The Committee for Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture is currently examining future directions for funding culture in Scotland. The Stove gave evidence to the committee on 16th September and this blog builds on the themes developed in our evidence and the evolving conversation about the role of culture and creativity in society as a whole – a conversation given extra focus and urgency in the context of Covid and Climate Change.
Culture & Wellbeing The Stove Network Evidence Session on Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee 16 September 2021
In periods of lockdown during the pandemic, creative practitioners filled many of the gaps created by the withdrawal of local authority services for people with additional support needs. In my own area, I have many, many stories of the extraordinary efforts of creative people during this time and of the positive impacts on clients and patients, some of whom experienced creative practice for the first time and have made progress that has astonished their carers. Similar stories are perhaps more widely known in education, with creative and cultural organisations and individuals providing physical and digital resources to support home-schooling.
Could the pandemic result in the widening of attitudes to education among parents/students and of outcomes for people with additional support needs and chronic health conditions?
These examples are part of a wider phenomenon through which myriad examples of arts practice embedded in communities came to the fore in Scotland, developed through local support networks during the pandemic. These can be added to the many community-led initiatives and social enterprises that have been started by a cultural project or the involvement of artists in local activism. The key connecting aspect of all these examples is the direct participation of people – people using creativity as a tool to change their own circumstances and/or the places around them, people being involved in shaping and making their own culture, rather than passively consuming culture that has been made for them.
Investing in Cultures The Stove Network Evidence Session on Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee 16 September 2021
Perhaps it is time to ask a fundamental question about the way we do culture in Scotland? Could we consciously support a culture of participation and popular ownership of culture as a key part of our national toolkit towards a just transition from both Covid and Climate Change?
It might be useful to look back at how we arrived at the current model we have inherited for the public support for culture. There are very interesting parallels with the pandemic in this regard. 80 years ago, another national crisis caused us to look anew at culture: during World War II people participating in and making their own culture was a vital factor in maintaining morale. This was recognised in the formation of the Council for Encouragement of Music and the Arts (CEMA) in 1940 which had two distinct strands of activity: one supported people to participate directly in the making of their own culture, whilst the other supported professional practitioners to create cultural work and events for the public. The participatory strand was very successful with projects such as the ‘Travelling Musicians’ programme which in 6 months started 244 amateur choirs and 37 new orchestral groups.
Despite this success, in 1946 CEMA was restructured as the Arts Council of Great Britain and support for participation in culture was discontinued with the first Chairman of the Arts Council declaring: ‘It is about the best not the most. The principle is we support professional artists. That’s our obligation. And our second obligation is to enable others to appreciate, understand and benefit from that’
Substantially, this is the way things have continued to the present day.* We, as a society, have come to understand culture as something that is professionally produced for others to enjoy.
It is a leap I know, but imagine how different life could have been in our communities and for our arts sector had we continued to support participation in the making of culture? Our way of thinking about learning, health, inclusion and empowerment in our communities might be very different. I’d like to propose that we use this moment of resetting with Covid to make a bold step as a country and to use culture as enabler and connector across multiple sectors in our society. Could we imagine something like a national Cultural Investment Programme supporting the mass participation in culture as a vital building block for a wellbeing society as part of an essential re-set after Covid?
It’s important to stress from the outset that this new approach to culture would be additional to the traditional support for the professional production of culture not instead of. In practice there would be expansive synergy between the two approaches to supporting culture in Scotland, with cross-fertilization in funding across organisations, projects and practices and opportunities for individuals to develop portfolio careers across different forms of practice.
Such a programme would be an integral part of our Covid/Climate transition and delivered through a partnership approach with Health, Education, Economic Regeneration and Community Development. It could be thought of as similar to the way in which Sport is supported – where one funding strand supports participation in sport (as part of wellbeing) and another funds elite sport…or like the distinct support paths for applied research and pure research in academia.
Developing this new strand of cultural support would start by bringing together existing experience and excellence in arts in education, health and community development (e.g. Arts in Education Recovery Group, Arts Culture Health and Wellbeing Scotland, Creative Scotland Place Dept, Culture Collective, Creative Communities) to work with the various other sectors and across budget strands such as the Place Based Investment Programme.
