Edible Spring Fling

From Spring Fling

From paintings made with pomegranates and coffee to huge stone pears – Spring Fling marks the Year of Food and Drink

An abstract painting created using tea, coffee, liqueurs, fruit and mustard powder has gone on show in an exhibition inspired by Scottish food and drink.

Spring Show: Art, Food & Drink, has just opened at the McGill Duncan Gallery in Castle Douglas and runs until 23 April. It also features giant stone pears and pictures made from kitchen garden herbs and petals among an abundance of paintings, jewellery, woodwork, photography and ceramics. The theme for the exhibition, which takes place in Scotland’s national food town, was specially chosen as part of the celebrations for Scotland’s 2015 Year of Food and Drink.

Around 90 artists and makers, mostly from Dumfries and Galloway, were invited to submit pieces inspired by the edible for the show, which acts as a taster for the Spring Fling visual art and craft open studios weekend in May.

Painter Annirose Ansbro decided to take the theme literally for her own work entitled Drool. “I thought it would be fun to take the food and drink theme all the way, so I scoured the kitchen for ingredients I could use as well as conventional paint. “In the end I used a pomegranate, a tangerine, sloe gin, melon liqueur, orange squash, herbal teas and fresh coffee. The smell of the painting was absolutely wonderful.”

In the gallery garden are three huge stone pears made by sculptor Max Nowell. The distinctive drystone sculptures Max makes have been commissioned for gardens and landscapes all over the UK.

Suzanne Stuart Davies had been wondering what to contribute when she arrived home from the shops one day. She said: “I had bought the veg for a ratatouille and shoved it in a bowl – then I suddenly thought ‘that’s just right’.” Normally a landscape artist working in oils, the experience has led her to create a whole series of still life watercolours.

Another of those taking part is Jennie Ashmore who uses leaves, plants and flowers – often edible – to make intricate pictures.

Spring Show: Art, Food & Drink has also led to collaboration, like the one between Clare Dawdry who has made hand-thrown bowls that nestle in slender woven willow baskets by Geoff Forrest.

Leah Black, Spring Fling Director, said: “The artists really warmed to the food and drink theme and came up with some amazingly imaginative ideas. There really is something to suit every taste. “It’s great to be able to have such a lovely food and drink themed exhibition in Scotland’s food town for the national year of food and drink.”

Rura at Dalry Town Hall

From Kirsten Ansell at The Catstrand


Rura will be playing at the Dalry Town Hall on Wednesday 15th April at 7.30pm. Details available here

Rugged yet disciplined, heartfelt whilst rousing and anthemic, refreshingly contemporary but rooted in tradition… Rura are a band inarguably at the forefront of Scottish folk.
Internationally renowned for their punch-packing mix of highland pipes, whistle, flute, fiddle, bodhran, guitar and voice, Rura are one of the most exciting bands of their generation. Steven Blake, Jack Smedley, David Foley and Adam Brown create muscular, yet intricately arranged and lyrical instrumentals to match singer/songwriter Adam Holmes’ haunting songcraft – a perfected mix that has seen them rise to headline status at festivals throughout the UK and Europe.

Since bursting on to the scene in 2010, as award winners at Glasgow’s Celtic Connections festival, Rura have firmly established themselves as a major force. The release of their heralded first album, Break It Up, in 2012 (produced by Lau and Kan fiddler, Aidan O’Rourke) was accompanied by multiple award wins and nominations – including the running for the BBC Radio 2 Horizon Award 2013 - and now the five-piece’s second release is just around the corner. Due for release in spring 2015, it is one of the most hotly-anticipated albums in recent years – and from a band of the very same.

“What every festival needs…barnstorming!” BBC Radio Scotland
“Scotland’s hottest folk prospects” The Scotsman

www.facebook.com/ruramusic
@RURAband

Festival Forecast In The Heart Of Galloway

From Sid Ambrose Wigtownshire Area Arts Convenor

Nostalgic acts booked for several of the regions festivals

Music lovers and festival fans may have noticed a strong nostalgic vibe emanating from some of our region’s major events being held in deepest grooviest Galloway this summer.
Lulu, Status Quo, Grandmaster Flash, Squeeze, the Waterboys and Big Country are like a who’s who of bygone rock royalty. In search of meaning l read some tea leaves and consulted with the bones to find out why, it appears that a frothy cloud of nostalgia has been snagged on the lofty peak of the Merrick and looks to be settled in place for our northern summer. However fans of contemporary and new music need not be alarmed as strong westerlies have blown in a smattering of current acts such as Example, Tom Odell and The Cat Empire.

