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Dystoveia – Dumfries’ First Escape Room

Hear about the Dystoveia Escape Room from the Creative Spaces Team. This project transformed Room 2 in the Stove into a dystopian escape room in August 2023. 

Why an Escape Room?

On one of the blessed sunny days in June, our creative producer Mia asked us two million-dollar questions: what kind of things do we like to do for fun? And how could we bring that to D&G? After a great creative session where each of the CS team individually mind-mapped our answers, we discovered a common thread between us: an escape room! Why did such a thing not exist here?

We initially thought this might be too ambitious an idea for a bunch of amateurs. However, a good friend of mine (shoutout to Seb Summers) kindly booked us a slot at his escape room in Glasgow. Our visit to Riddle Rooms, led to us learning a lot about what makes an escape room good and the mechanics behind it. The possibilities of what we could create ourselves seemed endless, so deciding our theme early was key for honing our ideas. This made us consider the room as an unravelling story as opposed to a random mixture of puzzles.

OUR CONCEPT:

Dumfries has fallen under the control of an oppressive regime. Your team of rebels have managed to infiltrate the high-security government control room and the town is locked down on red alert as they try to hunt you down. It is up to you to save the town in time and to escape before state officials discover you.

Following an in-depth storyline that unveils the secrets of Dumfries and the authoritarian regime, you and your team must work together to uncover hidden clues and solve a variety of puzzles to progress and beat the clock.

We wanted our participants to feel like they had stepped into a parallel universe, completely different to the town they knew. So, we blacked out the windows, turned on the AC, and set the scene with a distorted video of our mole (played by the talented Sahar) leaving instructions for the rebels (the participants). Without a huge budget to work with, we circulated our props list far and wide and managed to collect a lot of cool stuff that helped transform the room. Finishing touches like a doomsday timer, fake cobwebs, chains and hazard tape really pulled the room together.

What we hadn’t anticipated was how much of our planning time was taken up by logistics. Without any access to fancy tech, we had to come up with solutions (painful zoom trialling and walkie-talkies) to make the scenario feel as realistic as possible with close to zero in-person contact with the room. The timings of the room also required a lot of planning. Every participant in an escape room approaches the experience differently with unique problem-solving skills. In the end, Room 2 had transformed into a complex labyrinth of puzzles, where we made sure the room wasn’t too easy or too difficult to complete in the hour – something we discovered when trialling the room with different groups of people.

It’s time to escape…

Once the escape room was set up and ready to trial, we had two teams come and test the room for any bugs or potential problems that would cause any mishaps. The trials were successful for two reasons; it Identified what worked and what didn’t, and it revealed itself to be a fully-fledged legitimately enticing escape room.

The night we opened, all our participants were keen to get started and they all had brilliant positive feedback once they had escaped the room. Each team that participated were all enthusiastic and up for an evening of puzzles and hilarity which made each game as lively as the last. Whilst being informed of the room rules and the mission brief, it was clear that participants were becoming increasingly intrigued and excited to get started. Perhaps this was because the room’s particular story was unique to Dumfries/The Stove. With the aid of a lot of in-house equipment, we were able to create a convincing atmosphere which was as functional as it was aesthetically immersive. As the creators and facilitators of the evening, we had an enjoyable night. This felt fantastic, as we had come so far since our ambitious idea a couple of months previous. Since we had no major technical issues or mishaps, it was safe to agree it was a successful night. We felt like we had accomplished something great when there was a demand to potentially do it all again!

WHAT WE LEARNED…

Dystoveia was a very popular and successful event. With only eighteen spaces available (three groups of six) we didn’t have to do much advertising before it sold out, and we found that there were many friends and family who expressed interest after all the spaces had already been taken.

Once the groups had booked, in hindsight we could have gotten in touch earlier to tell them the time slot we wanted them to come in for. If we were to run this event again, we would also request contact numbers from those who signed up so we could communicate with them more easily.

We learnt that arranging the room and the puzzles took a lot more time than expected when we began constructing the space. We only gave ourselves a week which felt quite rushed, but thanks to the Stove team’s flexibility we were able to have two trial runs to iron out any mistakes or sticking points before the day of the event.