Future Vision for Culture The Stove Network Evidence Session on Constitution, Europe, External Affairs and Culture Committee 16 September 2021
Core elements of Scotland’s Cultural Investment Programme (SCIP) could include:
(NB ‘artists’ is used as a collective term to include: musicians, performers, dancers, visual artists, writers, designers, filmmakers, producers)
Education – artists in residence in schools, the Room 13 model, the Sistema model
Health and Wellbeing – social prescribing, artists in healthcare settings (eg ArtLink), wellbeing groups
Community Development – artists embedded in communities – supporting the growth of new initiatives and groups e.g. bringing unheard voices into community planning for longer term investment
Community-based Organisations – to become hubs supporting a population of local freelance artists (and associated creative disciplines) to work in the SCIP. Organisations also promote partnership working and develop new initiatives/projects. Many of these organisations will be community-based arts organisations, working across both strands of support for culture
National Network – to link and support community-based organisations and freelancers to share capacity, experience, skills and resources.
Skills and Training Programme – for artists and associated creative disciplines to work within SCIP settings and deliver ongoing professional development.
Action Research – as part of the roll-out of SCIP, with a remit to monitor progress, share best practice and identify effective synergies with existing cultural infrastructure.
Joined up working/funding across diverse sectors at national Government/Agency and Regional levels
We already have brilliant experience nationally of this kind of work across the board in education, health and communities, the principle of this vision would be to pool experience and resources across different fields and agendas to make a commitment, as a country, to a long-term, innovative and joined-up approach to building a wellbeing economy – using culture.
Chapter One – Image, Kirsten McEwan PhotographyOpen Hoose – Image, Colin Tennant
Artists and the diversity/sustainability of the cultural and creative workforce is central to the idea of such an investment programme. Artists would be employed on Fair Work principles to work as artists within the settings described, this is not ‘artists as social workers’ rather a commitment to genuine co-production with communities and regular local contracts will give new opportunities for artists to develop their own individual practices and grow new collaborations with other artists through the national network.
Local hubs, community participation, arts in education settings and fair work principles will also create the conditions for people from diverse backgrounds to enter the cultural and creative workforce and support all creative people with multiple opportunities to develop careers and creative practices.
Brave New Words – Image, Kirstin McEwan PhotographyCharter 14 – Image, Colin Tennant
Important initiatives such as Culture Collective and Creative Communities have already grown from the National Culture Strategy. The Culture Strategy makes an incredible opportunity for Scotland to use these as foundations around which we can attract people and practices and build a world-leading initiative that puts culture and the cultural workforce right at the heart of the effort to build a country based on wellbeing and climate justice.
*the Community Arts movement of the 1970s and 80s is one amongst few notable exceptions along with individual projects within the fields of health, education and community-based practice in recent years.
We can’t quite believe it, bit it’s true! The Stove Network is 10 years old.
A decade ago, a bunch of like-minded folks got together with the spark of an idea that creativity could play a part the future of Dumfries town centre. This band of local creatives had shared, practical experience from working on projects that had helped bring vibrancy, confidence, and partnership working to other places around the country, they wanted to see what they could do for their hometown and ta’da, The Stove was born.
The key idea of The Stove was that its agenda should be driven by local people – first and foremost The Stove set out to be a place that was accessible to everyone, somewhere that listened and somewhere run by people who saw their role to facilitate and add value to the ideas people brought to The Stove.
This core belief of community, collaboration, and support, continues to this day. It is the people who have made The Stove what it is and allowed us to continue our mission – to help make Dumfries, and our region, a place where communities thrive and a place where everyone is supported to be involved creatively and take part in the celebration and making of our culture.
We’d like to thank everyone we’ve worked with, those who have supported, participated, challenged, and pushed us to create meaningful and memorable experiences, opportunities and pathways for learning, collaboration, expression, and development across the region and beyond.
“… to celebrate ten years of the Stove we’ll be sharing the stories of those who have come through our doors, sharing their favourite memories…”
We asked some of our members, partners, friends, and colleagues, to tell us what The Stove means to them, and what they’d like to see next:
Stove Member, Gary Hunter
Gary found the Stove a few years ago and has gently become part of the heartbeat of the place. You can usually find Gary in the café giving an optimistic and encouraging word to everyone, but also look out for him at Brave New Words – his guitar playing and singing will touch your spirit.
1. How did you first get involved with the Stove?
I became involved with The Stove through the cafe, the ‘downstairs’. By seeing different events advertised, organised by ‘upstairs’, I’ve attended figure drawing classes, contributed poetry for an exhibition and taken part in Brave New Words.
2. What is unique about the Stove?
What is special about The Stove, is the generosity. Despite the ups and downs of life, there is a spirit of kindness felt in the cafe exuded from the staff. What I see about ‘upstairs’ is the opportunity it is attempting to provide those wishing to express creativity. An extension of the generosity of the cafe. This is what makes The Stove unique, it is not driven by business enterprise but by creativity.
