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Musings News

Skye Loneragan’s Though This Be Madness

As Skye Loneragan makes her return to The Stove on Saturday 25th June 2022 with her solo performance, Though This Be Madness, Skye tells us all about the play and how it came to fruition, following her own journey in new parenthood alongside the challenges of coping with mental illness within her family.

“I am looking forward to returning to Dumfries & Galloway this week. I remember performing Though This Be Madness in its early days, before it was Covid-cancelled, at The Stove. An audience member emailed me in the days after the show, about L.O.I.P (Loved Ones In Pain) which I talk about in the show, words I cherish as they remind me why we have a response sanctuary at the end of the show, and put soft toys on the seats:

“There were so many points of traction and heart-opening in your performance, more than I can sum up here… So much discourse focuses on the person experiencing the crisis, and of course they should be at the centre, but for those of us holding and caring and witnessing and having our hearts just about ripped out of us in the process, it doesn’t often feel like there’s space for that… My heart was moved tonight in a way I didn’t quite expect… Thank you for making this kind of pain and process visible, I really appreciate it, and want you to know how important this work is.”

Someone else shared with me their own resonances after the performance, and helped me find my where I’d parked the hire car. They allowed me to record their spoken word:

“Basically it was about my life… the insight in that show was amazing… for somebody who has seen both sides, as a worker and as a patient, I think that was the most honest, actually complimentary almost, portrayal of mental health I’ve ever seen. I don’t know Skye’s background, I don’t know if she has actually been locked up with her rights removed, but if she hasn’t, respect to her because I don’t know anybody who could write something like that who hasn’t actually seen it from the inside.“

I share these words with you (with permission) because so many people are juggling so much. Staying afloat, letting alone seeing a theatre show, can be a huge task which can take a lot of energy, never mind the energy it takes to look after yourself and allow your own creative quest to take flight. 

I know this but would still love to see you in my ‘lounge room’, (the play is set in the Land of Lounge Room), at Heart of Hawick or The Catstrand, New Galloway or The Stove, Dumfries.

What can you expect from Though This Be Madness? 

I had started writing Though This Be Madness before I had a baby, initially toying with ‘diagnosing’ Shakespeare’s female leads. Once I had my sought-after wee one, I had to try and write it in snatches of baby sleep and found I literally could not… finish a sentence.

The show begins with, “she’s down, but she doesn’t sleep lying down, so we may not have long”. A new mature-age mum, I spent hours trying to get my baby to snooze by walking her in the harness or bouncing her on the Pilates ball… I was so on the ball.

My own sleep never made it past a two-hour stretch, for years. I don’t know how people do it, stay functional despite sleep-deprivation. I managed to script tiny segments: ‘Grasp’, “fish-hook’, ‘Ophelia’, ‘The Bits You Don’t Get Back’, ‘Activated Macadamias’….and each of these has a little nut of truth in it and a curly question about how we nurture our collective sanity.

Post-natal, I was also trying to make sense of the debilitating mental health crises of close family members and those I love dearly. So, the play became a fractured fiction and an honest attempt to reach you with a tale that isn’t about parenting at all, but is scuppered by that very context:

“Once upon a Time…  I Don’t Have Time…”

I also remember feeling terrified of leaving the house in case she’d cry. Would we make it? So I knew I wanted to make an adult show for parents or carers with babes-in-arms. The story will follow the same route but if your baby cries that’s ok, if you need to come or go, feed them – that’s fine too. I will take a pause if that’s what is needed, and one audience member told me this was needed:  

“I really appreciated having something cultural to go to…aimed at us parents but accommodating our babies….it’s depressingly rare”

The show has dug itself deeper for me during the pandemic, through the cancellations, the home-not-schooling, the caring for loved ones  – it became a digital version, Though This Be (online) Madness!.

Though This Be Madness is a 72-min piece without an interval. At the end we host a 15-min ‘post-show sanctuary’… a space to allow your response to the show to surface… and find some form of expression before heading home.

Not all stories wrap themselves around a beginning, a middle and an end. New motherhood doesn’t afford the time for that kind of structure. Though This Be Madness is an inventive and darkly humorous story of many sisters that delves into the combined challenges of new parenting alongside loved ones struggling with psychosis and depression.

In this fractured fiction told through poetry and performance, with a musical score co-created by Mairi Campbell, we meet a recovering mum bouncing on a Pilates ball in The Land of the Lounge Room. Determined to soothe her baby and ‘stay on the ball’, she tries finish her sentence and tell us how she is unable to reach her sister Ophelia, who wrestles with a cataract on what Shakespeare calls the ‘mind’s eye’.”

www.skyeloneragan.co.uk
https://vimeo.com/skyeloneragan

Though This Be Madness takes place at The Stove on Saturday 25th June at 7.30pm. Tickets are £5 and can be booked by clicking here.

