SUBMERGE offered The Stove the opportunity to imagine a Dumfries of the future—a future predicted to be up to twice as wet by the end of this century.
As we prepared for SUBMERGE, our local council unanimously voted for a plan to build a physical structure along the edge of the River Nith, aiming to hold back the surges in this spate river and prevent the flooding that has been a feature of the town since records began. Hard as we searched, we could not identify the longer-term vision for the town that the barrier plan was intended to align with—how did the barrier contribute to a future for Dumfries, we wondered? The only answer we could ascertain was that it aimed to make a small area of the town more attractive to property developers. The strategy of attempting to attract private investment to revitalise the town has been the mantra for the past 20 years; however, it has not been successful and appears increasingly questionable amid the decline of 20th-century capitalism, which is failing to deliver well-being for the majority of the population in Scotland.
The Stove issued a call for people to join a group that would take an alternative approach and imagine a future where increased rainfall, sea levels, and river surges could be seen as an opportunity. We sought to reimagine Dumfries as a River Town—a place that embraced its environment, a place that Lives With Water.
In this plan, the banks of the River Nith are rewilded as riverbank through the centre of town. These new spaces are integrated with existing green spaces adjacent to the river to create a green corridor along the Nith, which is utilised for a combination of food and energy production, leisure, culture, and education.
“The commercial district of the town centre is condensed and centres on its traditional functions: serving as a market for local producers, a meeting place, and a centre for culture and heritage. As the transport hub for the region, Dumfries acts as the gateway linking national and international relations to the broader region of South West Scotland.
The area immediately surrounding the High Street and Market Square is converted to residential use, with urban smallholders and makers capitalising on the proximity to the market for their excess production, bringing vitality to the town centre throughout the day and night.
This vision was presented in a document titled ‘We Live With Water’, which was written from the vantage point of Dumfries in 2065 and featured commentaries by local writers reflecting on the future from a retrospective perspective.
Richard Arkless MP visited his constituents in Dumfries on Monday, 7th December 2015, to inspect the aftermath of the flooding from the previous weekend. During his visit, he heard rumours of an alternative plan for the town and the river and obtained a copy of We Live With Water to take back to Westminster as a potential way forward for our town.
We Live With Water was coordinated by The Stove Network and included contributions from:
Katie Anderson
Kate Foster
Rita Pacheco
Alyne Jones
David Slater
Mike Bonaventura
Lee McQueen
Matt Baker
Mark Zygadlo
Ivor Gott
Stuart White
Mary Smith
Lauren Soutar
Rhiannon Dewar
Linda Powell
Katharine Wheeler
(and some anonymous writers)
“Quest” is an ongoing environmental project by artist Jan Hogarth, exploring our relationship with the environment, land, and water. Jan’s working practice grows out of a deep love of the land (in the broadest sense of the word—by “land” I mean water, trees, animals, mountains, etc.), an empathy for it, and a deep desire to heal it. Jan has been working with Sheila Pollock, a practitioner in the healing arts for over 30 years, and invites others who love the land to become involved in the environmental art quests.
In Celtic tradition, healing wells, springs, and the sources of rivers were thought to possess sacred and healing properties.
“Quest” explores rituals and the truths behind them to create and invent new environmental art rituals aimed at healing the environment. The idea of searching for the source of the Nith originated from a local rumour that the Lynors of Dumfries Guid Nychburris took spring water from the source of the Nith and carried it with them when they rode the boundaries of the town. My friend Sheila, who has been working in the healing arts, and I went in search of the source of the Nith, which is located at Dalmellington in Ayrshire. Instead, we found an environmental catastrophe in the form of open-cast mines and landfill sites, with no access to the source due to the activities of the open-cast mine operators. It was shocking—how could this river be healed when its source serves as an example of how we take from the land without empathy for our energy consumption? This seemed to act as a metaphor for the wider issue of climate change. The problem lies with us—our lack of love for non-human life and our lack of reverence for nature, water, and the land.
Sheila has worked with Jan on the Quests project, focusing on the energy of water and its places, and exploring how to lift that energy and raise its vibration. Through dowsing, there is evidence that the vibration of the water she worked on during Quest 1 was raised, and that improvement has been sustained. The Nith presents a significant challenge due to its source in an open-cast mine. Sheila and Jan will be discussing this on Thursday evening at the Stove as part of their work.