This retro and newbie mash up may have been influenced by the Gulf Stream which flows northward past our shores, but it is more likely that the population demographic of ageing stalwarts and bright young things have championed for a series of line up’s that reflect the eclectic musical tastes of our collective shires and dales. Wickerman, Eden and now Palmerston Park may have secured some of the music industry heavy artillery but let’s not forget the likes of Knockengorroch who have booked timeless acts such as Shooglenifty and the Peatbog Faeries for their World Ceilidh in May. Electric Fields who champion new Scottish music have just released their line-up of new pretenders and our "way out west" event Park Fest in Stranraer will probably combine a weekend of Young Guns and veteran performers in late August. Youth Beatz are building a national reputation amongst a tween audience whilst Dumfries and Galloway Arts Festival continue their 30-year run of bringing quality and diversity to pocket sized venues all along the A75 corridor.

So what’s the long range forecast for the regions festivals and events l hear you ask. Well barring external factors such as those that affect the economy and travel l feel that future of our festival industry is so bright we are probably going to need shades, the combination of niche market events, family friendly gatherings and rock offerings means that we must be several isobars above other comparable regions when it comes to outdoor live music. In my experience live performance can never be matched by pub jukeboxes or in- car stereos and luckily for us you can hardly swing a selfie stick in Galloway without hitting a festival.

Treats in store from The Bakehouse

From Chrys Salt


Warm yourself up for Big Lit with the rare opportunity to hear Hungarian poet and translator George Szirtes - one of the UK’s most respected poets. You’d have to travel a long way to see George, but he’s at The Bakehouse on March 28th. Don’t miss him. He’ll be joined by one of our best local poets and translators, Donald Adamson reading from A Landscape Blossoms Within Me his stunning ( and sexy) translations of Finnish Nobel Nominee Eeva Kilpi. For more details see the Bakehouse website here  (Maybe this will inspire you to come to Booker Prize nominee, Michèle Roberts’ BIG LIT workshop on Friday April 17th The Pleasures of the Text.....!?) Followed by an open mike session. I’m sure George would love to hear what the region has to offer. Come and read! The evening will not disappoint! 

TICKETS: Tel: 01557 814175 or email: chrys@chryssalt.com

The Phantom Band, Hector Bizerk And Golden Teacher Set to Storm the Castle!

From Electric Fields

Electric Fields, one of Scotland’s hottest new music festivals returns after making its spectacular debut in 2014! The Phantom Band, Hector Bizerk and Golden Teacher are amongst the first wave of artists, with the festival headliner due to be revealed soon. Having its biggest line-up to date and upping its capacity, an extra 1000 festival goers can also expect to see up to 50 artists & bands performing over 4 stages within the fields of Drumlanrig Castle situated in the stunning Queensberry Estate in Dumfries & Galloway.

Last years headliners Fatherson

THE PHANTOM BAND - HECTOR BIZERK- GOLDEN TEACHER

PAWS - VICTORIAN TROUT CONSPIRACY - RANDOLPH’S LEAP – ESPERANZA

MIAOUX MIAOUX - MONOGRAM - JONNIE COMMON - PRONTO MAMA

MAN OF MOON - NUMBERS ARE FUTILE - KILL THE WAVES

CRASH CLUB - ROOT SYSTEM

As well as having twin main stages (The Arc & Carse Valley), this year, Scotland’s Hit The Road project will be taking place during the day in the ‘To Lose La Trek’ stage, giving young musicians aged 14-19 years old their first taste of touring and playing festivals. A brand new alternative stage has been also added, curated by The Skinny, one of Scotland’s most diverse and widely distributed music & culture must-read magazines. A spokesperson for Electric Fields said ‘Last year, this started as a grass roots idea, and despite us increasing the capacity, we’re remaining grass roots but as we made such a healthy impression, we’re adding more artists and an awesome new stage. It’s only year 2, we have to luxury to grow and be diverse…and we cannot wait to reveal the rest of the line-up!’

