Ryan Youth Theatre And Dumfries Junior Guild In Double Performance

From Sid Ambrose, DG Unlimited Wigtownshire Area Arts Convenor

My head was very warm recently, which was no doubt due to the fact that l was in Stranraer's Ryan Theatre whilst wearing two hats. Hat number one represented my role as Wigtownshire Arts Hub Convenor, while hat number two signified the work l do for the Kirkcudbright based South West Scotland Sectarian project. In my case this explains the line from the old song “Where did you get that hat”.

Anyway moving on, The Ryan Youth Theatre delivered a powerful performance, on their home turf to a packed audience. Their production called Freedom Square was inspired by the turbulent events which took place in George Square, Glasgow on the eve of the Scottish referendum. Sectarianism, bigotry, love and nationalism were the key themes in the script which was written by celebrated playwright Des Dillon.

the cast from Ryan Youth Theatre rehearsing for Freedom Square

The play was commissioned by Wigtown Festival Company which received a grant from the Voluntary Action Fund small grants to sectarianism programme. Joining them in a double bill were young people from Dumfries junior guild under the tutelage of James Napper who delivered a performance titled “Unite Don't Fight” which was based around sectarianism and gang culture. The two shows were followed by a lively audience discussion on sectarianism and tolerance which was chaired by literature development officer Carolyn Yates.

James Napper who worked and starred with the Junior Guild

My twin hatted role involved linking the Ryan Youth Theatre up with the Stranraer based African Drummers, for both groups this created a new working environment and the sum of the parts i.e. youth theatre and percussion based performers was very definitely greater than the whole. I also suggested the double billing show which saw young people from Dumfries travelling across to Stranraer to perform in tandem with their counterparts. Similarly all three groups worked together to perform in New Galloway the following evening.

Carolyn Yates felt that the performances had been a credit to all of the young people involved and she was keen to thank all of those who had worked hard to bring the script to life, the Ryan Centre staff were singled out for special praise for their input on technical production, catering and general support.

The Ryan Youth Theatre performances in Stranraer saw young people working alongside a professional director in the form of Chris Taylor, the script was devised by Garlieston based playwright Des Dillon who is most famous for his comedy show called “Singing I’m no a billy he's a tim”. In addition they received direction from a specialist in stage movement and Blocking and they were able to choreograph the scenes to a live music accompaniment. All in all these skills and new working relationships incrementally strengthen the arts sector in Wigtownshire, and l am happy to play my part in supporting this even if it does require the odd change of hat.

The Stewartry at the Regional Arts Convention

And for those of you who were not able to make the convention on Wednesday, here is an extract from Cate Ross's area convenor presentation to give you a flavour of the day!

From Cate Ross, Area Arts Convenor for the Stewartry


Transcript of SAH Convenor presentation
DGU Annual Arts Convention 5th November 2014 by Cate Ross

The DG Unlimited (Chamber of the Arts) area arts hub model is not about boundaries between areas, geographical or by art form, it is about diminishing existing or perceived boundaries and working with an inclusive partnership and cross-disciplinary approach. I’d like to share with you some of the creative splendour of the Stewartry.

Over the last year the DGU arts hub system has provided much professional guidance within the creative community, we have also established and support an information sharing system which strengthens the arts sector network and increases access to opportunities created therein.

Links have been forged between the health service (Turning Point, Putting You First pilot with NHS Scotland in Castle Douglas), education department (Active Schools and Community Sports and Community Learning and Development) and organisations that celebrate the great outdoors (Visit Scotland, National Trust Scotland, DGC Ranger Service). Partnerships with the tourism (Event Scotland) and business sectors (Third Sector First, Business Gateway, DGC Economic Development) are also in development and signposting between organisations is proving to be successful.

All of these improvements increase the arts sector’s capacity and sustainability helping people and organisations understand and experience the intrinsic value of creativity in society and supporting the achievement of a wide range of goals across the sectors.


Here is a list of just a few of the key creative independent organisations in Stewartry that join in the arts hub system and help nourish creative success: - 

Creetown Enterprise Ltd, part of the Development Trust Association Scotland that helps support community led creative regeneration locally and across the region.

