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Young Stove Member Profile: Sara Redden

What is your earliest memory? My earliest memory is from when I was two years old, on holiday, when my dad got me a fishing net. He convinced me that the plastic fish were real, and I tried to eat them.

What drew you to The Stove? What interested me most about The Stove is that everyone is on the same team—it’s like one big family striving to make things better for everyone.

Which person do you most admire, and why? I admire anyone who can go through a huge ordeal and still manage to smile at the end of the day.

What time of the day do you like most? I love seeing the sunset. It’s so relaxing, and I find the softer tones of light more calming.

Share your hopes and dreams for The Stove? I hope The Stove continues to thrive and becomes the main attraction of Dumfries and Galloway.

Sara’s work at the Mill on the Fleet during the Young Stove’s Not to be Sold Separately exhibition

What’s something that you found yourself enjoying that you never thought you would? I walk a lot and still find so much joy in it.

Which film changed your life? Ratatouille—I imagine all the little rats in Dumfries cooking away while the chefs are distracted.

What keeps you in and around Dumfries? The Stove and my family.

What’s been the most exciting part of the Stove process for you? Seeing the building come together and the development of the Young Stove.

What songs do you carry closest to your heart? Blue Velvet—my dad always sang this to my mum.

What do you consider your greatest achievement? My daughter.

Where’s your favourite place to be in D&G? The Stove.

What makes you happiest? Paintings that work out.

Tell us your passion? My art and my daughter, Daisy.


The Young Stove’s first collective exhibition, Not to Be Sold Separately, will open at The Stove on Friday, 11th September. The opening will feature performances, live art, and installation events. More details about Not to Be Sold Separately will be shared soon.

Are you aged 16 to 30 and interested in the arts? Find out more about the Young Stove.

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Young Stove Member Profile: Hayley Watson

Tell us about your creative process? I start with mind maps, followed by lots of drawing onto photos with markers and cutting and layering papers and fabrics. This helps me figure out a concept that looks good and begin turning it into something tangible.

What is your earliest memory? My third birthday, although the only thing I can remember about it is the cake. It was covered in every kind of sweet a three-year-old could dream of, and it must have been a truly unforgettable cake to have stayed in my memory above all else from that time.

What drew you to The Stove? The desire to be part of something with a bigger purpose.

What time of the day do you like most? Early morning—it feels fresh and new.

Would you share three words that you love? Reduce, re-use, recycle.

What’s something that you found yourself enjoying that you never thought you would? Exercise and neutral colours.

Who, from throughout history, would you like to sit and have a good chat with? Andy Warhol—our shared passion for sugary food and minimal answers to interview questions would make for a fascinating conversation.

pre-owned
Pre-Owned collection. Part of Not to Be Sold Separately – Young Stove exhibition at the Mill on the Fleet

What’s the best piece of advice you have ever received? “You’ve got the inspiration. You just have to bat away the naysayers and stay focused. Life really is too short. No one’s around on this planet long enough to fully understand what’s going on. At the risk of sounding too morbid, we’re all scared little kids—from childhood to old age, all the way to the day we die. Imagine 80 sweets, then imagine that many Christmases or birthdays—it’s not that many, really. Take your life and run with it. It’s yours.”

I had to dig through three years’ worth of Facebook messages to find this, but it had a huge impact on me at the time.


The Young Stove’s first collective exhibition, Not to Be Sold Separately, will open at The Stove on Friday, 11th September. The opening will feature performances, live art, and installation events. More details about Not to Be Sold Separately will be shared shortly.

Are you aged 16 to 30 and interested in the arts? Find out more about the Young Stove.

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News

Young Stove Member Profile: Lauren Souter

Tell us about your creative process? I’m still trying to figure out what my process is. I tend to start by gathering things that inspire me and then focus on what catches my eye. I suppose I take the process as it comes—I go with my gut feeling more than anything.

What drew you to the Young Stove? The upcoming artist event last summer. A friend told me about it, and I went—it was the first time I’d seen an artist-type event in Dumfries and Galloway, so I was excited.

Which person do you most admire, and why? Nicola Sturgeon. I love Nicola—I admire how she stands up for Scotland and how down-to-earth she is. She’s not superficial like most politicians.

Would you share three words you love? Buzzing, kale, biddy.

Share your hopes and dreams for The Stove? I’m not sure, but I’d really love to see it flourish across all of D&G and beyond. I’d also love for The Stove to gain more recognition locally for everything it does.

What’s something that you’ve found yourself enjoying that you never thought you would? Bingo! I’ve always hated numbers, but my family goes every week, so I’ve joined them on occasion. Surprisingly, I’ve found it’s quite weirdly fun—haha.