Jim Gellatly – DJ & Broadcaster, XFM Radio.
"My dream festival line-up, with so much amazing emerging music from Scotland."

Ally McCrae – DJ & Broadcaster.
“Honestly, what a day. The line-up was strong, the two stages worked a treat, the weather, the people, the setting… ah, it was awesome! ”

The Stove's Open House

From The Stove Network

Very exciting news from Stove central as we can announce that The Stove will be opening next month, with a series of events called Open House.

Open House is a series of very different events that will show the versatility of The Stove as a physical space and the ambition of the project for the town centre.

We kick off with the third annual Dumfries Music Conference on 24th and 25th April. As in previous years, DMC2015 will feature workshops, talks, film, live music, expert opinion and creative collaboration. Through a collection of brilliant partners and guests, we hope to educate, inspire and entertain. DMC2015 will mark the official opening of The Stove Building at 100 High Street. In celebration of this we are going to fill the entire building with colour, music and people. Full details will be made available here as they are announced!

On 28th April The Stove hosts Open Mouth – a day of spoken word, performance and cooking. Full details available here  Open Mouth is specially created and delivered for The Stove Network by Sarah Indigo, Eryl Shields and Open Jar Collective Produced in collaboration with Wigtown Festival Company

29th April sees House Warming – an open invite to come and see The Stove building, have a chat and make a T-shirt. From 6pm there will be a Stove Members Gathering, which will include a public bonfire, and Bannock making in the town square with Open Jar. More details available here.

At 6pm on Saturday 2nd May come to The Stove for the public launch of HAME, this is a specially commissioned film installation by artists Emma Dove and Mark Lyken. Lyken and Dove have been artists-in-residence with The Stove Network for 6 months, and during this time they have been researching the way people move away from D+G and return. Come along on 2nd May for the world premiere of the work, which will be partly broadcast outside on the High Street and partly inside The Stove. Full details will be announced shortly and be available here 

Every Tuesday starting 12th May you are invited to Drop-In @ The Stove – pop in for a brew and a blether about The Stove and the town…. what would you like to see The Stove doing? What are your ideas for the town centre? What would you like to do at The Stove? We’ll be open and we’d love to hear your ideas! Drop In will run from 12 noon till 6pm every Tuesday, so just drop in on your way past! More details available here 

Keep up with the latest updates on Open House on our website, and via our social media on Facebook and Twitter, using #OpenHouse

Inspire Youth Dance end of term Fundraiser

From Emma at Inspire Youth Dance

Things are hotting with A the Airts latest Mediterranean exhibition

From Sara Bain at A the Airts

The debut exhibition of New Cumnock artist Jane Ross is taking place at A’ the Airts in Sanquhar this month. Inspired by the hot hues of the Spanish landscape, Jane’s colourful, often sparkling, acrylic canvasses of trees and fruit are evocative of the searing heat and arid conditions of a Mediterranean summer.

“I wanted to capture the hardship that plants face growing in the high Spanish temperatures,” Jane said. “Despite such adverse conditions, vegetation manages to grow and produce fruit. Nature is an amazing thing. “The colours I use, in particular, help to depict the Mediterranean heat as well as the vibrancy and sparkle of life inside its harsh environment.”

A prolific painter, Jane’s manifold collection of canvasses, prints, cards and postcards are on display in the exhibition area at A’ the Airts until March 30.

Tailor of Inverness touring New York, via Dalbeattie

From Sara Bain

Dogstar Theatre’s Tailor of Inverness, is amongst two Scottish plays selected for New York premieres in this year’s Brits off Broadway festival. And the region’s theatre lovers will be able to see why in May, when the drama comes to Dalbeattie Town Hall as part of the Dumfries and Galloway Arts Festival.

Brits off Broadway is an annual festival premiering British plays to New York audiences. Critically acclaimed, the festival is described as a showcase for innovative and provocative theatre and this year runs from April to June.

The productions are travelling to the US thanks to combined funding of £70,000 from Creative Scotland and the Scottish Government. Creative Scotland’s Open Project funding awarded Dogstar £11,457 through the Scottish Government’s Edinburgh Festivals Expo Fund.