The Catstrand (The Glenkens Community and Arts Trust) is a multi-arts venue and eco-built visitor centre with café that, among other things, provides top quality year-round youth art training in filmmaking and performance art including numerous performance and exhibition opportunities. These projects include participants from across the region fulfilling a requirement for youth arts provision that is in need of support and development.

Knockengorroch CIC creates an annual World Ceilidh- that brings traditional world music to one of the most long-standing, rural green field festivals in the UK. Now running up to its 17th year, thousands of unique visitors arrive in Stewartry from across the globe to participate in an authentic grassroots festival of world-class music. The various stages provide opportunities for young local musicians to perform alongside renowned and seasoned professionals. The organisers, based around a family of 4, work year round to develop, produce and promote the events including regular ‘work weeks’ providing learning opportunities in land crafts and production skills. They also host an annual ‘Batle of The Bands’ for local musicians to compete for a performance slot on the main stage at Knockengorroch World Ceilidh. The Knockengorroch Winter Warmer has also become a fixture of the Big Burns Supper in Dumfries, providing another performance outlet for musicians from the region and further afield, this also links up the urban and the rural community in celebration of traditional music.

More images available here

Kirkcudbright Art and Crafts Trail is a voluntary organisation now heading into its 12th year of producing a grand scale annual open studio trail that includes well over 100 venues and many more artists. It attracts thousands of visitors per year to the town over its four-day event and includes many creative elements beside art and crafts including dance, literature, music and community art projects. The open studios are not curated, which is special characteristic of the trail, anyone may offer their home, garden, garage or doorstep as a venue to show and sell their art, some becoming a host venue to artists who do not live in the area. Several large venues are taken over to exhibit and sell arts and crafts from across the region. Many producers from further afield are also keen to take part; the town brims over with the creative showcase and associated events.

The Gatehouse of Fleet Festival Group who develop their annual Midsummer Music Festival, attracting top bands to the beautiful Fleet Valley village and contributing to creative practices for all ages, year round in Gatehouse. This has supported the cohesion of local musicians contributing to the excellent Mill Sessions and the launch of a new record label, Lost Wasp Recordings.


Stewartry also benefit from many artist collectives that have grown out of this fertile creative ground: -

WASPS charity has a studio complex in Kirkcudbright providing affordable workspaces that are in great demand.
Dalbuatha Artists Collective in Dalbeattie operating out of the Nail Factory gallery
Stewartry Open Studios
IRIS- Artist’s Book Collective
The Hidden Mill- our newest sustainable public art collective who contributed to The Stove Network’s ‘Nithraid’ and ‘Trading Journeys’ (Wigtown Book Festival event) with an ecological bicycle powered foundry developed with artist Katie Anderson, which supported and facilitated the casting of celebratory recycled metal buttons and spoons by members of the public of all ages.

Stewartry artists are also part of region wide collectives: -

intertwine –Galloway Textile Collective
The Solway Artists
The Yellow Door Gallery
The Stove Network

Stewartry has the highest concentration of artists who are selected to participate in the annual Spring Fling open studios event.

These are all examples of collective activity emerging out of the enthusiasm of practitioners- allowing professionals and aspiring professionals to work side by side, enriching the cultural diversity and continuing development of creative people in the Stewartry and beyond.

DGU exists to support and champion this creative fortitude.

We have internationally recognised collaborative artists like: -
Helson and Jackets Ltd. whose cutting edge 3D hologram sculpture work was shared at the Venice Biennale this year by way of live webcast from the bothy in their garden.
Ruth Morris (one of very few Nyckelharpa players in the UK) and Gavin Marwick a fiddle player extraordinaire who are part of Bellevue Rendezvous and The Journey Man Project keeping traditional music alive and invigorating it!
Leeming + Paterson, fine art photographers who have recently published an important large format book of their environmental photography called Zero Footprint.

Photograph of the Journeyman Spectacular © Steve Niblock

Stewartry artists enhance the quality of creative practice regionally, nationally and internationally. It is uplifting to see local and national partners supporting local ambitions that have an international reach and all working together to increase access to the arts.

