Every Wednesday in November, The Stove is hosting a series of ‘craftivism’ stitch-ins. These are drop-in events running from 5:00 pm to 8:00 pm. Everyone is welcome, whether you bring your own craft skills or wish to learn some basic techniques in a friendly and open environment (we have cake!).
What is Craftivism?
Craftivism is a form of ‘slow activism’ that involves sharing crafting skills in a social space, encouraging discussion and reflection while creating—engaging in the time-consuming processes of stitching and making. It is a growing movement of crafters and open-minded individuals seeking to foster new ways of exchange and discussion around issues and topics they hope to share with others. Join us for a blether, a cup of tea, and help contribute to some of the projects we are currently working on. These sessions are self-led, but there is plenty of support available from our Herald, Moxie, and craftivist, Joy Cheroukai.
Why Now?
The Stove is participating in ArtCOP, an international cultural programme that coincides with this year’s Paris Climate Conference (also known as COP21) in December. We are exploring new ways to discuss the environment and the constantly changing nature of our world—what is changing for Dumfries and Galloway? What does climate change mean to us? Do we need a new language to address global climate issues? And what role does Dumfries play in all of this?
Our craftivism group is working on two projects:
Wear Your Heart on Your Sleeve is a national campaign from the Craftivist Collective and the Climate Coalition. It encourages everyone to reflect on the things they are passionate about and, in turn, consider how these could be affected by changing climates and rising temperatures.
The Stop Climate Chaos Rally is on 28th November, and Scotland’s Climate March will take place in Edinburgh. The Stove has been invited by the Crichton Carbon Centre to join their bus to take part in the rally. Stitchers and makers at our craftivism sessions are working on a large banner to be carried in the march. This banner will be made up of smaller patterns and designs created from unwanted fabrics.
We will be hosting an intensive banner-making weekend before the rally, on 21st and 22nd November.
If you would like a place on the bus (travel expenses covered by The Stove), please get in touch, as spaces are limited. Contact Katie at [email protected].
Throughout the year, we strive to stay connected with all our members and ensure that everyone has the opportunity to easily share their hopes, wants, and needs regarding the development of The Stove and the collective creation of a better Dumfries. Whether it’s more formally at the members’ Housewarming event, during Cultural Wayfinding sessions, over Tea with Moxie (yes, that’s still going strong if you’d like a chat and a cuppa!), at drop-in sessions, during live events, through the speechbubbles project, or even in casual encounters on the street—the core team is eager to hear your thoughts, suggestions, and ideas for moving forward.
Moxie at work at Guid Nychburris
The Stove has truly blossomed since opening its High Street doors earlier this year, and there are many more exciting adventures on the horizon. Here’s a quick recap of the ideas you’ve shared with us and how we’ve responded.
Spoken word and creative writing were high on people’s agenda, with many suggesting an increase in related events. In April, Open Mouth burst onto the scene, led by Sarah Indigo and Eryl Shields, who conducted performance and creation workshops with school students during the day. Its success has led to Brave New Words being developed into a regular Open Mic night at The Stove. The next session is this Friday, 30th October, and is open to everyone (whether musical or spoken word—Brave New Words welcomes all original writing). In the run-up to Christmas, several other word-based events are planned, including the Wagtongues Pop-Up Bookshop at the end of November. Additionally, there is an open-call out for new writing for exciting art installations in the closes of the town.
Brave New Words – poetry slam September 18th 2015
A number of conversations around food were sparked at the Housewarming event, perhaps inspired by the delicious chai tea made by Open Jar and the bannocks baking over the open fire in the square. Attendees were eager to explore the power of nourishment in all its forms, suggesting ideas such as gatherings; gardening experiments where people could learn how to grow and cook seasonal produce; cup return schemes for the café; as well as film evenings and talks centred around food and produce.
We’ve also been discussing community gardens, rewilding initiatives, and collaborations with groups across the region to provide opportunities for exploring the intersection of growing and art.
The amazing Alice Thompson from Social Bite talking food and social enterprise at The Stove (http://www.social-bite.co.uk/)
The latter was explored during our recent film season at The Stove, where films such as Moo Man, Vanishing of the Bees, and The Lunchbox were accompanied by inspiring talks and equally delightful, relevant treats.
We also hosted an incredible talk by Alice from Social Bite, who shared their journey of building an amazing network of sandwich shops from scratch, which help the homeless get back on their feet and into work.