What film changed your life? I’m not sure if any film has truly changed my life, but maybe Legally Blonde. I love how Elle suddenly excels—it’s actually quite motivating to watch, haha.

What’s been the most exciting part of The Stove process for you? I’d have to say Parking Space. I absolutely loved that event—it was really, really interesting.

What makes you feel alive? Midnight car journeys and visiting new places.

What songs do you carry close to your heart? I’m on and off with songs, but I’d say We Bros by a group called WU LYF.

What’s your dream for the artists in D&G? For them to receive more recognition. I feel D&G has so much to offer in terms of its artists.

lauren

Who throughout history would you like to sit and have a good chat with? Elizabeth I—she might be a bit intimidating to talk to, but I think she would be absolutely fascinating.

What instrument would you play if you could instantly master it? The harp, or perhaps the art of making music from glass cups.

What would you consider your greatest achievement? Surviving a six-hour journey on a bumpy Stagecoach bus while carrying a box of delicate glass—and none of it broke, haha!

Where’s your favourite place to be in D&G? Portpatrick—it’s such an idyllic and beautiful coastal town.

What’s your favourite piece you’ve produced? Creating a collection of glass vessels with glass artist Amanda Simmons. I’ve never had many opportunities like that, and it really opened my eyes to what’s possible out there.

What five books do you think everyone should read?

  • One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest by Ken Kesey
  • The Bell Jar by Sylvia Plath
  • The BFG by Roald Dahl
  • The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters
  • The Woman in Black by Susan Hill

What makes you happiest? Travelling—especially car journeys, but I love train journeys too. Good food.

Tell us your passion? Most creative things! Art, though I’m not sure exactly what yet—but definitely something within the field of art.


The Young Stove’s first collective exhibition, Not to Be Sold Separately, will open at The Stove on Friday, 11th September. The opening will feature performances, live art, and installation events. More details about Not to Be Sold Separately will be shared soon.

Are you aged 16 to 30 and interested in the arts? Find out more about the Young Stove.

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Musings Project Updates

As Above So Below

From Ivor Gott

“Hey Ivor, it’d be pretty neat if you could write a blog to tell us about your project for Nithraid,” announced Katie Anderson excitedly at the last Young Stove meeting. The first thing that went through my mind upon hearing these words was, “Crikey! How on earth am I ever going to explain this to the general public?” After much careful consideration, I’ve come to the conclusion that the best approach would be to just tell the truth.

So here goes…

It all started with a pirate ship. A great big pirate ship. A great big pirate ship made out of recycled plastic bottles. How did I get from a pirate ship to two pyramids—or should I say tetrahedrons—a chrome unicorn, and an art performance loosely based on the concept of enlightenment? The truth is, I didn’t get there on my own. The pirate ship was a snap decision made during a meeting with my Stove mentor, Denise Zygadlo. I was under immense pressure to come up with a decision for the project. At this point, it had been two weeks since the commission began, and my initial idea, although perfect for the Dock Park site (where Nithraid was originally intended to be), just wasn’t going to work at Mill Green.

“Come on, Ivor,” my inner voice urged. “What are you going to do? It must be good—no, better than good—it must be fabulous!” So, before I’d even thought it through properly, I found myself telling Denise that I might make a pirate ship out of plastic bottles.

This idea evolved from a pirate ship into a Viking longboat, inspired by a workshop held at The Stove that evening. However, this didn’t remain the case for very long. After a few meetings with my fellow creatives—The Mad Jackals (Majikals)—the idea of making a Viking longboat was beginning to feel tiresome. I just couldn’t get excited about it. It didn’t reflect me or my wonderfully creative friends.

And then it just came to me. I said, “We need to make a pyramid and float it down the Nith! We have to have a unicorn inside the pyramid!” The words of a mad person? Yes, probably.

At that point, it was me, Sophie, and Michael in the studio. You could feel the collective excitement crackling between us. I started scribbling ideas down. It must—and I repeat, must—include the Mer-ka-ba, rainbow smoke, flash grenades, horned elementals… I was really getting carried away. Credit to Sophie and Michael—they were running with me. We were organic and free, if perhaps a little overly optimistic.

The next day, I met with my little brother in the Queensberry. I was expressing anxiety over the scale of the project. Conor is often the voice of reason and someone I consult when mashing around creative ideas. He’s a creative too, but where I veer off into tangents and allow my concepts to grow bigger than I can handle, he has a knack for reducing it down and keeping it real. I can always trust him to tell me the truth and be realistic.

“One question?” he pondered, eyebrow raised. “How are you going to do this in two weeks?”

I knew he was right. The idea had to change again—and fast. More of the Jackals were arriving at this point. Ideas were flying thick and fast.