The DG Unlimited membership organisation brings together the skills, enthusiasm and ambitions of creative communities; through its mechanisms more artists are connected within their own locale and beyond. There is more support and access to professional development opportunities as well as an increasing sense of being an artists’ region making D&G –the creative place to be!

Transient, Otherworldly, Paranormal - Sanctuary

From Sanctuary

Portishead's Geoff Barrow made a surprise appearance last night at Sanctuary - an experimental music and arts event in the heart of a Galloway forest. Arriving in a camper van after driving 340 miles from Bristol, Geoff and colleague Ben Salisbury performed a set under the name of Drokk, in front of Enclosure, Robbie Coleman's large scale light installation.

Hundreds of music fans, musicians and artists gathered for Sanctuary, which took place in the fields and woodland at the foot of the towering Murrays Monument, miles from the nearest town, in the Dark Sky Park in south west Scotland.

Robbie Coleman's Enclosure. Image: Mike Bolan

Sanctuary experiments with sound, light and space, featuring light installations. It featured Dark Outside FM - a radio station which could only be received in the forest and played 24 hours of previously unheard music donated by bands and musicians from across the world. The sound files will be destroyed so it can never be heard again. Other performers included from veteran sound experimentalists :zoviet*France, just back from gigs in San Francisco and Moscow.

Ben Ponton, of :zoviet*France, said: "It's a great occasion and really resonates with what we do musically. What we do is informed by our own part of the world in the north of England and this area has some real similarities, it's a fantastic place to perform."

They were also joined by Broken20, who created an eight-hour improvised light and sound event specially for Sanctuary. Dave Fyanes, of Broken20, said: "It's a one off, because the whole thing about this event is its transience. We create something in the moment, and at the end we pack up, leave and it's gone for good."

Sanctuary also featured a lecture by paranormal investigator Innes Smith; film installation work from Rupert Lally and Espen J Jörgensen, Robbie Coleman and Jo Hodges, beside the Grey Mare's Tail waterfall; and the Dark Skies Lounge, where people could hear the music from Dark Skies FM.

Image: Mike Bolan

Tracks were donated by artists as diverse as, Carter Tutti, Bis, Craig Safan and Jon Brooks and came from as far afield as Australia, Canada, the UK, Norway, Japan, New Zealand, Spain, Germany, Denmark and the USA.

The artists behind Sanctuary are Jo Hodges, Robbie Coleman and Stuart McLean who curated the music.

Jan Hogarth, of Wide Open which co-produced the event, said: "The whole magic of Sanctuary is that it only exists for 24 hours. People gather here from every part of the UK to be part of it - and you can only share the experience if you are here. The whole thing has an otherworldly feel about it - with the landscape lit up by a huge neon sculpture. The audience have loved the chance to mix with all the performers and musicians and to camp out in the forest listening to amazing music and enjoying the art."

Sanctuary was part of Mini EAFS, a curtain raiser for the Environmental Art Festival Scotland 2015. This included the Trading Journeys event by the stove network and the launch of Zero Footprint, a landscape photography work by Leeming + Paterson - both of which were at the Wigtown Book Festival.

Electric Fields brings best of new Scottish music to D&G

From Sid Ambrose, Wigtownshire Area Arts Convenor

As area convenor for Wigtownshire I’m really interested in doing all I can to highlight the efforts of everyone promoting the arts this part of the world. So it’s with real pleasure that I’m able to write about the new Electric Fields music festival in the grounds of Drumlanrig Castle.

It’s very much the new kid on the festival block offering a one day adventure in the stunning Victorian-style parkland which makes up part of the Drumlanrig estate. Like a flock of migrating birds sporting their best plumage and following unseen magnetic force lines, around 1500 people made a pilgrimage to this celebration of Scottish musical excellence. Many people stayed overnight and duly constructed their temporary canvas and carbon fibre nests in the roomy camping fields.

