Strange yellow circles appeared in car parks around town
Clues began to emerge elsewhere and on social media
Meanwhile in a basement under Greyfriars Church other painting was going on
On Friday 17th October the Stove members and other members of the public gathered on Level Four of the underground NCP car park for the Annual General Meeting of The Stove Network
Hannah Brackston and Alex Wilde of Open Jar Artists Collective and Stephen Pritchard of Dot To Dot Active Arts led the discussion that followed the formal business of the AGM
The Stove Network Board worked hard
Stan and Cara thought hard
Craig Patterson from Burns Cafe served Stovies from the back of a pick-up
The Doonhame Derby Doll Usherettes arrived
Crucial chat
Everyone helped convert the space into a cinema
Eating popcorn whilst watching ‘How to Start a Revolution’
The next day people played street games on the top deck of the carpark
The skaters were busy on Level 1
On Level 2 ‘Mirrorlands’ by Mark Lyken and Emma Dove was showing on two walls simultaneously
On Level 3 was Mark and Emma’s ‘GabCab’ in which people were filmed talking about where they would like the taxi to take them
Emma Dove operating ‘GabCab’
Entering level 4
Where Alice Francis made popcorn
…and Max Fox made hot chocolate
Parking Space cinema – screening ‘Shell’
Screening of movies by Mutual Motion (films made by local skaters)…watched by local skaters
Parking Space – by The Stove Network and the people of Dumfries
Lead Artist: Katie Anderson
Stove Artist Team; Matt Baker, Hannah Brackston, Moxie DePaulitte, Doonhame Derby Dolls, Emma Dove, Dumfries Skaters, Alice Francis, Max Fox, Andy Jardine, Mark Lyken, Will Levi Marshall, Debs McDowall, Mutual Motion, Stephen Pritchard, Colin Tennant, John Wallace, Ailsa Watson, Alex Wilde
Photography: Cate Ross, Colin Tennant, Galina Walls
Thanks to: Members and Board of The Stove Network, Stuart and Sean at NCP, SHAX, Speedy Hire
It’s always good to start off the week with some good news, and as many of you may have heard across social media or the news over the weekend (check out The Herald here and a-n online here), The Stove has joined 118 other organisations in Creative Scotland’s National Portfolio for 2015-18.
Read our press release in full:
Dumfries’ The Stove Network has joined a prestigious list of just 119 arts organisation across the whole country who have been awarded National Portfolio status and a three year funding package.
The decision follows an open application process which saw 264 organisations apply to the national arts body Creative Scotland and now puts The Stove Network in such prestigious Company as Tramway in Glasgow and the Edinburgh International Festival.
Since the demise of DGArts in 2011 Dumfries and Galloway has had no nationally funded arts organisations. Wigtown Book Festival was also successful in their application for funding from 2015-18 alongside The Stove Network.
Local band The Barstow Bats playing at The Stove during the Dumfries Music Conference. Image: Colin Tennant
Janet Archer, Chief Executive Officer of Creative Scotland, said: “I am delighted to announce such a creatively rich and diverse portfolio of regularly funded organisations across Dumfries & Galloway. It represents some of Scotland’s most important, innovative and exciting cultural organisations, producing and presenting great work across literature and visual art.
“Importantly, these organisations will also provide significant support for individual artists and the broader workforce across the area’s creative sector.
“Following a clear and robust decision making process, I’m delighted that two organisations in Dumfries & Galloway are joining the portfolio of three-year regular funded organisations.
The Stove’s 135 members met recently for their Annual General Meeting in a temporary cinema created on Level Four of the NCP underground car park on Shakespeare St. Image: Galina Walls
Linda Mallett – member of The Stove Network curatorial team said: “This is a massive affirmation of our work from our national arts body – The Stove Network believes in partnership working and we hope that this award will go towards our programme of developing projects with the brilliant artists and groups locally, nationally and internationally.
“We have always taken a stance that we should be a means of drawing new resources into the region rather than placing another burden on precious funding locally – this award is all new outside money that we will be able to use for the benefit of the citizens of Dumfries.
Stove artist Katie Anderson helps some new recruits cast metal spoons with the group’s Mobile Metal Foundry at their Trading Journeys project for the Wigtown Book Festival. Image: Colin Hattersley
“This funding will allow us to carefully plan out a sustainable future for The Stove Network when the building works are complete at 100 High Street and bring something entirely new and exciting for the town centre and local people … the future is bright!”