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News Project Updates

Meet the Creative Spaces Team

Creative Spaces is an exciting collaborative project at The Stove which offers both paid and voluntary opportunities for the under 30s in Dumfries & Galloway.

The project brings together young creatives, from different disciplines, to facilitate an annual programme of events, activities and workshops, all designed to explore and develop artistic responses to cultural issues that impact young people in Dumfries & Galloway.

In May 2022 we were joined by 4 new members to The Stove team:

Mia Osborne as our Emerging Producer, Emma Forsyth, Morgan Love and Alice Griffin as our three Associate Artists for this year’s Creative Spaces programme. You can find out a bit more about each of our new teammates here.

We asked them a few questions so you could get to know them! Here’s what they had to say…

Q) What is your practice?

Mia – “I wouldn’t say I have one singular defined practice however, my skills lie in the production and facilitation of events and community engagement work. I hope to communicate these throughout the year as CS producer in order to aid the associates with the programming and delivery of meaningful community events.”

Alice – “I studied illustration at ECA and during my final year I started screen-printing, which I totally fell in love with. I like to make prints from found objects or textures which I combine with hand drawn and photographed elements, either digitally or by hand. I like to experiment with different printmaking techniques and my work is mostly a tool for me to explore social issues and connect with others.”

Emma – “My studies and knowledge are in theatre, and I feel I am still working out my practice! I love documentary drama and finding new fun ways to engage people in their own talented community.”

Morgan – “I don’t have a creative practice per se, my interest rather lies in the development of the local region and how the creative sector can contribute to it. I am also a Business student, specialising in Marketing, and I hope to utilise and develop the skills I am gaining in my degree and apply them to the Creative Spaces programme.”

Q) Where are you from? What draws you to D&G as a young creative?

Mia – “I grew up in rural D&G in a tiny wee village called Durisdeer. After leaving the area to go off to uni and circumstantially having to return, I was instantly drawn to a lot of the creative organisations in Dumfries because of the beneficial work they were doing for the community and it’s where I found I aligned best.”

Mia – “I grew up in rural D&G in a tiny wee village called Durisdeer. After leaving the area to go off to uni and circumstantially having to return, I was instantly drawn to a lot of the creative organisations in Dumfries because of the beneficial work they were doing for the community and it’s where I found I aligned best.”

Alice – “Originally I’m from Guildford, Surrey. I moved to Edinburgh in 2015, then to Dumfries in 2021. I moved down to Dumfries to join my partner. Aside from that I was looking forward to a slower pace of life and having more outside space. I had heard of The Stove before moving down but didn’t quite realise just how creative the region is.”

Emma – “I am originally from Dalbeattie, but moved up to Glasgow to study theatre. Even though I moved to the city to find opportunities in the arts, I resonate with all the work and projects down at home. The amount of good work getting created by talented people in D&G was what drew me back down.”

Morgan – “I am local to the area – I grew up in Lochside but have spent the last few years living close to the town centre. My main attraction to D&G stems from having a large root system in the local region, and I have a great passion surrounding the development of the town to become a place that is attractive and viable for young people. I believe that creativity in the region can act as a gateway to the retention of young people and hope that our cohort of Creative Spaces can begin to engage with young creative and build a lasting impact that entices young people.”

Q) What do you like to do outside of work?

Mia – “I love spending time with my family, partner & pals, specifically my wee niece. I get so much joy from exploring the countryside and swimming or paddle boarding when weather permits me to do so!”

Alice – “Most weekends I’ll be visiting friends or family, they are scattered up and down the UK so that takes some time. I’ve got two dogs, so I like to take them on walks and there are so many beautiful beaches nearby. I like gardening, we’re watching our first lot of potatoes and onions grow in our vegetable patch which is exciting. Lastly, I love food so I spend a lot of my time cooking and baking.”

Emma – “ love to cook when I have the chance! I also love to discover new craft beers, hit me up with recommendations.”

Morgan – “When I’m not working I like to work through my to-be-read/to-be-watched list, get out in the car and visit the Lake District or the Borders, spend time with my little sister, and combat burnout by taking ridiculously long naps!”

Q) What are you hoping to get out of Creative Spaces?

Mia – “I hope to make some great connections within the team & assist them through the CS programme. I can’t wait to showcase the work that we do to a wider audience across D&G in order to inspire young creatives across the region and promote D&G as a viable option for young creatives wanting to develop their practice.”