A short flutter from the campsite took attendees into the heart of the event, where a wall to wall carpet of entertainment was provided with 40 acts playing four stages over 12 hours. The festival herd included a few music industry heavy hitters such as Radio XFM’s Jim Gellatly and Ally McCrae was also spotted flying the flag for BBC Radio 1. When asked to share his thoughts on the festival Jim replied: “This is my dream festival line up, with so much amazing emerging music from Scotland being featured.”
Ally was similarly kind when he commented: “Honestly, what a day, the line-up was strong, the two main stages worked a treat, the weather, the people, the setting … ah, it was awesome.”

Highlights for me included a surprise appearance from Alex Kapronas of Franz Ferdinand fame with his old ska comrades the Amphetameanies and of course the well-chosen headliner Fatherson.

Image credits: Kevin Sloan at KSSimages

Event co-founders Alex Roberts and Chay Woodman were keen to thank both the audience for their good behaviour and the staff team for all the hard work they put in to give the Electric Fields debut. They also added: “We’re delighted with the overall success of the first Electric Fields. The weather was kind and the festival goers were in great spirits.
“We feel that we’ve created a family friendly event that stands out from everything else in Dumfries & Galloway particularly the line-up which has a strong emphasis on emerging talent. “The feedback has been overwhelming; with the majority of ticket buyers came from outside of the region. It is fair to say we are very keen to bring you the second instalment of Electric Fields back at Drumlanrig at the end of August 2015.”

Needless to say l now have a diary entry for Electric Fields in 12 months’ time.

Park Fest Supported By Town Centre Regeneration through the Arts Commission

From Sid Ambrose, Wigtownshire Arts Hub Convenor

The sun shone and they sang songs at Stranraer’s annual Park Fest event over the 22^nd and 23^rd of August. An estimated 2,500 people descended on Agnew Park to enjoy the mix of dance displays, magic shows, live music, funfairs and stalls.

The event was supported by the Town Centre Regeneration Through the Arts Stranraer Commission, which was established by Dumfries & Galloway Council and Creative Scotland in association with Dumfries & Galloway Chamber of the Arts.

Robyn Stapelton Park Fest performer and  winner of the BBC Radio Scotland’s Young Traditional Musician of the Year award.

It was a really exciting project to be involved in – the most Westerly musical festival in our region which is also made unique by its shoreline site and having the stunning Loch Ryan as a backdrop. During the weekend event l could not help but thinking that Father Ted from the television series would be right at home at Park Fest, it had a real all ages community feel to it with the majority of attendees coming from Wigtownshire and the rest of the region.

Through the commission we were able to assist Park Fest by helping secure a headline act in the form of the Neville Staple Band, they wowed the crowds and gave the festival an international feel by playing Jamaican inspired Ska style music.

Park Fest kicked off in style with the Young Guns night on Friday, this is used as a showcase for young musicians with the youngest performer appearing on stage at the tender age of 13. Styles of music ranged from Indie to Folk, Rock, and Heavy Metal.

The main billing on Saturday had such a packed programme it was difficult to define the highlights. The ever popular Battlefield band was superb, and local lass Robyn Stapleton who recently won a prestigious traditional music award, received a warm welcome from the crowd. Folk duo Michaela and Lucy melted hearts whilst Wigtownshire acts, Southbound, Elastic Band and Bad Reputation certainly held their own, The Yahs hailing from Dumfries really impressed everyone with an electric performance full of pouts and posturing.

Neville Staple backstage

Headline act Neville Staple and his band had everyone on their feet dancing to ska classics, and at one point inspiring a mass ska conga line to weave its way around the marquee.  By the end of the night, The Ruckstars had the packed audience partying like no other band can. 

Park Fest is primarily organised as a fundraiser for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution

During the Saturday afternoon, Janice McCaig from Portpatrick was presented with a well deserved award for her tireless fundraising efforts for theorganisation. 

The weekend also saw cheerleader performances, ice bucket challenges and death defying stunts from Murray the Magician.

Mandy Green, the event organiser thanked all who supported Park Fest, which is run solely by volunteers who put in a huge amount of hard work to support a very worthy cause.

She said to me: “It is a great way to raise funds for our Lifeboat, and l love to see Stranraer Rock. There are so many to thank for their support time and efforts, from Mr Farrol and his Tractor, to accommodation providers, food suppliers, plant hire Dumfries & Galloway Council, local business and numerous other organisations the list is endless, but needless to say it is all so much appreciated”. 

