A’ the Airts YOUR SEASONAL UPDATE FROM UPPER NITHSDALE’S COMMUNITY ARTS CENTRE
Spring/ Summer 2013
A’ the Airts, 8 -12 High Street, Sanquhar DG4 6BL Tel: 01659 50514 www.all-the-airts.com contact@all-the-airts.com
About A’ the Airts READ ABOUT WHO WE ARE AND WHY WE ARE HERE A’ the Airts is a community arts centre and is the hub for the Upper Nithsdale Arts and Crafts Community Initiative. Since A’ the Airts opened in November 2010, it has become an integral part of the Upper Nithsdale community, offering a wide range of concerts, performances, exhibitions, craft groups and creative workshops.
www.all-the-airts.com A MESSAGE FROM OUR MANAGER In this newsletter, we’ll be telling you about some of the things that have been happening at A’ the Airts recently and also about what we hope to offer in the coming months. If you’ve never visited us before, feel free to pop in and have a browse or have a look round our current exhibition in the upstairs gallery. You can also enjoy a coffee or snack in Café Airtisans while you’re here. Once again I’d like to thank our Board of Trustees, all our staff, our volunteers, funders, members, regular customers and performers. Not forgetting the people of Upper Nithsdale, whose support has been vital. Please continue to support us. Anne Foley, Manager
A’ THE AIRTS IS ON FACEBOOK AND TWITTER. WHY NOT FOLLOW US AND KEEP IN TOUCH WITH WHAT’S HAPPENING?
C & M Brown Our main aim is to showcase the creativity of Upper Nithsdale and to provide local people with entertainment of the highest calibre, including music, drama and films. In our small shop, we sell a great range of locally-produced crafts that make ideal gifts.
Confectioner - Newsagent Tobacconist
17 High Street, Sanquhar 01659 58170
A’the Team STAFF, BOARD AND VOLUNTEERS OUR STAFF Anne Foley - Manager Catriona Dickie - Administrator Heather Anderson - Cleaner OUR BOARD OF TRUSTEES: Current Board members of the Upper Nithsdale Arts and Crafts Community Initiative : Iain Baker (Chair), Julienne Dickey (Treasurer), Brian Johnson (Vice Chair), Gary Bonn, Sheila Crompton, Elizabeth Griggs, David Hutchinson, Willie Waugh, Margaret Wilson. We would like to encourage approaches from other local people who are interested in the future of A’ the Airts to join our Board. If you feel you have something you can contribute, please contact Iain Baker.
OUR VOLUNTEERS: We also recently welcomed Androulla Richford, Jim Gracie, May Wilson and Ann Turner to our team of volunteers. They join our regular stalwarts Anne Waugh, Sheila Crompton, Pauline Copeland, Julienne Dickey, Geoff Crolley, Sandra Malcolm, Helen Aldridge, Dennice Cox and Shirley Johnson. Although most of our current volunteers help out in the shop, there are other opportunities to become involved - assisting with arts and crafts classes and music, helping to organise exhibitions, front of house and hospitality at evening events, liaising with the local community, distributing leaflets and
newsletters, IT and technical support, general DIY and caretaking. We are always busy and appreciate any help we can get. You will find it very rewarding, so if you feel you have some time to spare, please ask us about joining our team of helpers. We are particularly keen to encourage young people and job seekers, as volunteering is a great way of building up your CV and will help your future prospects - whether you are planning to apply for college or university or seeking employment. If you are interested in volunteering at A’ the Airts, please contact Anne Foley or Catriona Dickie.
VOLUNTEER PROFILE: Not all our volunteers help in the shop. An example of how local people contribute in other ways is Jim Gracie, a semi-retired travel writer who moved to Sanquhar eight years ago. Jim also has a background in public and press relations and is putting his experience to good use by helping us with our publicity and press liaison. Jim said: “A’ the Airts is so important to Upper Nithsdale and I feel privileged to be associated with it. Hopefully, my skills can play some small part in publicising the great gigs, events and exhibitions it organises.”