Alice – “I’m looking forward to planning and working on some exciting projects. I’m hoping to meet a network of other young creatives in the region. Also, I’d like to learn as much as I can about marketing and how to run a creative business.”

Emma – “I hope to help at least one young person to find a creative outlet in their hometown.”

Morgan – “Beyond hoping to develop the skills and interests I am coming into the programme with, as well as discovering some new ones, I have a keen interest in engaging with the wider region, hoping to incorporate the “G” in D&G as much as possible. I also hope to foster a link with the local schools to promote CS to local young people who are looking for a future in the creative sector.”

Q) And finally, what’s your Stove Cafe order?

Mia – “It’s definitely an extra crispy bacon sandwich on chia bread & a decaf tea with oat milk or a big glass of water (because hydration is key).”

Alice – “A flat white or an iced coffee depending on how I’m feeling. Food wise, either a bacon sandwich or some form of toastie.”

Emma – “Vegan toastie, side salad or salt and vinegar crisps and coconut latte.”

Morgan – “Recently, it’s been a bacon roll and a small caramel latte.”

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Musings News

Spring Public Art Musings

From Public Art Lead Katie Anderson

Public art isn’t always the big things.

Sometimes it happens in the small scale: intimate interactions, one to one conversations, temporary actions; the testing out of ideas can happen in many forms and take on different guises.

The Stove’s public art practice roams between the two – scaling large productions for our annual festivals and events, creating spectacles such as The Tower of Light last December, but also taking a moment to mark the small changes in our calendar – welcoming the return of the swallows, re-visiting familiar spaces in the town, and occupying space for conversation and exploration.

Helen Walsh’s installation, Swoop! fell into this category. Following a call for ideas and artworks that explore or encourage a renewed awareness of seasonality and in response to our need to better adapt creative working in response to the needs of our environment and wider climate, Helen’s proposal invited participants and audiences to take the time – through construction of our felt flock to discovering them in situ – noticing our avian neighbours arrival, and signalling the transition towards the summer months. Working with volunteers and HNC students from Dumfries and Galloway College who contributed to ‘the swoop’ (collective noun for swallows, of course), the birds made their temporary appearance in the rafters of Dock Park’s Victorian bandstand at the weekend.

Welcoming the swallows opened up a wider conversation about how we open our doors here, to all from the seasonal return of transitory populations like the swallows, to tourists and visitors, New Scots and folk moving here for work, safety and inspiration. Our Migratory Routes trail mapped out routes in miniature around the park, inviting visitors to walk routes taken by visitors and residents from both current and historical lives in Dumfries.

We printed postcards to send out a welcome from Dumfries, chatting about icons and monuments that represent the town and the people we would like to welcome to the town. Small conversations to measure the undercurrents.

The bandstand stands witness to the comings and goings of the park, occupied occasionally by children playing games or looking for an impromptu ball game court, but predominantly standing empty – waiting for the start of a performance. The HNC students were also invited to imagine their own public art installations for the bandstand as part of the public module element of their coursework, and during a return visit they shared a dazzling collection of ideas, from community weaving projects, to projections, found object mobiles and light works – their proposals moved through similar scales of spectacle to intimate, personal experiences, inverting the space and exploring the edges of their practice and ambition. Inspiring stuff!

Public spaces like the bandstand hold incredible potential: as a platform, a soap box, a space of celebration, announcement, and declaration. As we enter the summer months our outdoor spaces come into their own, but who are the voices we should be hearing from these platforms?

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Musings News Project Updates

Creative Spaces – The Power of Community

By Leanne Bradwick

Creative Spaces has been supporting me for the last 10 months, helping build the confidence I needed to establish myself as an artist within my own practice, but also supporting me to make new connections that have helped me break into the realm of community art.

This experience has given me the opportunity to explore a large variety of creative ventures and has allowed me to engage with the young people of D&G.

Hear more about my experience and what I’ve learned through the Creative Spaces programme below…

Since completing her time as a Creative Spaces Associate Artist, Leanne has secured regular work helping the community as part of the production team at The Stove Network.

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Opportunities

Join the Cafe & Venue Team

Job Opportunity

We’re looking for an energetic and enthusiastic person, who’s full of beans, to join our busy cafe & venue team. 

The Stove Cafe is a social enterprise, community hub and arts & events venue in the heart of Dumfries High Street.

Serving as the HQ of the Stove Network, the Stove Cafe, serves as the ‘front door’ to our eclectic range of projects and events. From open mics to sign painting, bread clubs and live music, we facilitate and house a range of creative community events made with, for, by and about Doonhamers, old and new.