3. What’s your fondest memory of the Stove?
My fondest memory of The Stove is from the cafe. A young woman came in for a coffee but didn’t have enough money to pay for it. She looked like she’d been sleeping rough and was about to leave, when the member of staff serving her reassured her and said the coffee was free. I’ll never forget her expression and gratitude as she left. Apparently, this is something done by other places, but I’ve only seen it done in The Stove.
4. What have you done with the Stove that you’re most proud of?
I’m not beating my own drum here, but what I’m most proud of is the first time I performed at Brave New Words, a couple of years ago. It was nauseating, exciting and extremely terrifying but I managed to do it without any hiccups.
5. To someone who’s never heard of the Stove, how do you describe it?
I could say it is a bastion of opportunity, positivity and creativity, an expression of free thinking and identity, but I would say, The Stove is something you have to see for yourself.
6. What would you like to see in the next 10 years?
I would like to see more events organised for the over-thirties. It is right that an emphasis is placed on helping the younger generation and The Stove has done that, but in time they too will become the older generation, and will form, like the rest of us, the majority of the local community. I think The Stove should ‘level the playing field’ so to speak and extend the good work they’re doing for young people to include the rest of us.
7. What’s the biggest change that’s happened over the last 10 years from your point of view?
Growth. The Stove has proliferated from the time of its conception to become more than a hub for artistic folk. The Mid Steeple Quarter is a recent reflection of this and highlights The Stove’s investment in the local community.
8. If there’s one word that sums up the Stove to you, what is it?
Positivity.
9. If the Stove were a drink/food/object or colour, what would it be?
A tall, chilled glass of lemonade on a hot summer’s day.
10. What’s the first thing you think of when you think of the Stove?
Fun.
Director of LIFT D&G, Angie Gilmour
Angela is the ‘Queen of Lochside’ some years back she decided she had had enough of her area being cried a place of deprivation and formed Lochside is Families Together (LIFT) and the rest is history! She was employed by The Stove for three years as our Community Engagement Worker for the Creative Futures project in NW Dumfries and continues to work in partnership with The Stove – currently with our What We Do Now project.
1. How did you first get involved with the Stove?
I first got involved with the stove when I went for a job interview in 2017.
2. What is unique about the Stove?
The unique thing about the stove is how once you start getting to be involved it is like an extended family.
3. What’s your fondest memory of the Stove?
My fondest memory, apart from doing events and seeing them all come together and thinking, “We did that!” are the friendships I have made through the stove, there is some awesome folk there.
4. What have you done with the Stove that you’re most proud of?
I have been proud of every event and project we have done with The Stove as we’ve been able to give people opportunities that might not have been open to them before.
5. To someone who’s never heard of the Stove, how do you describe it?
The stove is a forward thinking, amazing place, that opens your mind to different cultures.
6. What would you like to see in the next 10 years?
Mini stoves pop up everywhere.
7. What’s the biggest change that’s happened over the last 10 years from your point of view?
I had no idea they did so much.
8. If there’s one word that sums up the Stove to you, what is it?
Openness
9. If the Stove were a drink/food/object or colour, what would it be?
Orange
10. What’s the first thing you think of when you think of the Stove?
Opportunities
Fan and Occasional Teammate, Steph Phillips
Steph is one of the stars of Brave New Words, a talented and fearless singer-songwriter, they always have the right song for the occasion! Of late, Steph has been doing shifts in the cafe and is very much part of the Stove family.
1. How did you first get involved with the Stove?
I first became involved with the Stove in 2017 after I moved to Dumfries for uni. I wasn’t sure if there was much going on in the town, but one evening I stumbled upon Brave New Words and it changed everything! After that I made an effort to attend Stove events and meet new folk, which helped build my confidence and get to know the town.
2. What is unique about the Stove?
There is nowhere quite like the Stove! It is unique in its welcoming community atmosphere and the range of creative opportunities it offers. The cafe is a lovely safe space for all, and in the evenings, it often turns into a venue for all kinds of wonderful events and workshops.
3. What’s your fondest memory of the Stove?
My fondest memory of the Stove is from April 2019 when I attended my first Plaza event (at the Rowing Club). Although I knew a few Stove folk’s faces I hadn’t yet been brave enough to introduce myself properly. I went to the gig on my own and was awkwardly hovering near the back when Pam (who I recognised from the cafe team) approached and invited me to join her and a few others. It was a lovely venue with great live performances and getting to meet the lovely folk behind the event was an added bonus! After that I made more of an effort to be brave and introduce myself to the team, gradually getting to know them at different events (and at the pub!). All in all, it was the start of many new friendships which changed my perception of Dumfries and shaped who I am today.