Jan’s install in preparation for SUBMERGE
Quest is part of SUBMERGE, an exhibition featured in ArtCOP Dumfries, running daily from 10:00 am to 5:00 pm until Saturday, 12th December.
Jan and Sheila will be discussing Quest as part of A Question of Scale
An extract from SUBMERGE artist Kate Foster’s most recent blog post. To read the post in full visit her blog here.
Kate joined in our recent craftivism workshops, wearing Sphagnum on her sleeves (more on that here), inspiring a love of moss blog post.
Living with water is vital around the Solway, and I’m discovering that Sphagnum is a kind of aqueous superhero. A single Sphagnum moss consists of a strand of water-holding cells, which can collectively form raised bogs many metres deep, over thousands of years.
Complete raised bogs are now rare. Dogden Moss in the Eastern Borders and Kirkconnel Flow to the west of Dumfries offer glimpses of what the landscape in Southern Scotland might have looked like before bogs were drained and excavated. As I begin a tour of mosses, I have come across the equivalent of mountain-top removal inflicted upon them. My eye is becoming attuned to tawny strips on the low horizon.
‘This human-made drainage ditch has been dammed, a recent reversal of policy. Peatland Action is a restoration programme co-ordinated by Scottish Natural Heritage: the reasons to conserve peatbogs are beautifully laid out in the National Peatland Plan. Importantly, peatbogs sequester carbon and are sinks for atmospheric carbon. This process is starting in the blocked ditch at Kirkconnel, as Sphagnum strands start a slow and steady occupation.’
Kate has been working with Nadiah Rosli on her recent work Peatland Actions, which is part of our SUBMERGE exhibition. SUBMERGE runs daily from 10-5pm until Saturday evening, 12th December.
Kate and Nadiah will be speaking as part of our Question of Scale event on Thursday, 10th December from 6pm
At the beginning of the month, The Stove transformed into Norway House as part of a project with the research and design collective Lateral North. Over the course of three days, The Stove became a temporary hub, exploring Dumfries’ Norwegian connection.
Norway House at The Stove became a place for exchange and conversation, storytelling, and remembering.
Many visitors came in, sharing memories of the excitement they felt as children, aged seven or eight, when the Norwegians arrived. They recalled how the Norwegians would sometimes offer lifts to children on their way back to their accommodation, which was in various places around Dumfries. Most stayed at the Troqueer Mills, although there was also a farm on the outskirts of Dumfries, near Lincluden, where the horses were kept.
One lady spoke about her husband, who had lived at 7 Nellieville Terrace as a boy. Their front room was used as the Norwegian Bank, and he remembered the King visiting his home. He often talked about the Norwegians’ visit. The family had hoped to record or share his memories before he passed away but sadly never managed to. I will now pass her details on to Beverly Thom, who is writing a book of these stories so that his memories can hopefully be documented.
The manager of the Greyston Rovers also visited. He explained that they have been playing Norway regularly since 1951, when they became the first team to play in Europe after the end of the war, maintaining the connection.
Norway House is part of an ongoing project, Cultural Wayfinding, which explores alternative ways of understanding and celebrating Dumfries’ culture and history. The project also aims to build new connections with Norway in the future.
If you would like to stay updated on the project as it develops, or if you would like to contribute your story to our growing Norway House project, please contact Katharine at [email protected].
Every Wednesday in November, The Stove is hosting a series of ‘craftivism’ stitch-ins. These are drop-in events running from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm. Everyone is welcome, whether you bring your own craft skills or wish to learn some basic techniques in a friendly and open environment (we have cake!).
What is Craftivism?
Craftivism is a form of ‘slow activism’ that involves sharing crafting skills in a social space, encouraging discussion and reflection while creating—engaging in the time-consuming processes of stitching and making. It is a growing movement of crafters and open-minded individuals seeking to foster new ways of exchange and discussion around issues and topics they hope to share with others. Join us for a blether, a cup of tea, and help contribute to some of the projects we are currently working on. These sessions are self-led, but there is plenty of support available from our Herald, Moxie, and craftivist, Joy Cheroukai.
Why Now?
