Tag: Salty Coo

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

Tags Nithraid, Nithraid Poetry, Poetry, Salty Coo, Word, Writing

Musings Project Updates

The Procession of the Salty Coo – Performance, Creativity and Acceptance

Post author By Katie Anderson
Post date September 17, 2016

The annual Nithraid took place in Dumfries on Saturday 3rd of September and despite the rain hundreds of people turned out to watch they parade of the " Salty Coo" through the town and the sail race finishing on the Greensands. Pix Kirstin McEwan

From Dillon Colthart

As part of Nithraid 2016, The Stove commissioned emerging performance artists Dillon Colthart and Jordan Chisholm to lead the procession of the Salty Coo, a now annual event starting in the town centre and finishing in the river with the Nithraid’s mascot and icon, the Salty Coo raised to a great height overseeing the sailing race’s conclusion.

The annual Nithraid took place in Dumfries on Saturday 3rd of September and despite the rain hundreds of people turned out to watch they parade of the " Salty Coo" through the town and the sail race finishing on the Greensands. Pix Kirstin McEwan

‘It began with a blog post, advertising various commission opportunities for young artists in and around Dumfries & Galloway. It seemed fitting that Jordan and I would apply for both in hopes of our creative flare being challenged and displayed by the time Nithraid came around in September. We were excited, nervous and determined to bring something theatrically unique, as well as highly political, to the streets of Dumfries.

Jordan (with blue hair) performing in the Salty Coo performance she co-designed and produced with Dillon Colthard

Upon receiving Nithraid’s ‘Salty Coo Procession’ commission from the Stove Network in early July, we became overwhelmed with joy and immediately began to brainstorm ideas creatively over various different types of coffee within local coffee shops throughout Dumfries with some paper, a pen and a desire to spread awareness through theatre and performance.

We came up with an idea to base our performance on the theme of ‘acceptance’ through queer performance whilst maintaining the meaning of the Salty Coo, which was to give something back to the river. Creatively, we challenged ourselves to incorporate movements with a strong message and create something which was both visual and aurally stimulating.

Grasping the attention of an audience in Dumfries, a place which has so much potential in terms of heightening awareness of LGBT, queer performance (such as drag) and acceptance was challenging yet liberating. We thought of ways we could get performers involved from more than just a theatrical background and made our goal inclusiveness though performance.

The process was overall smooth. We worked together well, got to learn more about one another than we already knew, based our teamwork on compromise and began to find a balance between our personal relationship and working relationship. It was interesting, as we have so many of the same views on various issues, yet positively challenged each other constantly to bring out our best creatively.

When the performance eventually came around, after weeks and weeks of preparation, we were ready to present the Salty Coo in all it’s glory – with rainbow coloured costumes, a kilt wearing – all tartan – unicorn, comic costumes, flower heads, white capes and colour bombs within the river to conclude. Our connection with the river has never been so strong, and the Coo never looked so good.

This opportunity is something which was indeed challenging in terms of managing our own time and being given a complete creative freedom, as we wanted to do our Salty Coo justice, as well as making the team at Nirthraid proud. This was an excellent commission for anyone looking to further their practise in the arts, whatever you may specialise in. From our preview performance – confined within plastic bags and smothered in paint – to the ‘Salty Coo’ installation and multi coloured procession, our procession came full circle, and we couldn’t be more proud of what we achieved.’

All pictures: Kirstin McEwan

Tags Blueprint100, Commission, Dumfries, Guest Blog Post, LGBT, Nithraid, Performance, Reflections, Review, Salty Coo

News Project Updates

Here Comes Nithraid!

Post author By Katie Anderson
Post date August 8, 2016

September 3^rd sees The Stove’s fourth staging of Nithraid, a fun family event that takes place on and around the river. Nithraid is a celebration of the town’s long relationship with its river, highlighting the way the Nith connected Dumfries to the rest of the world through trade, goods (including Coos) and sail power. It is created and produced by The Stove Network and is part of the groups mission to make creative opportunities for local people to be involved in the future of Dumfries

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Matt Baker, lead artist on Nithraid, says, “It’s really exciting to see the event continue to grow and change with each passing year, for 2016 we’ve been overwhelmed by the support of local businesses and community groups – Dumfries is definitely pulling together for the Nithraid! New for 2016 we have the inclusion of Coastal Rowing and we’re also very lucky to be able to offer such high quality food produce, as well as a range of arts and activities on the Mill Green.”