The Through the Arts Stranraer Commission has also provided support to Armed Forces Day, Sausagefest and helped secure The Sensational Mary Barclay Band as the headline act at a community consultation event for Stranraer Grainstore.

Ancient Grains and Futurefarmers

From Katie Anderson

Last month, I was fortunate to be the lucky recipient of a travel bursary as part of Situation's Public Art (Now) programme to trek from D&G down to Bristol to find out more about the Futurefarmer's Boat Oven and their current project in Oslo (produced by Situations) the Flatbread Society. Here's my short report from the trip for anyone interested. Would be great to see a project like this coming up the Nith into Dumfries and making flatbread with the Doonhamer's at the bus stop…

The amphibious boat oven arrives into Bristols floating harbour

By a small bakery, tucked under the bridge of Temple Meads train station stood a boat from which smoke drifted into the afternoon sky. Around it, a small crowd was gathering.

Sometimes it is the little things that most draw our attention. In a city renowned for it’s relationship with public art, my journey to Hart’s Bakery had led me through the city centre and past various permanent works – including a giant mirror ball and the horn bridge – but I was on the search for something more subtle.

Amy Franceschini began Situation’s second Public Art (Now) Live Event by introducing us to The Flatbread Society, a project developing a public bakehouse and grain field on Oslo’s waterfront. She spoke of ancient grains, the heat of the bakehouse and the Vavilov Institute in Leningrad.* The narrative provided, and soup eaten, the space was cleared.

Amy Franceschini talks ancient grains

We seek the connectedness of things as a means to further understand the world around us. A quick introduction to sociometry found the audience suitably mapped into planets and stars, depending on their connections with each other at that moment. The stars made the butter, and the planets began rolling out flatbread under the careful guidance of the Futurefarmers. The process felt meticulous, crafted and carefully considered. Each step had its own tool – from brushes to prevent too much flour blackening in the heat, to beautifully crafted rolling pins that marked the dough in neat rows.

Claire Doherty, in her introduction, descibed the boat oven as a sort of ‘Pied Piper’, and so it was that the boat became the gathering point as we crowded round to sample our collective efforts. Simple things taste best when you have lent a hand in the making. The dough of the flatbread was made using those same ancient grains delivered from the Vavilov Institute, lovingly grown in a field-allotment in Oslo before the journey to Bristol placed their narrative firmly within the thoughts (and stomachs) of all in attendance.

Blog reporters Emma I Panza and Katie Anderson taste their efforts

The event dispersed naturally, almost as seeds in the wind, and I trailed my way back – slightly sticky with honey – passing by community veg patches in the park and cafés displaying their food travel miles. Contemporary art is often seen as increasingly abstracted from everyday existence, but public artworks like this step up to the challenge of exploring, engaging, discussing, questioning and creating change in society. Franceschini and the Futurefarmers do not provide answers, but instead create experiences through which, by participation, we can grow insight, understanding and perhaps, create more questions.

My full blog is available on the Public Art (Now) website, and conversation is encouraged, either through their website, comments below or on Twitter using #PublicArtNow

Scottish Review - Editor Vacancy

From Elizabeth Roberts

Letter from Kenneth Roy, the editor of the much admired Scottish Review – the free online journal of news analysis and opinion

It is almost time to pass the SR torch – not to be confused with the glorious stick – to a successor. In early January 1995, I launched the Scottish Review. On 7 January 2015, exactly 20 years on, I will relinquish the editorship, hang my last prejudice out to dry, and give up journalism. Blinking in the pale sunshine of a winter morning, I will be free to concentrate on that other creation of mine, the Young Programme, on both sides of the border; and there's always that book to write, isn't there?