4. What have you done with the Stove that you’re most proud of?
The Stove has helped me to become a more confident individual and face my stage-fright by performing at a couple of BNW open mics. I still get scared and can’t always perform, but I’m proud of the progress I’ve made since finding the Stove.
5. To someone who’s never heard of the Stove, how do you describe it?
To someone who has never heard of the Stove, I would describe it as a safe space for every individual from every background, which welcomes and encourages creativity and learning new skills.
6. What would you like to see in the next 10 years?
In the next 10 years I would like to see more of the same! The Stove has created a wonderful community which is working hard to improve the opportunities within Dumfries and develop the town centre into somewhere enjoyable for locals and visitors alike.
7. What’s the biggest change that’s happened over the last 10 years from your point of view?
I’m not sure what I would say the biggest change in the last 10 years has been. Perhaps the change in other people’s perceptions of the town, and what The Stove and other projects have to offer in the way of community development, has been the most noticeable.
8. If there’s one word that sums up the Stove to you, what is it?
One word to describe the Stove – ‘collaboration’.
9. If the Stove were a drink/food/object or colour, what would it be?
I see the Stove as a brightly coloured microphone, giving the town and its individuals a voice and a platform to express themselves.
10. What’s the first thing you think of when you think of the Stove?
I think of a warm smile and people I can rely on, as well as opportunities I wouldn’t otherwise have access to.
Community Artist, Kirsty Turpie
Kirsty is just about the best advert you’ll ever meet for the power of art and creativity – a true community artist who brings positive energy to every situation. She has been part of just about everything you can do at The Stove… Blueprint 100, Creative Futures, Brave New Words, Nithraid… she has been at the heart of all of them at some time! She is currently working for DG Council in Youth Services.
1. How did you first get involved with the Stove?
In 2015 when I returned to living in the area, the Stove were involved in running the Environmental Arts Festival. I volunteered at the festival, met many of the stovies and heard about the exciting creative events that they were running. I then began attending events at the Stove regularly especially enjoying Tuesday night Blueprint 100 workshops (now Creative Spaces) and Reel to Real film nights. I was given the opportunity to exhibit a selection of drawings for the opening of the Stove Cafe and run a creative workshop at Blueprint 100 which gave me a great deal of encouragement with my creative practise.
2. What is unique about the Stove?
There is such a welcoming and friendly atmosphere at all the events and on a day-to-day basis in the cafe. They’re approach is holistic and organic to the needs of the community. They support and connect artists of all different ages and specialisms which has created an exciting and thriving creative community in the region and beyond.
3. What’s your fondest memory of the Stove?
It’s very hard to choose one. I have so many wonderful memories of Brave New Words Open Mic Night as it has been where I’ve formed many friendships. It makes me so happy when I see a friend getting up and sharing music and poetry at Brave New Words and being supported and welcomed by the community. I’ve also loved attending and being part of Nithraid over the years as it provides a full day celebration of our town and its creative talent.
4. What have you done with the Stove that you’re most proud of?
Working with the Creative Futures team for 2 and a half years and running many exciting community events and public art projects in Lochside and Lincluden.
5. To someone who’s never heard of the Stove, how do you describe it?
A community arts centre that has something for everyone.
6. What would you like to see in the next 10 years?
The Midsteeple Quarter buildings being used well and helping the creative scene in D&G to flourish even more.
7. What’s the biggest change that’s happened over the last 10 years from your point of view?
The growth of the stove team and number of spaces.
8. If there’s one word that sums up the Stove to you, what is it?
Incredible
9. If the Stove were a drink/food/object or colour, what would it be?
Gold
10. What’s the first thing you think of when you think of the Stove?
Belonging
John Wallace
John has worn the Stovie bunnet from the earliest days. It’s rare to see a photo of John as he is usually behind the camera and has made some of the finest Stove movies, including A House on The High Street that played such a formative role in starting Midsteeple Quarter. John styles himself an ‘Insider Artist’ and has built a national reputation as a video installation artists from his beloved Eaglesfield.
1. How did you first get involved with the Stove?
First Foot! Three months of art-planning mayhem culminating in two nights of art mayhem
on the High Street back in January 2012.
2. What is unique about the Stove?
Its general sense of purpose and industry around the idea of better places to live and be. It’s
not just art for art’s sake.
3. What’s your fondest memory of the Stove?
Too many. And I’m still forming them – thanks for that The Stove!