Work has begun on The Stove Café, which will provide a vibrant meeting place in the heart of Dumfries and serve as a base for further creative exploration of how we think about, grow, distribute, and cook food. The tender was won by Angela and Colin Green, and we are very excited to see the opportunities this new development will bring.
We are eager to hear from anyone interested in hosting groups in the early evening. For example, we have a regular Craftivism (Creative Activism) workshop starting on 28th October. These sessions aim to encourage people to linger a little longer after the shops close and further our commitment to breathing new life into the town centre.
The Craftivism workshops also align with other ideas raised by members. Many expressed interest in forming Skill Sharing groups and engaging in Mindfulness initiatives. Craftivism promotes both and we hope it will serve as a catalyst for other Skill Sharing/Skill Swap events.
It was also suggested that we take The Stove beyond the building and engage in more projects across the region. One such project saw The Young Stove working with school-aged children in the woods near New Galloway. They ran a workshop called Survival Art School and later gave the youngsters a tour of their show at Gatehouse of Fleet. Another example was the co-production of EAFS—a wonderful off-grid adventure in the grounds of Morton Castle. Among its many magical aspects, EAFS encouraged the sharing of food as a means of human connection and engagement, evoking a primal need to break down modern social barriers and foster friendships and communication around shared nourishment.
Rajasthan heritage Brass Band at The Stove
People asked for drumming, and what a line-up we gave them! Not only did we fill the day with the incredible Rajasthan Heritage Brass Band—bringing smiles to everyone they encountered—but we also hosted an evening workshop with local drumming groups. This spectacular session brought the community together in a loud and joy-filled way.
Looking ahead, the future vision for Dumfries includes suggestions for giant water slides, Segways instead of Orange Bike Schemes, permanent block parties, adult ball pits, and drive-in cinemas. It’s clear people want to feel the love returning to the town centre.
Phrases such as:
“Let’s celebrate what we have and what we can be rather than focusing on what we don’t. We are a vibrant town with vision. Work together to make it happen.”
“Keeping Dumfries’ heritage but being more upbeat and welcoming to new things.”
“Convert dead shops into flats = get people back into town.”
“Use empty shops as art galleries/installations – artists get work shown, town gets colourful, vibrant art instead of empty shops full of litter.”
have been echoed repeatedly. While perhaps less thrilling than foam bowling alleys, these suggestions are far more tangible and provide a solid starting point for meaningful change.
Regeneration has clearly begun, with many commenting on the positive difference The Stove has already made to the High Street—but much more remains to be done.
We’ve had inspiring public sessions working with Lateral North to explore how interventions and Cultural Wayfinding can help develop Dumfries, making it more welcoming and easier to navigate—just as has been achieved in other towns. There’s even more to come, including an event surrounding Norway House next month.
Since its creation, the building has taken on a variety of roles. It has been a messy creative space for The Young Stove and other artists, an exhibition venue, and a site for workshops, meetings, gatherings, and music gigs. It has welcomed a broad mix of people from diverse walks of life, which makes us very proud. It has also become a hub for exchanging ideas—a place where inspiration is shared, where ideas can be brought and nurtured to grow.
Radio DMC
Music has been another hot topic for members and the public, and we have been developing a music strand since The Stove began through our Dumfries Music Conference. Since 100 High Street opened, this has continued to grow through partnerships with local music groups such as Small Town Sounds, Music Plus, and Electric Fields. These collaborations have led to fantastic gigs showcasing local talent, including Rudi Zygadlo, MØGEN, and Mark Lyken. You can even learn guitar at The Stove now with lessons from guitar teacher David Bass.
Other topics raised in discussions include:
Partnerships with the Crichton Campus – exciting news to come on this in February.
Fast Public Broadband – a big thanks to Ailsa for making The Stove the first business in the town centre with fibre-optic broadband.
Space for Screenprinting – we are supporting Upland and Maklab in their efforts to establish a facility at Maklab’s premises on the High Street.
Classes in IT and Film Editing – our digital making suite will soon be taking bookings, so watch this space.
Support for Research Projects into Environmental Issues – The Stove was the base for the recent Environmental Art Festival Scotland. Stay tuned for ArtCOP Scotland @ The Stove in early December.
More for Young People in the Town – The Young Stove continues to flourish and is now integrated into nearly everything we do.
