Hear Here

Amplifying Voices Unheard

What Is Hear Here?

Hear | Here is a three-year initiative that combines public art, print media, and immersive experiences to celebrate the heritage, identity, and culture of underrepresented communities in Dumfries. This collaborative project aims to amplify these voices, safeguard their rich cultural legacy, and support creative campaigns that celebrate, communicate, and engage the town in understanding and appreciating the vibrancy of these cultures. In the first year, we will focus on Travelling Showpeople, a unique community whose contributions are intricately woven into the industrial, cultural, and civic identity of Dumfries for over eight centuries, from c1200 to the present day.

In partnership with organisations, charities, and community groups, Hear | Here combines creativity with advocacy, citizenship, and human rights. This project comes at a crucial time for Dumfries, focusing on regeneration, climate change, cultural heritage, and integration to help shape the town’s future.

Travelling Showpeople have a deep and enduring connection with Dumfries, one that has significantly shaped the town over the centuries. This unique relationship is rooted in history, with a large group of Showpeople residing in Dumfries throughout World War II. Their presence and contributions have left an indelible mark on the town, from owning many local businesses to collaborating on important civic projects, such as helping to fund construction of the town’s iconic suspension bridge, known as ‘Biddall’s Bridge’, after the Biddall family, legendary Showpeople credited with introducing the first projected film to Dumfries through ‘Biddall’s Ghost’ built around Pepper’s Ghost Illusion and from c.1898 incorporated one of the first ‘bioscopes’ (travelling cinemas) in Scotland. Members of the family went on to found many of Scotland’s first permanent cinemas.

One of the most profound manifestations of this relationship is the continuation of two of the last six remaining traditional street fairs in Scotland, both held in Dumfries. The Rood Fair, held every September, and the Spring Fair in March, have been central to the town’s cultural life for centuries. These fairs are held at their traditional site alongside the River Nith and have been vital in maintaining the unique cultural heritage of Travelling Showpeople.

The significant cultural value of these traditional street fairs is recognised in the UNESCO Convention on the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage (2003). This convention aims to protect and support cultural traditions worldwide. With the UK having recently ratified this convention, there is a renewed focus on identifying and preserving cherished cultural practices. As part of this process, communities across the country will be able to nominate their most valued cultural traditions for protection and support through a nationwide online survey.

Fair Scotland (FS) is a collective of Showpeople, artists and researchers who promote, advocate and celebrate contemporary fairground culture in Scotland. A registered charity, FS aims to improve knowledge of Scottish Showpeople within Scotland and internationally, promoting their unique heritage and experiences through a range of ongoing activities and projects.

The Fair Scotland team is involved in an ongoing programme of research, cultural heritage projects and events, and they engage with a range of partners and collaborators. In the past this has included Fairground Walkabouts (in Dumfries), Behind the Scenes of the Fair (a living exhibition at Glasgow’s Riverside Museum), and permanent museum exhibits at the Riverside and Kelvinhall Museums.

FS seeks to challenge discrimination against Showpeople and works to feed meaningfully into policies that affect Fairground communities, and their relationship with wider communities across the UK. The charity is led by Scotland’s Showpeople (who account for 90% of its core members) representing a range of ages, experiences and backgrounds.