Anyway, a vacancy arises for a modestly remunerated part-time appointment. The new editor should have a working knowledge of Scotland, a rough ability with words, a desk and chair of some kind, and a respect for the magazine's sceptical traditions. Expressions of interest are invited. If you have a notion to be only the second editor of the Scottish Review in human history, let's be hearing from you no later than Friday 29 August. The address is admin@scottishreview.net

For a little flavour of the Scottish Review, pop over to the website here and have a read of some of this weeks offer including Walter Humes 'We are still creating idols in the cave' which explores Francis Bacon's 'Novum Organum' ('New Instrument'), published first in 1620, as casting light on the preoccupations of the 21st century.

"'Idols of the cave' are misinterpretations which arise within the mind of each individual: these come either from 'his own unique and singular nature; or his education and association with others; or the books he reads and the several authorities of those whom he cultivates and admires'. Anticipating modern psychology, Bacon drew attention to the dark inner world of human consciousness, its capacity for self-interest and delusion, its limited ability to understand and respect the perspectives of others.

Many aspects of modern culture encourage self-obsession, a preoccupation with the shadows cast in our personal 'cave'. Ours is often referred to as the 'me generation', symbolised in excessive attention to style, fashion and body image. The narcissism of many 'celebrities' is not only tolerated, but applauded as an indication of their 'authentic' pursuit of personal identity. The fact that they often leave a trail of destructive relationships in their wake is conveniently passed over."

To read the article in full head to Scottish Review here

Borders CABN celebrate a successful 2013

We are a little last minute at the commonty this week - here's another what's-on-tonight, our neighbours in the Borders are celebrating a creative 2013 in Galashiels!

CABN invites you to a celebration of creativity in the Borders

Thursday 19th December     7.30-10pm

MAC Arts, Bridge St., Galashiels, TD1 1SP

CABN's current funding and 'New Work' project come to a close on 31st December, and the CABN team have decided to host an event to  celebrate with you, and showcase images from the wealth of projects that have happened and work that has been made in 2013 here in the Borders.

This is an informal event in the beautiful old church space at MAC Arts in Galashiels which is under development as a new venue for performance and arts in the Borders.    

ipod DJing, light snacks and soft drinks provided. Please BYOB, and favourite nibbles/dish to share if you like.

We hope you can make it along!

'Is there a critic in the house?'

From Katie Anderson
It's been a bit quiet on the commonty this weekend - largely because everyone was outside - absorbed by the environmental arts festival, and so I thought on offering up some reflections on a long weekend saturated with amazing art, discussions, explorations, journeys (both literal and metaphorical perhaps?!) and discoveries.

We would welcome reviews etc on the things you may have witnessed over the course of the last four days - what were your highlights (both artistic and otherwise)? - but in the meantime I would like to offer up a few initial reflections of my own - and others - gathered along the way.

Cinema Sark - John Wallace and Prof. Pete Smith - image nabbed from Twitter @LizzieDinnie

' How does place archive memory, how does memory archive place?' Robert MacFarlane as quoted by David Borthwick in a shed in Cairnsmore. (As part of some of the great discussions held over the festival)

About looking. Art in the environment as a catalyst for looking at the environment (especially when you can't find the art, but can find lots of beautiful land/scape) as suggested by Will Levi Marshall whilst on top of the wrong hill on Sunday. (It was a fantastic wrong hill though)

'The range of what we think and do is limited by what we fail to notice. And because we fail to notice that we fail to notice, there is little we can do to change; until we notice how failing to notice shapes our thoughts and deeds.' RD Laing as quoted by Mike Bonaventura - on the scope and potential of environmental art discussed in the Robert Burns Centre last night.

James Winnett's Fountain - as photographed by festival photographer Colin Hattersley

In some ways, part of the journey to these works became an extension of the work itself. The more out-of-the-way sites had a sense of pilgrimage.

There was a great sense of a collective sharing of the festival experience. I left all the discussions with more questions. There is a lot more to be understood. 

Perhaps we may not be able to change the whole world - but possibly out little impacts on a small scale - our 'operating in the cracks between over-government' still give us the potential for change (following on the climate change conversations in Stormont Hall).

As a participating artist - the positivity, the keen and the curious nature of folk and the welcoing attitude of festival organisers, contributors, audience members, visitors and the community/inhabitants was truly inspiring.

