Location: The Stove Café, 100 High Street, Dumfries.
Hours: Minimum 15 hours per week.
Pay: £12.60 Per Hour.
Days Required: Mondays and Saturdays, with the possibility of flexible additional hours available Tuesday to Friday.
The Role
We’re looking for an experienced, enthusiastic, and reliable Café Team Member to join our friendly team, with an immediate start available.
If you love working in a busy setting, enjoy helping to create a positive environment, and delight in providing excellent customer service, we’d love to hear from you!
Prepare and serve hot and cold drinks, including coffee and specialty beverages.
Prepare and serve hot and cold food.
Take customer orders and provide warm, friendly and efficient service.
Handle payments accurately.
Maintain cleanliness and organisation of the café at all times.
Restock food, drinks, and supplies as needed.
Follow food safety and hygiene procedures.
Support opening and closing duties.
What We’re Looking For:
Experience is essential in a café or hospitality setting.
A positive attitude towards:
Working as part of a team.
Interacting with customers.
Creating a welcoming, inclusive atmosphere.
Strong attention to detail and pride in your work.
Ability to multitask and stay organised in a fast-paced environment.
What We Offer:
Real Living Wage employer.
Immediate start available.
Supportive and welcoming team.
A fun, energetic workplace.
Opportunities to learn new skills and develop within the role.
To Apply, please send your CV and a short message telling us why you’d be a great fit to [email protected].
Applying in a Way That Works for You
We want our application process to be as inclusive and accessible as possible. You are welcome to communicate with us in whichever way feels most comfortable and natural to you. If you have any questions—about the application, the role, or anything else—please don’t hesitate to get in touch at [email protected].
In partnership with Fair Scotland and the Hear Here project: The Show Must Go On, The Stove Network is inviting proposals from emerging artists (aged 16–30) to explore and creatively interpret the relationship between young people in Dumfries and the town’s historic Rood and Spring Fairs.
Context
The Rood and Spring Fairs of Dumfries are one of Scotland’s oldest civic traditions, embedded in the town’s cultural fabric for centuries. First officially recognised in the 1592 town charter—but believed to date back to the 1200s—the fairs have long been a marker of seasonal rhythms, public life, celebration, and collective memory. From religious observances to community gatherings, the fairs represent a heritage that spans generations, with many locals recalling their youth through the lens of fairground experiences—sounds, lights, laughter and thrill.
Yet as Dumfries evolves, how do these traditional events continue to resonate with the town’s younger generations? What memories are being created now—and what futures can be imagined for the fairs?
Opportunity
We are commissioning an emerging creative practitioner to explore this rich relationship between young people and the Dumfries fairs through a contemporary and imaginative lens. The creative practitioner will be supported by the Stove’s creative team and Fair Scotland to develop a final creative outcome in any form (e.g. visual art, photography, sound, podcast, film, performance, journalism, or mixed media). The work will form part of ongoing dialogue about belonging, identity, heritage, and cultural life in Dumfries.
Key Aims
To creatively document and explore how young people in Dumfries experience, remember, or relate to the Rood and Spring Fairs.
To investigate the significance of the fairs in contemporary youth culture: what they mean, how they are changing, and what they could become.
To consider how tradition can evolve—bridging generations while remaining relevant and resonant for the future.
Guiding Questions
Artists might wish to consider some or all of the following as prompts:
What role do the fairs play in the lives of young people today?
Are the fairs a site of joy, rebellion, identity, belonging or something else?
What sensory memories—sound, smell, colour, movement—define young people’s experiences of the fairs?
How do local stories, rites of passage, or social rituals tie into the fair experience?
In what ways might the fairs act as a mirror or contrast to young people’s wider lives in Dumfries?
Are there voices or perspectives which are underrepresented at the fairs, or in the conversations surrounding them?
How can we imagine or empathise with young people ‘behind the shutters’ – those who live and work with the fair?
How can we imagine the fair as a future civic space—a gathering, a reclaiming, a celebration?
Youth Engagement
As part of the commission, the selected artist will engage with 1–2 schools or youth settings in Dumfries and Galloway. This could take the form of workshops, creative sessions, interviews, or collaborative making processes. This engagement is intended to ground the artist’s work in lived experience and help co-create or inspire elements of the final outcome.
