Man, if we had a pound for every time someone asked how the building was going…
So, in case you are one of those who haven’t asked recently – the skinny is this:
The Council took possession of 100 High Street at the end of January 2014 – after much fun and games with the locks The Stove agreed to leave the building temporarily whilst DGC undertake the first stage of the building works required.
It is anticipated that the final planning permission will be through by the middle of May and that works will commence at this time.
The first stage works comprise new access for people with disabilities, a lift, new toilet provisions, services for a café, general repairs etc. If all goes to plan this will take 12 weeks, so the very earliest The Stove will be allowed back in the building will be September.
When we get back in we can begin our own fit out and modifications to the building (aka Stage 2) – these will include the café, integrated artworks, IT and AV equipment (hell yes!)
We will be partially open as soon as we get the keys back from DGC – don’t ask us when we will be fully open (because Will says it is not possible to estimate this) – but there is a sweepstake running on the opening date – if you are interested in taking part – contact Colin via [email protected].
For those of you who have been asking ‘what is The Stove’ – here is our latest attempt to define it… this is a work in progress and we are committed to inclusivity in all things… please do chuck your threepenneth in…
The Stove is a project to add creativity to the structures and thinking that will shape a future we all will share.
The project is run by a collective of artists and other active citizens in Dumfries and Galloway. The Stove creates inclusive public art events to engage the citizens of Dumfries in constructive and practical action in the town. The Stove uses a three storey building in the town centre of Dumfries as an HQ for the project and will operate 100 High Street as a social enterprise. The Stove has a membership of over 100 people ranging from café-owners and wild-food chefs to video artists and DJs.
We see the arts not as something solely for an ‘arts audience’, but rather, as a vital contribution to society on all fronts. The Stove is a vehicle for practical partnerships with people and organisations working in Health, Education, Tourism, Regeneration and Environment.
The creative arts are one of the top ten economic sectors in Dumfries and Galloway – The Stove is an expression of confidence, professionalism and ambition for that sector – placed physically and practically at the heart of the evolving future of our region.
Standing here in the spring of 2014, The Stove has an incredible opportunity to make a difference for the future of people and places locally. Through the generous support of our funders—Creative Scotland, Dumfries and Galloway Council, Holywood Trust, and Edward Marshall Trust—we have the chance to move forward simultaneously on three interrelated fronts:
100 High Street: Converting the Stove building into a fully accessible HQ for The Stove that is welcoming to all and reflects the high quality of The Stove’s ambition.
Our organisation: To be viable in the long term, The Stove needs to creatively use the skills and facilities available to us to generate income that will continue to support the vision of the arts at the heart of Dumfries. We have business development support to build the foundations of The Stove for the future.
The Stove @ The Stove: We are creating a detailed programme of artwork projects between now and July 2015. This will include opportunities for residencies, commissions, and volunteering—to be part of new public art events, gatherings, workshops, etc.
Working on all three of these fronts at the same time is an incredible opportunity to show what the creative community is capable of when we are given the chance to properly be part of the ‘real world’ (not just fluffy stuff stuck around the edges). Let’s get it done!
We’ll be publishing more details about ways to get involved in The Stove @ The Stove soon—but do give us a shout if you have ideas about what The Stove could be doing or other people we could be working with.
The Youth Enquiry Service has been a friend of The Stove for a while now—so we were delighted when they got in touch to ask for our help with their ambitious project to chart their own 20-year history. Their project will look at how things have changed for young people over the last 20 years in Dumfries. They will do this by undertaking research and then creatively presenting their work as a film, a publication, and a travelling exhibition.
The Stove will be working with Y.E.S. on this from now until September, creating as many opportunities as possible for our own programme to complement the Y.E.S. project.
For more information, feel free to drop us a line at [email protected].
Lately, we’ve been reflecting on The Stove as an opportunity to align our actions with our values and consider the society we live in. We’ve drawn inspiration from the New Economics Foundation to rethink the way we work and, crucially, invest in local services and people.