What’s Been Happening SOME RECENT EVENTS AND EXHIBITIONS AT A’ THE AIRTS MUSICAL PERFORMANCES: Here is a taste of some of the varied music events we have hosted over the last few months. You can find out about other types of events in our theatre elsewhere in this newsletter. SHELAGH MCDONALD We were proud to host a gig by folk legend Shelagh McDonald in March - her first gig since emerging from a long period of absence from the music scene. Shelagh was supported by the young and talented Zoë BesteI. It was extremely well attended, and was not only a coup for the arts centre, it attracted a lot of attention from the national press. KRISTAN HARVEY AND SEAN GRAY Kristan and Sean joined forces to entertain us all with a lively programme of music in February. Kristan won the prestigious title of ‘BBC Radio Scotland Young Traditional Musician of the Year 2011’, and has played alongside Nicola Benedetti. Sean is a member of the Paul McKenna Band. (We’re looking forward to a return visit by Paul himself next January watch out for details!) THE OUTSIDE TRACK Hailing from Scotland, Ireland and Canada, the five members of The Outside Track entertained us with a faultless blend of virtuoso instrument playing, singing and dancing. Not only did they play traditional music from both sides of the Atlantic, they
also introduced some new material of their own. Their boundless energy and sheer joie de vivre was infectious, and it wasn’t long before the audience were clapping and singing along. ROBIN LAING—THE ANGEL’S SHARE Robin Laing, Scotland’s ‘whisky bard’, entertained the assembled audience with stories and songs, mostly to do with Scotland’s national drink - uisge beath. Robin brought along some single malts for the audience to sample. The event was sponsored by the Bladnoch Distillery and the Scottish Malt Whisky Society. BRUCE McKENZIE Bruce is a singer/songwriter from Kirkcudbright who has been playing and singing for over fifteen years. His gig in early December, where he was accompanied by Owen Fielding on keyboard, was well attended. He gave an extremely entertaining programme of folk, trad and rock, with some of his own material thrown in. GREN BARTLEY Gren came along to A’ the Airts in late April. His phenomenal guitar playing and poetrydriven lyrics have been described as the ‘future of folk song-writing’. His melodies were catching and his lyrics were memorable. He also entranced the audience by his use of an ‘e-bow’, which allowed him to turn a banjo into a bowed instrument! Gren was supported by two great local performers Darcy DaSilva and Roy Marchbank.
What Our Visitors Said … “What a wonderful community facility. It’s got it all and extends a warm welcome to visitors. Good Luck for the future!” P McGaw, Edinburgh
EXHIBITIONS: We have hosted a large number of wellattended and varied exhibitions by local artists, photographers and craftspeople in our upstairs theatre/gallery area. Here are a few of our most recent exhibitions. GWEN ADAIR: RECENT WORKS Gwen teaches art at Dumfries Academy, and after a break of 17 years, recently started exhibiting again. Her landscapes and portraits are deliberately painted from photographs because she is fascinated by the idea that we think we can tell who a person is from 1/250th of a second of their life. JULIE H WINTER: LAWLAND LANDSCAPES Julie, who lives in New Cumnock, staged this exhibition in April, sharing some lovely paintings with us where she tried to capture the ever-changing lowland landscape and its many moods. Julie also exhibited some of her silk painting, which was very beautiful.
We welcome approaches from any artist or art groups - amateur or professional - who would like to exhibit in our gallery.
SAME WORLD, DIFFERENT PLANET Sisters Marion Macdonald and Lorna McAnespie share a passion for photography. They were raised in Northwest Glasgow, but whereas Lorna has remained a city dweller, Marion, who is a GP at our local health centre, enjoys the rural life of Nithsdale. In this exhibition, they highlighted the disparate disciplines this brings to their photography.
Lorna captures the vibrancy, the energy and even the urban decay of city life. Marion has been inspired by our beautiful corner of Scotland to capture its ever-changing rural scene. They put on this exhibition to compare and contrast the differences between their chosen homes - same world, different planet!
