lanarkshire. The project forms part of a fellowship scheme with the Alliance for Socially Engaged Arts.
Frank McElhinney studied Medieval and Modern History at Glasgow University and Fine Art Photography at the Glasgow School of Art. Frank is interested in contemporary issues such as climate change, migration and nationhood. He works with different media but photography is foremost in his practice. Almost all of Frank’s work is made in Scotland and Ireland as part of long-term projects. Frank’s current project, Carbon Valley, investigates the legacy of Scotland’s industrial revolution.
Frank McElhinney, Thriving Tomorrow Project Artist, said:
‘I am looking forward to working with Culture for Climate Scotland and the ex-mining community of the Northern Corridor. It is a great opportunity to engage in creative solutions to real world issues relating to climate change and builds on my personal interest in Scotland’s industrial heritage.’
Lewis Coenen-Rowe, culture/SHIFT Manager at Culture for Climate Scotland, added:
‘I’m really looking forward to working with Frank McElhinney on this project. When it comes to a just transition there is so much to learn from Scotland’s ex-mining areas, and Frank brings a long creative engagement with mining heritage and the landscape itself. I hope that we can use this pilot project to help bring about some real positive change locally and develop learning that can shape our future work.’
Thriving Tomorrow is an arts-climate project funded by the Alliance for Socially Engaged Arts, running from February to September 2026. Find out more on the Thriving Tomorrow project page.
About Culture for Climate Scotland
Culture for Climate Scotland is a charity that connects culture and climate change, and harnesses the role of arts in achieving transformational change to a sustainable Scotland.
About Northern Corridor Community Volunteers
Northern Corridor Community Volunteers aim to improve local green-space and biodiversity, improve community cohesion and opportunities to engage in active travel, preserve local heritage and provide opportunities for community members to be involved in community gardens, orchards, woodland creation and up-cycling and repair projects.
About Alliance for Socially Engaged Arts
The Alliance for Socially Engaged Arts brings together leading European philanthropic foundations to champion the power of socially engaged arts in driving positive social change across Europe. By connecting and elevating organisations and practitioners, and providing them with essential skills and resources, the Alliance works towards a Europe where community engagement and creative collaboration sit at the heart of the arts sector, fostering social progress for all. The Alliance is hosted by the Network of European Foundations.
