The Story So Far | Year One (2022–2023)
The Ancestral Supper at Barbour Memorial Hall
Creative Caerlaverock, The Imaginarium, and The Stove Network warmly welcomed guests to an extraordinary evening—an immersive experience known as the Ancestral Supper.
Held on Thursday, 26 January 2023, at the Barbour Memorial Hall in Glencaple, this event marked the beginning of a series of engagement gatherings delivered in partnership with The Imaginarium, in association with Historic Environment Scotland.
Attendees stepped into a world where food, music, soundscape, and live performance converged to create a feast not just for the body but for the imagination.
The evening invited participants to reflect on the past, present, and future of Caerlaverock Castle and its surrounding landscape. Guests were encouraged to bring an object that connected them to their own ancestors—be it a trinket, crest, letter, coin, photograph, or garment—anything that bridged the personal with the ancestral, the living with the ancient.
This was not merely a supper; it was a gathering of minds and memories. Attendees were chosen for their valuable insight and unique perspectives, contributing to a collective conversation about the future of one of Scotland’s most iconic landmarks.
“Earth Tae Sky by Susi Briggs” at MacLellan’s Castle
We commissioned local poet and performer Susi Briggs, videographer Ruari Barber-Fleming and sound artist Liam Russell to work collectively to produce the following video to help share some of Kirkcudbright‘s histories, and help us explore what’s possible when creatives are invited to explore our local heritage.
Due to circumstances brought on by our rapidly changing climate, Maclellan’s Castle is sadly not currently open to the public, and there’s a possibility it may not reopen in the near future.
Part of the important work being done to help safeguard and celebrate this special place while it is closed, The Stove Network in collaboration with The Imaginarium are working with Historic Environment Scotland to devise ways in which the castle can still be explored using different creative approaches, building on its function as an interactive focal point and important feature of local life.
Most importantly, Historic Environment Scotland is interested in learning about the views of local people on the type of creative pursuits they would like to see used to keep people engaged with MacLellan’s Castle, and to help share its history.
Creative Caerlaverock | Phase One Report
During phase one, Creative Caerlaverock engaged local stakeholders through an immersive ‘Ancestral Supper’, time-travelling forest schools, live-action role play and micro-commissions with emerging “Heritage ReMixers,” co-creating workshops, soundscapes and focus groups that uncovered new connections to Caerlaverock Castle and its surrounding landscape. By amplifying voices from traditionally under-represented groups: young people, New Scots, LGBTQ+ communities and more—we widened participation, created fresh creative learning experiences and established the foundation for a year-round programme of inclusive events.
The Story So Far | Year Three (2024–2025)
Celebrating People, Place, and Untold Stories
The final year of Creative Caerlaverock marked a bold and imaginative culmination of the project. Through three intensive strands of activity, it deepened community relationships and produced lasting creative outputs—designed with and for people whose stories are often left unheard.
These projects were delivered in close partnership with local creatives, wellbeing organisations, and community groups across Dumfries & Galloway, resulting in public-facing works that explore identity, heritage, and place in powerful new ways.
Site & Sound
In partnership with the D&G Creative Wellbeing Network, this strand engaged young people—many neurodivergent or with additional support needs—through sound-based exploration.
Participants ventured out to forage sound from the landscapes around Caerlaverock, capturing the hum of bees, echoes through castle walls, and the squelch of ancient woodland paths. Through creative writing workshops with author Karen Campbell and performance sessions with the Loud Poets, six evocative audio stories were crafted and recorded in collaboration with Sonic Labs.
- The stories are geo-located across the castle grounds and accessed via the Echoes App—a sonic experience that invites visitors to listen differently to the world around them.
- Other outputs included an illustrated Sound Forager’s Field Guide, riso-printed and designed by artist Alice Griffin, blending poetry, prompts, and field notes.
A Taster of the Audio Stories
Site & Sound | Creative Toolbox X Creative Caerlaverock
Creative Toolbox’s collaboration with The Stove on the Creative Caerlaverock project saw emerging writers refine their pieces before debuting them at a showcase in the atmospheric setting of Caerlaverock Castle. Under the guidance of Sonic Labs’ Calum Walker, the Toolbox participants worked alongside musicians to shape the mood of each text, recording their readings in a professional studio. Through trial and feedback—practising breath control, intonation, and moments of silence—both readers and musicians discovered the precise blend of words and sound that brought each piece to life.
The finished audio compositions were integrated into Echoes, an immersive AR experience that invites castle visitors to explore the works via a free app, while a short film by Kirstin McEwan and Georgia Blue Ireland adds a visual dimension to the poetry. First shown at DG Creative Wellbeing’s February symposium and now publicly available, the film and app stand as enduring artefacts of the project.
Explore Our Six Echoes
A collection of immersive tales created by young writers from the Creative Toolbox programme, in collaboration with Sonic Labs.