4. What have you done with the Stove that you’re most proud of?
Not into being proud of things, but it’s always a pleasure to see the public – new folk –
getting involved and getting a kick out of art-led projects around the town centre where it
all began. Plus, I love seeing the facade change the way it speaks to the street and the
people there – always a joy to play any part in that. It’s a great Stove tradition that continues
with all the superb signwriting.
5. To someone who’s never heard of the Stove, how do you describe it?
A nexus. A powerhouse.
6. What would you like to see in the next 10 years?
7. What’s the biggest change that’s happened over the last 10 years from your point of view?
Getting the building sorted out. Fifty years of retail knock-throughs and modernisations
hadn’t left a very practical space either for the number of people or the range of uses that
100 High Street now regularly supports.
8. If there’s one word that sums up the Stove to you, what is it?
Hame.
9. If the Stove were a drink/food/object or colour, what would it be?
Well, mine’s a cortado with one sugar if you’re anywhere near the café, ta.
10. What’s the first thing you think of when you think of the Stove?
Did I lock that door?
Alec Wallace
Alec is the son of John and Betty Wallace and has been an ever-present at Stovie events, always keeping us right and asking the best questions. How will D+G feel different to those who have grown up with The Stove we wonder?
1. How did you first get involved with the Stove?
The first time I was involved with the stove was the opening of the stove cafe.
2. What is unique about the Stove?
Anyone can become involved, and it is welcoming and engaging.
3. What’s your fondest memory of the Stove?
My fondest memory of the Stove was Parking Space, at the NCP.
4. What have you done with the Stove that you’re most proud of?
I have helped with lots of different projects, and enjoyed being part of a team, and so I am proud of all the projects I have helped work on.
5. To someone who’s never heard of the Stove, how do you describe it?
I would describe the stove as: A place and a community that do creative things together to make Dumfries a better place.
6. What would you like to see in the next 10 years?
To see it continue with a larger community.
7. What’s the biggest change that’s happened over the last 10 years from your point of view?
The fact that the people of Dumfries own big chunks of the high street.
8. If there’s one word that sums up the Stove to you, what is it?
People.
9. If the Stove were a drink/food/object or colour, what would it be?
A fried egg – sunny and nutritious
10. What’s the first thing you think of when you think of the Stove?
Cake
Linda Mallett
One of the founding members of The Stove, Linda has been at the forefront of just about every new development in the arts in the region for as long as anyone can remember… a true radical spirit and who is the local benchmark for integrity and commitment to her art.
1. How did you first get involved with the Stove?
When D&G Council said they were going to cut all funding for the arts, back around 2010(?) quite a few of us thought that was not a great idea and got together to discuss strategies. My memory of the particulars has faded, but somehow out of all that, a small group of us got together to discuss the idea of taking over a three-story shop building in the centre of Dumfries, as a base for arts and community projects.
2.What is unique about the Stove?
That it started out as a collective project of active, professional artists in the public arts field, working together in a non-hierarchical way to develop strategies, raise funding and initiate community projects. It has obviously become more structured (and better paid) over the years, but it still has the truly collective ethos.
3.What’s your fondest memory of the Stove?
I think it has to be the early days and months of all working together to create something new that none of us could quite foresee, with very few resources and a lot of trust. Can I really say that unpaid all-day meetings fuelled by coffee & sandwiches, followed by winding down in the pub are fond memories? Well yes, they are!
4. What have you done with the Stove that you’re most proud of?
So many… I’ll pick the first ever Nithraid event. This initially came from the idea of wanting to celebrate the River Nith and reclaim it as a true centre of Dumfries rather than just a carpark and bus-station that floods regularly. We put out an open call for anyone interested in discussing ideas for the project to come for a meeting. From that developed the idea of a boat race from the coast to the centre of Dumfries, to ‘reclaim’ it as the flourishing port and market it once was, and to commission various associated arts projects and events for the day. On the day – 21st September 2012 – I was rushing around from project to project, checking out all was going to plan, that the tide was rising as it should, that people were where they were supposed to be… At some point, crossing the Devorgilla Bridge, I paused, and looked out down the river. A couple of thousand people were lining the banks, waiting for the boats to arrive. Wow, I thought – they are all here because of us!
More generally, I am proud of how The Stove has provided opportunities and inspiration for younger artists to move to/back to Dumfries & Galloway and be part of a dynamic and innovative practice. To show that ‘new’ doesn’t just happen in cities.
And I am also proud of how we managed to work co-operatively with the local authorities to develop ideas that were new to all of us, recognising on both sides that we needed to look at new ways of bridging our previous divide.
