Regional Arts Hub Update

From Kathleen O’Neill, Regional Arts Convenor

The Regional Arts Hub, which is the central voice of the D&G arts sector, has been working intensely over recent weeks to help inform arts strategy across the region.
On behalf of the Hub I will be making new commission recommendations to the Chamber of Arts Board at the end of September.
Lots of creative thinking has gone into exploring what investment is needed across the region to strengthen artistic and partnership working, including across geographical areas. What new commissions may look like in the short and long term is being determined. A lot of attention is being paid to the voices of the four Area Convenors and to everything they are experiencing and hearing, at grassroots levels. This is an exciting period when many options are being considered for developing opportunities for participation and sustainability.

From Denise Zygadlo's Wrap exhibition in Gracefield this summer. 

The headline themes of youth arts, early career needs, art and place, supporting practice, audience development, marketing, touring, and reaching out to profile the immense creative and community strengths of Dumfries and Galloway, have been discussed in depth.
The next tranche of commissions to be advertised in the autumn will reflect grass roots views and the growing dynamics of the Chamber of the Arts structure to empower place and people.
There is still time to express your views in this process, if you have not already done so and are not personally represented on the Regional Hub please make contact with your local area arts convenor.

They are:
• Annandale and Eskdale: Alan Thomson - alan.thomson25@gmail.com
• Nithsdale: Belle Doyle - belledoyle01@gmail.com
• Stewartry: Cate Ross - cateliza@rocketmail.com
• Wigtownshire: Sid Ambrose - sidambroseproductions@gmail.com

And if you are not yet a Chamber member then sign up – it’s free.

Sea Box, Sailing to Eiglsy. Silvana McLean

In fact we are delighted to have welcomed nearly 30 new members in August alone. They are an amazing mix of some of the most talented folk in the region including:
• Silvana McLean, an artist, printmaker and occasional teacher
• Denise Zygadlo, whose recent exhibition, Wrap, at Gracefield attracted lots of interest and was covered on the Commonty and elsewhere.
• Sally Hinchcliffe, author of the dark psychological crime thriller Out of a Clear Sky
• Public artist Jo Hodges, who is currently involved in the wonderful Dark Outside FM.
Have a look at this article on our website for details. To join the Chamber just download the form from the website and send it to the address given, or email it to Mjhshelley@hotmail.co.uk.