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Tag: Dumfries

Doongamers – Magic: The Gathering

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April 16 @ 5:30 pm – 9:00 pm

Magic: the Gathering is a collectable trading card game dating back to 1993. Players use their decks, containing lands, spells, and creatures, to battle against their opponent using a variety of tactics and strategies until one player emerges victorious.

Magic comes in many formats, each with its own list of cards that are allowed to be played in that format.

The Pioneer format (the one chosen by Team Scoop to be played at The Stove) is beginner friendly, accessible, and fun, with cards from late 2012 (Return to Ravnica) being legal, with a few exceptions that have been banned due to their power level.

Pioneer: £5 entry fee will add 1.5 boosters to the prize pool per player, with each player receiving one pack, and the rest being distributed amongst the top scoring players. 

Commander/other casual play: Free, can be arranged into pods/events on demand. 

More information can be found at magic.wizards.com or by contacting us via our Facebook Group (Team Scoop Magic Club) or joining our Discord (https://discord.gg/wg8REfc). 

What is Magic? 

Bringing people together through fun, competition and friendship. 

At a glance, Magic is a trading card game filled with strategic battles and unique card decks. But Magic has always been bigger than the box. Whether you’re having fun at the kitchen table, or battling in a high-stakes competition, there’s a place for you here.

5 colours. 5 play styles. Endless possibilities. 

Each of the five colours in Magic represent a different philosophy and a different play-style. Choose your colour(s) to decide which type of land you’ll be drawing resources (mana) from and what type of Magic you’ll wield.

Who are Doongamers?

Doongamers are a friendly, inclusive community of Doonhamer gamers with a passion for geek culture from Magic to D&D, Digimon to collectables! Hosting regular gaming sessions at the Stove Cafe, the community is always on the look-out for new members. With a community both in-person and online, Doongamers is fun-first, competition second. Oh, and milkshakes. Lots of milkshakes. 

Free
NO NEED TO BOOK

The Stove Cafe

100 High Street
Dumfries, DG1 2BJ United Kingdom
01387 252435
View Venue Website

Access to the Building:

  • Level Access is available at the rear of the building through the adjacent close located to the left-hand side of the Café (when facing the front of the building). 

Hearing Loop:

  • We have a hearing loop system installed in the café to support individuals using hearing aids or cochlear implants.

Personalised Assistance:

  • If you have any specific access needs, please let us know, and we’ll be happy to accommodate. You can reach Sal at [email protected] or call us at 01387 252435 to speak with a member of our team.

Additional Support Available:

  • Walk-throughs of the building can be arranged prior to your visit so you can familiarise yourself with the space.
  • Reserved Seating can be arranged to ensure comfort and accessibility; please let us know if you would like seating assigned before arrival.

We’re committed to making your experience as enjoyable and accessible as possible. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with any questions or specific requirements.

Doughlicious

April 16 @ 6:45 pm – 9:00 pm

For amateur bakers and bread enthusiasts alike.

Doughlicious is a bread club with a twist. Share recipes and techniques in a relaxed atmosphere and get practical with some hands-on activity. Open to all! Discover more about Doughlicious here.

Image by Jamie Stryker
Image by Jamie Stryker
Image by Jamie Stryker

The levain will be provided, but you’ll need to bring some tools from home. These are: A mixing bowl, a cloth or cover for your bowl and a jam jar.

We also have a small ‘Bread Book’ reference library for you to look through to get inspired and learn new techniques.

Free In-person donations welcome to go towards materials for the event.

Doughlicious

View Organiser Website

The Stove Cafe

100 High Street
Dumfries, DG1 2BJ United Kingdom
01387 252435
View Venue Website
Accessibility Information 

Access to the Building:

  • Level Access is available at the rear of the building through the adjacent close located to the left-hand side of the Café (when facing the front of the building). 

Hearing Loop:

  • We have a hearing loop system installed in the café to support individuals using hearing aids or cochlear implants.

Personalised Assistance:

  • If you have any specific access needs, please let us know, and we’ll be happy to accommodate. You can reach Sal at [email protected] or call us at 01387 252435 to speak with a member of our team.

Additional Support Available:

  • Walk-throughs of the building can be arranged prior to your visit so you can familiarise yourself with the space.
  • Reserved Seating can be arranged to ensure comfort and accessibility; please let us know if you would like seating assigned before arrival.

We’re committed to making your experience as enjoyable and accessible as possible. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with any questions or specific requirements.

WRITE at The Stove Cafe

April 2 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm

Write poster, with a colourful horizontal stipe through the middle of a beige background

Welcome to WRITE! Join us at our monthly creative writing workshop with author Karl Drinkwater.