Brits off Broadway opens with the Tailor of Inverness at the end of Scotland Week 2015, Scotland’s annual showcase of culture and creativity in North America. The Tailor of Inverness, the true story about how a boy from the Ukraine became a tailor in northern Scotland, will launch on 14 April 14. Following a 23-night run it will close on 3 May before it comes to Dalbeattie on 27 May.

Festival organisers have also chosen in My Father’s Words, a play about dementia, the Gaelic language and family revelations that span the Atlantic.

Cabinet Secretary for Culture Europe and External Affairs, Fiona Hyslop said: “Scottish theatre and culture resonates across the world. “This is great opportunity for two brilliant productions to make their mark in the USA. It’s exciting that Brits off Broadway will start at the end of Scotland Week with In My Father’s words; a great Scottish play with internationalism at its heart. This year’s Brits of Broadway demonstrates confidence in Scottish talent and the role of our world-renowned festivals as platforms for international success.”

Brits off Broadway Executive Producer, Peter Tear said: “As a Scot based in New York it is always a pleasure to present outstanding Scottish work at 59E59 Theaters. “We have waited a few years to introduce the remarkable, inspiring story of The Tailor of Inverness to New Yorkers, and this year happily the stars aligned. Dogstar’s Matthew Zajac, Aidan O’Rourke and Grid Iron’s director Ben Harrison will be with us for the first time for Brits Off Broadway at the close of Scotland Week.”

Book tickets for the Dalbeattie show on the DG Arts website here

Daimh at the Catstrand

From the Catstrand

Dàimh celebrate 15 years since their first album with a Scottish tour that showcases why they have earned the reputation of being the "Gaelic Supergroup" in the intervening years. 2014 saw the group win the “Eiserner Eversteiner” European Folk Music Award in the 23nd German Folkherbst competition and also nominated for Folk Band of the Year in the Scots Trad Music Awards.

A unique concert presenting a mixture of self penned material from their most recent ***** album, Tuneship, combined with some choice old Highland favourites arranged anew in Dàimh's inimitable style. Much of the material performed will be featured on the band's first live album, due to be recorded in the Hebrides this spring.
The archetypal pipe and fiddle led instrumental powerhouse of Angus MacKenzie and Gabe McVarish with Ross Martin on Guitar now sees Gaelic Champion Griogair Labhruidh cemented as the vocal Main Man and features a new member in the shape of Murdo "Yogi" Cameron on Mandola and Accordion.

This is a great Gaelic band and definitely worthy of the title Gaelic Super Group.
BRIGHT YOUNG FOLK

Dàimh have carved a reputation from the bedrock of Gaelic culture... authentic Gaelic music with a modern edge and a magnificent range of expression. This could be one of the best Scottish releases of 2014.
FOLKWORLD

Love, life, loss and Lochaber; Tuneship displays the growing maturity of a group whose work screams of place but which is rooted firmly in the present.
SUNDAY HERALD

The Big Lit returns this month

From the Big Lit

Big Lit imports leading contemporary writers to darkest Dumfries and Galloway and provides a showcase for talent from the south west. Organisers have today unveiled the programme for the four-day book festival in Gatehouse of Fleet from 16 to 19 April. Booker nominee Michèle Roberts will be one of the main attractions at Big Lit when she runs a workshop on writing about sex. 

Among the highlights will be a reading by local author Karen Campbell from her new post-referendum book Rise. Karen was made famous by her four crime novels, which were based in Glasgow and featured Sergeant Anna Cameron and Cath and Jamie Worth. There will also be the chance to meet Terry Darlington, whose Narrow Dog books enchanted the world – selling more than 250,000 copies.

Rally and Broad and their spoken word cabaret

Chrys Salt MBE, festival organiser and Artistic Director of the Bakehouse, said: “For four days in April we will be turning a quiet and pretty historic town in the depths of rural Dumfries and Galloway into a den of sex and revelry - which will be great fun. “We are expecting lots of interest from writers and the public as we have so much going on, including authors like Michèle Roberts’ tackling juicy subjects like how to write about sex, and whether porn silences or empowers. “We are developing Big Lit into the Stewartry’s own book festival, bringing in some of the best contemporary writers and showcasing some of our excellent home-grown authors.