The Stove is participating in ArtCOP, an international cultural programme that coincides with this year’s Paris Climate Conference (also known as COP21) in December. We are exploring new ways to discuss the environment and the constantly changing nature of our world—what is changing for Dumfries and Galloway? What does climate change mean to us? Do we need a new language to address global climate issues? And what role does Dumfries play in all of this?
Our craftivism group is working on two projects:
Wear Your Heart on Your Sleeve is a national campaign from the Craftivist Collective and the Climate Coalition. It encourages everyone to reflect on the things they are passionate about and, in turn, consider how these could be affected by changing climates and rising temperatures.
The Stop Climate Chaos Rally is on 28th November, and Scotland’s Climate March will take place in Edinburgh. The Stove has been invited by the Crichton Carbon Centre to join their bus to take part in the rally. Stitchers and makers at our craftivism sessions are working on a large banner to be carried in the march. This banner will be made up of smaller patterns and designs created from unwanted fabrics.
We will be hosting an intensive banner-making weekend before the rally, on 21st and 22nd November.
If you would like a place on the bus (travel expenses covered by The Stove), please get in touch, as spaces are limited. Contact Katie at [email protected].
Throughout the year, we strive to stay connected with all our members and ensure that everyone has the opportunity to easily share their hopes, wants, and needs regarding the development of The Stove and the collective creation of a better Dumfries. Whether it’s more formally at the members’ Housewarming event, during Cultural Wayfinding sessions, over Tea with Moxie (yes, that’s still going strong if you’d like a chat and a cuppa!), at drop-in sessions, during live events, through the speechbubbles project, or even in casual encounters on the street—the core team is eager to hear your thoughts, suggestions, and ideas for moving forward.
Moxie at work at Guid Nychburris
The Stove has truly blossomed since opening its High Street doors earlier this year, and there are many more exciting adventures on the horizon. Here’s a quick recap of the ideas you’ve shared with us and how we’ve responded.
Spoken word and creative writing were high on people’s agenda, with many suggesting an increase in related events. In April, Open Mouth burst onto the scene, led by Sarah Indigo and Eryl Shields, who conducted performance and creation workshops with school students during the day. Its success has led to Brave New Words being developed into a regular Open Mic night at The Stove. The next session is this Friday, 30th October, and is open to everyone (whether musical or spoken word—Brave New Words welcomes all original writing). In the run-up to Christmas, several other word-based events are planned, including the Wagtongues Pop-Up Bookshop at the end of November. Additionally, there is an open-call out for new writing for exciting art installations in the closes of the town.
Brave New Words – poetry slam September 18th 2015
A number of conversations around food were sparked at the Housewarming event, perhaps inspired by the delicious chai tea made by Open Jar and the bannocks baking over the open fire in the square. Attendees were eager to explore the power of nourishment in all its forms, suggesting ideas such as gatherings; gardening experiments where people could learn how to grow and cook seasonal produce; cup return schemes for the café; as well as film evenings and talks centred around food and produce.
We’ve also been discussing community gardens, rewilding initiatives, and collaborations with groups across the region to provide opportunities for exploring the intersection of growing and art.
The amazing Alice Thompson from Social Bite talking food and social enterprise at The Stove (http://www.social-bite.co.uk/)
The latter was explored during our recent film season at The Stove, where films such as Moo Man, Vanishing of the Bees, and The Lunchbox were accompanied by inspiring talks and equally delightful, relevant treats.
We also hosted an incredible talk by Alice from Social Bite, who shared their journey of building an amazing network of sandwich shops from scratch, which help the homeless get back on their feet and into work.
Work has begun on The Stove Café, which will provide a vibrant meeting place in the heart of Dumfries and serve as a base for further creative exploration of how we think about, grow, distribute, and cook food. The tender was won by Angela and Colin Green, and we are very excited to see the opportunities this new development will bring.
We are eager to hear from anyone interested in hosting groups in the early evening. For example, we have a regular Craftivism (Creative Activism) workshop starting on 28th October. These sessions aim to encourage people to linger a little longer after the shops close and further our commitment to breathing new life into the town centre.
The Craftivism workshops also align with other ideas raised by members. Many expressed interest in forming Skill Sharing groups and engaging in Mindfulness initiatives. Craftivism promotes both and we hope it will serve as a catalyst for other Skill Sharing/Skill Swap events.
