The Regeneration of Dock Park

The Stove set up temporary residence one afternoon last week in the newly regenerated and renovated Dock Park as part of the ongoing festivities celebrating the park's clean face. In anticipation of this year's Nithraid, we took to the river - send massed flotillas of paper boats downstream and out to the Solway. 

Photographs: Galina Walls - more available here 

The boats were christened after famous links to the Park's history including: 
The Great Pedalo (Kirpatrick MacMillan - inventor of the bicycle and honoured by the footbridge) 
The Dragon Slayer (.. St Michael's Bridge at the top of the park)
The Tweed Rose (Rosefield Tweed Mills on the opposite bank) 

The Rosefield Mills featured as part of one of Lisa Gallaher's pieces made for TDRM: Dumfries during InBetween Dumfries. Working with local artist Evelyn Gray, Lisa produced a tweed coat incorporating Evelyn's sketches of the mills... more of that and other Inbetween projects here 

 The two week long youth festival coinciding with the school holidays was envisioned to shape how the park as a public space could be used by the good folk of Dumfries, and the re-instate the park within the psyche or awareness of the town, as opposed to a periphery space. 

With the park's Victorian history, could a new fashion for a contemporary promenading culture be re-invented? 

promenade (ˌprɒməˈnɑːd) 
 — n 1. chiefly ( Brit ) a public walk, esp at a seaside resort 
2. a leisurely walk, esp one in a public place for pleasure or display 
3. ( US ), ( Canadian ) a ball or formal dance at a high school or college 
4. a marchlike step in dancing 
5. a marching sequence in a square or country dance 

 [C16: from French, from promener to lead out for a walk, from Late Latin prōmināre to drive (cattle) along, from pro- 1 + mināre to drive, probably from minārī to threaten] 

On walking around the park, The Drying Ground particularly caught my interest - as Glasgow City Council looks to controversially impose new rules on the use of their public parks, with Drying Grounds clearly outlawed: 

" 11.1 No one shall in any park, except with the prior written consent of the Director: 

 (f) hang linen or other material, beat, shake, sweep, brush or cleanse any carpet, rug, mat or other article. "

The trampolines are due to make a comeback as part of the regeneration works 

The full list of proposed banned activities includes organised sports, gatherings of more than 18 people, walking more than 4 dogs and outdoor education - a full and interesting article on the A Thousand Flowers blog or to read the rules for yourself head here

The importance on non-commercial public spaces, and their benefit to town and city life not just in terms of regenerating the surrounding areas but also in creating spaces (and therefore towns) where people want to be is discussed by Animal Behaviourist turned City Planner for NYC, Amanda Burden in her recent TED talk (available here) 

The bandstand has also had something of a facelift.. a new alternative music venue for Dumfries?

As groups like the Incredible Edible's continue to promote and grow a greener vision for the town, how can the parks play an active role in this? How do these public spaces become once again instilled as part of the townscapes' sense of self? As 100 High Street remains closed for the time being, do keep an eye out for the Stove in exile throughout the town over the next few months, and if this great weather continues, we can maybe reconvene our meetings in the park.. 

We keep forgetting to put this video up on the blog - finally getting round to it today. Here is John Wallace's brilliant wee film of the Inbetween:Dumfries project The Stove did in November 2012

Inbetween:Dumfries by John Wallace

enjoy!

The Stove Presents: Art Shorts

Saturday 4 May at 6.00pm

The Stove Arts Collective presents a programme of short films by and about local (or local-ish) art and artists.

InBetween Dumfries: As part of a national project exploring the role of the arts in shaping the future of market towns led by The Stove in collaboration with The University of Newcastle, five artists worked in and around Dumfries during 2012 to create works that examined place, identity and belonging. This 15-minute film details the works created by Mike Inglis, Hannah Brackston, Suzanne Parry-John, Marion Preez, and Lisa Gallacher, with commentary by the artists.

Stonypath Days: Shot on 8mm film in 1973, this film by Professor Stephen Bann of Bristol University gives a rare insight into the early period of Little Sparta, the artist's garden created by Ian Hamilton Finlay and his wife Sue at Stonypath in the Pentland Hills. Accompanied by a four-minute interview with their son Alec Finlay and contemporary views of the garden commissioned in 2012 by TATE Media.

The Eskdalemuir Harmonium: A US-built harmonium is disintegrating in a farmhouse near Lockerbie. An intimate visual exploration of a much loved but decaying instrument accompanied by an interview with its current owner, this short film by sound artist and filmmaker Chris Dooks is the result of his repeated 'pilgrimages' to visit the dying device.

Booking info:
Robert Burns Centre Film Theatre, Mill Road, Dumfries DG2 7BE - www.rbcft.co.uk
Ticket prices £6.30 (£4.70 conc) available from Box Office (01387 264808) or on the door.

The Stove Presents: Art Shorts | Saturday 4 May at 6.00pm

This Saturday night, at 6pm, The Stove Presents: Art Shorts – at Robert Burns Centre Film Theatre. 

‘A feast of artists' films, and other oddities from Dumfries & Galloway and beyond’

Fellow-Stovie, John Wallace, has kindly granted us the first proper screening of his Inbetween movie - yep, The Stove in a proper cinema showing!

Other highlights will include: Prof Stephen Bann's film about Little Sparta, Ayr artist and film-maker Chris Dooks' sound+vision piece about decaying harmoniums in Eskdalemuir and a brilliant short by Florencia Chafuen-Rigg.

We’ll be joined by many fine friends, including Nith-scoper Hannah Brackston and Marion Preez (Framing Dumfries), who are coming down for the craic. And it would be lovely to see you there for a bit of a Stovie shindig!