5.To someone who’s never heard of the Stove, how do you describe it?
Rather lamely, I tend to cop out and give them a link to the website! And recommend the great café.
6.What would you like to see in the next 10 years?
A continuation of more projects moving outwards to cover a wider area than central Dumfries
7.What’s the biggest change that’s happened over the last 10 years from your point of view?
Probably the sideways move from the stage of largely unfunded collective responsibility from all for everything, to more specialised areas and accountabilities – “proper jobs”.
8.If there’s one word that sums up the Stove to you, what is it?
Unique?
9.If the Stove were a drink/food/object or colour, what would it be?
A delicious pot-luck meal of Greek mezze or Spanish tapas. But Scottish.
10.What’s the first thing you think of when you think of the Stove?
The difficulty of pinning down what the Stove is?
Chairman of the Board, Tony Fitzpatrick
Tony has been the Chair of our board now for 4 years, his has been a steady hand on the tiller whilst urging us on to push harder and further into uncharted territory. Tony has a past as the Director of Economic Development for DG Council and has a present as a rock and roller with local band Heart of Rust. Everyone at The Stove owes him the deepest debt of gratitude for his commitment and limitless enthusiasm… thank you Tony!
1. How did you first get involved with the Stove?
Basically, it was the café that drew me in initially. I was aware of the emerging artists collective through my work with the Council and involvement in the funding bid that purchased both the Stove and Oven buildings with Scottish Government grant.
2.What is unique about the Stove?
For me the unique thing was that it was the first project in Dumfries to link creative endeavour to community and economic development actions on the ground. Other projects had evolved in more rural settlements but The Stove had a much needed ‘urban cool’ feel to it….quite unique!
3.What’s your fondest memory of the Stove?
My first visit to the café and sitting for a spell and realising “….something different is happening here…is this Dumfries’s ‘Glad Café”? (a project in Glasgow that was now renowned for its creative programme as well as café).
4. What have you done with the Stove that you’re most proud of?
I took up a Board position several years ago and I have felt so proud to simply be part of the whole process, see the team evolve and develop and put Dumfries on the map locally, regionally and nationally. The Stove has achieved things that would take the usual agencies decades to achieve and built a support-base that the public sector always struggles to do. We have however had tremendous support from the key agencies, again due to the skills of the team.
5.To someone who’s never heard of the Stove, how do you describe it?
“An artist’s collective that is making the world a better place through positive activism, disruption and conversation”.
6.What would you like to see in the next 10 years?
A transformed town and region where people are empowered and creatively engaged through the Stove (and projects like it) and where our cultural, natural, and creative assets are recognised globally as our unique selling point.
7.What’s the biggest change that’s happened over the last 10 years from your point of view?
Projects like the Stove being recognised and respected for the innovation and drive they bring for doing things differently and making a real difference to the community. The Stove, to my mind, has brought that ‘cool’ factor that until now has really been the preserve of the city. Our young creatives are, as a consequence, returning or staying in small but significant numbers. Covid is causing many to view the ‘city lights’ as not quite the draw they were as new living , working, environmental, safety and quality of life factors come more to the fore. We have a job here….for life…and much to do!
8.If there’s one word that sums up the Stove to you, what is it?
‘Cool’
9. If the Stove were a drink/food/object or colour, what would it be?
It would be a small fleet of pastel and prime coloured Lambretta scooters with tartan seat covers parked outside a cool cafe waiting for Stovies to jump on and deliver work and joy to the town and beyond!
10.What’s the first thing you think of when you think of the Stove?
Smiling!….and Matt and his hat poised at a jaunty angle…!!
Joe McGurk
Writer, Joe McGurk tells us what attracted him to become a member of The Stove and what he hopes for the future:
Each autumn, tens of thousands of wild geese arrive in Dumfries & Galloway after their long migration, some travelling over 2,700km to reach the region. This mass gathering of geese, including barnacle, greylag, brent and Greenland white-fronted geese, flock to Dumfries & Galloway each year, making our region one of the best places in the UK to see such a variety of geese.
As part of the 2021 Wild Goose Festival, we want to celebrate the beauty and wonder of our visiting geese, as well as the vast photographic talent found in our region. This competition is open to professional and amateur photographers from or based in Dumfries and Galloway.
To enter the competition, please send us:
Your chosen photograph (any nature/environmental themed photo taken in Dumfries and Galloway);
Your name;
Your email (so we can get back to you);
Your age;
Where the photo was taken;
And one or two sentences about your image.
Please enter the competition using this Google Form, where you will be asked for the above information: Link to enter here.