TOP TIPS

A free escape room in a town without any escape rooms was a brilliant idea, and it sold out very quickly! If you are looking to create an escape room from scratch, here are our learnings.

1.      Make use of resources online for puzzle ideas – there are lots of ideas out there, and many are cheap, low-tech and relatively easy to put together.

2.      Develop a strong back story, narrative and characters for the escape room – the fun in the experience is largely due to how immersive it is, try to completely transform the space.

3.      Do your research – visit at least one escape room with a group of friends/teammates and record what you learnt.

4.      Find people to help you with trial runs – you will learn a lot!

5.      Don’t put too many distracting decorations in the room – everything will be seen as a potential clue so make sure you do a deep clean and make sure nothing is in the space that you don’t want to be there.

Thank you to everyone who got involved with Dystoveia; from testing puzzles, lending décor to the space, to coming along to the event! It was a team effort, and we definitely couldn’t have done it without you!

By our 2023 Creative Spaces Team – Martha, Sahar & Korey.

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Musings News Project Updates

Meet the 23/24 Creative Spaces Team

The new Creative Spaces team outside the Stove Cafe.

Creative Spaces is an exciting collaborative project at The Stove which offers both paid and voluntary opportunities for the under 30s in Dumfries & Galloway.

The project brings together young creatives, from different disciplines, to facilitate an annual programme of events, activities and workshops, all designed to explore and develop artistic responses to cultural issues that impact young people in Dumfries & Galloway.

In May 2023 we were joined by 3 new members to The Stove team: 

This year’s three Associated Artists are Sahar El-Hady, Korey Patterson and Martha Ferguson. You can find out a bit more about each of our new teammates here.

We asked them a few questions so you could get to know them! Here’s what they had to say…

Q) What is your creative practice?

Sahar – My background is actually in science! I studied Geology but spend most of my spare time in the theatre, and using creativity to channel young people’s energies into improving their local community. I love acting and I’m hoping to connect with other performers and develop my skills. I also do some painting and crafting for fun – I’ve done one art project with rocks but I’d like to find more ways of combining my scientific and creative interests. 

Korey – My Creative practices are music and character art. I’m a guitarist and I play in a local band called YABBA. The music is big and the fun is endless so its favourite way to spend my time. I also like to draw and paint, my subject matter typically tends to be real life people or characters I’ve created. I think in both my music and artwork I like to develop a story and aesthetic around a single idea.

Martha – My interests are in set and production design, but I am very much at the beginning of my journey! I studied Art History so it has been exciting exploring ways to apply my knowledge in a practical setting. My practice is kind of all over the place at the moment as I’m still trying to figure out what I enjoy most. That being said, I’m definitely drawn to the idea of wearing many hats. Whilst volunteering at the Theatre Royal I’ve done some prop sourcing, prop making, set painting and set construction which has opened my eyes to how much I love collaborative and varied work.

Q) Where are you from? What draws you to D&G as a creative?

Sahar – I’m from all over the place – my parents are originally Egyptian and American, but both of them grew up moving around and living in different parts of the world. I was born in New Zealand, spent most of my school years in London, and went to uni in Bristol, with some time in China and Australia as well. I ended up moving to Dumfries by connecting with friends of a friend and I love it here – the sense of community, creativity and vibrancy is like nowhere else I’ve ever lived!

Korey – I’m born and bred in Dumfries & Galloway. What keeps me here as a creative is the prospects and opportunity to use my skill set to create a lifestyle for myself and also to change local opinion on the potential a town like Dumfries has. There is potential for it to be a great host for music and it already caters well for local artists.

Martha – I was born and raised in Dumfries but I am half Japanese, half Irish. After a couple of years doing a corporate job, I realised that I wanted to spend my time being creative and doing more hands-on work. I felt a bit lost on how to make this a viable career which is the main reason why I returned to Dumfries – D&G has such a positive and supportive community for emerging artists which is perfect for developing a practice and for creative exploration in general. The abundance of nature and the chance to have a healthier lifestyle is also hugely attractive after living in cupboards in London. 