Support
The artist will receive:
Creative mentorship from The Stove Network and Fair Scotland.
Access to archival material, local knowledge, and communities.
A budget to support the creation and realisation of the final output.
Opportunities for public exhibition, presentation, or sharing of the work.
How to Apply
To apply, please send:
A short cover letter (1 page max) telling us:
Why this opportunity interests you.
Any relevant experience or creative background.
What excites you about working on this commission.
Up to 5 examples of previous work, or links to online portfolios, recordings, writing, etc.
A short outline (max 500 words) of how you might approach this commission – ideas, questions you want to explore, or communities you’d want to work with. This doesn’t need to be a final proposal; just a flavour of your thinking.
Applications are welcome from practitioners based outside Dumfries & Galloway; however, priority consideration will be given to regionally-based applicants.
Deadline for submissions: 12 noon, 8th September 2025
All applications will be reviewed by The Stove’s Artistic Director, Creative Producer and a representative from Fair Scotland.
A small number of shortlisted applicants will be invited for an informal chat with the Artistic Director to discuss ideas and get a sense of approach, not as a formal interview.
The selected creative practitioner will then be commissioned.
Timeline
Application deadline: 29/08/2025
Selection chat: Late August/Early September 2025
Commission begins: September 2025
Final output shared: November/December (or as agreed) 2025
The Creative Spaces team are looking for young creatives who are from or live in Dumfries & Galloway to feature on their Friday Takeovers on Instagram Stories.
Project Overview
This project aims to provide a platform for creatives to showcase their work, share insights about their practice, and connect with a broader audience. By taking over our Instagram Stories for one day, creatives will have the opportunity to engage with our followers, highlight their portfolios, and promote their creative endeavours.
Objectives
Showcase Creative Work: Allow creatives to share images, videos, and stories of their projects.
Highlight Creative Practices: Provide insights into their creative process, tools, and techniques.
Promote Individual Portfolios: Direct followers to the creatives’ websites, online stores, or social media profiles to boost their visibility.
Build a Creative Community: Foster a sense of community among creatives and our audience by introducing them to diverse creative talents.
Scope of Work
Each person will: Take Over Instagram Stories for One Day: Post a series of stories showcasing their work and creative process.
Introduce Themselves: Provide a brief introduction, including their background, artistic journey, and current projects.
Share Creative Insights: Offer behind-the-scenes content, such as sketches, drafts, or work-in-progress shots, and discuss their creative methods.
Engage with the Audience: Respond to questions and comments from our followers throughout the day.
Promote Their Work: Include links and information on where followers can find more of their work, such as websites, online stores or social media profiles.
Fee
Fee: £50 Payment Terms: Payment will be processed upon completion of the Instagram Takeover.
Requirements
Aged between 16 – 30
Either from Dumfries and Galloway or currently working/living in Dumfries and Galloway
Deliverables
A complete series of Instagram Stories for the takeover day, including: ◦ At least 5-10 story posts showcasing creative work. ◦ An introduction to the creative individual. ◦ Insights into the creative process. ◦ Engagement with the audience. ◦ Promotional information directing followers to the creative’s portfolio.
Interested? Get in touch!
Please send an email to [email protected] with the subject ‘Instagram Takeover’, and a bit about yourself and your creative practice and we’ll be in touch.
We are a Dumfries-based collective of young creatives, working with and advocating for our region’s young artists.
Situated in the heart of Dumfries, Creative Spaces collaborates with young creatives from across the region, providing young people with opportunities to engage in the arts. Whether it’s through events, workshops, mentorships, or our annual Associates Programme, we aim to enhance Dumfries and Galloway’s creative scene by offering free access to opportunities and paid commissions
As a dynamic organisation with a diverse range of projects across the region, we’re always eager to collaborate with talented freelancers. Whether you’re a photographer, graphic designer, communications expert, project manager, technician, or possess other specialised skills, we want to connect with you.
Our work is primarily based in Dumfries & Galloway, so we’re particularly eager to connect with freelancers from the region—whether we’ve worked together before or you’re new to us. If you’ve recently reinvented yourself or expanded your skillset, we’d love to hear from you. Even if you’re not based in D&G but are available for work in the region, we encourage you to reach out.