Booking info:
Robert Burns Centre Film Theatre, Mill Road, Dumfries DG2 7BE - www.rbcft.co.uk
Ticket prices £6.30 (£4.70 conc) available from Box Office (01387 264808) or on the door.

Mr Bill Drummond on Film in Dumfries

an EXCLUSIVE from our friends over at The Commonty:

Last week we posted a wee film by John Wallace about his attempts to discover what Bill Drummond said in Dumfries when he performed his lecture 'Why Andy Warhol is Shite' at Greyfriars Church on November 8th as part of The Stove's Inbetween:Dumfries event. Bill Drummond is notoriously camera shy (as John found out) - but today The Commonty received an anonymous package containing film footage of Bill Drummond apparently on the Auld Brig in Dumfries.....there is no explanation with the footage and we can only assume that either Bill was practicing for his performance, or that this was one of his legendary acts of contrariness to give a filmed interview to a stranger (or even one of the things a previous audience had voted that he should do?)

Either which way, we are truly grateful to our anonymous film-maker and present for your pleasure - exclusive footage of Mr Bill Drummond telling us why he believes Andy Warhol is Shite:

Bill Drummond on the Auld Brig in Dumfries in November 2012

More on what Bill Drummond was doing in Dumfries this month - here

What Did Bill Drummond Say in Dumfries?

World renowned contemporary artist Bill Drummond was in Dumfries last week where he presented a performance lecture called 'Why Andy Warhol is Shite'. Eaglesfield film maker John Wallace was there that evening, but was ejected from the venue on Mr Drummond's insistence that his work not be recorded in any way. 

Here is Wallace's film about his attempts to discover what truths Bill Drummond was bestowing upon Doonhamers last Thursday night:

What Did Bill Drummond Say?

Inbetween Symposium Friday

Inbetween Symposium Friday highlights now on flickr

Andy Wightman proved a major hit with the local ladies

Greyfriars 2

Highlights of Greyfriars 2 now on flickr

Inbetween Symposium Thursday Afternoon

Highlights of Inbetween Symposium (Thur Afternoon) now on flickr

Inbetween Symposium Thursday Morning

Highlights of the Inbetween Symposium (Thur Morning) now on flickr

Greyfriars 1

Highlights of Greyfriars 1 now on flickr

Street Shines

Highlights of Street Shines now on flickr  

Nith Scoping

Highlights of Nith Scoping now on flickr

Andy Wightman in Dumfries

Andy Wightman speaking at The Stove now

Inbetween Images

Highlights from Inbetween:Dumfries now on flickr click here to view

TONIGHT - Bill Drummond and the Lost Supper

Even though it sounds like some some of cruise ship dinner band - Bill Drummond and the Lost Supper, in fact, promises to be one of the most extraordinary evening seen in Dumfries....well, ever.

Two halves - the Lost Supper begin proceedings with 4 iconic international contemporaries of Rabbie Burns lead a discussion about erm 'town planning' - but like you've never seen before and there is free food to boot.

Bill Drummond grew up in Newton Stewart before achieving international megastardom in a variety of guises (just google him .....I'm out of time here). Bill presents a one-off performance lecture called 'Why Andy Warhol is Shite' - this is the current state of an essay he has been working on since he was at art school in the early 70's.

6PM - Greyfriars Church, Dumfries (the tall church on Burns Statue Square....where the buses stop at the bottom of High St)

 

The Stove on Creative Scotland

We've been hugely grateful for all the financial and personal support we have reveived from our country's arts body Creative Scotland - Karen Dick and Sambrooke Scott from CS are attending the Inbetween:Seminar over the next 2 days and yesterday a Showcase feature about the project was published on the Creative Scotland website. Cheers!

Check out the whole thing - here

TONIGHT - Art Music + Art Fashion!!!

WEDNESDAY 7TH NOVEMBER - 7PM 
GREYFRIARS CHURCH, DUMFRIES DG1 1DF
FREE

The much anticipated launch of Lisa Gallacher's bespoke garment collection 'TRDM:Dumfries.
PLUS  
The World Premiere of Suzanne Parry John's song-cycle 'Tidemarks'

Schiaparelli Pink Dumfries fabric

  Lisa Gallacher has been working for 4 months with a group of 10 voluntees from the community of Dumfries - members of the group range in age from 15 to 86 years old. The work started with conversations about each persons individual relationship to the town and this then grew into an idea for a 10 bespoke garments. Lisa has designed and printed the fabrics, then designed and made all of the work herself. At tonight's event she will give an illustrated talk about the project and her group will be in attendance wearing the garments they have created together.

Detail of Queensbery Street fabric

Suzanne Parry John

Suzanne Parry John is a young contemporary composer based in Edinburgh. Commissioned by The Stove to produce an original piece of music for Inbetween:Dumfries, Suzy turned to the River Nith as a starting point and happened upon the poems of Hugh McMillan. She made contact with the poet and the pair have worked together on this original song-cycle inspired by the Nith and called Tidemarks.

A fragment of Suzanne Parry John's score for Tidemarks

Andy Wightman is in Town

We at The Stove are feeling a bit like all our Christmasses have come at once - so many of our favourite people are in town....today sees the arrival of Andy Wightman!

Many of you will know Andy as 'Scotland's foremost land rights campaigner' - but he is so much more that than - a genuine polymath Mr Wightman is one of most inspirational speakers on the subject of how everyone can change the world by getting involved in the places that are important to them.

Most recently Andy Wightman showed up in Anthony Baxter's documentary about Donald Trump's controversial golf course in Aberdeen - 'You've Been Trumped'

Andy will be speaking on the 'Political Geography of Scotland's Commons' on Friday at The Stove

Inbetween:Dumfries on TV

Here is the item broadcast on Border TV's LookAround programme on Monday 5th November:

Click here for Video