The deadline to enter is midnight on 11th October 2021. The top 10 finalists’ photographs will be displayed at the Wild Goose Festival Closing Gala on the 23rd October 2021, where a winner will be announced.
With the creative industries growing at four times the rate of the UK average1, it is perhaps a surprise that the age-old tropes of art school haven’t yet disappeared. For many students, the decision of whether or not to go to art school is a nuanced debate – one which undoubtedly isn’t given enough airtime at schools or colleges across the country.
The concept of ‘art school’ and what actually goes on there is still seen as pretty mysterious and aloof (all art students will know the struggle of trying to explain how your degree requires significant work, time and skill just like any other degree). And as the stereotypes build and build it is easy to forget how reliant we all are on the arts and what your individual future in the arts could look like… like can you make money or are we all doomed to the ‘struggling artist’ trope forever?
But even once we are over the hurdles debating the mere importance of the arts industries and the potential for growth within an arts related job, there is still a question as to whether art school is the way to go about achieving these ambitions. Do you a need a fashion degree to be a designer? Or a degree in painting to be a painter? And what does a degree in fine art actually mean?
The impact of the arts is constantly minimised (anyone still remember Fatima the ballerina ‘whO’s NExT JOb cOulD BE iN CyBer’?)2. What is often overlooked is the transferable skills which you accumulate as you hone your craft within your degree.
Hopefully, you will get to become a magnificent painter following a degree in painting and printmaking. But also, you’ll learn creative problem solving, verbal and visual communication methods, responding to briefs and deadlines, emotional resilience, collaborative working… the list is endless!
With art school in particular, it is arguably not the end result of the degree which makes the choice ‘worth it’ – but the art school method of thinking it can instil in you, the acquiring of potential contacts, the widening network of opportunities and access to facilities that is developed during an art student’s academic career.
The chance to be immersed with like-minded people and having the time and space to fully concentrate on learning your craft (or even finding your craft) is one of the many great allures of art school. The permission to experiment, and the safety to fail, while working on projects for the sake of projects (and, for the most part, not commission or money) is an opportunity that’s not frequently available outside of an art school setting. But that doesn’t mean it’s the only way to go!
One of the many beauties of the arts is that there’s not one path for everyone. We all find ourselves clambering around, finding our way, losing our way, or deciding to set up camp halfway down the path for a while because we just like the view.
Ultimately… to art school or not to art school? You decide. But hearing about other people’s creative pathways and understanding the paths available will always be a good starting point.
Join in and continue this discussion at our first event of the ‘So You Wanna Go to Art School?’ programme! Book a place at our panel discussion happening on Thursday 2nd September 7-9pm at The Stove, Dumfries or tune into the livestream via our YouTube channel:
Back in March I started a short term freelance contract with The Stove Network to help them set up Soap Box: a series of events, panels and workshops. The programme, alongside a whole host of extra resources, has now been brought together in an easy-to-use toolkit.
The team asked me to write about my experience, but I have to admit the last few months have felt very different to the professional experiences I’m used to having. To give you some context, I have never met any of The Stove’s team in person! This whole journey I’ve just been working with disembodied heads on varying zoom calls. It wouldn’t take too much evidence to convince me none of them are actually real.
That was the biggest hurdle, in my opinion, to the development of Soap Box. An excellent programme focusing on the development of digital skills, ran entirely online and designed by a remote team. Suddenly all the strategies you learned to galvanise a team, work with people, create bonds and make together are not quite as applicable to an entirely digital world.
I arrived at The Stove aware of the ‘newness’ of this challenge and interested on how it would be faced. As time went by, it was a pleasure to see how the team did it: with open minds and a keen sense of curiosity.
The remote nature of the programme was seen as an opportunity rather than a barrier. I don’t think a single one of our weekly meetings went by without a member of the team asking, “Who can we bring in?” about any given part of the project. Collaboration was an essential building block and it involved people in all sorts of career stages, of different ages, backgrounds and perspectives.
When faced with the fresh challenges arising out of lockdown, I saw The Stove team open up to other experiences and expertise. They sought answers, as oppose to assuming they already had them. As a result, the programme hosted an incredible variety of people – from facilitators to attendees – who brought in knowledge that would not have been there if these events had been run in a business-as-usual way.
Here’s a humiliating metaphor I can use to explain this – Portuguese is my first language and when I moved to Scotland from Brazil at the age of 17, I discovered a cruel linguistic twist. The word ‘pull’ translates to ‘puxe’ in Portuguese, which sounds exactly like the word ‘push’. For years I’d read the work ‘push’ on a shop door and my brain would short-circuit and make me pull it. I’ve walked into my fair share of doors.