The Archivist at #EAFS on Fresh Start For The Arts with images by @kimayres http://t.co/U0krYNmqfc pic.twitter.com/QkEmZ8FXBU
— EAFS (@EAF_Scotland) August 28, 2013

D&G has not just the potential but the capability to produce a festival on a par with the more art central regions - 'be part of something amazing' - so contributions are invited 'if we don't send messages, they won't be recieved' (thanks for that one Ted Leeming) and apologies for anyone mis-quoted or incorrectly paraphrased - it's been a long few days!

Queues outside a phonebox - who'd have thought? Thanks to everyone who visited Clarencefield this weekend

Of Stone and Sand

From Matt Baker
My great good friend and Galloway Legend the sculptor Hideo Furuta once said to me when I breathlessly told him I was experienced in carving sandstone 'Sandstone is not stone - it is sand!'

This came to mind as I had a wee wander around Dumfries in the sunshine today - I had a minute to check out the newest addition to the town's public art collection 'Robert Burns Rock' which was unveiled by HRH Princess Anne on Tuesday

Princess Anne (right of sculpture) unveiling 'Robert Burns Rock'

The work is next to St Michaels church on the corner of St Michael Street and Brooms Road - Robert Burns Rock was designed by local artist David Gulland and carved from Dumfries sandstone by stonemason David Little, it was commissioned by The People’s Project to reflect Burns’ poetry and mark the 60th anniversary of The Queen’s coronation. Mark Jardine and his People's Project have been been a hugely positive influence in rebuilding pride in Dumfries.

Sheep on a bridge

it is a Wee, sleekit, cow'rin, tim'rous beastie ?

I was inspired to revisit the graveyard as I remembered some fine carving and memorable gravestones in there - a sign invited me to experience the inside of the church before the graveyard and I spent a memorable 30 minutes being shown around by Danny. It is such a privilege to spend time with people who have been on this earth a long while, the power of time and the significance and solemnity of events hang between the sentences. We paused in front of the two war memorials in St Michaels - Danny is of the firm opinion that General Haig (commander in chief of the Allied forces in WW1) should be declared a war criminal for the way he conducted the campaign and the treatment of 'deserters' in particular.

The current St Michaels was built in 1746 - turbulent times in Dumfries not long after the retreating Jacobite army held the town to ransom for £2000 and 1000 pairs of shoes.

 an example of the fine carving at St Michaels - typical of local work in sandstone

The powerful Martyrs Monument with adjacent graves of Covenanters who were killed for their beliefs

Visting the church and walking through St Michaels burial ground is a unique experience in contextualising the history and contemporary life that surrounded Burns as he wrote poems such as 'To a Mouse' - which is not about a cute wee animal - but instead a serious meditation on man's effect on his environment. Every generation has the responsibility to re-interpret its history. Robert Burns found a world-class voice for articulating his age - I wonder how history will view our contemporary attempts.

As I headed up the town through past the Globe Inn and down the closes that Burns knew, my head was full of thoughts about how we represent our history and the sandstone that has remained a constant in Dumfries through the tellings of these stories.

It was a classic ending to my pondering to happen across a guy busking on the high street - he was carving in sand - couldn't have been anything else really:

 

Susie MacMurray - Resonant Installation with Musical Undertones

Reccomended - if you find yourself, commonty readers, in Brighton any time in the near future - Susie MacMurray's new show Resonance is running from the 6th July to the 26th August at Fabrica. 

'I like that as a former church, Fabrica has been sung in. The fabric of the building has vibrated with sound. Where are the traces of this?'

MacMurray, a former classical musician who retrained as an artist and whose work includes drawings, sculpture and architectural installations. For Resonance, she has created a new work which suspends thousands of musical manuscripts from the ceiling of Fabrica to create a fragile landscape that resonates with the history of the building.

The manuscripts have been assembled from a variety of sources – hymns that might have been sung at Holy Trinity when it was a church, other religious, choral and chamber works but also jazz and more recent popular music – all in different ways emphasising music as an ephemeral, shared and emotional experience.

For more info on the artist head to her website, for more on the exhibition head to the Fabrica website

Thanks to Denise Zygadlo for the heads up on this one and the photo credits!