“Big Lit will also be offering poetry, song, installation art and special activities for children, including as an exploration in Cally Woods where they will encounter some of their favourite fictional characters. “Our event is helping build Dumfries and Galloway’s reputation as a region full of festivals, attracting visitors from all over the country and overseas and enriching the cultural lives of the people who live here.”

Karen Campbell added: “Big Lit is a wee jewel of a festival. You're guaranteed a warm welcome, and an eclectic mix of writers, talks and art - everything from guerilla poets to word sculptures. It's one of my favourite literary festivals, tucked away in such a beautiful part of the world, and I'm delighted to have been asked to take part again.”

Michèle Roberts’ workshop The Pleasures of the Text will consider issues like whether authors get trapped in flowery writing or clinical writing and whether the Bad Sex Award encourages good writing or puts authors off completely for fear they will be mocked. She said: “I am delighted to be coming to read, talk, teach, listen and learn at BIG LIT. I look forward to meeting other readers and writers and to being in Scotland again.”

Audiences will be able to enjoy the lyrical delights of Rally and Broad’s marvellous spoken word cabaret with its melange of music, spraffing, spikiness and other assorted nonsense.

Other attractions include:

• Ladies who Launch – Elspeth Brown and Vivien Jones launch new poetry collections
• Candlelit readings in The Temple, a Georgian folly deep in the forest with Liz Niven
• A typically crazy Bill Barlow interactive art installation in The Bakehouse Studio
• And you can rub shoulders with everyone from Leonard Cohen to Ivor Cutler in the Murray Arms with one of Galloway’s longest-standing pub sessions.

Author Karen Campbell

And as if that wasn’t enough there will also be a Big Lit Mill Session with Gerda Stevenson (nominated Scots Singer of the Year, MG Alba Scots Trad Music Awards, 2014) with her new album Night Touches Day. She will be accompanied by Norwegian musician Kyrre Slind, on lute, sitar, guitar and mandolin.

Plus the poems of Hugh MacDairmid will be set to music and sung by popular composer and singersongwriter Nicola Black.


Lots of the events are free while many others are as cheap as chips. For further information visit www.biglit.org or you can always email Chrys@chryssalt.com. 

Absolute Classics concludes the season with the Fournier Piano Trio

From Ivy Moon Press

Outstanding, astonishing and unique, are just three of the adjectives which have been used to describe a concert by the Fournier Piano Trio. “When you can blow off a 400 seat concert hall with just three people playing, you know something extraordinary has happened,” said one enthusiastic reviewer.

And a mini tour of the region by this distinguished and exciting trio, will mark the grand finale to the highly successful 2014/15 Absolute Classics series. Since winning the 2013 Parkhouse Award, the London-based trio has been rapidly emerging as one of the world’s leading young piano trios. The young group of classical musicians are Taiwanese-British pianist Chiao-Ying Chang; Korean violinist Sulki Yu; and Australian cellist Pei-Jee Ng. All are leading musicians of their generation and have given recitals at some of the world’s most prestigious classical venues, including the Purcell Room and the Wigmore, Carnegie and Royal Festival halls.

As a trio, these three remarkable musicians have made critically acclaimed debuts at both the Purcell Room and Wigmore Hall in London and in 2011 embarked on its first European Tour after being selected for New Masters on Tour at the International Holland Music Sessions which culminated in their debut at the Amsterdam Concertgebouw. They have appeared at music festivals across the world, including Singapore, Hong Kong and Australia and have made regular visits to the Trondheim International Music Festival. Plans are afoot to record their debut album later this year for USK Recordings.

The Fournier Piano Trio begin their four-day concert series at Kirkcudbright Parish Church on Thursday, March 26, at 7.30pm. On Friday, March 27, the performance will take place at Annan Academy Performing Arts Centre, at 7.30pm. The venue is Greyfriars Church Dumfries on Saturday, March 28, again at 7.30pm, and Sunday, March 29, sees the final date in the Absolute Classics 2014/15 series when the trio will play out the last performance at the Buccleuch and Queensberry Arms, Thornhill, at 3.30pm.

Programmes include pieces by Haydn, Faure, Tchaikovsky, Schumann, Schubert and Dvorak.
Tickets in advance from www.absoluteclassics.co.uk or on the doors.