If you’re a team player who loves communicating with customers and delivering the highest levels of customer service, who wants to get involved in the delivery of our dynamic programme of events and cares about creating an enjoyable atmosphere for customers and staff, this might be for you…

About The Job

Job Title: Cafe & Venue Team Member

Hours: We’re offering a minimum of 15 hours /week over six days; Monday – Saturday including some evenings and weekends.

Pay: Up to £9.50/hr

About You

You’re a strong team player with a can-do, positive attitude with excellent customer service and communication skills, who is also comfortable working independently. With the ability to work under pressure and to prioritise in a fast-paced environment, you’ll be able to multitask, follow instruction and have great attention to detail, all the while putting the customer first.

Responsibilities

  • Establishing welcoming and relaxed atmosphere
  • Taking orders and engaging with customers
  • Coffee making
  • Food preparation
  • Loading/unloading dishwasher
  • Maintaining a high standard of hygiene throughout the cafe, including the bathroom
  • Knowing and understanding the menu
  • Some light physical lifting will be required    
  • Supporting set up and delivery of evening events and activities

Desired Experience (but not essential)

  • Experience in providing high-quality customer service
  • Barista/coffee making experience
  • Experience in food preparation
  • Food and hygiene certificate 

Our Cafe & Venue team are responsible for delivering the best possible experience to our customers, whether serving food and drinks to our customers or supporting the production team during events, we’re looking of the right person who can support our mission to support our community wherever we can.

How to Apply

Please send us a short covering letter explaining why you feel this role is the right one for you and an up-to-date CV to: [email protected]

Closing Date for applications is midnight 31st May 2022.

Categories
Musings News Project Updates

Creative Spaces – What I’ve Learned

By Jodie Barnacle-Best

Jodie @ Caerlaverock Castle

Just over ten months ago now, I joined the Creative Spaces team alongside Rachel, Leanne and Jenna. Never having stepped foot in Dumfries, I tried to piece together what I thought The Stove was from behind my computer screen in Glasgow back in early 2021.

In the thick of a Masters, scouting the internet for opportunities which would allow me to exercise creative thinking in a purposeful way (a disappointingly hard task when you’re graduating in fashion…) while giving myself time to reflect and develop on the dreaded ‘WHAT NEXT?!’ question, joining Creative Spaces seemed like a good step to take.

Describing what I have learned as part of Creative Spaces would take too long, and even listing it out would be pretty exhaustive! It has been a whirlwind experience characterised in large by a trial-and-error approach. University and formal education settings in general have given me *a lot* (in fact, we did a whole block of events on this called ‘So You Wanna Go to Art School?’ back in September!)…

... but my time as a ‘Creative Spacer’ has been educating in ways I couldn’t anticipate.

Every day truly is a school day as our small (but mighty!) team handled everything from concept to production of our bi-monthly workshop programming alongside several one-off events.

It was real-life, project problem solving. And each week that looked different. From getting stuck in (and drenched) at Nithraid to having a day of ‘work’ which involved gathering foliage throughout D&G to decorate for the Wild Goose Festival closing event, to emailing pretty much every school in D&G to market our events…we did it all.

The days were constantly changing…and sometimes seemingly never-ending, but always fun when working alongside three others under 30 all with the same propelling goal; to put on interesting events for other young people in the region.

A big part of why I wanted to be a part of Creative Spaces was to become more engaged in community arts and look at ways my individual practice could connect with others.

Perhaps the hardest lesson in it all, was just how challenging this seemingly simple task is. Increasing engagement and ensuring we were facilitating activities and events which were of interest to our community at times felt like an uphill battle. Having spoken to many people in the scene and even having read some books on community art and participatory practice, it’s clear how universal this is. But when it all clicked into place, boy did it feel good!

I wrapped up my time with Creative Spaces with my personal project, ‘REMAKE Dumfries’, a month-long project of clothing regeneration with a collective of young people in Dumfries and Galloway. Facilitating this project involved utilising all the skills and experiences already under my belt. An individual project, succeeding because of the trials and errors that came before. An ending to my time on the Creative Spaces team that I’m proud of.

To sum up ten months in 500 words is inconceivable, but I hope I’ve managed to convey the core of my experience. Ten months full of connecting and creating, sometimes planned, sometimes off the cuff, sometimes succeeding, sometimes falling short. The opportunity to try and test has been a real privilege. My biggest take-away of all? Not everything has to be meticulously planned and conceptualised like it’s a three-month long university project.

Sometimes the most success comes from the simplest or spontaneous of ideas.

The ‘real’ world doesn’t mark you on your workings out (in fact they often don’t see them at all), so whatever messy route you take to get there, sometimes the most important thing is simply that you did.

Since completing her time as a Creative Spaces Associate Artist, Jodie has join the Board of Directors at The Stove Network.

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