Money, like other aspects of life, has become controlled by distant organisations who, as the recent economic turmoil has demonstrated, do not necessarily have our best interests at heart. As the New Economics Foundation put it, our economies have become like ‘leaky buckets’, money that should be staying and circulating locally being sucked out to distant corporations and shareholders. This all adds to our vulnerability in times of increasing uncertainty, rather than reducing it.
Local enterprises are more likely to employ local people, provide services to improve the local quality of life, spend money locally and so circulate wealth in the community, promote community cohesion and, by reducing transportation of goods from across communities, are likely to have a smaller environmental footprint.
Lets use the resources of The Stove to give the maximum effect in our local economy and society – if you’ve got ideas about ways The Stove could be effective in assisting regeneration locally then please do get in touch [email protected]
The third Big Burns Supper (BBS) Festival really found its stride this year – there was a palpable feeling that the toon had taken BBS to its heart and was joining in at every turn. Big respect to the festival team and to Doonhamers everywhere!
The Stove joined in too – it has now become a bit of a tradition for us to contribute something of the outdoor ambience to BBS (not quite sure how we ended up with that job at a festival in January!). This year, we staged the Big Burn – but before we get to that, there were a couple of other wee Stovish things to enjoy. We made a lantern for the procession:
The Stove’s ‘Bunch of Balloons’ Lantern – Made by Danae Marshall, Iain Gisbey, Hayley Stephens, and Sara Redden – Is Seen Here at the Front of the Homecoming Parade, Carried by Hayley and Sara and Ably Assisted by Sara’s Daughter, Daisy.
Katie Anderson made her own installation ‘Close Enough’ for the close next to The Stove:
‘Close Enough’ by Katie Anderson – Domestic Wallpaper Designs, Stretched and Interpreted in UV Paint, with an Accompanying Soundtrack of Environmental Sounds and Spoken Word.
The idea of The Big Burn was dead simple – to tell folk that we were making a bonfire in the middle of the High Street and see what happened. We hoped to create a place where people could hang out for a while and warm themselves, bringing a touch of the familiar bonfire vibe into an unfamiliar setting and seeing what unfolded.
Will Proved His Mettle As Firestarter General.
No Barriers…No Problem.
The first addition volunteered for The Big Burn came from Phoebe Marshall, who brought along hazel twigs, marshmallows, and chocolate biscuits. Toasted marshmallows, sandwiched between two chocolate biscuits, make a s’more…
Children Roasting Marshmallows for the Flames.
Regular Marshmallow Action on the Flaming Logs That Stood Around the Fire.
Extreme Marshmallow Toasting.
The next unexpected addition was the arrival of the Cairn Chorus, who were led to the Big Burn by Wendy Stewart. They sang beautifully for 20 minutes, including the most emotionally stirring version of Auld Lang Syne I have ever heard. The fact that we were sitting around a fire in Dumfries on Robert Burns’ birthday was lost on no one.
The Cairn Chorus at The Big Burn.
The next intervention around the fire was the arrival of a troupe of mysteriously masked dancers:
Dancers in Black and White at Top Left.
There were no clues at all as to the identity of the dancers – and if anyone knew, they weren’t giving anything away. They melted back into the night just as they had arrived.
One of our Turkish neighbours played a bit of drum and danced briefly. Tatties were baked and eaten, and tea was enjoyed. Then the Dumfries & Galloway Fire Service arrived and offered to help us put the fire out – who could refuse a handsome fireman with a hose?
Dumfries & Galloway Fire Rescue performing at The Big Burn.
And that was that, really – except that the 20 or so folk who were still around the fire all helped clear away the Big Burn. A human chain was formed, and 1.5 tonnes of bricks were moved behind The Stove. In under one hour from the fire engine arriving, there was no sign at all that anything had happened in the square that night – apart from some very happy memories.
Thanks to everyone who made The Big Burn such a success – great craic and a lovely time spent with old friends and new. We have a feeling this just might become a Big Burns Supper regular feature. Maybe we’ll even be allowed an even bigger fire next year!
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