Q) What do you like to do outside of work?

Sahar – I love going for walks in beautiful places, swimming, eating good food, and cuddling my guinea pigs.

Korey – Outside of work, I like to go on walks and bike rides with my friends. There are a lot of great outdoor spots to explore, cycle, camp, fish and hangout in D&G. So it’s a great place for people who like the outdoors. I also like to go to the pub, I appreciate pub culture and I like meeting new people as much as I can, and the town has some great welcoming pubs, housing some equally welcoming people.

Martha – I mostly spend my free time with family and friends cooking, going out, or going on wee adventures. That being said, I spend a lot of time binge watching films and shows with my cat.

Q) What are you hoping to get out of Creative Spaces?

Sahar – I’m really excited to expand my network of creative people and plug into all the great projects The Stove and its partners are working on. I feel the Stove team has a huge wealth of knowledge, both from the experience it’s built up over the years and from the dynamic, talented individuals who are involved in the projects. I hope I come out of Creative Spaces a little more clued up on what it takes to make dreams of change into a reality.

Korey – Whilst I’m working for Creative Spaces, I hope to put on some great events and bring in some new blood and fresh faces. I’d like to see my ideas come into fruition. I’d also like to become a professional freelancer that is fully capable of operating to a suitable standard on my own, whilst gaining plenty of experience working within a team.

Martha – I’m hoping to absorb as much as I can from talented people inside and outside the Stove network, to acquire new skills, and to change the way I’ve been conditioned to think as I’ve become a bit of a corporate drone. I’m also hoping to connect with other young creatives after almost 9 years away from home and to help create an inclusive community for young folk in general. There are so many cool projects and opportunities in the region that I wish I knew about growing up so I want to spread awareness as much as possible… as the old saying goes – knowledge is power!

Q) What’s your Stove Cafe order?

Sahar – Dirty chai and vegan bhaji toastie – since I’ve found out what it is I’m a big fan of a dirty chai from The Stove! 

Korey –  The pastrami toastie and a ginger beer.

Martha – Pastrami toastie and a flat white.

Offering both paid and voluntary opportunities for the under 30’s, Creative Spaces facilitate an annual programme of events and workshops designed to help you find your voice, explore and develop your artistic practice. Learn more about Creative Spaces here.

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News Opportunities Project Updates

Join Creative Spaces as an Associate

(This Opportunity is Now Closed)

We’re looking for THREE NEW PEOPLE to join our team.

Here at The Stove, we’re all about supporting creativity and helping those who are interested in building a career in the creative sector.

Creativity, by definition, is the the use of the imagination or original ideas to create something.

So, if you’re the type of person who likes to dream up new solutions to problems, can imagine new possibilities and work with your peers to engage with young people from across Dumfries & Galloway in a creative way, this might just be the opportunity you’ve been looking for.

These three positions are offered on a part-time basis for a fixed period of 10 months. Each successful candidate will receive a monthly payment of £560* and will work with The Stove Team on various projects, and with guidance, will learn to develop and deliver a programme of activities and events aimed at the under 30’s.

Fee: £560 pcm freelance contract (equates to 8 days per month at £70 per day)

Duration: 10 months (8 days per calendar month from May – March)

Start Date: 8th May 2023

These opportunities aren’t just for people already working in the sector and you don’t have to be an ‘artist’, have a degree or previous experience to be considered. The Creative Spaces programme is designed to offer you the chance to experiment, provoke, create, and inspire, the only criteria is, you must be aged between 16-30 and have some form of creative work** you’d like to develop.

If you’re interested in finding out more, check out our full application pack here or book to attend our Creative Spaces Showcase on 31st March and hear from last year’s Associates who will be chatting about their experience of being in the programme.

*Fees are based on a commitment of approximately 80 days over the 10month period (8 days per calendar month at a day rate of £70).

** We define ‘creative work’ as anything from photography, drawing, film, music and performance, to cookery, design and activism. If you have a creative passion and want to explore it further, let us know!

