Invited to the Scottish Parliament

Here’s my experience of being invited to the Scottish Parliament and getting a behind the scenes look at it.

(Myself outside Scottish Parliament)

Earlier this year I was nominated for a Young Scot Award for my community art work, helping bring creativity into schools, hospitals and care homes across Clackmannanshire and beyond. Shortly after the nomination, MSP Keith Brown got in touch to put forward a motion congratulating myself and the other local finalists. He also invited us to visit the Scottish Parliament after the summer session. It wasn’t something I ever expected to be part of, so the whole thing already felt surreal before I even stepped inside.

I took my dad with me on the day, which felt right since he was the one who had put my name forward for the award in the first place. It felt like everything came full circle. Neither of us ever imagined we would be wandering around the Parliament together, so even arriving at the building felt like a moment.

First Impressions

I had been to the Parliament once before on a primary school trip, but visiting again as an adult was completely different. The architecture was a focal point straight away. I found it really interesting hearing about the ideas behind the design choices from when it was built in the early 2000s. The whole place has a feeling of openness and intention, and understanding it at an older age gave me a new appreciation for it.

(Inside Parliament Chambers)

Experiencing First Minister’s Questions

Before we could enter the chamber we had to go through airport-style security and hand over our phones. I hadn’t known that there are actually more seats for the public than for MSPs, as it is meant to be the “people’s parliament,” which I thought was a nice idea.

FMQs itself was energetic and at times fairly intense. Everyone in the room was clearly passionate about the issues being discussed and were not shy about voicing opinions, particularly on topics that affect people’s lives so closely. It was a different thing to witness in person rather than on TV.

(Myself in First Ministers Chair)

A Personal Tour with Keith Brown

After FMQs we met Keith Brown for a tour of the building, where we had the chance to see the MSP offices and get a better understanding of what the job involves day to day. The whole experience was really relaxed. At one point we bumped into First Minister John Swinney in the corridor and got to say hello, which again was a bit surreal!

One unexpected highlight happened right as we first met Keith. The Tonga rugby team were behind us, preparing for their match against Scotland later that week. They suddenly burst into their national songs in the lobby and it was incredible to hear and experience in person.

(Tonga Rugby Team chanting national tune in lobby of Scottish Parliament)

A Moment of Reflection

Throughout the visit I kept thinking back to myself at 16, sitting in my bedroom painting with no real plan other than wanting to be an artist. I would never have imagined that those hours painting would one day lead to moments like this. Being recognised in this way is unbelievably encouraging and makes me want to keep pushing onwards!

My dad was excited the whole day too. He said it wasn’t somewhere he ever expected to find himself, which made the whole thing mean even more. We both felt slightly out of place when we first arrived, but that feeling lessened as the visit went on.

(Myself painting in my garden in 2020)

The Work That Led Me Here

My community work really began when my former primary school asked me to host an exhibition. It went well and led to workshops and small pop-up exhibitions in other schools. That grew into work in hospitals and care homes too. I’ve never had one dramatic turning point, but every project seems to create connections that lead to the next. It has all built up gradually and naturally.

For me, giving back feels important at a time when the arts are often undervalued or underfunded in certain areas. It’s something I genuinely care about and the Parliament visit has only made me want to continue it.

(Painting I donated to the Forth Valley Royal Hospital in memory of my Grandad. Pictured alongside my Gran)

Ending the Day in Leith

We finished the day with a visit to my exhibition at Loud & Clear in Leith. This was the first time my dad had been able to see it in person, which made it a really nice way to round things off. If you haven’t had the chance to visit the shop yet, I’d really encourage you to go along while it’s still on for the time being!

(Some paintings on show at Loud & Clear, Edinburgh)

Looking Ahead

This whole experience has made me excited to keep going. I hope the opportunities continue to grow and take me to more unexpected places.

A massive thank you to Keith Brown MSP and his team for having us and thank you for reading this, and for all the continued support.

-Kyle