To join our freelancer database, please fill out the form linked via the button below:
The Creative Spaces Project is looking for three new recruits to join its programme for 2024.
This is a paid opportunity for young creatives aged between 16 and 30, to join The Stove team on a part-time basis, for a fixed period of 10 months.
ABOUT THE ROLES
Fee: £672 per month (For each successful candidate)
Hours: Part-time, two days per week (14 hours)
Duration: 10 months, fixed term (Successful applicants will begin their contract on the week beginning 29th July, 2024.)
Contract Type: Freelance
Criteria: Applicants must be aged between 16-30 and have some form of creative practice, project or idea you would like to develop.
Deadline for applications: Monday 1st July at 12 noon
Based at The Stove Network in Dumfries, Creative Spaces works with young creatives from across the region providing a stepping stone into the arts and the world of being a creative freelancer.
Every year, Creative Spaces recruits three ‘Associate Artists’ t o complete a 10-month creative development programme where you will learn t o grow your creative interests, work with the Creative Spaces Team on various projects & events, and with guidance, will learn to develop your own personal project*.
Creative Spaces aims to build up and support Dumfries & Galloway’s creative scene. We d o this through putting o n events, hosting workshops, offering mentorships, and providing learning opportunities and networking connections to help people build their skills as creatives.
These opportunities aren’t just for people already working in the creative sector and you don’t have t o be an ‘established artist’, have a degree or previous experience to apply.
The Creative Spaces programme is designed to offer you the chance to explore the creative industries and try and find your place.
Interest and/or experience in t h e creative industries and community work Interest and / or experience in working with other people
Ability to self-manage your own workflow
PERSON SPECIFICATION
Adaptable
Engaging
Creative
COMMITMENTS
Time commitments will include a combination of regular hours (to be determined by team availability) and some flexible working across projects (evenings, weekend work).
You’ll be required to attend weekly meetings and take part in project development and delivery of work across our programme:
1 x Fixed day per week based in The Stove (either on Tuesday or Thursday)
1x Flexible day per week (either working from home or in The Stove)
Weekly Creative Spaces meetings with Creative Spaces Producer Weekly Projects meeting (With the full StoveTeam)
HOW TO APPLY
Deadline for applications: Monday 1st July at 12 noon
Please submit your application by email to [email protected] (max file size of 10MB) with the heading Creative Spaces – Associate
Feel free to be creative with your application. We’ll accept any of the following formats, but please remember to let us know:
Why do you think joining the Creative Spaces programme will benefit you?
Why do you think now is the right time to apply to this programme?
What do you hope to achieve?
Please include brief details surrounding a project you would like to pursue as part of Creative Spaces (this could be a series of workshops, an event or any other creative output).*
*Please note that this idea is just so we can understand the kind of areas you may be interested in and any projects you wish to pursue. This is not a final idea that you have to take forward.
APPLICATION FORMATS:
We’ll accept any of the following formats:
Covering Letter (no more than 500 words)
Video (no more than 3 mins)
Image pack or portfolio (10MB or less)
Voice note
Just make sure that you include a CV or text sheet with your name, contact details and a few examples of recent work (this could be images, videos or write-ups).
It’s important that our people reflect and represent the diversity of the communities and audiences we serve. We welcome and value difference, so when we say we’re for everyone, we want everyone to be welcome in our teams too. Wherever you’re from, and whatever your background, we want to hear from you.
WWT Caerlaverock, with the support of The Stove Network, wishes to commission an artist(s) to lead a public art project at their site in Dumfries.
Funded through a partnership with Glengoyne Distillery, the aim of this commission is to bring the partnership to life through a reimagining of the Glengoyne Bird Hide, highlighting shared key themes.
Expected outcomes include a permanent art installation and a series of community / stakeholder engagement activities.
Project Idea
The key theme for the commission is of slowing down and taking time – aligned with both WWT’s aim to encourage visitors to lengthen their stay within the Glengoyne bird hide, allowing the time to settle into the landscape, and with Glengoyne’s theme of the joy of slow.
