Each of our selected artists taking part in homegrown has also created a short artist talk, sharing their practice, inspirations and background to their work. We hope we will be able to build a collection representing a broad selection of our membership.
Daniel Gillespie
Writer and poet based in Dumfries. For his homegrown micro commission, Daniel has written a series of poems in response to the theme open-heartedness exploring his experiences during the COVID 19 outbreak. Daniel has poems published locally and nationally, alongside sharing the work of other poets in his D&G Poetry publication and is a regular performer at Brave New Words. His response to homegrown is available here.
The Lockdown Collective
The Lockdown collective are JoAnne, John and Luke McKay, all based in Penpont. For homegrown they created the film poem, The Dog Girl for the theme of Perseverance, which you can view here.
Simon Lidwell
Simon uses storytelling, heritage crafts and digital technology to pick up a wide range of skills, working under the name of Wordsmithcrafts. For homegrown, Simon responded to the theme of Insight, and his response is available here.
David Moré
David Moré is a sound/video/whatever artist born in the United States to a Scottish mother (from Dumfries) and a Cuban father, who has just recently relocated to Glasgow. David collaborated with a series of sound artists from across Scotland in his contribution for our theme of Solidarity, available here.
Helen Walsh
Helen Walsh is an artist and creative practitioner living on the beautiful Solway Coast. Helen specialises in drawing and textiles, in particular embroidery. Helen created a series of drawings, Feathers of Hope, accompanied by hopes for the future after COVID as part of our Solidarity theme, which you can view here.
Alex Maxwell
Alex is an indie folk singer songwriter from Dumfries and for his commission as part of homegrown has written and recorded from home a new song entitled Take It Easy, inspired by our theme Open Heartedness, which you can hear here.
Eòghann Mac Colla
Eòghann Mac Colla is based in Ayrshire, and has chosen to respond to the theme of Insight for his homegrown response. His proposal looks at equations as a way to capture the societal situation that COVID-19 lockdown has placed upon us. Find out more about his proposal here.
Jenna Macrory
Jenna Macrory is a musician based between Dumfries and Newcastle, who shares with us her love of trad and folk music, sound design and manipulation, literal house music recorded during the lockdown and some of the influences behind her homegrown micro commission.
Georgia Green
Georgia is a printmaker and recent graduate from Glasgow School of Art, now based in Norwich. Her micro commission involved the creation of a risograph print on the theme of Perseverance. More about her work available here.
Gillian Mellor
Gillian is a poet, key worker and under normal circumstances would be helping to in the Moffat Bookshop. She has been writing poems throughout the lockdown on a range of subjects include difficult topics that have arisen during these times: inequality, climate change, domestic violence, hospitalization, new routines. Read her poems for homegrown here.
Andy Brooke
Artist Andy Brooke in conversation with the Stove’s Martin O’Neill, exploring his practice, the role of place and context in his work, and what he has been busy with during lockdown as part of homegrown. Andy created a new ceramic piece, Distanced Encounters, in response to the theme of Solidarity, view more here.
Philip Palios
Writer Philip Palios returned to Dumfries just before the lockdown began, and for his commission has written a series of seven short stories, collectively titled So Much Heart in response to our Open Heartedness theme. You can read or listen to all seven short stories here.
Carolyn Richardson
Artist Carolyn Richardson used her homegrown micro commission to develop a sculptural piece exploring ideas connected to pollution and single use plastics. Here she reflects on her inspirations and concerns behind her work. See more about her creative response here.