WRITE! is all about letting your imagination guide your hand. In each session we’ll chat about a writing-related topic, then provide prompts and a theme. Then attendees are given the opportunity to write based on the inspiration. It might be a character sketch, or a piece of description or dialogue. The key thing is that it will be your words. They’d never have been born if you’d stayed at home that night.

The short piece you write could be practice or a creative outlet. However, it could become the seed of a short story or part of a longer work. We end each friendly and informal session. With the opportunity for some people to read out what they wrote, as a celebration of the new words.

Sessions are expertly guided by thought-provoking prompts, offering dedicated time for free-flowing expression. Afterward, participants have the opportunity to share their creations within supportive groups. They can receive valuable tips to enhance their writing skills and boost confidence. Whether you’re rediscovering the joy of the creative process or seeking inspiration for your existing project, Write fosters a collaborative and experimental environment. Fuel your next big project with the friendly encouragement and creative energy that defines Write.

Open to: everyone! It doesn’t matter whether you’ve never written anything before, or if you’re an established author looking for a brief shot of espresso creativity. It’s not a course, so you can attend any or all sessions, as you wish.

So come along. We’ll provide the inspiration and a supportive group of new friends. All you need to do is bring your pen*, engage your heid, and write!

(* Of course it’s fine to bring a laptop or gadget instead of a pen and paper. Words are words, whatever the medium!)

The Stove Cafe will be serving drinks and nibbles from 6.30pm – 7pm

IMPORTANT INFORMATION: As WRITE! is a very popular event, you must pre-book via Eventbrite to secure a place at this workshop.

Free

The Stove Network

100 High Street
Dumfries, Dumfries & Galloway DG1 2BJ United Kingdom
01387 252435
View Venue Website
Accessibility Information 
Access to the Building:
  • Level Access is available at the rear of the building through the adjacent close located to the left-hand side of the Café (when facing the front of the building). 
Hearing Loop:
  • We have a hearing loop system installed in the café to support individuals using hearing aids or cochlear implants.
Personalised Assistance:
  • If you have any specific access needs, please let us know, and we’ll be happy to accommodate. You can reach Sal at [email protected] or call us at 01387 252435 to speak with a member of our team.
Additional Support Available:
  • Walk-throughs of the building can be arranged prior to your visit so you can familiarise yourself with the space.
  • Reserved Seating can be arranged to ensure comfort and accessibility; please let us know if you would like seating assigned before arrival.

We’re committed to making your experience as enjoyable and accessible as possible. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with any questions or specific requirements.

Reel to Real: Filmmakers Shorts: Double Bill – Mahde Hasan and Sarah Thomas

April 4 @ 7:00 pm – 9:00 pm

Óshlíð (River Mouth \\ Slope) | Sarah Thomas + Jon Randall |2018 | 28 mins | UK | English and Icelandic
I am Time | MahDe Hasan | 2016 | 10 mins | Bangla
A Boring Film | Mahde Hasan | 2020 | 16 mins

This month we are joined by two filmmakers based in the region, to share some of their short works and host a joint discussion about their filmmaking processes and interests. These gently paced, meditative films hail from opposite parts of the world, and in meeting in Dumfries and Galloway can we explore their connections, similarities, and differences?

About the Films

Óshlíð (River Mouth \\ Slope)

This film takes us on a journey along Óshlíð, an abandoned coastal road which is considered to be one of the most dangerous, and beautiful, in Iceland. Following the construction of a mountain tunnel in 2010, the road was closed and is now in the process of being rapidly reclaimed by both the mountain and the sea. The film delves into the stories of this road and its relationships with the people who maintained, travelled, and died upon Óshlíð. Through these voices it reflects upon a post-human landscape and the nature of mortality.

I am Time

A photographer is fascinated with the concept of time. He captures his self-portrait with a big clock and tries to frame moments visually. Shown at the Locarno Film Festival in 2016.

A Boring Film

An individual is in self-quarantine in a housing building that is under construction. But the place is so chaotic that he isn’t able to sleep. One day he goes over to the local zoo and attempts to sleep there.

After the films, we will be joined by both filmmakers for a Q&A style discussion.

About the Filmmakers

Sarah Thomas

Sarah is a non-fiction writer and documentary maker with a background in anthropology. She is interested in dwelling deeply in a place, the stories we make and the relationships we have with the environments we live in. She has lived across the world in various locations from the Equator to the Arctic. Following the financial crisis of 2008, she lived in Iceland’s West fjords region for a number of years, bearing witness to a period of immense environmental and social change, about which she has written a memoir, The Raven’s Nest published by Atlantic Books in 2022.