The daring sailing race, starting from the Solway Firth and sailing right up the River Nith into the centre of Dumfries, is made possible by one of the highest tides of the year. While waiting for the boats to arrive, The Stove invites you to enjoy the ‘arts and food village’ at Mill Green, opposite the Whitesands, from 12 noon until 4pm. Join in with art activities and demonstrations for all ages, listen to acoustic music, visit a mini market of local food producers, as well as watching the procession of the legendary Salty Coo, starting from Dumfries High Street down to Mill Green, where the winning skipper has the honour of lowering the Coo and releasing her into the river.

For more information, including how to take part, please visit www.thestove.org/nithraid

Sponsors for Nithraid 2016 include McDermid Supply Co. Ltd, Dumfries Timber Co, Monaghan’s Jewellery, Farries Kirk and McVean, People’s Project, Lowland Accountancy and Luke Moloney Architect.

Tags Creative Dumfries, Dumfries, Music, Nithraid, River Festival, River Nith, Salty Coo

Musings

The Udder Hand. The Quantum Field

Post author By Katie Anderson
Post date July 18, 2015

Anonymous

Nithraid was concieved as a public artwork to activate the riverside in Dumfries in the summer of 2013, and bring new focus and people down to celebrate the Nith. Now in it’s third year Dumfries is preparing to welcome sailors up river to the heart of the town when Nithraid 2015 will sail into town on Sunday, 2nd of August. Nithraid is free and open to all to attend, 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 years Nithraid here

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

Tags Nithraid, Nithraid Poetry, Poetry, Salty Coo, Word, Writing

Musings

Cooland

Post author By Katie Anderson
Post date July 17, 2015

From Matt Baker

When the earths crust thickened and cooled deeply, it cracked and four avenues dropped neatly in lines: four invitations for four rivers – Annan, Nith, Dee and Cree. Water washing soil over the rock posted another invite – for a beast to graze the land, to break it with footprints for germinating seeds and to re-fertilise it with their dung.

We know the coos, slabbed together on a cold, damp morning their breath hanging together like the breath of the earth, or contented and dispersed across a summer field chewing in deep rhythm. We know them as part of the oneness of our place.

Our land is pasture land, home to a kinship between humankind and cookind that has spawned a million inventions with milk, meat and leather.

Our coos have been our wealth, their mobility precious in times that you couldn’t hide a field of barley from ancient raiders. Always moving from winter to summer pastures and to market over Nith, Annan, Dee and Cree.

Humans moved too, in tough times we spread far across the seas and as migrants found their feet they called for their coos to follow. Great Uncle Jimmy raised shorthorn cattle in Wigtownshire to send on boats to the Argentine. The canny exiles sent us meat home in cans. Corned beef is still the favourite food of one of Jimmy’s daughters and the other drank unpasteurised milk straight from the farm all her days.

We are Nithraid and this land is where we bide, so we race the tide up our river to release the salty spirit of Coo.

Tags Musings, Nithraid, Nithraid Poetry, Salty Coo, Writing

Musings

The Land of the Salt Cow

Post author By Katie Anderson
Post date July 16, 2015

From Tom Pow

THE OLD MEN TAKE THE SALT COW DOWN TO THE RIVER TO DRINK.

THE OLD WOMEN REMEMBER WHEN THE FIELDS WERE FULL OF SALT COWS.

THE YOUNG GIRLS WATCH AS THE BOYS LEAP OVER THE BACK OF THE SALT COW.

THE YOUNG MEN SADDLE THEIR SALT COWS IN PREPARATION FOR WAR.

THESE THINGS BEING SO, CAESAR SET OUT FOR THE LAND OF THE SALT COW.

Senes vaccam salsam ad fluminem ut bibat ducent.

Aniculae quando vaccae salsae agros olim operibant recordorantur.

Puellae pueros qui super salsam vaccam salient vident.

Iuvenes parati bellum suscipere vaccas salsas sternent.

Caesar his rebus factis ad terram ubi vacca salsa habitat discessit.

Tags Musings, Nithraid, Nithraid Poetry, Poetry, Salty Coo, Tom Pow, Word, Writing

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