Welcome to Sonic Labs (formerly known as Free Improvisation!), a hub where noise and sound collide in a whirlwind of creativity.
Crafted by a group of local music lovers and innovators, Sonic Labs warmly welcomes everyone to join in the joy of making music together.
Our sessions follow an open-style approach that mixes improvisation with composition, making music-making accessible to all. Rooted in teamwork, spontaneity, and sharing, our evenings blend structured techniques with free expression, inviting you to explore the magic of musical creation.
At Sonic Labs, we embrace diverse styles and skills to create vibrant soundscapes, compositions, and immersive experiences. Our sessions are full of surprises – expect the unexpected, from unconventional experiments to moments of pure beauty, and even thrilling chaos. Join us for an unforgettable journey into the world of musical improvisation!
So, bring along your instrument (it can be whatever you like, including your voice!) and start playing.
Access Information:Level Access in rear of building through adjacent close to left-hand side of the Cafe (facing the front of the building). To ensure your experience with us is as best as it can be, please do let us know if you have any specific access requirements and we’d be happy to help. Please email Kevin or Sal on: [email protected] or phone 01387 252435 and speak with one of our team. We are able to provide walk-throughs of the building before attending our events as well as assign seating before your arrival.
Part of our Open Hoose Programme and inspired by conservation initiatives across the country, a new group wants to question and explore what exactly a Conservation Trust for the River Nith might look like. This is the ideal opportunity for those passionate about protecting one of our most extraordinary natural assets to get together and look for solutions faced by our River Nith.
Ran by a community steering group supported by The Stove Network & UNESCO Galloway & Southern Ayrshire Biosphere, Nith Life is a rapidly evolving initiative dedicated to engaging communities through creativity, technology and science to explore our connection to the River Nith, from source to sea.
If you would like to stay updated and informed on everything the group are up to do follow their Facebook page HERE.
Access Information: Level Access in rear of building through adjacent close to left-hand side of the Cafe (facing the front of the building). To ensure your experience with us is as best as it can be, please do let us know if you have any specific access requirements and we’d be happy to help. Please email Kevin or Sal on: [email protected] or phone 01387 252435 and speak with one of our team. We are able to provide walk-throughs of the building before attending our events as well as assign seating before your arrival.
The Climate Kitchen, run by local community members, is a space for learning, sharing, contributing and working together to do something positive for the climate!
⏰. 5:30pm for complimentary light supper, event runs 6:00-8:00pm
This Month’s Theme: IT’S CARBON STORAGE, FOR PEAT’S SAKE!
What is PEAT? Why is it so important in the climate and biodiversity emergency? And why is it so important in Scotland?
When we think about carbon capture and carbon storage, we might think about forests or niche technology not yet proven at scale. It can be easy to overlook peatlands, which cover 20% of Scotland and provide a host of carbon storage, flood defence, and biodiversity services (as well as giving you soggy feet).
In a healthy, or near natural condition, peatlands absorb carbon dioxide and lock carbon into the ground. Healthy peatlands are gigantic carbon stores, having locked away carbon for thousands of years. But decades of misunderstanding of the value of peatland has led to modification, which has resulted in severely degraded peatlands. Instead of storing carbon, degraded peatland is a source of carbon emissions releasing an estimated 6% of global CO2 emissions a year. How can that be? And what can be done about it?
We’re delighted to host Kerry Morrison (socio-ecological artist) and Anna Basley (Peatland Programme Manager) from the Crichton Carbon Centre. CCC is best known for its peatland restoration and Kerry and Anna will talk to us about peatlands and restoration. There will also be the opportunity for us to talk about what we can do to support these precious ecosystems.
⭐ Dumfries Climate Kitchen is free to attend but we will be accepting CASH DONATIONS on the night to help fund our future events.
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.
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.
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.
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 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 StrykerImage by Jamie StrykerImage 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.
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.
WWDN Digital works with community groups and organisations to set up and run digital spaces, host collaborative programmes, and create shared online resources to increase communities’ access to technology and training in digital media skills. As part of its launch, The Stove Network hosted Off the Margin, a micro-festival celebrating Dumfries’ print heritage.
In this age of digital media outlets and information sharing, Off the Margin delved into the print heritage of Dumfries and investigative journalism more broadly.
As part of this programme, The Stove’s Artistic Director Martin O’Neill sat down for an insightful discussion with a panel of speakers whose expertise ranged from the history of investigative journalism to Riso printing techniques and working in the former news and print spaces of Dumfries’ high street.
While examining the current landscape in Scottish grassroots print and journalism, the panel tackled how communities, creatives, and journalists can reclaim their agency while navigating an era marked by an increasingly divided mass media and heightened public scrutiny regarding the accuracy and biases of printed media. This discussion revealed insights and sparked a hopeful community discussion on the potential future of print, media, and journalism in Dumfries and Galloway.
The discussion directly followed a screening of film-work Imprints in Time by Artist John Wallace, documenting the master printmakers and enduring machinery still in use at Solway Print while uncovering the printing heritage of Dumfries town centre.
Each panellist brought unique and specialised knowledge into the discussion. Hewitt shared her expertise on the unique history of early print protest, bringing to life Doonhamers’ struggles and lived experiences in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. From historical accounts of the Kings Arms (now Boots) to outlining how individuals used print to protest food inequalities, Hewitt brought with her a wealth of knowledge that leaves you returning for more. Out with the panel, she oversaw the exhibition ‘Fighting for Justice: Strikes and Protests in Dumfries 1770-1920’ as part of the Off the Margin period.
Gailey brought over a decade of experience in printmaking and youth engagement to the conversation, underlining the importance of teaching young people this skill and providing them with the means and opportunities to grow their confidence and creativity. At Out of the Blueprint, the eco-studio he co-manages in Leith, Edinburgh, he specialises in Japanese printing techniques such as RISO, GOCCO, and provides mentorships for young artists. They offer affordable, sustainable, and ethical print services for the local community and reinvest all profits to support young people through residencies, publishing support, training, and education initiatives.
Goodwin works as a journalist and a co-editor for The Ferret, a media co-op where she reports extensively on social affairs and health inequalities. While on the panel, she highlighted the importance of community-owned news for tackling media bias and misinformation. Outside The Ferret Goodwin has written for many Scottish and UK broadsheets, magazines, and online platforms, including the Sunday Times and the Guardian, reported for BBC Scotland’s Disclosure, and has worked on other radio and film projects. She is currently writing and co-hosting the podcast ‘Sheku Bayoh: The Inquiry’.
Fortune’s working life began in the printers of Dumfries, having grown up in a golden thread family line of Doonhamer printmakers. Pete Fortune brings a vivid, real-life account of the industry, capturing his apprenticeship and the vibrant characters and community of the town at the peak of the printing era. He rounded the discussion out by proposing the lifelong fellowships that printmaking can craft. Fortune moved on in his career to become a social worker and is now a writer of memoirs and short fiction.
Wallace, the artist behind Imprints in Time, brought to the panel a career that expands across multiple disciplines, from installation work to filmmaking. His work delves into human relationships with constructed and natural environments, emphasising the idea of ‘insider art’, allowing locations that personally connect to the artist to be central to a film’s narrative. Inspired by the fusion of technology and the environment, Wallace incorporates live and historical data sources to craft the responsive, dynamic audiovisuals found in Imprints in Time and all his installation spaces.
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