I tarnish my otherwise flawless reputation to say – sometimes the main barrier is being unable accept a piece of knowledge is no longer relevant. What I really take away from the handful of months working with and observing The Stove is their unrelenting drive to learn more, bringing people in who will show them a new perspective and respecting what they have to say – whether they may be the head of an organisation or a young freelancer.
I long to see the skill of un-learning being used in the creative and cultural sector more often, it would open many doors…
Sam Gonçalves // @SidlingBears
Want to learn more about Soap Box and check out the digital resource toolkit? Visit our webpage: https://thestove.org/soap-box/
By Jenna Macrory, Creative Producer of Creative Spaces
The stereotype of the tortured artist is ingrained in Western culture. With this trope remaining so pervasive for such a length of time the archetype of the tortured artist has adapted with society over time. With the societal perception of mental illness changing, how has the relationship between creativity and suffering progressed over time?
Historically, mental illness and creativity have always been closely associated. In ancient Greece, madness was perceived as a state of other-worldliness. Madness to the Greeks could be interpreted in two ways: divine or demonic.* Demonic madness was seen as bad and therefore perceived in a negative light similar to how mental health is often stigmatised today.
Conversely, divine madness is a spiritual pursuit that permits an individual to act out with conventional societal standards. For the ancient Greeks, creativity was derived from this subversion of social norms. In other words, creativity comes from madness, albeit a specific type of madness but for numerous centuries creativity and madness have remained intertwined.
Few things have remained as prominent through human history as the trope of the tortured artist. Spanning centuries and infecting every single medium of art, prominent creatives appear to use suffering to their advantage.
Author Sylvia Plath channelled her depression into her only novel The Bell Jar; Louis Wain’s paintings of anthropomorphic cats transformed into psychedelic subjects upon his descent into schizophrenia; Kurt Cobain publicly professed his battles with mental health through many of his songs. The list of creatives battling with mental illness goes on but this alludes to a link between creativity and mental health particularly considering that this trope has remained over centuries.
As such a culturally pervasive topic, recent decades have seen the rise of studies investigating mental health in creatives. Despite the empirical evidence of a link between creativity and mental disorders, several studies have exhibited little to no link between the two.
Creative professions proved no more likely to suffer from psychiatric disorders according to a study involving 1.2 million Swedish citizens.** Contrarily studies that do exhibit higher rates of mental disorders show only a marginal difference.*** With the link between creativity and mental illness seeming arbitrary, why has the archetype of the tortured artist remained?
Although creativity itself does not correlate with mental wellbeing, many artists find themselves in conditions that allow psychiatric disorders to manifest. A passion to create leads many artists into situations that can be mentally straining such as low-paying career paths, job instability, or substance abuse.
This sentiment is reinforced by figures suggesting that as many as 60 percent of workers in creative industries spoke of having suicidal thoughts. Although the sole act of being creative does not denote an individual to madness, the environment and social networks we are part of contribute to our psychological wellbeing.
While the tortured artist trope was conceived from the concept of a suffering introspective soul, recent years have seen the narrative of this trope shift. The tortured artist is no longer tormented by an inward pain, the suffering of an artist is now amplified by an economic climate that makes living as an artist increasingly difficult.
Despite this shift, the stereotype of the tortured artist will remain although as we continue to witness the gradual destigmatisation of mental health we can address the issues at the core of this trope. As a result, we can begin to move away from this romanticised image of the tortured artist toward a healthier stereotype.
As humanity progresses how will the tortured artist stereotype change? How will changes to the wider society impact on this persona? Will the art economy, already struggling in a post pandemic world plunge more creatives into mental instability?
If you have any thoughts on these and you are under 30 you can join Creative Spaces for our conversation around the tortured artist persona at 7pm, 8th July. For more information and to book a space please click the link below: The Tortured Artist Stereotype: An Open Conversation
* John Matthews, Creativity and Mental Illness: Exploring the ‘Tortured Artist’, https://www.vacounseling.com/tortured-artist/. ** Simon Kyaga, Mikael Landen, Marcus Boman, Christina M Hultman, Niklas Langstrom, Paul Lichtenstein, Mental illness, suicide and creativity: 40-year prospective total population study, https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/23063328/. *** Stephen A. Stansfeld, Jenny Head, Farhat Rasul, Occupation and mental health: Secondary analyses of the ONS Psychiatric Morbidity Survey of Great Britain, https://www.hse.gov.uk/research/rrpdf/rr168.pdf.
