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Tag: Poetry

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Musings

Poems to the Salty Coo

This trio of Nithraid poems are written by local poet Daniel Gillespie. More about Daniel’s work available online via his Facebook page here

Fare thee well
Yon Salty Coo.
Dripping wet 
And freezing noo.
Come young, come old,
Come see it too.
Behold the sight
Of the Salty Coo!
salty coo 2016
Nithraid 2017
Is happening on
The 9th September, we
Hope tae see you at the
River so please remember.
Adore oor famous Salty Coo
In this years procession, getting
Dunked in a Dumfries obsession.
salty coo 2016
Long live
The Salty Coo
And his everlasting 
Viking Moo!

As part of Nithraid 2015, we gathered a collection of Nithraid themed poems from our members and artists, and we have been carrying the tradition on this year. If you would like to contribute one to our growing collection, please get in touch!

Categories
News

Nithraid Poetry 2017

Ridin through oor cobbled toon,
as foretold by song an rune.
Room in yer herd fer everybody,
artist, gardener, or warrior.
Yer milk tae nourish a' o' us,
high street neighbours or aff the bus.
A rogue shines bright as ye descend,
intae the tide while clowns attend.
Salty Coo above everyone,
mooin oor toon intae autumn.
Salty Coo astride yon Nith,
meltin oot o' Viking myth.

By Jimmy Russell.

As part of Nithraid 2015, we gathered a collection of Nithraid themed poems from our members and artists. Jimmy Russell, writer and part of the MooCoo Collective for this years Nithraid procession has contributed the first poem of 2017. If you would like to contribute one to our growing collection, please get in touch!

More about the MooCoo collective’s procession available here

Categories
News Project Updates

Brave New Words Celebrates First Birthday!

BNW Birthday

Brave New Words once again returned to The Stove, on Friday 30th September, for a special night celebrating the first anniversary of this monthly platform for new writing, spoken and sung. The night consisted of an extraordinary mix of performance by local poets and songwriters, featuring film, music and a specially commissioned performance from local artists Michael Sullivan and Lee McQueen.

BNW Birthday

To celebrate their first birthday, Brave New Words teamed up with blueprint100 to create a special zine for the night. Blueprint100 held various workshops throughout the month of September, in which previous participants of the open mic night submitted their original poetry and artwork to be part of the zine. The zine is currently available in The Stove Café for a small donation, with all proceeds going towards The Sindigo Foundation.

EPSON MFP image
Brave New Words zine.

Martin O’Neill, who runs Brave New Words, commented, “The past year has been incredible, we’ve seen people grow more confident with each month, heard some of the most inspiring poetry and played host to dynamic people, workshops and ideas. We were really pleased with the amount of people that came along to be a part of Brave New Words, and we would like to thank all the participants for contributing, as well as anyone who picked up a zine and donated money.”

The open mic night is part of our mission to bring vibrancy to evenings in the Town Centre. Through various performances, the event aims to challenge stigmas and stereotypes, whilst offering support to those willing to make a positive and impactful change in their home town and beyond. Over the past year, Brave New Words has held workshops with community groups, the general public and schools, in which they aim to celebrate diversity, and understand creative writing. They have also had the opportunity to host some of Scotland’s biggest names in the spoken word scene, voyaged to festivals, created multi-disciplinary installations and uncovered some incredible talent right here in the heart of Dumfries.

BNW Birthday
Jamie Court performing at Brave New Words

Brave New Words will return to The Stove on the 28th of this month for a special Halloween Spectacular open mic night.

To take part and for more information on events, please email [email protected].

Categories
News Project Updates

Brave New Words

Building on the success of Open Mouth during The Stove’s Open House events, we are thrilled to welcome back Sindigo and Eryl Shields, alongside curatorial member Martin O’Neill, as they host Brave New Words—a day dedicated to performance poetry and spoken word at The Stove.

Brave New Words features an afternoon of free discussion events, workshops, and one-to-one consultations designed for aspiring performance poets. This is followed in the evening by Dumfries’ first-ever poetry slam, with the winner securing a place in the Scottish Slam Championships in Glasgow!

Whether you’re a seasoned professional or trying it for the first time, we want to hear from you! There are absolutely no restrictions on content.

For full instructions, to participate, or for more information, please email Martin at [email protected].

Discussion Events and Workshops

2:00 PM – 3:00 PM: Sotirius Frantzanas: Democracy – What Does It Mean Now?

Sotirius will lead a discussion on the meaning of democracy in the 21st century. How does it relate to today’s political landscape and, in turn, our personal lives? Is a truly democratic society possible? This open discussion and lecture will explore the process, philosophy, and relevance of democracy in 2015.

democracy
Democracy. Ligorano/Reese.

