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Tag: Blueprint100

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Musings

Song Factory

From Alix Adair

mic live song factory

In an effort to provide young musicians the opportunity to write, record, and release their own tracks; Blueprint100, in association with D&G Council and DGU, created the Song Factory. Running over the course of two months, participants were taken through various aspects of the music industry from songwriting to graphic advertising. Workshops ran every Wednesday from the 14th of a June to the 5th of July, with time to record until the 2nd of August when the final workshop was held.

song factory workshop

During these workshops those involved were able to work with poet Hugh McMillan; singer-songwriter Jamie McClennan; graphic designer Sam Sparrow; and producer and owner of Lovers Lane Studios Grant Christian Henderson. They worked in groups to create 3 songs overall, paying ample attention to both music and lyrics, and then – after a tour of the studios – were funded to record these songs.

song factory workshops
Song Factory Workshops

The final workshop focused on publicising your music, so as well as being taken through some basic graphic design participants were talked through an interview in preparation for a slot on the Thursday Night Showcase on Alive radio the following night. Here they talked about how they found the course and either played their track or performed their song live. All recorded tracks will be regularly featured on the show from this point onward.

Song Factory Recording
Song Factory
Song Factory

The response to Song Factory has been truly touching, with the involved Blueprint members receiving messages of thanks from many of those involved, and the songs created will be worthy additions to Dumfries and Galloway’s ever-growing music scene.

All photographs credited to Kirstin McEwan Photography.

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News

Drawing for Enjoyment Workshop returns

Following on from the success of the first Drawing for Enjoyment events late last year and the café exhibition, artist Frank Hayes brings another set of drawing workshops back to the Stove Network for a 8-week block.

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Frank commented, “The aim of the workshop is to encourage and support anyone who is looking to get more creative and learn new ways of approaching art, whatever their skill level.” Each week, participants were shown different techniques as well as being shown how to work with different materials and resources.

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Each week, Frank explained and taught a different skill, such as blind contour and observational techniques, abstract art, still life, encouraging everyone that there are no mistakes in art, only discoveries.

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Drawing for Enjoyment will once again return to The Stove for an 8-week block starting on Thursday 16th March from 5-7pm. The workshop is open to anyone above the age of 16, and a small contribution of £4 will be required, which will go towards materials and resources. For any more information, contact the blueprint100 team at [email protected], to find out more about enjoying drawing in a fantastic and creative atmosphere. Whether you are an artist or would like to try something new, Drawing for Enjoyment is a great way to spend an evening to relax.

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News

One Day Without Us at The Stove

The Stove Network hosted One Day Without Us on Monday 20th February, which saw the people of Dumfries come together to celebrate the contribution that migrants make to the UK saw a huge turnout. One Day Without Us, which took place all over the UK, provided people with the opportunity to express their solidarity, and explore how migration has had a positive impact on both their own lives and the lives of the wider Dumfries and Galloway community.

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Image credit: Galina Walls Photography

On Monday, thousands of migrants and their supporters took part in the National Day of Action to celebrate the vital role that migrants play within their own communities. There was a great turnout for the day, and many people and their families joined us at The Stove to share food, listen to music, watch short films, share a personal story and post messages of support on the walls.

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Image credit: Galina Walls Photography

Emerging artists platform, Blueprint100, had the opportunity to coordinate and organise the event for The Stove. Blueprint100 Curatorial Team Member, Michael Moore, commented, “To me 1 Day Without Us was all about displaying our community’s strength through diversity, with people from different nations around the world living harmoniously together.”

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Image credit: Galina Walls Photography

There was also opportunities for members of the public to share their own personal stories of how migration has changed their lives. Stories were shared on the walls of The Stove, and will be eventually collated into a zine. At 1pm, people across the nation joined together to show their support in a number of ways, by linking arms or holding hands. By encouraging people to share their stories and speak out, this event aimed to spread the message that migrants make a positive contribution to Dumfries and Galloway, enriching the fabric of everyday life in our town.

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News

Big Burns Supper at the Stove

Dead Famous Carnival

Last week, The Stove Network ran as the town centre hub for this year’s Big Burns Supper Festival, hosting a variety of events over the 10 days, as well as being the base for the very first D-Lux Festival of Light.

The Big Burns Supper festivities kicked off on Sunday with the annual Carnival. This year, blueprint100 team members created giant skeletons of celebrities and artists lost in 2016. Among these were David Bowie, Prince, Muhammed Ali and Carrie Fisher.

Dead Famous Carnival

On Wednesday, we hosted ‘Being Made in Dumfries’; an opportunity to see the next crop of local creativity before anyone else as local playwrights, writers, musicians and artists presented their ‘work-in-progress’ to an audience for the first time. Martin Joseph O’Neill, writer and Curatorial Team member here at The Stove, began the evening with a discussion of his second artwork in a series entitled ‘Midnight Streetlight Smalltown Rain’; an interactive installation which ran during the week as part of the D-Lux Festival of Light.

