Deadline extended to Monday 8th September
In partnership with Fair Scotland and the Hear Here project: The Show Must Go On, The Stove Network is inviting proposals from emerging artists (aged 16–30) to explore and creatively interpret the relationship between young people in Dumfries and the town’s historic Rood and Spring Fairs.
Context
The Rood and Spring Fairs of Dumfries are one of Scotland’s oldest civic traditions, embedded in the town’s cultural fabric for centuries. First officially recognised in the 1592 town charter—but believed to date back to the 1200s—the fairs have long been a marker of seasonal rhythms, public life, celebration, and collective memory. From religious observances to community gatherings, the fairs represent a heritage that spans generations, with many locals recalling their youth through the lens of fairground experiences—sounds, lights, laughter and thrill.
Yet as Dumfries evolves, how do these traditional events continue to resonate with the town’s younger generations? What memories are being created now—and what futures can be imagined for the fairs?
Opportunity
We are commissioning an emerging creative practitioner to explore this rich relationship between young people and the Dumfries fairs through a contemporary and imaginative lens. The creative practitioner will be supported by the Stove’s creative team and Fair Scotland to develop a final creative outcome in any form (e.g. visual art, photography, sound, podcast, film, performance, journalism, or mixed media). The work will form part of ongoing dialogue about belonging, identity, heritage, and cultural life in Dumfries.
Key Aims
- To creatively document and explore how young people in Dumfries experience, remember, or relate to the Rood and Spring Fairs.
- To investigate the significance of the fairs in contemporary youth culture: what they mean, how they are changing, and what they could become.
- To consider how tradition can evolve—bridging generations while remaining relevant and resonant for the future.
Guiding Questions
Artists might wish to consider some or all of the following as prompts:
- What role do the fairs play in the lives of young people today?
- Are the fairs a site of joy, rebellion, identity, belonging or something else?
- What sensory memories—sound, smell, colour, movement—define young people’s experiences of the fairs?
- How do local stories, rites of passage, or social rituals tie into the fair experience?
- In what ways might the fairs act as a mirror or contrast to young people’s wider lives in Dumfries?
- Are there voices or perspectives which are underrepresented at the fairs, or in the conversations surrounding them?
- How can we imagine or empathise with young people ‘behind the shutters’ – those who live and work with the fair?
- How can we imagine the fair as a future civic space—a gathering, a reclaiming, a celebration?
Youth Engagement
As part of the commission, the selected artist will engage with 1–2 schools or youth settings in Dumfries and Galloway. This could take the form of workshops, creative sessions, interviews, or collaborative making processes. This engagement is intended to ground the artist’s work in lived experience and help co-create or inspire elements of the final outcome.
Support
The artist will receive:
- Creative mentorship from The Stove Network and Fair Scotland.
- Access to archival material, local knowledge, and communities.
- A budget to support the creation and realisation of the final output.
- Opportunities for public exhibition, presentation, or sharing of the work.
How to Apply
To apply, please send:
- A short cover letter (1 page max) telling us:
- Why this opportunity interests you.
- Any relevant experience or creative background.
- What excites you about working on this commission.
- Up to 5 examples of previous work, or links to online portfolios, recordings, writing, etc.
- A short outline (max 500 words) of how you might approach this commission – ideas, questions you want to explore, or communities you’d want to work with. This doesn’t need to be a final proposal; just a flavour of your thinking.
Applications are welcome from practitioners based outside Dumfries & Galloway; however, priority consideration will be given to regionally-based applicants.
Deadline for submissions: 12 noon, 8th September 2025
Send everything to: [email protected]
Selection Process
To keep things simple and supportive:
- All applications will be reviewed by The Stove’s Artistic Director, Creative Producer and a representative from Fair Scotland.
- A small number of shortlisted applicants will be invited for an informal chat with the Artistic Director to discuss ideas and get a sense of approach, not as a formal interview.
- The selected creative practitioner will then be commissioned.
Timeline
- Application deadline: 29/08/2025
- Selection chat: Late August/Early September 2025
- Commission begins: September 2025
- Final output shared: November/December (or as agreed) 2025
Fee: £1,200
Materials Budget: £300