Creative Toolbox is a vibrant creative wellbeing initiative for young people aged 11–18 in Dumfries & Galloway, designed to build confidence, nurture social connections, spark creativity, and support mental wellbeing…
Our Land, Our Stories
A powerful and reflective collaboration with long-standing farming families of the Caerlaverock Estate, led by The Imaginarium and featuring original music by The Bookshop Band.
Through intergenerational story-gathering sessions, tales of labour, loss, love, and landscape were shared—tracing how rural life has evolved over time. These stories became the foundation for four new songs, recorded live in the halls of Caerlaverock Castle.
The music captures the myth and memory of the land. A VR-filmed version of the performance invites you to experience it from within the castle walls.
Our Land, Our Stories | Caerlaverock Live Sessions
Filmed after hours in the haunting beauty of Caerlaverock Castle, this intimate live session features the beloved Bookshop Band performing new songs inspired by stories shared by the local farming community and their resonance with the land.
These deeply evocative songs shimmer with emotion, steeped in storytelling that relays tales of connection, community, myths, migration, climate change, transformation, ghostly goings-on, and the shifting rhythms of rural life — tracing the arc of societal change and the enduring relationship between people and place. From folklore to family memory, the music captures the essence of lives lived close to the land.
Crafted in collaboration with the people of the land, whose deeply rooted histories are woven into the landscapes of the Caerlaverock Estate and brought to life in harmony and song, this is sonic heritage at its most intimate.
Queer Caerlaverock
Working closely with LGBTQ+ community members and allies, Queer Caerlaverock created a space for reflection, resistance, and reclamation.
Facilitated by The Imaginarium alongside artists and historians, the group explored queer stories—both hidden and imagined—that connect to the Castle and its symbolism of refuge, resilience, and identity.
- The group co-designed a stone artefact, carved by a Historic Environment Scotland stonemason, to be installed at the Caerlaverock Visitor Centre.
- Alongside it is a specially created interpretation panel and the Quest for Queer Caerlaverock—a field guide and interactive card deck that invites visitors to explore queer myths and truths through playful, reflective challenges.
Creative Caerlaverock | Phase Three Report
During phase three, we brought together underrepresented voices—young people, LGBTQ+ communities, and local families—to co-create immersive experiences, from sound foraging and storytelling to music, stone carving, and interactive guides. Now building a legacy of creative resources, the project invites you to explore, engage, and help shape the future of heritage.
The Story So Far | Year Four (2025–2026)
Creative Caerlaverock | Final Evaluation Report
Find out about the whole Creative Caerlaverock project, a multi‑year creative learning initiative, co‑delivered by The Stove Network and The Imaginarium, in partnership with the Learning and Inclusion Team of Historic Environment Scotland (HES). The project aimed to develop new ways of engaging local communities with heritage through participatory arts, co‑design, and place‑based learning opportunities, all centred around Caerlaverock Castle as a source of inspiration.
Our Future Histories Oracle Deck, an in‑development resource created in response to the project’s deep‑mapping work and designed to initiate new conversations between site staff and the communities they serve, will be coming soon.
Meet the Partners
Paragon
Paragon is an inclusive arts organisation based in Scotland, dedicated to transforming lives through music and dance. Guided by the principles of equality and inclusion, Paragon creates welcoming environments where people of all ages, backgrounds, and support needs can explore their creativity, build confidence, and connect with others through the arts.
Through group workshops and one-to-one mentoring programmes, Paragon offers accessible opportunities for learning, collaboration, and personal growth. Participants are supported by professional musicians, dancers, and facilitators trained in inclusive practice, helping individuals to develop skills, express themselves, and pursue their creative aspirations—whether that means performing, creating new work, or simply enjoying the joy of artistic participation.
Creative Toolbox
Creative Toolbox is a creative wellbeing programme for young people aged 11–18 in Dumfries and Galloway, designed to build confidence, social connection, and mental wellbeing through the arts. It offers inclusive access to creative opportunities for those who may face barriers such as disability, trauma, isolation, or financial hardship—empowering participants to express themselves, develop resilience, and discover their potential.
Through hands-on workshops, mentoring, and group trips, participants explore a wide range of art forms, including drama, creative writing, film, photography, sound design, illustration, and textiles. Guided by professional artists and supported by peer mentors, each young person receives tailored support and a personal Creative Toolbox to inspire creativity both during sessions and at home.
The Imaginarium
The Imaginarium is a dynamic creative consultancy rooted in grassroots youth and community development. Founded by DJ McDowall—an experienced practitioner with over 25 years in the field—it offers transformative spaces for imagination, learning, and social change. Through co-creation, active participation, and immersive experiences, The Imaginarium empowers individuals and communities to explore radical new solutions to deep-rooted challenges.
DJ, based in Dumfries and Galloway, brings a wealth of expertise, a strong ethical foundation, and an infectious passion for social justice. Her work spans marginalised and underrepresented groups, with a focus on innovative methodologies and meaningful engagement.
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