Mahde Hasan

Mahde Hasan is an introspective and visually keen filmmaker from Bangladesh currently residing in Dumfries, Scotland. His short films I Am Time and Death of a Reader were presented at the 69th and 71st Locarno Festival. With Where is the Friend’s Home, he came first in the ‘movie of my life’ digital competition at the 70th Locarno Festival. In 2018, he participated in the Locarno Film Festival’s Open Doors Hub and received the CNC development grant for his debut feature Sand City. It was selected to NANTES PRODUIRE AUSUD 2018 and also chosen to participate in La Fabrique Cinéma de l’Institutfrançais 2019 at Cannes. In 2021, Sand City got the production grant from the Swiss fund Visions sud est. His latest short film, A Boring Film, was selected in the Pardi di Domani section at Locarno Film Festival 2020. His background also includes participation in two film residency programs: a two-month residency in Switzerland in 2018 and a five- week residency in Los Angeles in 2023, initiated by Film Independent.

About Reel to Real

Reel to Real Cinema is a monthly film space in the Stove Cafe, featuring an eclectic mixture of conversational films – from artist made shorts to feature length documentaries, locally made to international cinema. A space for discussion and thought-provoking films, you are welcome to join us after the film for a short discussion about the themes from this month’s selection. The Stove Cafe will be open from 5.30pm – 6:45pm with a special pre-film dinner option alongside hot drinks and cakes.

Free Donations welcome

The Stove Cafe

100 High Street
Dumfries, DG1 2BJ United Kingdom
01387 252435
View Venue Website

Accessibility Information 

Access to the Building:
  • Level Access is available at the rear of the building through the adjacent close located to the left-hand side of the Café (when facing the front of the building). 
Hearing Loop:
  • We have a hearing loop system installed in the café to support individuals using hearing aids or cochlear implants.
Personalised Assistance:
  • If you have any specific access needs, please let us know, and we’ll be happy to accommodate. You can reach Sal at [email protected] or call us at 01387 252435 to speak with a member of our team.
Additional Support Available:
  • Walk-throughs of the building can be arranged prior to your visit so you can familiarise yourself with the space.
  • Reserved Seating can be arranged to ensure comfort and accessibility; please let us know if you would like seating assigned before arrival.

We’re committed to making your experience as enjoyable and accessible as possible. Please don’t hesitate to get in touch with any questions or specific requirements.

 ‘We’d Stand on the Sands’: Screening & Discussion on the History & Future of the Dumfries Fairs

March 22 @ 10:30 am – 12:00 pm

Discover the rich history of Dumfries’ fairs and the Travelling Showpeople who bring them to life. For generations, Showfamilies have set up on the Whitesands. This special screening event shares their stories through a series of short films, including a brand-new work by Ruari Barber Fleming capturing a ‘Fairground Walkabout.’

The programme also features archival footage from Showman Albert Biddall’s cinematograph, rare glimpses of historical fairs in Dumfries & Galloway, and personal recordings from Showfamilies—offering a moving portrait of past fairs during times of flood. Each film will be introduced, providing unique insights into the culture, heritage, and resilience of Scotland’s Showpeople.

Following the screening, join us for a facilitated discussion on the future of the fairs on the Whitesands. With flood prevention plans on the horizon, what will these changes mean for a tradition that has stood for generations?

Hosted by: Showman Alex James Colquhoun, artist and dialectogram creator Mitch Miller, filmmaker Ruari Barber Fleming, and artist t s Beall.

Supported By: Presented by Fair Scotland, funded by The People’s Project and Pinch Pots. In collaboration with RBC Film Theatre and The Stove Network.

BOOKING REQUIRED

BOOK HERE
Free

RBC Film Theatre

Mill Rd
Dumfries, Dumfries and Galloway DG2 7BE United Kingdom
01387 264808
View Venue Website

Reel To Real Presents: Showland

March 27 @ 7:00 pm – 8:30 pm

Step inside the world of Scotland’s fairs and the Showpeople who make them happen. First released in 2014, this powerful documentary by artist and Showman Mitch Miller offers an intimate, behind-the-scenes look at life in the fairs, which are run by the Showmen’s Guild.

Through stunning archive footage spanning every decade since 1908—including never-before-seen home movies—the film follows Showfamilies from their summer to winter runs, capturing the highs, the hardships, and the resilience of a community whose way of life is increasingly under threat.

Following the screening, join filmmaker and artist Mitch Miller for a post-show discussion on the urgent challenges facing Scotland’s Showpeople today.

This event is supported by Fair Scotland.

About Reel to Real

Reel to Real Cinema is a monthly film space in the Stove Cafe, featuring an eclectic mixture of conversational films – from artist made shorts to feature length documentaries, locally made to international cinema. A space for discussion and thought-provoking films, you are welcome to join us after the film for a short discussion about the themes from this month’s selection. The Stove Cafe will be open from 5.30pm – 6:45pm with a special pre-film dinner option alongside hot drinks and cakes.

Free

The Stove Cafe

100 High Street
Dumfries, DG1 2BJ United Kingdom
01387 252435
View Venue Website
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