How to Apply

Deadline for Applications: Friday 7th April 23 at midday.

Application Requirements:

Personal Statement (500 words max) or video/audio file (max 5 minutes)
You can use this statement to tell us about yourself, what draws you to the project and what you feel you might be able offer and/or gain through the Creative Spaces Associate programme.
Feel free to be creative with your application, all we ask it that you answer the questions below:

  1. What do think is/are the main challenge(s) facing young people in the region?
  2. Do you have a project, idea, or area of interest* you believe the Creative Spaces programme will help you to develop or realise? Don’t panic! We’re not looking for a fully thought-out project proposal or manifesto, we just want to know what your current interests are and how you see the Associates programme helping you to develop this. This may well change during the course of the programme.

Remember – Be honest. We want to know who you are and what you think this opportunity might be able to do for you. You don’t have to be a wordsmith or filmmaker, just be you!

Please submit your application by email to [email protected] (max file size of 10MB) with heading: Creative Spaces – Associate

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.

*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.


Creative Spaces is a project for the under-30’s that supports the development of those seeking a career in / currently working in the creative industries or community engagement and encourages artistic responses to cultural issues that impact young people in Dumfries & Galloway. Find our more about Creative Spaces here.

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Musings News Project Updates

Creative Spaces – Dundee

By Emma Forsyth

At the end of January, the Creative Spaces team, alongside multidisciplinary artist Marly Baker, travelled up to meet with the team at Creative Dundee. We have made contact with this organisation at the Know One Place conference in September 2022, and have been eager to connect with them and see what they are doing in their city. 

We arrived at the V&A to attend the event Plastic Lab: Material Matters. It was four makers from different disciplines talking about the materials they work with. They discussed their relationship to the chosen material, their history and how they see their practice becoming more sustainable as we move forward to a more eco-conscious world. It was very interesting and fun hearing makers talk so passionately about their work.

After the talk, we went through to the Lab section, where we got to ask the designers questions, “meet the materials” and explore samples of their work. 

There was also information about different types of plastic, and how people are trying to create things out of a material that takes thousands of years to decompose. The Lab was very interactive, with people allowed to leave comments on slips on the wall. There had been schools in the Lab before us, and the young kids had filled out some of them with their inventive ways to help the plastic problem.

I was lucky enough to be introduced to John-David Hendshaw who owns production and venue company Sweet Venue, and organises Dundee Fringe. We chatted (and ranted) about accessible theatre, and bringing back old Scottish traditions that can make theatre more attractive to those who have written it off as ‘too artsy’. It was a real meaningful chat to have, and I’m so glad to have made that connection. 

After we left the V&A, we were given a tour of the city centre of Dundee. Walking through the public gardens, Gillian, Claire, and Eilish told us about their role in Creative Dundee, and the projects that they’d been involved in across the city. Their aim is to showcase the creativity in the city, connecting it to the people that live there. We could draw commonalities between The Stoves work and Creative Dundee’s, as both aim to collaborate with their local community to showcase diverse creativity.

They showed us Union Street in the centre of the city, which has now been pedestrianised; the McManus Art Gallery and Museum, a beautiful building in the centre of town; The Keiller Centre home to alternative gallery spaces, and ended in the Dundee Contemporary Arts Centre, a hub for people to create. They have a large print studio with amazing facilities which we got to wander around after seeing the Creative Dundee office and having some lovely snacks.  

Overall, it was a very meaningful experience in Dundee. Being introduced to different creative spaces that have popped up in Dundee was fascinating, exposing people to art in alternative places. The connections made were meaningful and provided a lot to think about and build upon. Thank you to the Creative Dundee team for being such good hosts and showing us more ways creativity can better people’s view on a place.


Emma is one of three Associates currently engaged in a 10-month commission through Creative Spaces at The Stove Network. Creative Spaces is a project for the under-30’s that supports the development of those seeking a career in / currently working in the creative industries or community engagement and encourages artistic responses to cultural issues that impact young people in Dumfries & Galloway. Find our more about Creative Spaces here.