Absolute Classics returns in August with its popular summer festival and will once again feature the International Music Platform, bringing some of the world’s most highly-acclaimed musicians to Dumfries and Galloway. Director, Alex McQuiston, said: “It’s been an amazing year for classical music in the region. We have hosted some truly astounding performances, many to packed audiences and the feedback has been inspiring as well as very encouraging.

“The success of the programme is evidence that the people of Dumfries and Galloway are fully supportive of what we are trying to achieve: to bring the best calibre classical musicians from across the world to this predominately rural region. “We’re back in August with the popular International Musicians Platform - a 10-day concert series and weeklong masterclass series attracting performers and students from all over the world.

“In the meantime, Absolute Classics would like to thank everyone who supported us - the venues, the performers, the funders and, of course, the audiences - over the 2014/15 series and who all helped it to be so successful. “We look forward to seeing you all in August.”

Big Country to Support Status Quo at Palmerston Park

From Sid Ambrose

As the build-up to their first concert project grows momentum, Queen of the South are pleased to announce another top band will perform at their home ground later this year, with Big Country booked to support headline act Status Quo.

Having previously played in Dumfries at the Big Burns Supper in 2014, Big Country, one of Scotland’s well known bands, make a welcome return to the town to play Palmerston Park on the 5 th of June.

The band now fronted by vocalist Simon Hough first hit the music scene over 30 years ago, and became globally known following the release of classic singles “Fields of Fire”, “Chance” and signature song “In A Big Country”, which all went onto become massive worldwide hits, selling over 2 million copies and driving their album “The Crossing” to three prestigious Grammy nominations in the United States of America.

The bands appearance at Palmerston will be sandwiched between gigs in Sale and the Let’s Rock Bristol Festival. Commercial manager, Victoria Thomson commented “We were all really excited when we made the announcement that Status Quo would headline the first ever concert to be held at Palmerston. Now that we’re in a position to start announcing the support acts, the excitement continues to grow”.

“For us to secure Status Quo and now one of Scotland’s top bands, Big Country, it’s just simply unbelievable. It is great for the regions music fans as well as our loyal football supporters. It really is a fantastic time to be involved with a club that are going places.”

Following the Club’s announcement, that Status Quo would top the bill in June, tickets for the concert have been selling well and can be purchased via Queen of the South Football Club’s official website here.

Further support acts will be announced in due course.

Wave Blues Band at A the Airts

From Sara Bain

The Dumfries and Galloway-based Wave Blues Band takes its audience back to a time of smoke-filled rooms in a Chicago bar, bourbon-soaked floorboards and the soulful sounds of a harmonica crying from the speakers.
By staying true to the original intention of this vibrant and exciting musical genre, the band has played to sell-out audiences and rowdy encores for a number of years. It has captured the hearts and imaginations of music lovers across the age and social spectrums as well as garnering a keen interest from younger audiences new to the sound. Founded in 2012 by jazz guitarist Brian Thomson, the Wave Blues Band plays authentic Chicago and Detroit electric blues from the ’20s to ’50s.

Brian said: “In my earlier years, I played the London clubs, including the Ricky Tick Club, with the likes of John Lee Hooker, Sonny Boy Williamson II, Jimmy Reed and Big Joe Turner: all major American blues artists in the ’60s. I also played backing with acts such as Georgie Fame and John Mayo, well before they were famous! “I’ve always loved the blues and have played it for years, on and off.“Since retiring, I’ve had more time to get back to it and formed the Wave Blues Band which has a wide repertoire of some of the most classic electric blues numbers plus a few of our own.”

Members of the Wave Blues Band are Brian on guitar and vocals; David Dryfe from Penpont, blues harp, well-known in blues and folk clubs throughout Scotland; Fraser Clark, keyboards, formerly of the D-Bass Jazz fusion band; and Edinburgh-based Ben Jerret, drums, a former Moffat Academy pupil who is currently studying music. “We try to keep the sound as authentic as possible,” Brian explained. “All the numbers we play are based on the original lyrics – the way the songs were written – and stay true to the intention of the artist. We mix these with some of our own compositions and some rearranged jazz standards to produce an exciting set.”