Retail Therapy OUR SHOP IS OPEN 7 DAYS A WEEK 10.00 AM - 4.00 PM (SUNDAY 11.00 AM - 4.00 PM)
Our shop now stocks a lovely range of arts and crafts from around 100 suppliers, most of them from Upper Nithsdale, although we also sell crafts produced in the surrounding areas of Nithsdale and East Ayrshire in order to provide shoppers with a really wide choice if gifts. You will find some really unusual and unique pieces, including jewellery, stained
glass, pottery, knitwear, and other unusual decorative items. We also stock many prints, hand-crafted cards, books by local authors and music. Some new items for sale include corsages by Caroline Lamb, glass pendants by Elspeth Shearer, stained glass panels by Sheila Symon and hand-painted scarves, ties and accessories by Julie Winter.
SANQUHAR PATTERN We also specialise in knitwear featuring the world renowned Sanquhar Pattern, which dates from the 17th Century. We have many lovely exclusive items in stock, including scarves, leg-warmers, hats and headbands - all designed and knitted by local lady Alison Thomson (profiled opposite). Bespoke items can also be ordered through A’ the Airts - worth considering if you want a special present for someone. These include larger items of clothing and personalised hand-knitted Sanquhar Gloves, which incorporate the initials of the owner. There are several variations of this popular pattern, and although the Sanquhar Pattern is traditionally knitted in black and white, other colour combinations are available. This exclusive knitwear is beautifully crafted and uses only the finest merino wool, spun in Italy. If you’re up to a challenge, we also stock Alison’s kits for knitting your own Sanquhar Gloves and Stockings - wool, pattern and needles included!
Local Airtisans OUR REGULAR SPOTLIGHT ON UPPER NITHSDALE’S CREATIVE COMMUNITY ALISON THOMSON: CHAMPIONING SANQUHAR KNITWEAR AND KEEPING THE TRADITION ALIVE! Alison has lived in Sanquhar since the 1980s, but her interest in the historic Sanquhar Pattern began long before that. Alison was raised in Midlothian, where she showed a talent for sewing and knitting from an early age, having learned these skills from her mother. During the war, when there was only low quality oily wool available, she knitted her first scarf for her father, who wore it with great pride. That was when her passion for knitting started. In the late 1950s Alison moved to Shetland with her husband Kenneth, who was a minister in the Church of Scotland. It was there that she mastered Fair Isle knitting (the technique is very similar to Sanquhar knitting) and witnessed how women in Shetland gained some financial independence through their knitting. Alison became increasingly interested in the history of knitting around this time. As her family grew up, Alison bought he first knitting machine and started producing jerseys for the family - discovering the joys of machine knitting! After a spell on the Scottish mainland, Alison and family moved to the Orkney island of Sanday. There she became one of the directors of the Isle of Sanday Knitters where she influenced some of the designs. When she moved to the Scottish Borders in the 1970s, Alison set up a business called “Eildon Designs”, supported by a group of hand knitters. A friend showed her a pair of Sanquhar gloves, which she had never seen before, and she started to research the history of the Sanquhar Pattern. She discovered that no one had developed the Pattern into larger items, as the Fair Isle knitters had done, and was inspired to start designing them herself. It was a happy coincidence when, in 1984, her husband was offered a ministerial charge at St Bride’s Church in Sanquhar. Alison opened a shop, specialising in Sanquhar designs and recruited a group of local ladies to produce garments under her label “Original Sanquhar Jerseys”. The shop closed when Alison retired, but she is still actively producing these lovely high quality items of knitwear in her home to this day and we are very proud that A’ the Airts is the exclusive outlet for them.