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Musings News

Let’s Talk Education

By Morgan Love

The Curriculum for Excellence (CfE) was implemented into the Scottish education sector in 2010, and to mark twenty-years since Scotland last held a national debate on the future of education, the Scottish Government invited groups of people to host conversations focused on the ways in which CfE has been successful, and to investigate what potential improvements can be made for the future.

The championing of education has been a pillar of my life from an early age. Having grown up with a grandparent who was unable to partake in primary education, due to a physical disability, it was sustained throughout my childhood that education is not only a tool that can be used to build a balanced and well-rounded life, but also a gift that should not be taken for granted.

It is for this reason that when the Let’s Talk Education* initiative was brought to my attention, I wanted to use it as an opportunity to gather together organisations working within the creative sector in Dumfries & Galloway, and begin to look at how how we can utilise our networks, skillsets and experience to make a difference in our region and pave the way for a new vision for Education.

Armed with official questions from the Scottish Government and a few topics of interest, I facilitated a discussion with a group made up of eleven practitioners from eight separate local organisations (alongside two educators), and embarked on a conversational journey that provided so much more than expected.

Initially, I set out to explore three topics that could be fed back to the Government, these were:

  • The barriers to accessing creative industries
  • The link between mental health and art
  • How we can aim to implement STEAM (science, technologies, engineering, arts, and maths) over STEM (science, technologies, engineering and maths).

While these three topics became the core of the conversation, the feedback from the participants and insight shared allowed the discussion to evolve, branching out and offering opportunities for further discussion on topics including; the limitation of time and resources for educators, exploring methods of teaching popular in Scandinavian countries, and how education and culture feed into one another.

The overriding takeaway I had from the discussion was that our town, and wider region, is filled with organisations and individuals who care passionately about the young people who live here and about supporting new ways of engaging with them and developing opportunities for them to express themselves through creativity.

My hope is that this conversation is just the beginning, highlighting what could be possible if likeminded people come together and talk about important issues such as accessibility and inclusion.

For me, by facilitating this event, it has become clear that continued involvement with established education providers is an important way for us to engage with young people, to showcase the possibilites and to role-model what is achievable when passion and devotion are at the heart of what you do.


Morgan is one of three Associates currently engaged in a 10-month commission through Creative Spaces at The Stove Network. Creative Spaces is a project for the under-30’s that supports the development of those seeking a career in / currently working in the creative industries or community engagement and encourages artistic responses to cultural issues that impact young people in Dumfries & Galloway. Find our more about Creative Spaces here.

*https://www.gov.scot/news/lets-talk-education/

Categories
News Project Updates

Meet the Creative Spaces Team

Creative Spaces is an exciting collaborative project at The Stove which offers both paid and voluntary opportunities for the under 30s in Dumfries & Galloway.

The project brings together young creatives, from different disciplines, to facilitate an annual programme of events, activities and workshops, all designed to explore and develop artistic responses to cultural issues that impact young people in Dumfries & Galloway.

In May 2022 we were joined by 4 new members to The Stove team:

Mia Osborne as our Emerging Producer, Emma Forsyth, Morgan Love and Alice Griffin as our three Associate Artists for this year’s Creative Spaces programme. You can find out a bit more about each of our new teammates here.

We asked them a few questions so you could get to know them! Here’s what they had to say…

Q) What is your practice?

Mia – “I wouldn’t say I have one singular defined practice however, my skills lie in the production and facilitation of events and community engagement work. I hope to communicate these throughout the year as CS producer in order to aid the associates with the programming and delivery of meaningful community events.”

Alice – “I studied illustration at ECA and during my final year I started screen-printing, which I totally fell in love with. I like to make prints from found objects or textures which I combine with hand drawn and photographed elements, either digitally or by hand. I like to experiment with different printmaking techniques and my work is mostly a tool for me to explore social issues and connect with others.”

Emma – “My studies and knowledge are in theatre, and I feel I am still working out my practice! I love documentary drama and finding new fun ways to engage people in their own talented community.”