The band has a busy year lined up, with a number of gigs across the region and their first CD recording in May. They will be bringing their popular performance to A’ The Airts, Sanquhar, on Friday, April 3, at 7.30pm. Further information from the A the Airts website

Star gazing at Dumfries Museum

From Dumfries Museum

Stargazing Live 2015 - Solar Eclipse Special

A joint event with Dumfries Astronomy Society to celebrate the BBC’s Stargazing LIVE project and live television programmes - a nationwide campaign to get people exploring and learning about the sky above them.

Thursday 19 March 6.30-8.30pm

Join members of the Dumfries Astronomy Society and museum volunteers to learn more about solar eclipses and how to view them safely. Hands on activities for children and stargazing with the astronomers. Light refreshments will be available.

Friday 20 March 8.30 – 10.30am

As the moon and sun along and the world grows unusually dark come along to Dumfries Museum for a community eclipse viewing. Weather permitting the Camera Obscura can be used to see a projected view of the eclipse. Other safe methods of viewing the eclipse will also be available (you can use your solar observer made on Thursday evening).

If you plan to bring a group or school party to this event please call the museum in advance so that we can arrange best use of the Camera Obscura (Tel 01387 253374).

George Szirtes at the Bakehouse

From Chrys Salt

THE BAKEHOUSE PRESENTS

George Szirtes with Donald Adamson
Saturday 28 March 7.00pm for 7.30pm

George Szirtes was born in Budapest in 1948 and came to England in 1956 after the Hungarian Uprising. He is the author of some fifteen books of poetry and roughly the same of translation from Hungarian. He was joint winner, with Hugo William, of the Faber Prize with his first book, The Slant Door (1979and has won a number of prizes since. In 2004 he was awarded the T S Eliot Prize for his book, Reel, and was shortlisted for the prize again in 2009 for The Burning of the Books and for Bad Machine Subsequent awards and prizes, including International awards for translation, are too numerous to mention. George will be reading from his many collections.

“Brilliantly virtuosic” -
Douglas Dunn, Eliot Prize judge

“His triumph is to wring lyrical language from grim subjects without averting his eyes”
Peter Porter, The Observer

Donald Adamson is both poet and translator, dividing time between Galloway and Finland; co-founder of Markings; first prize Herald Millennium Competition, prize-winner McCash Scots Poetry Competition, 2014. His new collection Glamourie, which has a Scottish background, is due this year from Indigo Dreams Publications. Donald will read from A Landscape Blossoms Within Me ( pub: Arc 2014), his fine translations of Eeva Kilpi, one of Finland's best-loved writers, and a Nobel Prize nominee.

‘…individualistic, sincere, rhythmically subtle, holding and exploring a genuine vision of the world…’ James McGonigal, Former Editor New Writing Scotland)

" Urgent, honest, compulsive, funny - poems I'd send to friends who say they don't like poetry."
Jen Hadfield

Tickets £7.00

To book ring 01557 814175 or email chrys@chryssalt.com

DG Arts Festival Programme Announced

From DG Arts Festival

The Scottish Chamber Orchestra and comedian Hardeep Singh Kohli will be among the headliners at the Dumfries and Galloway Arts Festival.

A total of 82 acts will perform at 42 venues across the south-west over 10 days at the end of May. The event, which is in its 36th year, will also feature performances by the award-winning folk singer Bella Hardy and Scotland's Makar Liz Lochhead.

Young musicians: John Gilderdale-Smith, from Castle Douglas; Zoe Bestel, of Wigtown; Robyn Stapleton from Stranraer; and Deri Ronan, of Thornhill.

The programme was launched at Loch Arthur, Beeswing, on Wednesday. Organisers have pledged to showcase world-class music, theatre, comedy and literature in towns, villages and remote rural areas across the region.

Highlights include:

HARDEEP SINGH KOHLI – HARDEEP IS YOUR LOVE
FRIDAY 22 MAY, 7:30 PM. £15
THE CORNER HOUSE HOTEL, HIGH STREET, ANNAN DG12 6DL
Master of pace and quick-witted patter, there’s much more to Hardeep Singh Kohli than being a media funny man in a colourful turban.