3:00 PM – 4:00 PM: Emily Elver – Personal is Political

Emily Elver is a groundbreaking spoken word performer from Edinburgh, known for combining the shocking and mysterious with the mundane, disgusting, and delightful. No subject matter is off-limits in her work, as she evokes both laughter and gasps in equal measure. She co-hosts Poetry Circus and is the editor of Edinburgh’s newest literary magazine, Freak Circus.

Emily’s workshop is designed to help aspiring writers and new performers overcome some of the challenges they face when telling personal stories. Through discussions and readings of her own work, Emily will guide participants on how to confidently approach personal subjects. The session will also include one-to-one advice and mentoring for those aspiring to perform their poetry.

4:00 PM – 5:00 PM: Rory O’B – Rhyming and Rapping

Rory O’B is a highly intelligent rapper and talented musician from Oban. He has performed at festivals such as Kelburn, Audio Soup, and The Loch Lomond Boat Party, captivating enthusiastic audiences both as a solo artist and alongside Ciaran Mac. Currently part of Volition in Glasgow, Rory also runs engaging rap workshops for young people.

Rory O’B’s workshop delves into the origins of Hip-Hop culture, its evolution, and how it can relate to our lives today. Participants will have the chance to write their own rap, explore rhythms, and experiment with rhyming techniques and patterns. The session culminates in an opportunity to perform their written work to the group.

7:00 PM: Slam Championships

Get ready for Dumfries’ first-ever poetry slam! Prepare to experience the controversial, heartfelt, beautiful, disgusting, and joyous. Staged across three thrilling rounds, the winner will earn the chance to compete in the Scottish Slam Championships in Glasgow.

Categories
Musings

Ode to a Moody Cow

From Moxie de Paulitte

Nithraid procession marching over the Devorgilla Bridge
Ode to a Moody Cow

She can be a moody cow, This town of ours. Swinging between Udderly lovely and Udderly unbearable, Just as her unmarked udders Swing, Back and forth, Almost clanking Like a long-forgotten souvenir Swiss bell. Heaving with untapped potential. Nostalgic for a time long gone, That was never really there— Endless sunny days And sweet pastures, Not having to lock front doors, And tender loving care. Where the milk of human kindness flowed abundantly And you knew the names of all your neighbours.

Moody she may be, But her mind is open, As she stands by the river, Sniffing the air, And smiling at the heady scent of a New Calf On the Block.

Intoxicated, She welcomes the change, This moody cow, Happy that her milk, Again, Can nourish. Her wisdom valued, Just filtered differently, No longer weighed down By burdens of her own making.

The sun returns, Igniting hope, Flooding dark, Forgotten, Moody corners. And she can flourish in its glow, This moody cow, This town of ours.

A tide turned. Goodbyes waved. Missions accomplished. Rebooted. Updated.

Nithraid was conceived as a public artwork to activate the riverside in Dumfries in the summer of 2013, bringing new focus and people down to celebrate the Nith. Now in its third year, Dumfries is preparing to welcome sailors upriver to the heart of the town as Nithraid 2015 sails into town on Sunday, 2nd August. Nithraid is free and open to all, and last year saw crowds of 4,000 lining the banks to watch the winning boats cross the finish line. Find out more about this year’s Nithraid.

The discussion is open, and we invite contributions to our artistic conversations. Whether you’ve been involved in Nithraid in previous years or are interested in the changing face of public art—where a sailing race becomes an artwork—please get in touch via the comments box below or send your contribution by email to [email protected].

Image: Nithraid 2013, Tom Telfer.

Categories
Musings

The Udder Hand. The Quantum Field.

By Anonymous

Nithraid’s Mascot ‘The Salty Coo’
The Udder Hand. The Quantum Field.

The centred text of a poem, making the outline of a cow's teat on the page, threw me back to my childhood when we milked by hand in that famous winter. All frosted, the universe, but my cheek was warm on her flank when I stripped—that's what we called it, stripping—two quarters into the pail.

Black-and-white backs smell so pink in the byre. The weight of a full udder, its high shape between her hocks, and her sighing, her blowing, as I get the feel of it and she lets down her milk. Blessed animal, still giving her warmth when there's nothing outside but ice.

Neatsfoot oil, I thought today, a last gift rendered from her hooves and cannon bones. And "Near," an archaic name for cattle, or "Kine", "Dà" in Welsh, the same as the word for "good".

Nithraid was conceived as a public artwork to activate the riverside in Dumfries during the summer of 2013, bringing new focus and drawing people down to celebrate the River Nith. Now in its third year, Dumfries is preparing to welcome sailors upriver to the heart of the town as Nithraid 2015 sails into town on Sunday, 2nd August. Nithraid is free and open to all, and last year saw crowds of 4,000 lining the banks to watch the winning boats cross the finish line. Find out more about this year’s Nithraid here.

The discussion is open, and we invite contributions to our artistic conversations. Whether you have been involved in Nithraid in previous years or are interested in the changing face of public art and how a sailing race can also be an artwork, please get in touch via the comments box below. Alternatively, to send your contribution, please email [email protected].

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