As part of our AGM last Friday at #ParkingSpace, we were keen to discuss some of the broader issues surrounding the Stove’s values surrounding the relationship between the Stove, Dumfries and the role of public art.
We kicked off the debate with Open Jar Collective, and Dot to Dot Active Arts and started to work on a ‘recipe’ for the Stove. This has felt like the somewhat experimental beginning of a process, which we are hoping to develop more fully over the course of the next few months, and we will be looking for more input from our Stove members during this time – more details to follow on this in the near future.
In the meantime we’d like to share some of our considering vegetables…
The Contraversial Pear
“Contraversial Supportive Non-heriachical no prejudice no judgement”
The Honesty Jar
“Honest and Clear Communicate Inclusive Generous”
The Critical Thinking Scissors
“Critical thinking Prepared to take risks Visionary Work Make people feel good …Getting to the point”
The Blender of Fulfillment
“Surprise Integration Accessiblity (conceptual) Fun
Flavour
Cake
Fulfillment and hungry for more
Challenge yourself”
The Catalytic Convertor Carton
“Catalytic convertor People Locality Pride of Place
Openness
Inclusiveness
Eventfulness
Joined-upness”
Excitement is building in stove central as we prepare for Parking Space this weekend, which sees the stove taking over an underground car park in Dumfries for two days.
Expect the unexpected, bring a warm coat, a torch, your skateboard…. we’ll provide the rest.
The Stove’s AGM-like-no-other will take place on Friday 17th October in the NCP Southergate car park from 6pm and is open to all, including non-members.
The AGM will be followed by a discussion evening over food, where we will be having a closer look at Situations’ New Rules of Public Art and the evolving role of public art in Dumfries and wider afield. We are pleased to announce that we will be joined in this by Stephen Pritchard of Dot to Dot Active Arts, and Alex Wilde and Hannah Brackston of Open Jar Collective.
The AGM and discussion evening are free to attend, but please RSVP to [email protected] for catering numbers.
Parking Space will run throughout Saturday 18th October, from noon until 10pm.
Level 1 – Street Games (noon – 4pm)
Level 2 – Open Skateboarding
Level 3 – Moving Image Installations (as part of South West Picture Show), including: Mirrorlands – Mark Lyken and Emma Dove
Level 4 – Gab Cab by Stove Artists in Residence, Mark Lyken and Emma Dove
Level 4 – Parking Space Cinema – a programme of artist films on the theme of popular protest and civic action. Film screenings will include: Nae Pasaran – Chappin’ – How to Start a Revolution – UCS 1 (fly on wall documentary about Clydeside shipyard work-in 1971)
Level 4 – Parking Space Cinema – 2pm Shell and 7pm Dogtown
All events are free, and will be announced over the coming days via our social media on facebook, our blog and twitter
A Public Celebration of the River Nith in Dumfries
September 2014 saw the second running of The Stove Network’s Nithraid. The project has two elements a) ‘dangerous sailing race’ from Solway Firth up the Nith into the centre of Dumfries and b)artworks and interpretative works that invite the public to discover anew the river and the spaces around it while they wait for the boats to arrive.
The stunning weather was a mixed blessing as the sailors ended up having to heroically row or paddle most of the 14 miles upriver. Nithraid organisers apologise for the previous incorrect posting of the results of the 2014 Nithraid. They should read:
Position
Name
Boat type
Cargo
Time
1
Roger Blamire
Wayfarer
Tobacco
02:40:50
2
David Sleggs
GP14
Wine
02:59:39
The 2014 event should be remembered as extraordinary, not least for the dogged determination of the two crews who persevered to the finish in completely calm weather. Both teams refused assistance and rowed the entire course in the sweltering heat to an heroic finish. All other entrants disqualified themselves in accepting outside or mechanical assistance but distinguish themselves for their efforts under a fierce sun. Other participants include:
Position
Name
Boat type
Cargo
Time
n/a
Jim White
Cornish Crabber
Tea
02:42:21
n/a
Crawford Johnstone
Enterprise
Cinnamon
02:47:27
n/a
Frank Birkett
Mirror
Timber
02:55:19
n/a
KKBT Sea Cadets
Gull
Chocolate
03:00:17
n/a
Mark Zygadlo
Wayfarer
Lemon
03:01:39
n/a
Steve Cochrane
Hobby 405
Salt
03:02:58
n/a
Helen McConnel
Mirror
Sugar
03:09:30
n/a
Ross Mcglennon
Enterprise
Slate
03:10:37
n/a
Alex Rigg
GP14
Coal
03:11:06
Encouraged by the success of the first staging of Nithraid, The Stove Network upped the scale of things for 2014. The ‘Salty Coo’ made a re-appearance with a new salty coat, and was paraded through the streets with a specially assembled Balkan Street Carnival Band and newly commissioned music from local musician Ruth Morris. The car parks beside the river were transformed by an eclectic street market, a scale model of the river with model boats charting the race, skateboarders, BMXers and rollerskaters. Visitors were also offered the chance to make their own Nithraid pewter button and these were cast on site with our bicycle powered foundry – designed and operated by Stove members Katie Anderson and Uula Jero. Also The Stove’s ‘Herald’ Moxie DePaulitte was in attendance with different groups she had been working with and all the background on the ‘why?what?where?who?’ of the Nithraid.
