Support Us
Categories
News Project Updates

Taxi to Dumfries?

Guest blog post from Emma Dove.

Mark and I are about five weeks in to our residency with The Stove. One London taxicab and twenty-four conversations in said taxicab later, and we’re starting to get a feel for the place…

A little bit of background on that. We had heard that The Stove was planning to hold their AGM in an underground car park… Ok then. But not just an AGM, in fact this usually empty car park will be filled with games, projections, skateboarders, a cinema… Ok then…

These are the sort of wild off-hand statements that we have become accustomed to expect at Stove meetings, in amongst chat of salty coos and wooden-spoon themed offerings to gypsy kings. Hang on a minute; what’s a salty coo? Well, after a little more explanation, we are beginning to grasp the nuances of the rich, diverse and genius ways that The Stove Network is engaging with a town in flux and a wide geographical area with a rich and beguiling history.

We came away thinking, firstly, “These guys are bloody brilliant” and, secondly, “What can we do in an underground car park in 2 weeks time?”. As mentioned in the last blog, we wanted to find a way to start exploring the theme of human migrations and find a way to get people chatting about home – the good bits and the not so good bits.

What sort of warm, friendly and familiar space could we create within an underground car park? The sort of space where people feel happy to open up and chat? The sort of space where we can set up all of our kit and record these conversations in an unobtrusive way? The sort of space that somehow keys in with the themes of “home” and of “travel”…?

A mad week of logistical grafting later and the taxicab arrived, driven all the way up from Chingford in Essex by a lovely chap called Wullie J, and was given a whirlwind makeover in time for its Parking Space debut.

taxi install montage

We weren’t sure what to expect, both of the wider Parking Space event and our small part within it. We agreed we would be happy if 5 or 6 people came in for a chat and so were absolutely delighted to have a total of 24 folks through the shiny black doors within 2 days, each with their own different story to tell. Each visitor marked the places that they spoke about on a map of D&G and we plan to follow up some of these places to film during our residency.

In terms of the wider event, the space was bubbling with activity as curious visitors slowly made their way down through each level of the car park, lured by the unusual sounds that ricocheted and tumbled together through the space, invitations to street games, dancing lights and projections upon pillars and walls, not to mention the people hurling themselves in to the air mounted upon small wooden chariots [skateboards]. A feast for the senses.

Gab Cab visitors
A few of our visitors in the Gab Cab

To be privy to the AGM side of things was also fantastic for us. The personal value upon which everyone present felt for the organisation (and for each other’s work) was palpable, much of which was expressed through talks and images and emerged further through the Public Art discussion facilitated by Dot to Dot Active Arts and The Open Jar Collective, fittingly chatted over a plate of hot stovies and a glass of wine. A really valuable evening to be a part of.

We’ve lots of ideas and inspiration to explore over the next few months and we are planning an Artist Talk in December to share some of these. We will also be talking about some our work to date, sharing some of our “Hame” work in progress (including some Parking Space rushes…) and screening our previous film, Mirror Lands.

Details to follow shortly.

Gab Cab photo © Galina Walls

Categories
News Project Updates

Rushes from Parking Space

IMG_7180 (1)
Strange yellow circles appeared in car parks around town
Stove widows with yellow circles
Clues began to emerge elsewhere and on social media
Meanwhile in a basement under Greyfriars Church other painting was going on
Meanwhile in a basement under Greyfriars Church other painting was going on
On Friday 17th October the Stove members and other members of the public gathered on Level Four of the underground NCP car park for the Annual General Meeting of The Stove Network
On Friday 17th October the Stove members and other members of the public gathered on Level Four of the underground NCP car park for the Annual General Meeting of The Stove Network
stove-agm-parking-spaces-59
Hannah Brackston and Alex Wilde of Open Jar Artists Collective and Stephen Pritchard of Dot To Dot Active Arts led the discussion that followed the formal business of the AGM
The Stove Network Board worked hard
The Stove Network Board worked hard
Stan and Cara thought hard
Stan and Cara thought hard
Craig Patterson from Burns Cafe served Stovies from the back of a pick-up
Craig Patterson from Burns Cafe served Stovies from the back of a pick-up
The Doonhame Derby Doll Usherettes arrived
The Doonhame Derby Doll Usherettes arrived
DSC_0331
Crucial chat
IMG_4385
Everyone helped convert the space into a cinema
Eating popcorn whilst watching 'How to Start a Revolution'
Eating popcorn whilst watching ‘How to Start a Revolution’
The next day people played street games on the top deck of the carpark
The next day people played street games on the top deck of the carpark
stove-agm-parking-spaces-146
The skaters were busy on Level 1
stove-agm-parking-spaces-158
On Level 2 'Mirrorlands' by Mark Lyken and Emma Dove was showing on two walls simultaneously
On Level 2 ‘Mirrorlands’ by Mark Lyken and Emma Dove was showing on two walls simultaneously
IMG_4541
On Level 3 was Mark and Emma’s ‘GabCab’ in which people were filmed talking about where they would like the taxi to take them
Emma Dove operating 'GabCab'
Emma Dove operating ‘GabCab’
Entering level 4
Entering level 4
Where Alice Francis made popcorn
Where Alice Francis made popcorn
...and Max Fox made hot chocolate
…and Max Fox made hot chocolate
Parking Space cinema - screening 'Shell'
Parking Space cinema – screening ‘Shell’
Screening of movies by Mutual Motion (films made by local skaters)...watched by local skaters
Screening of movies by Mutual Motion (films made by local skaters)…watched by local skaters
DSC_0343