Additionally, the works should aim to increase a sense of inclusion and welcome to the hide, whilst taking consideration of practical aspects such as durability and weather resistance.
The commission should begin with a period of research and development, the artist(s) spending time with the hides and gaining a thorough understanding of the accessible requirements of the space and it’s user groups.
This can take place both onsite, and off site through engaging specific communities of interest, such as with young people and / or school groups, with support from WWT Caerlaverock, The Stove Network and Glengoyne.
The artist(s) would also be invited to Glengoyne Distillery to see their wetlands and immerse themselves in the Glengoyne story.
From this initial development, the artist(s) should develop a proposal to focus on one of three key areas, to be completed within the scope and budget of the project commission:
Visual impact of the space through art installation
Alternative seating emphasising comfort and settling in
Alternative forms of interpretation within the space
Considerations
The visual art element could take several forms, including options for wall murals or wall mounted displays, free standing elements that occupy the centre of the Hide (currently under-utilised), or hanging from the ceiling.
Seating should consider accessibility and durability but could include bespoke finishes or seating covers, using materials and elements that create a more welcoming environment for spending longer periods of time within the hide. Sensory elements could be considered here, and their impact on the space’s adaptability for a wider range of visitors/space users.
The existing interpretation panels are outdated and could be re-designed or considered for younger audiences or with a more contemporary approach to information and local knowledge sharing.
Budget and Materials
The total budget available for this project is £4,000.
This should include all artist fees, materials VAT (where applicable ) and expenses. On agreement of final proposal with WWT, additional budget may be possible for delivery of final artwork.
Application Process
Please supply the following:
An outline of your approach to the project proposal (max. 500 words). If you would like to submit in another format such as video or audio file please get in touch as we are happy to accommodate accessibility requirements.
Three examples of your work
CV or similar outlining your experience to date
Your entire submission should not exceed 10MB and should be sent to by email to: [email protected] with the heading ‘Glengoyne Hide Art Commission‘.
All submissions will be reviewed by a panel before a shortlisted selection of applications that will be invited to interview. Interviews are expected to take place on 13th-14th May 2024.
Project Timeline
Open Call: 11th April – 5th May 2024
Application Deadline: 9am, 6th May 2024
Selection Process: 7th-15th May 2024
Project Start Date: Research and Development: End May 2024
Community Engagement Sessions: June/July 2024
Agreement with WWT on final artwork proposals: End of July 2024
Fabrication and Installation: August – September 2024
WWT are the wetland restoration charity working for wetlands across the UK and the world. By working together with people we unlock the power of wetlands – and help nature burst back to life. Wetlands have the potential to save species from extinction, tackle climate change and improve our lives but we’re losing them at a staggering rate. That is why WWT is on a mission to restore wetlands and unlock their power.
Wetlands teem with biodiversity. They’re part of the natural infrastructure, providing essential protection against climate change, floods, droughts and pollution. They’re also vital for our health and wellbeing.
Wetlands like WWT Caerlaverock are one of the world’s most biodiverse habitats. They provide homes for many endangered species, offer a lifeline for freshwater species and act as vital ‘service stations’ for millions of migratory birds to rest and refuel. Many endemic species are found only in specific wetland areas. About 40% of the world’s plants and animals depend on wetlands.
Set up 50 years ago WWT Caerlaverock is a 1400 acre nature reserve on the north edge of the Solway Firth. It is a special home in the winter for thousands of ducks, swans, geese and waders, and in the summer for dragonflies, moths, spectacular spreads of wildflowers and rare invertebrates.
Longstanding WWT partner, Glengoyne, is the first Scotch whisky distillery to build its own water treatment wetlands on-site. Like WWT, they are leading the way with their focus on slowing down – as Glengoyne is distilled more slowly than any other malt whisky. The Glengoyne bird hide is single room log cabin style bird hide built 25 years ago and sits on the edge of the goose pastures of the Eastpark farm part of the nature reserve. The name ‘Glengoyne’ is derived from ‘Glen Guin’ or ‘valley of the geese’, which works wonderfully as a namesake for the hide. It can be a good place to see the Caerlaverock speciality, flocks of barnacle geese, but WWT are working to bring more nature all year round closer to the hide and make it an even more rewarding nature-watching experience.
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