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The following evening, Holywood actor and D&G resident Gary Lewis hosted a special screening of the blackest of Glaswegian comedies – Orphans, starring Lewis and directed by Peter Mullen. The screening was followed by a Q&A with Gary. We had a great chat including the long and circuitous route getting started in acting, the value of independent film making, the uncertain future for film making post Brexit, and the most beautiful Scottish landscapes to work in.

To conclude our week of Big Burns Supper events, the Stove’s monthly open mic night had a special edition with ‘Brave New Words for the Bard’. The night was open to writers, performers and musicians with words spoken or sung to present their work in front of a live audience. The performances ranged from Brave New Words regulars and local young musicians Kate Kyle and Elia Davidson, as well as newcomers sharing their poetry and stories. Brave New Words will return at the end of this month with a special love themed evening.

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Musings

Curating Captive Art #3

Captive Art 3 - The Stove Network

From Morgan Hardie, emerging artist and curator of the recent exhibition Captive Art #3 in the Stove cafe:

I am a portrait artist based in Dumfries, I graduated with a HND in Art and Design three years ago at Dumfries and Galloway College and have continued since then as self-taught. I have a huge interest and wish to pursue a career in the therapeutic arts, which is why I was really excited when I was offered the opportunity to curate Captive Art #3! I believe it is so important that the prisoners have the chance to show their work outside of prison walls and to offer the local community a better understanding of prison rehabilitation, and how art practice and creative writing play a fundamental part in this.

Captive Art 3 - The Stove Network


The experience of curating the exhibition was so busy and enjoyable, I loved all of the different aspects from selecting the work in Dumfries Prison to hanging the exhibition the day before the opening. I had written out a plan covering everything that needed to be done and how I was going to do it, and with some help from blueprint100 and the prison education department, I think I managed to stay fairly organised! Selecting the artwork was probably the most challenging, as there was a huge variety to choose from and such limited wall space in The Stove Café, but I managed to really narrow it down and include work which demonstrated a range of different styles and techniques.

Captive Art 3 - The Stove Network

The reason I chose the painting called ‘The Nearest Faraway Place’ to be used on the posters and invites, apart from it being my personal favourite, was because of the story behind it and the immense detail portrayed. The artist had explained to me that the painting was a representation of a dream he’d had, and he had felt the need to paint it on to canvas.

Captive Art 3 - The Stove Network

My main goal was to involve the prisoners as much as possible, as it is their exhibition after all. I took information about The Stove up to the prison, along with photographs of the space so that they were clued up on where their work was going. I had decided to keep all of the work anonymous, but instead had asked each artist for a small statement on what art does for them on a personal level and included this on their labels. I received really good feedback at the opening event about this personal touch, as well as the prisoners’ poems which were read out at the beginning and the other written work which was also on display. I found that the visitors really liked that interesting connection between art and writing as it helps them to gain a more informative insight, which is exactly what I had hoped for.

Captive Art 3 - The Stove Network

The opening event was more successful than I imagined it would be, and I hope the exhibition continues to deliver and inform for the remaining time that it is on display. Hopefully everyone enjoys the exhibition as much as I loved curating it!

All Images: Kirstin McEwan

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News

Captive Art 3 Comes to The Stove Network

An exhibition of original artwork and poetry by inmates from HMP Dumfries opened on 3rd October at The Stove, Dumfries. Organised by emerging artists’ platform, blueprint100 and curated by local artist Morgan Hardie, the exhibition included creative contributions ranging from oil on canvas, pastels, watercolours, ink drawings, as well as a selection of written work.

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An example of work from one of the inmates at HMP Dumfries.

John Oates, Learning Centre Manager at HMP Dumfries, commented, “The Learning Centre at HMP Dumfries has an ethos in which we try to encourage positive learning and positive learning outcomes, including equality, tolerance, inclusiveness and development of community spirit. Through creative practices, we aim to enhance self-esteem and break down cultural barriers; in short, we want to positively change lives.”

The Learning Centre at HMP Dumfries regularly hold celebrations of learning achievement, and the Captive Art 3 Exhibition was­ a chance for the prisoners to gain public recognition for their achievements, through the attendance of invited guests from the local artistic and educational community. Local SNP member, Joan McAlpine, and Oliver Mundell MSP were amongst those present at the opening of the exhibition, as well as Andy Huntstone, the Deputy Governor at HMP Dumfries. The inmates also had the opportunity to display and sell their work at a recent Creative Art Exhibition at HMP Dumfries, with the proceeds from all sales going to a nominated local charity.

Captive Art 3 - The Stove Network
Captive Art 3 Exhibition Launch at The Stove Network.

One prisoner commented, “All year long, the poets and artists at HMP Dumfries look forward to this particular event, as it allows us the opportunity to show the positive work that we can produce. The Creative Art Exhibition this year was much bigger and more inclusive than before, and gave those outside the prison walls the chance to see first-hand that there is creativity and enthusiasm to be found inside. Art in its many forms has inspired those in custody to express themselves and contribute to their rehabilitation.”

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Inmates at HMP Dumfries with their exhibition work.

Captive Art 3 will continue to be on display in The Stove Café until 19th October.

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