It was also suggested that we take The Stove beyond the building and engage in more projects across the region. One such project saw The Young Stove working with school-aged children in the woods near New Galloway. They ran a workshop called Survival Art School and later gave the youngsters a tour of their show at Gatehouse of Fleet. Another example was the co-production of EAFS—a wonderful off-grid adventure in the grounds of Morton Castle. Among its many magical aspects, EAFS encouraged the sharing of food as a means of human connection and engagement, evoking a primal need to break down modern social barriers and foster friendships and communication around shared nourishment.
Rajasthan heritage Brass Band at The Stove
People asked for drumming, and what a line-up we gave them! Not only did we fill the day with the incredible Rajasthan Heritage Brass Band—bringing smiles to everyone they encountered—but we also hosted an evening workshop with local drumming groups. This spectacular session brought the community together in a loud and joy-filled way.
Looking ahead, the future vision for Dumfries includes suggestions for giant water slides, Segways instead of Orange Bike Schemes, permanent block parties, adult ball pits, and drive-in cinemas. It’s clear people want to feel the love returning to the town centre.
Phrases such as:
“Let’s celebrate what we have and what we can be rather than focusing on what we don’t. We are a vibrant town with vision. Work together to make it happen.”
“Keeping Dumfries’ heritage but being more upbeat and welcoming to new things.”
“Convert dead shops into flats = get people back into town.”
“Use empty shops as art galleries/installations – artists get work shown, town gets colourful, vibrant art instead of empty shops full of litter.”
have been echoed repeatedly. While perhaps less thrilling than foam bowling alleys, these suggestions are far more tangible and provide a solid starting point for meaningful change.
Regeneration has clearly begun, with many commenting on the positive difference The Stove has already made to the High Street—but much more remains to be done.
We’ve had inspiring public sessions working with Lateral North to explore how interventions and Cultural Wayfinding can help develop Dumfries, making it more welcoming and easier to navigate—just as has been achieved in other towns. There’s even more to come, including an event surrounding Norway House next month.
Since its creation, the building has taken on a variety of roles. It has been a messy creative space for The Young Stove and other artists, an exhibition venue, and a site for workshops, meetings, gatherings, and music gigs. It has welcomed a broad mix of people from diverse walks of life, which makes us very proud. It has also become a hub for exchanging ideas—a place where inspiration is shared, where ideas can be brought and nurtured to grow.
Radio DMC
Music has been another hot topic for members and the public, and we have been developing a music strand since The Stove began through our Dumfries Music Conference. Since 100 High Street opened, this has continued to grow through partnerships with local music groups such as Small Town Sounds, Music Plus, and Electric Fields. These collaborations have led to fantastic gigs showcasing local talent, including Rudi Zygadlo, MØGEN, and Mark Lyken. You can even learn guitar at The Stove now with lessons from guitar teacher David Bass.
Other topics raised in discussions include:
Partnerships with the Crichton Campus – exciting news to come on this in February.
Fast Public Broadband – a big thanks to Ailsa for making The Stove the first business in the town centre with fibre-optic broadband.
Space for Screenprinting – we are supporting Upland and Maklab in their efforts to establish a facility at Maklab’s premises on the High Street.
Classes in IT and Film Editing – our digital making suite will soon be taking bookings, so watch this space.
Support for Research Projects into Environmental Issues – The Stove was the base for the recent Environmental Art Festival Scotland. Stay tuned for ArtCOP Scotland @ The Stove in early December.
More for Young People in the Town – The Young Stove continues to flourish and is now integrated into nearly everything we do.
Be Part of Making Dumfries Better – The Stove remains a space for people to come together, debate, and take positive action for the town. We are actively involved in discussions about the Whitesands and have exciting news about significant improvements to the High Street.
‘Not to Be Sold Separately’ an exhibition by Young Stove
So, let us know what you think! Book in with Moxie for a cuppa, send an email, or drop our Herald a line on Facebook. The Stove is ever-evolving, and its quiet energy is building all the time—so get in touch and let’s see how we can sail together into the next phase.
P.S. If you’re ever wondering what’s happening at The Stove, please check our Events page, or look back at what’s been going on via our Blog page.
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