Be Part of Making Dumfries Better – The Stove remains a space for people to come together, debate, and take positive action for the town. We are actively involved in discussions about the Whitesands and have exciting news about significant improvements to the High Street.
‘Not to Be Sold Separately’ an exhibition by Young Stove
So, let us know what you think! Book in with Moxie for a cuppa, send an email, or drop our Herald a line on Facebook. The Stove is ever-evolving, and its quiet energy is building all the time—so get in touch and let’s see how we can sail together into the next phase.
P.S. If you’re ever wondering what’s happening at The Stove, please check our Events page, or look back at what’s been going on via our Blog page.
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].
Following on from Tea with Moxie, our herald, she has become interested in the many different kinds of members in The Stove Network. She has been catching up with and speaking to various members, and we’ll be introducing one every Friday over the next wee while.
Denise has lived in Dumfries since 1980, moving from London with her husband to start a cabinet-making business and raise four children. As the children grew, she gradually returned to her artwork, beginning with running art classes and community projects, making quilts and wall hangings (e.g., the 1996 Thornhill quilt hanging in Thomas Tosh).
Having studied printed textiles at Winchester School of Art, her interest lies in printing and cloth, and she has developed her own practice, focusing on drawing and exploring the relationship between the human body and cloth, through the use of photocopied images and transfer printing onto fabric.
Her work has been exhibited in Glasgow, Edinburgh, and in ‘Affordable Art’ shows around the country and abroad. She has also had two solo shows at The Mill on the Fleet and Gracefield Arts Centre.
Portrait of an Artist – a short film by Jo Hodges and Roger Lever
Did your life take an unexpected direction? Suddenly finding myself saying “further education in art” when asked about career moves at school. Moving to Scotland. Discovering I was pregnant with our fourth child and singing with him 23 years later on his first album. Becoming part of the psychology department in Dumfries. Being a mushroom on wheels with Oceanallover. And lots more.
What is your greatest fear? Driving on an eight-lane freeway in America.
Tell us about your creative process? Looking at inspiring images and talking to inspiring people. Making notes and drawing.
What is your earliest memory? The dressing-up box.
What drew you to The Stove? The first meeting at Parton—the energy, vision, and determination of the core group, and the excitement of it all happening in Dumfries.
Share your hopes and dreams for The Stove? That it becomes a place where everyone feels comfortable visiting and enjoying.
What keeps you in and around Dumfries? Family, friends, the landscape, art opportunities, and support.
What did you want to be when you were growing up? A dancer.
What’s been the most exciting part of the Stove process for you? Seeing the activities they create and put on outside in the centre of town, where everyone can get involved.
What makes you feel alive? Performing.
What songs do you carry closest to your heart? Ella Fitzgerald songs, music by my son Rudi, and ‘Lovin’ You’ by Minnie Riperton.
What’s your role within The Stove organisation? An ordinary member who likes to get involved.
How would you like to be remembered? Often.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received? Let go.
What’s your dream for the arts in D&G? That it continues to grow in all directions, as it seems to be doing now.
Following on from Tea with Moxie, our herald, she has become interested in the many different kinds of members in The Stove Network. She’s been catching up with and speaking to various members, and we’ll be introducing one every Friday over the next wee while.
First up this week is Mark Lyken!
Mark Lyken (b. 1973) is an audio and visual artist. He creates music and sound pieces, films, paintings, and installations. His recent residency work has explored relationships to place and the complex interactions between nature, industry, and culture. He is particularly interested in revealing the musicality of the environment and regularly collaborates with other artists and specialists from different research fields. In 2014, Lyken and Emma Dove established the Glasgow-based art label ‘Soft Error’. Mark is also a Cryptic Associate Artist.
Tell us about your creative process? It’s a process of gathering, layering, refining, and removing. I think that holds true whether I’m painting, making music, or working in film. Our work over the last three years has had high levels of public engagement, which is a new development—particularly for me, as my default mode is hermit!
Working collaboratively with Emma over the last few years has been a real eye-opener. We make work together that neither of us would create alone. It’s quite an odd thing, and one that we are wary of questioning too much in case it stops working! Each of you has a voice, but combined it’s something greater than the sum of its parts.
What drew you to The Stove? I genuinely believe they are making a real difference, and I think the way they present themselves is pitch-perfect. The residency seemed like an excellent way to continue a line of work we are interested in, i.e., relationships to place, but in a completely new location that was culturally and geographically unfamiliar to us. We knew that we would have to move down to D&G, lock, stock, and barrel, as we would have struggled to get under the skin of the place if we hadn’t been living here. Six months is a very short time to be in a place, and any work created in that time can only ever be a snapshot, but I imagine this work will be part of a larger whole. We’re not in any hurry to rush away.
