Update from the Trustees

From Janet Brennan, DG Unlimited Trustee

Last Friday, 28th November, members of the Regional Arts Hub and the Board of Trustees of DGU held a very positive round table discussion meeting in the Council Chambers in Dumfries. Both parties had constructive suggestions to make as to how to ensure that a two-way flow of information and ideas is effective and that an atmosphere of mutual trust can be fostered.

The trustees – whose governance role charges them collectively to be the DGU voice that communicates with the Council – had their normal board meeting afterwards and were much enthused by the prospect of better and more open communications with the Regional Arts Hub. Ways and means of achieving this are still being discussed, but include proposals for observers from RAH at board meetings and vice versa, as well as steps to make the work of the RAH more structured.

Bea Last, from Kirkgunzeon, answered the latest invitation to apply to be a trustee, and we are delighted to have an artist practitioner join us. Her input will be invaluable, and we now begin to assess what other skills we may need as a board. Membership of DGU (aka the Chamber of the Arts) is growing very quickly, with applications from practitioners and supporters across the region and from elsewhere. It can claim to be a real grass roots organisation and the message about what DGU can achieve, for its members and the region, is very positive.



As trustees, we are simply the voice of the sector at Council level and elsewhere; the dynamism, energy and creativity come from the grass roots, as we saw in the videos and presentations made at the convention in Stranraer last month. The four regional arts conveners, Sid, Cate, Belle and Alan, have the all-important job of gathering and disseminating information, and this part of the structure is working very well. The Regional Arts Hub is also coming into its own as the forum for communication for the entire region, and we look forwards to DGU having a successful and expanding second year.

The trustees welcome any comments and suggestions which are going to further the evolution of this exciting new way of working for the arts in the region, which is being closely observed by other councils who may well follow the set-up if they see it to be successful and flourishing. Dumfries and Galloway has such an extraordinarily vibrant, broad-based arts community, representing a huge amount of diverse talent and energy across a sparsely populated region. We are very lucky!

• You can get in touch with DGU using the contact form here
• To become a member just download the form here and pop it in the post.
• For biographies of current Board of Trustee members see here and for the current membership and structure of the Regional Arts Hub, plus contacts for the Area Convenors click on this link.