Morgan – “I don’t have a creative practice per se, my interest rather lies in the development of the local region and how the creative sector can contribute to it. I am also a Business student, specialising in Marketing, and I hope to utilise and develop the skills I am gaining in my degree and apply them to the Creative Spaces programme.”

Q) Where are you from? What draws you to D&G as a young creative?

Mia – “I grew up in rural D&G in a tiny wee village called Durisdeer. After leaving the area to go off to uni and circumstantially having to return, I was instantly drawn to a lot of the creative organisations in Dumfries because of the beneficial work they were doing for the community and it’s where I found I aligned best.”

Mia – “I grew up in rural D&G in a tiny wee village called Durisdeer. After leaving the area to go off to uni and circumstantially having to return, I was instantly drawn to a lot of the creative organisations in Dumfries because of the beneficial work they were doing for the community and it’s where I found I aligned best.”

Alice – “Originally I’m from Guildford, Surrey. I moved to Edinburgh in 2015, then to Dumfries in 2021. I moved down to Dumfries to join my partner. Aside from that I was looking forward to a slower pace of life and having more outside space. I had heard of The Stove before moving down but didn’t quite realise just how creative the region is.”

Emma – “I am originally from Dalbeattie, but moved up to Glasgow to study theatre. Even though I moved to the city to find opportunities in the arts, I resonate with all the work and projects down at home. The amount of good work getting created by talented people in D&G was what drew me back down.”

Morgan – “I am local to the area – I grew up in Lochside but have spent the last few years living close to the town centre. My main attraction to D&G stems from having a large root system in the local region, and I have a great passion surrounding the development of the town to become a place that is attractive and viable for young people. I believe that creativity in the region can act as a gateway to the retention of young people and hope that our cohort of Creative Spaces can begin to engage with young creative and build a lasting impact that entices young people.”

Q) What do you like to do outside of work?

Mia – “I love spending time with my family, partner & pals, specifically my wee niece. I get so much joy from exploring the countryside and swimming or paddle boarding when weather permits me to do so!”

Alice – “Most weekends I’ll be visiting friends or family, they are scattered up and down the UK so that takes some time. I’ve got two dogs, so I like to take them on walks and there are so many beautiful beaches nearby. I like gardening, we’re watching our first lot of potatoes and onions grow in our vegetable patch which is exciting. Lastly, I love food so I spend a lot of my time cooking and baking.”

Emma – “ love to cook when I have the chance! I also love to discover new craft beers, hit me up with recommendations.”

Morgan – “When I’m not working I like to work through my to-be-read/to-be-watched list, get out in the car and visit the Lake District or the Borders, spend time with my little sister, and combat burnout by taking ridiculously long naps!”

Q) What are you hoping to get out of Creative Spaces?

Mia – “I hope to make some great connections within the team & assist them through the CS programme. I can’t wait to showcase the work that we do to a wider audience across D&G in order to inspire young creatives across the region and promote D&G as a viable option for young creatives wanting to develop their practice.”

Alice – “I’m looking forward to planning and working on some exciting projects. I’m hoping to meet a network of other young creatives in the region. Also, I’d like to learn as much as I can about marketing and how to run a creative business.”

Emma – “I hope to help at least one young person to find a creative outlet in their hometown.”

Morgan – “Beyond hoping to develop the skills and interests I am coming into the programme with, as well as discovering some new ones, I have a keen interest in engaging with the wider region, hoping to incorporate the “G” in D&G as much as possible. I also hope to foster a link with the local schools to promote CS to local young people who are looking for a future in the creative sector.”

Q) And finally, what’s your Stove Cafe order?

Mia – “It’s definitely an extra crispy bacon sandwich on chia bread & a decaf tea with oat milk or a big glass of water (because hydration is key).”

Alice – “A flat white or an iced coffee depending on how I’m feeling. Food wise, either a bacon sandwich or some form of toastie.”

Emma – “Vegan toastie, side salad or salt and vinegar crisps and coconut latte.”

Morgan – “Recently, it’s been a bacon roll and a small caramel latte.”

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