What’s On FIND OUT WHAT’S PLANNED OVER THE COMING SEASON
Exhibitions
SAM MULLEN : “THE PAINTED LANDSCAPE”
3rd - 29th May
Sam studied drawing and painting at Glasgow Art School in the 1960s. He has exhibited at the Royal Scottish Academy and Royal Glasgow Institute. He now lives in Dumfries and Galloway and has run popular drawing and painting classes at the Crichton. This exhibition shows his beautiful, colourful works, his special interest being landscapes and portraits.
HAZEL & CYRIL REED: “TWO VISIONS”
31st May - 26th June
Hazel’s work uses textiles to portray the colours, shapes, patterns and textures found within the Northern Highland landscape. This involves layering fabrics, in a way similar to the use of washes in watercolour, often with a variety of machine and hand stitched threads adding texture and detail. Pieces may also include fabric painting, dyeing, collage and weaving.
.
For Cyril, the Northern Highlands - whose moods are so affected by weather and light which in turn reveal and obscure features - provide a wealth of ideas for his work. Although his paintings are done indoors, they have a directness which suggests that they could have been painted on location.
VICTORIA KERR: “HORSEPOWER”
1st - 28th August
A mixed exhibition by a talented young artist who is planning to move to Upper Nithsdale with her family. The beauty of pencil, soft pastel, charcoal, inks and watercolour are captured in Victoria’s work. Subjects include figurative, portraits and equine studies that reflect Victoria’s love of horses. Victoria also makes multi-media pieces featuring VW Campervans -another of her passions!
SHOWCASING TALENT FROM LOCAL SCHOOLS We are committed to showcasing emerging artistic talent in Upper Nithsdale and work with Sanquhar Academy and the two local Primary Schools - Sanquhar and Kelloholm - to provide exhibition space throughout our building for their very talented pupils. We currently have a wonderful array of spectacular dinosaur models made by Primary 1 pupils from Sanquhar - a must see! We also hope to have an exhibition throughout July of artwork which will be the result of special series of workshops with a professional artist, arranged with Sanquhar Academy as part of the Spring Fling programme. Recent work by pupils from both Primary Schools can be seen throughout the year on our stairwell.
CHECK OUR WEBSITE FOR MORE INFORMATION AND REGULAR UPDATES
Theatre Events
www.all-the-airts.com
THE RED HOURGLASS
7.30 pm, Saturday 1st June
Glenfiddich Scottish Writer of the Year and "rising star Alan Bissett performs his new work, playing five parts: three male, two female, none of them human, locked up together in a mysterious facility. A dazzling, witty and erotic tour-deforce from one of Scotland's most versatile talents.” (D&G Arts Festival)
BOB FOX
7.30 pm, Friday 7th June
Fresh from his long run in the West End as the Music Man in “Warhorse”, Bob, who has long been a favourite on the live circuit, tours with his new show, featuring a selection of powerful and moving songs and music from “Warhorse” as well as traditional material from Bob's native north east and beyond.
GERRY CREEN
7.30 pm, Saturday 15th June
Gerry, who is one of Belfast’s finest singer/songwriters makes a welcome return visit to A’ the Airts, after delighting the audience here last April with his wonderful musicianship and highly entertaining repertoire. One definitely not to be missed!
DRUNK CHICKENS AND BURNT MACARONI
7.00 pm, Friday 28th June
Local author Mary Smith will read from her book, which provides a remarkable insight into the lives of women in Afghanistan. Despite the hardships in their lives, they are not all helpless downtrodden victims but women of courage, determined to make the best of life for themselves and their families.
50 SHADES OF BLUE
7.30 pm, Friday 5th July
Glasgow based duo playing some of their original material and putting their own twist on old favorites. Mainly folk and bluegrass with some shades of blues! Come along and enjoy great music and some really fun audience participation with percussion.
THE TWO IANS
7.30 pm, Friday 2nd August
Popular singer/songwriters Ian Bruce and Ian Walker will perform a mixture of Scottish traditional songs and original material, with a generous injection of humour. They promise a refreshing potent blend of voices and instruments including guitars, autoharp and banjo!