What time of the day do you like most? Between 7 and 9 am. I find that a super productive time. If we are filming, that “Golden Hour” before sunset can be very magical.
Which films changed your life? Tarkovsky’s Solaris, Blade Runner, and Clerks.
What keeps you in and around Dumfries? At the moment, Emma and I are completing a six-month residency with The Stove. We had assumed we would head back to Glasgow afterwards, but we’re gradually being seduced by the region.
What songs do you carry closest to your heart? It’s an album called Raining by Rolf Julius. Rolf was a sound and visual artist from Berlin, who sadly passed away in 2011.
It’s a very simple record—I think it may have originally been part of an installation. It’s nothing more than field recordings of rain with some very subtle electronics. His concept of “Small Music” and the overall aesthetic really speak to me.
Another piece is The Disintegration Loops by William Basinski. It’s one of the most heartbreakingly beautiful pieces of music I’ve ever heard. The story is that Basinski set out to digitise old magnetic tape loops he had. He loaded up the loops, set them playing, and hit record. Gradually, over the course of 40 or 50 minutes, the tape literally disintegrated as it repeatedly passed the play head. The sound becomes progressively more distorted, with bigger and bigger gaps, until there’s nothing left to play at all. It’s hypnotic.
Who, from throughout history, would you like to sit and have a good chat with? Andrei Tarkovsky—although I’d need a translator, as my Russian is pretty bad.
What do you consider your greatest achievement? I came runner-up in a Star Wars short story writing competition in 1982 and received a letter of congratulations from C-3PO and a Chief Chirpa figure.
What’s the best piece of advice you’ve ever received? Show, don’t tell.
What’s your role within The Stove organisation? At the moment, I’m an artist in residence along with Emma Dove. Beyond that, I hope to rent a studio space within the new Stove building and use it as a base for upcoming projects. I find The Stove a really exciting organisation and imagine the relationship will continue.
Tell us your passion? Modular synthesizers.
Read more about Mark and Emma Dove’s collaborative residency project, HAME, which is part of The Stove’s Open House, [here].
A while back we put out an opportunity for something called a ‘Public Communicator and Herald’ – We had a strong sense of the spirit of the role, but found it very hard to describe exactly so the selection process was a very 2-way process. After much conversation and inspiration from all involved in the process, Ladies and Gentlemen we are very proud to announce that our Herald is Moxie DePaulitte!
Hello there, I’m Moxie and I’m delighted to be able to introduce myself as The Stove’s newly appointed Public Communicator and Herald which, at the risk of sounding like a Valley Girl, is just like, totally, you know, the coolest job title ev-ah.
I’ve been asked to write a short post introducing myself but, although I’m really good at talking about other things, I’m really don’t excel at saying things about myself so I enlisted the help of my four year old. This is what she said:
“She is nice and cuddly and warm. And she has a really nice job. She do some importment stuff and she always loves me and she always does nice stuff for us. And she uses all her money up for food for us. Her name is Moxie she does some pretty good stuff. Can I go back in the paddling pool now, please?”
So there you have it; a definitive guide to me, my work and my new role.
I think she’s pretty much covered everything but, just in case any of you aren’t fluent in Preschooleeze, I’ll translate…I’ve been involved in the arts for as long as I can remember and love the passion, power and opportunities the creative process stirs up. Sadly, however, art works are frequently just presented to us and the glory and excitement of this process is missed because we don’t know the why, the what, and the wow.
A lot goes on behind the scenes and, when a group is so absorbed in a project, it’s easy to forget that not everyone knows the back story; the reasons and the nuances behind a piece. It’s not transparent. So, this is where I come in: Part of my role is to help more people become aware of and involved in that very process; to make sure everyone understands what’s going on and that the cogs are visible as they’re turning.
The lovely people at The Stove know it can often feel like events go on around us and happen to us rather than with us and for us and they would very much like that to change.
On funding bids they probably call it ‘Building Stronger Community Relationships’ but, luckily for me, that translates as ‘meeting up with people for a cup of tea, chin wag and a biscuit’, so get in touch! Share with me your ideas and questions; I’ll be delighted to talk them through with you. Let’s see how we can get you involved.
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