The ‘Salty Coo’ was hoisted aloft on a specially design ‘Coo Delivery Mechanism’ (designed and made by member Mark Zygadlo) and as the boats arrived they deposited their ‘art cargo’ onto the CDM. Josh from the winning boat was given the honour of lowering the Salty Coo and releasing it into the Nith.
Nithraid takes place on the highest tide around the Autumnal Equinox as this ensures sufficient depth of water for the boats to navigate the river. The salt on the Coo celebrates the highest point that salt water comes up the river at high tide (to the Caul below Devorgilla Bridge) and the Coo itself is released into the river at the spot where livestock traditionally forded the river in crossing between Dumfriesshire and Kirkcudbrightshire.
People lined the Nith up the entire route with 300 at Glencaple and over 4000 in Dock Park, Mill Green and the Whitesands, all enjoying the carnival atmosphere and activities. The feedback has been incredibly positive with people unanimous about the potential of the riverside areas in Dumfries to become a major public meeting space and attraction for the town. Nithraid is part of The Stove Network’s ongoing project to actively engage people in the future of their town by staging events in underused public spaces and encouraging the idea that ‘Dumfries is what we all make together’
Dumfries Artists Collective, The Stove Network have been shortlisted for the prestigious Scottish Urban Regeneration Forum (SURF) Awards for 2014. Launched in 2003 these awards have become the benchmark for best practice in urban regeneration in Scotland.
The Stove Network have been shortlisted in the Creative category which highlights best practice in arts-based projects that contribute to local regeneration efforts. The Stove Network have been nominated for their pioneering work in placing the arts and culture at the heart of regeneration efforts in Dumfries and in particular for their ‘innovative and exemplary arts practice in the context of national cultural and economic strategy’.
Commenting Stove Curatorial Team Member Matt Baker said – ‘It is huge for us and for Dumfries itself to be getting this national recognition for what is happening in the town.’
‘The Stove Network works in close partnership with other arts organisations locally such as Big Burns Supper, Moat Brae, Theatre Royal and Robert Burns Centre Film Theatre as well as DG Unlimited. SURF understands about partnership and this recognition is for all of us. The public really began to notice a buzz about the arts in the town after Dumfries was shortlisted as Scotland’s Creative Place for 2014 – the Creative Dumfries project was a massive communal effort by everyone connected to the arts and regeneration in the town’
‘Currently we are unable to use our premises on the High Street whilst DGC carry out essential accessibility improvements. Unfortunately these works have been subject to significant delays and this has curtailed the projects that we have been able to do over the last few months. However we hope people will have seen the potential of our work through events like the Nithraid in September, we are gathering an amazing group of people around our organisation – so just imagine what we will be able to do when we are fully functioning in 100 High Street!’
In June The Stove Network worked with more than 40 local groups and individuals to create a ‘people’s charter’ for the town which they launched as part of Guid Nychburris celebrations. The launch included members of the public hurling wet sponges from the town fountain at giant banners that changed colour when wet to reveal the Charter.
BMX and skaters take to the Whitesands as part of Nithraid 2014
On September 13th the artists staged the second running of their Nithraid event which saw more than 4000 people reveal the potential of the town’s riverside carparks as public space with an artist’s street market, roller skating, skateboarding and BMX. Nithraid is a ‘dangerous sailing race’ in which sail powered craft negotiate the river NIth from the Solway Firth into the centre of the town on the highest tide of the year.
The winners of the SURF Awards 2014 will be announced at the Radisson Hotel in Glasgow on 2nd December.