CLAUDE BOURBON
7.30 pm, Friday 23rd August
Whilst he may have his roots in the blues, Claude is inspired by music and song from all around the world, taking these sounds and weaving them into a performance of blues, rock, jazz, songs and melodies that defy a label.
Arts and Crafts…. AN UPDATE FROM OUR ARTS AND CRAFTS GROUPS Our Community Arts and Crafts groups are going from strength to strength and membership is growing all the time. Here is some news from them: PAINTING GROUP It’s now just 12 months since our painting group began and it has been a great success. The group has been producing some lovely works in watercolours - all done by folk who until then ‘couldn’t draw a straight line’ - and have recently been experimenting with acrylics .
Our Thursday afternoon group is now bulging at the seams, but there is an opportunity for an evening group. It would run along similar lines to the Thursday group, painting and learning from one another and enjoying a cuppa and a natter. It only costs £2 a week to join in and to cut down on initial expense, we have a wide range of donated materials, which folk can experiment with until they find their favourite medium. If you would be interested in an evening painting session, just let us know, by popping in to the shop, or ringing 01659 50514.
POTTERY GROUP Members of the Pottery Group have been improving their skills on the potters wheel and experimenting with some lovely new glazes, as well as producing lovely items in slab work and clay modeling. As you can see, our products are showing great diversity, and we are even beginning to offer some products for sale in the shop. In addition to our Tuesday morning group, we have just begun a second six week evening course with professional potter Anthea Summers. Following on from that, towards the end of June, we are looking towards a regular evening pottery group, which would run on similar lines to the current Tuesday morning sessions. - £2 for room rental and a cuppa, plus 50p contribution towards new materials. SANQUHAR CLAY - what a find! One group member recently discovered the source of clay that was used in the old Sanquhar brick works and the first firing produced some lovely results! It is hoped that more more experimentation can be done with this clay in the future and it will help to preserve yet another piece of the heritage of Upper Nithsdale.
…. and Outreach Activities HELPING OTHERS IN THE LOCAL COMMUNITY AND BEYOND KNITTING GROUP
A’ the Airts knitting group, plus members of the Church and community have been busy knitting jumper and hat sets for African babies . The babies who will benefit are having to be wrapped in newspapers when they are born as there are no clothes for them. This has earned them the title of “Fish and Chip Babies”. Everyone has been churning out these colourful little jumpers from oddments of wool and to date, 150 outfits have been produced. This represents an amazing effort from the community and they will be shipped out to Africa soon. PHOTOGRAPHY GROUP The photography group meets on the first and third Monday evening of each month and is open to all, regardless of experience. Various technical issues, as well as photograph composition, are covered. The group has been recently benefited from funding for a tutor once a month - local photographer Allan Smith.
ARTS AND CRAFTS PROJECT We have been fortunate to secure a package of support from the Scottish Communities Foundation, Hugh Fraser Foundation and The Gannochy Trust to fund professional tutors for a programme of Arts and Crafts workshops with less advantaged groups in Upper Nithsdale. Amongst others, clients of Building Healthy Communities, the Adult Resource Centre and residents from Queensberry Care Home have been enjoying these activities over the last few months:
A’ Write! PROSE AND POETRY - THE WRITTEN AND SPOKEN WORD MARY SMITH - POETRY READING
KRIS HADDOW CLARK
Local writer Mary Smith recently gave readings from her collection of poems “Thousands Pass Here Every Day”. The poems evoked a strong sense of place, be it Scotland or Afghanistan, a country Mary knows well. We are looking forward to a return visit from Mary in July to read from her new book “Drunk Chickens and Burnt Macaroni”. (See our What’s On pages).
Kris is a regular performer and supporter of A’ the Airts, having been raised in Upper Nithsdale. He is a man of many talents - actor, singer, author and playwright. As well as copresenting our popular Christmas Concert, he recently entertained us with an evening of readings and amusing anecdotes. This was complemented by an exhibition of some of Kris's award winning Scots writing in print and on canvas, with work including 'Ronnie's Story' (Winner of the 'see me' Scotland Creative Writing Award, 2010) and 'On Times Austere' (An engraving of Kris's winning poem from Windows for Burns Night, 2012).