“Time capsule…” Did you say time capsule?

That’s perfect. The Mer-ka-ba… As above, so below… We’ll make a time capsule, and it’ll be in the shape of an inverse tetrahedron. Of course, we’ll need a non-inverted tetrahedron too. Ah, it’s perfect. There’ll be two tetrahedrons. The unicorn stays, and so does the rainbow smoke.

To maintain some mystery about the performance and workshop, I’ll stop there. But in a nutshell, that’s how an idea that first birthed itself as a plastic bottle pirate ship evolved into an exciting, interactive art performance loosely based on the theme of enlightenment. We look forward to seeing you all on Sunday when all will be revealed.

One thing I’d like to say before I get back to putting the finishing touches on everything is this: although this commission was applied for as a solo project, it’s been a collaborative effort. I often find collaboration much more exciting than working alone, and I’m lucky to have the most fabulous team of creative individuals in my life. We are The Mad Jackals. They think we’re mad, but we know we’re majickal.

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News

Environmental Arts Festival Scotland 2015…

In 2013, The Stove Network joined forces with Wide-Open and Spring Fling to co-produce the first Environmental Art Festival Scotland (EAFS) in Dumfries and Galloway. Now, we are delighted to announce that we are part of bringing you the second outing of the festival—EAFS 2015, Off-Grid, has been announced this week.

The ruins of Morton Castle, along with its fabulous surrounding countryside, will provide the spectacular backdrop for the Environmental Art Festival Scotland 2015 over the weekend of 29th–30th August.

The festival, held in Dumfries and Galloway, will be an intriguing and playful opportunity for artists to help change ideas and influence thinking about how we need to adapt and evolve in an era of climate change.

There will be a strong emphasis on youth, with five interns playing a central role in organising and delivering the project, helping to build a wider, younger audience to engage with environmental issues.

At the heart of the event will be a variety of specially commissioned artworks, as well as walks, fireside conversations, food art, and other activities to inspire the imagination.

Ruaridh Thin-Smith, one of the interns, said: “The festival will be really enjoyable and fun while addressing some of the most pressing issues of our age.

“EAFS is about getting young people to understand a simple truth—that, whatever it might seem, we are in control of our own spaces, our places, our environment.

“If we can understand that we have the power to affect positive changes and make our planet a better place to live, then we can accomplish anything.”

The other interns, all from Dumfries and Galloway, which is home to EAFS, are Meredith Langley Vine, Katie Anderson, Daniel Leigh, and Kerry Annison. The EAFS youth project, which involves a wider group of young people as well as the interns, is funded by the Holywood Trust.

Over the last year, the EAFS team has been developing the ethos for a thoughtful and playful festival for 2015. This is reflected in the central themes of “inventiveness, foolishness, and generosity as a way of understanding the world.”

The festival aims to attract visitors from all over Scotland and beyond, bringing together people who work with the land, scientists, artists, environmentalists, cultural thinkers, poets, and performers to participate in the event.

Jan Hogarth, a co-curator of EAFS, said: “The castle and its amazing landscape are a brilliant place for an environmental art event that is all about our changing relationship with the environment.

“We are expecting lots of interest from all over the region and the country as a whole in the event, and we are delighted to be working with our team of five interns. They are bringing a huge vitality and a fresh perspective to EAFS.

“We are very grateful for the support of the Holywood Trust and their recognition of the need to engage young people in the arts and landscape.”

Photos by Colin Tennant.

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News Project Updates

The Young Stove’s Day Out

The Young Stove have been busy making plans for their next projects this year, and we’re looking forward to exciting times ahead!

To kick-start the year, we organised a trip up to Glasgow—to get inspired, gather tips and ideas from creatives based in the city at various stages in their careers, and gain a flavour of the art scene in some of the city’s galleries.

A huge thank you to Alison McLeod at Briggait’s WASPS Studios, Gregor Wright at The Modern Institute, and Genevieve Kay Gourlay at The Pipe Factory for taking the time to chat with us about their artistic careers.

Visiting Alison McLeod’s jewellery studio in the Briggait, chatting about inspiration, vintage finds and studio space
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Stopping in at Gregor Wright’s studio at the Modern Institute and hearing more about life post art school, the Glasgow art scene and some of his latest works and projects
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Dinosaurs as part of Gregor’s recent work during last years GI festival
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There was a lot of love for the Pipe Factory, Genevieve shows us around the cavernous space
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Toilet Roll Posse
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Appropriate tourist snaps, and a chance to check out Alistair Grey’s inspirational show at GoMA, and blitz spending money in the arts supplies shop

If you’d like to find out more about Young Stove, get involved in developing creative projects in Dumfries, or explore the opportunities available, send us an email at [email protected].

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