Parking Space – by The Stove Network and the people of Dumfries

Lead Artist: Katie Anderson

Stove Artist Team; Matt Baker, Hannah Brackston, Moxie DePaulitte, Doonhame Derby Dolls, Emma Dove, Dumfries Skaters,  Alice Francis, Max Fox, Andy Jardine, Mark Lyken, Will Levi Marshall, Debs McDowall, Mutual Motion, Stephen Pritchard, Colin Tennant, John Wallace, Ailsa Watson, Alex Wilde

Photography: Cate Ross, Colin Tennant, Galina Walls

Thanks to: Members and Board of The Stove Network, Stuart and Sean at NCP, SHAX, Speedy Hire

More images from Parking Space – here

Categories
News

The Future Looks Bright for the Stove Network

It’s always good to start off the week with some good news, and as many of you may have heard across social media or the news over the weekend (check out The Herald here and a-n online here), The Stove has joined 118 other organisations in Creative Scotland’s National Portfolio for 2015-18.

Read our press release in full:

Dumfries’ The Stove Network has joined a prestigious list of just 119 arts organisation across the whole country who have been awarded National Portfolio status and a three year funding package.

The decision follows an open application process which saw 264 organisations apply to the national arts body Creative Scotland and now puts The Stove Network in such prestigious Company as Tramway in Glasgow and the Edinburgh International Festival.

Since the demise of DGArts in 2011 Dumfries and Galloway has had no nationally funded arts organisations. Wigtown Book Festival was also successful in their application for funding from 2015-18 alongside The Stove Network.

Local band The Barstow Bats playing at The Stove during the Dumfries Music Conference. Image: Colin Tennant
Local band The Barstow Bats playing at The Stove during the Dumfries Music Conference.
Image: Colin Tennant

Janet Archer, Chief Executive Officer of Creative Scotland, said: “I am delighted to announce such a creatively rich and diverse portfolio of regularly funded organisations across Dumfries & Galloway. It represents some of Scotland’s most important, innovative and exciting cultural organisations, producing and presenting great work across literature and visual art.

“Importantly, these organisations will also provide significant support for individual artists and the broader workforce across the area’s creative sector.

“Following a clear and robust decision making process, I’m delighted that two organisations in Dumfries & Galloway are joining the portfolio of three-year regular funded organisations.

The Stove's 135 members met recently for their Annual General Meeting in a temporary cinema created on Level Four of the NCP underground car park on Shakespeare St. Image: Galina Walls
The Stove’s 135 members met recently for their Annual General Meeting in a temporary cinema created on Level Four of the NCP underground car park on Shakespeare St.
Image: Galina Walls

Linda Mallett – member of The Stove Network curatorial team said: “This is a massive affirmation of our work from our national arts body – The Stove Network believes in partnership working and we hope that this award will go towards our programme of developing projects with the brilliant artists and groups locally, nationally and internationally.

“We have always taken a stance that we should be a means of drawing new resources into the region rather than placing another burden on precious funding locally – this award is all new outside money that we will be able to use for the benefit of the citizens of Dumfries.

Stove artist Katie Anderson helps some new recruits cast metal spoons with the group's Mobile Metal Foundry at their Trading Journeys project for the Wigtown Book Festival. Image: Colin Hattersley
Stove artist Katie Anderson helps some new recruits cast metal spoons with the group’s Mobile Metal Foundry at their Trading Journeys project for the Wigtown Book Festival.
Image: Colin Hattersley

“This funding will allow us to carefully plan out a sustainable future for The Stove Network when the building works are complete at 100 High Street and bring something entirely new and exciting for the town centre and local people … the future is bright!”

Skip to content