LIZ LOCHHEAD – POET & WRITER
POETRY GROUP Our poetry group - for those who appreciate writing and reading poetry is held on the first Tuesday of every month at 7.00 pm. It is led by Rab Wilson, one of Scotland’s finest poets writing in the Scots language. Everyone is welcome. Please phone us to find out more.
Julie H Winter B.Ed. - Artist & Tutor Individual art tuition / Groups up to 6 people
A’ the Airts was proud to host an evening with one of Scotland’s finest poets and writers - Liz Lochhead. On St Andrew’s Day, Liz entertained a full house, reading some of her poems and talking about her work. We are very grateful to our friend Rab Wilson, Upper Nithsdale’s own poet, for kindly organizing this event for us. Rab and his wife Margaret provided some lovely musical interludes during the evening.
Workshops: silk painting, acrylics, oils & watercolour with pallet knife or brush work Demonstrations / Commissions
Art Breaks 2-4 days / B&B
Telephone: Email: Website: Art Blog:
01290 332548 julie.winter2@btinternet.com www.aftonbandb.co.uk www.juliewinter.wordpress.com
We are always keen to promote the written word, as Upper Nithsdale has always been associated with poets and writers. Indeed, our name - A’ the Airts - is taken from a Robert Burns poem, written in Upper Nithsdale, about his wife Jean.
CREATIVE WRITING GROUP Our creative writing group, called the Upper Nithsdale Writers, concentrates on prose, both fiction and non-fiction. It may be small, but it packs a punch! This is exemplified by two projects it was involved in: Ted Goes Christmas Shopping The group was approached by Alison Shankly, who lives in Sanquhar. She and her family look after many animals, including horses, ponies and donkeys. Alison had an idea for a small book featuring her animals, which would raise money in memory of Lindsey, the late son of her friends Andrea & David Thomson. She joined forces with the Upper Nithsdale Writers and A' the Airts Photography group, resulting in "Ted Goes Christmas Shopping". Ted is a Shetland pony owned by Alison, and the story tells of Ted going round the shops in Sanquhar buying Christmas presents for all his friends. The books went on sale in the A’ the Airts shop just before Christmas 2012 and the full print run soon sold out, raising over £1000 for the Upper Nithsdale Medical Group. Dr Marion Macdonald accepted the cheque on behalf of the group, commenting: “We are delighted and privileged to receive this support. Lindsey was special, and sadly I only knew him for a short time. He brought happiness to all around him and brought people together.”
Society of Authors Lunch In late April the creative writing group organised a light lunch (provided by Café Airtisans) for members of the Society of Authors living in Dumfries and Galloway and Ayrshire. This took place in the performance area in A’ the Airts. It attracted about fourteen writers, both professional and amateur, from Dumfries and Galloway and Ayrshire. An enjoyable musical interlude was provided by the folk duo Fifty Shades of Blue. A highlight was the handing out to the writers of drums, tambourines, shakers and spoons to test their rhythmic capabilities. We are keen to expand this side of the arts centre’s activities, and already we’ve had enquiries from writers attending the Society of Authors’ lunch about book launches and readings.
Music, Music, Music…... WHATEVER TAKES YOUR FANCY - TIME TO JOIN IN AND HAVE SOME FUN! There have been lots of new opportunities to enjoy music at A’ the Airts recently. As well as the regular performances we offer in our theatre, there are now lots of ways you can develop your musical expertise and simply join in for the fun of it! “SETURDAY SESSIONS”
Karaoke”, offering a mixture of popular songs with full backing tracks (hits from various eras and old-time favourites). There’s no need to sing on your own unless you want to - the emphasis is on singing along with others and the focus is on fun. Singing your heart out is thirsty work, so refreshments will be available during an interval, which will also give people the chance to socialise and discuss new ideas. Anyone, regardless of age or ability, can come along on Tuesday evenings at 7.00pm and join in ! Only £2 (£1 for school pupils).