SCOTTISH ENSEMBLE FROM RUSSIA WITH LOVE
FRIDAY 22 MAY, 8:00 PM. £20
EASTERBROOK HALL, THE CRICHTON, BANKEND ROAD, DUMFRIES, DG1 4TA
This event was kindly supported in memory of NLH.

A celebration of two of Russia’s most celebrated composers heralds the sensational start to this year’s Dumfries & Galloway Arts Festival.

KIDDER THEATRE NORMAL / MADNESS
SATURDAY 23 MAY, 7:30 PM. £10
THE SWALLOW THEATRE, MOSS PARK, WHITHORN, NEWTON STEWART DG8 8DR (also showing in New Galloway)
Kidder Theatre brings the very best in drama to the region with its critically acclaimed humorous and heart-breaking play Normal / Madness.

GAVIN MARWICK’S – JOURNEYMAN SPECTACULAR
SUNDAY 24 MAY, 7:30 PM. £15
CASTLE DOUGLAS TOWN HALL , ST ANDREW STREET, CASTLE DOUGLAS DG7 1DB
Described as ‘a folk festival on stage’, Gavin Marwick’s Journeyman Spectacular is a phenomenal musical experience of short sets of 10 performers and a constantly changing musical line-up.

STANLEY ODD
SUNDAY 24 MAY, 8:30 PM. £12
THE CORNER HOUSE HOTEL, HIGH STREET, ANNAN DG12 6DL
5.00PM – WORKSHOP WITH DAVE HOOK
Alternative Scottish hip-hop with heart, mind, wit, grit, conscience and superb live musicianship, Stanley Odd’s sound is reaching well beyond the rapidly burgeoning subculture from which it emerged, borne on an escalating grapevine buzz that’s set to ramp-up several notches further, with the release of their second album Reject.

The Pleasures of the Text

From Chrys Salt

BIG LIT: The Stewartry Book Festival April 16th – 19th.
On Friday April 17th 3.00pm – 6.00pm A WRITERS WORKSHOP with Michèle Roberts
Venue: The Faed Gallery: Mill on The Fleet, Gatehouse of Fleet.
Price: £25

Booker award nominee and award winning novelist Michèle Roberts will run a writers workshop as part of To book and for more information: chrys@chryssalt.com Places are limited so first come, first served.

The Pleasures of the Text: a fiction workshop with Michèle Roberts exploring writing about sex. How do we write about sex? Do we get trapped in flowery writing or clinical writing? Does porn silence us or empower us?

The winner of the Literary Review's 2014 Bad Sex Award, Ben Okri's The Age of Magic

Does the Bad Sex Award encourage good writing or does it put authors off completely for fear they will be shortlisted and mocked? Why write about sex at all? What does that word mean and involve? This workshop will explore these questions through a series of short writing exercises, which will be read out so that participants can learn from each other in a safe, friendly, lighthearted atmosphere. The aim is to have fun, write differently, discover new pleasures in our texts.

Jennifer Walker at The Nail Factory

From Rupinder Dulay

Jennifer Walker will be exhibiting at The Nail Factory 2-31st March. Everyone is welcome to the private view on Friday 6th March 7-9pm.
Jennifer will be joining Mary Smith's writing group on Tuesday 10th Mach, 7-9pm, come along and have a chat with both Mary and Jennifer.

Spring Fling return to Newcastle

From Spring Fling

Five leading artists and craft makers from the Dumfries and Galloway-based Spring Fling open studios event are heading to Newcastle.

In 2014 Spring Fling, Scotland’s premier contemporary visual art and crafts open sudios event, held a successful exhibition at The Biscuit Factory and is now making a return trip. Each year the visitors to the Spring Fling weekend in Dumfries and Galloway are asked to vote on their favourite exhibitors.
It will be the top five, from a total of 95, from this ballot who will go to the Biscuit Factory. The list of artists and makers taking part will be revealed closer to the event which takes place from 7 March – 24 May, with a special preview from 6pm-9pm on 6 March.
Leah Black, Spring Fling Director, said: “Last year’s exhibition was a huge hit and it’s great to be able to return to the Biscuit Factory with work from the artists and makers chosen by the public as their favourites.”

The Biscuit Factory is the UK’s largest independent art gallery and is at 16 Stoddart St, Newcastle upon Tyne NE2 1AN.