FINGER-PICKING GOOD!
These regular sessions began in March and are proving to be a popular alternative to “retail therapy” on Saturday afternoons. They currently take place on the 1st and 3rd Saturdays of the month, but if they prove to be popular, we may start to run them every week. Anyone can join in – bring an instrument, sing along or just sit back, relax… and enjoy the music! Only £3 per session, which includes tea/coffee and biscuits.
COMMUNITY SING-ALONG Aware of the increasing popularity of throughout the country of “feral” choirs, we thought we should do something for the people of Upper Nithsdale. Having already tried out a mixed sing-along we have now decided to run with a weekly “Community
Local guitar tutor Lance Stewart ran a series “fretted” instrument workshops over the winter months , which were very popular with beginners and also more experienced players. People really enjoyed playing along with a group and learning from others . As well as guitars, Lance’s innovative methods can be adapted to other instruments such as ukuleles, mandolins and banjos – any stringed instruments with frets. We would like to see these workshops starting again later in the year, so if you are interested in joining the group, please let us know.
AUTOHARP WORKSHOPS Doug Curran , our local autoharp player and luthier, has been running a series of monthly master classes in playing the autoharp. These have been extremely well-attended, attracting enthusiasts from around the country. We’re hoping that Doug will restart these after the summer holidays.
Community Cinema FILM SCREENINGS, FESTIVALS AND SOCIAL CLUBS Screening a regular programme of mainstream films in our community cinema is always a bit of a challenge, due to the high cost of distribution licences. However, we recently joined forces with other small independent cinemas across the region to offer a film festival in early May, which focused on film and music. The “South West Picture Show” was co-ordinated by our partners in the Robert Burns Film Theatre in Dumfries, who secured funding through Regional Screen Scotland and Dumfries and Galloway Council to support the various regional offerings.
POLLOCK & MCLEAN SOLICITORS AND ESTATE AGENTS 61 High Street Sanquhar Dumfriesshire DG4 6DT Tel: - 01659 50241 Fax: - 01659 50443
House Purchase & Sale Wills and Executry Incapacity Care for the Elderly Accident Claims Employment Matrimonial Taxation
Branches in Thornhill, Sanquhar & Dumfries
In line with the music theme of the festival, we decided to show the recent film version of the popular West End musical “Les Misérables”, which was really well attended by many local people - not a dry eye in the house! We also had a special screening of “Acoustic Routes”, the acclaimed documentary about Scottish Folk legend Bert Jansch. Thanks to the additional funding through the Film Festival, we managed to secure the world class guitarist Duck Baker (who appeared in the film) to perform after the screening, lead a panel discussion about the film with other significant people from the folk scene and run a master class the following day. Another way you can enjoy regular films in A’ the Airts is to consider joining one of our social clubs: GOLDEN OLDIES For an annual subscription of £25 a year (or £13 for six months) members of our Golden Oldies Social Club can enjoy a range of films, including recent blockbusters and classic older films. These are shown every second Tuesday afternoon. Some recent films have included The Angels’ Share, The Vow, Anna Karenina, Billy Elliot, Best Exotic Marigold Hotel and Seven Brides for Seven Brothers. YOUNG AIRTISTS Annual membership of Young Airtists is only £12 for a single child or £20 for a family and members can see a film every Sunday afternoon. Parents can accompany younger children free of charge.
A’ the Airts 8 - 12 High Street SANQUHAR DG4 6BL Tel
01659 50514
www.all-the-airts.com
Email contact@all-the-airts.com
VENUE HIRE: Our theatre and crafts rooms are available to hire at reasonable costs for events, conferences, classes and meetings: Local community groups: Any room - £10 per hour Non-local, statutory and commercial groups: Craft Rooms - £15 per hour; Theatre - £20 per hour Performing companies wishing to stage events: £25 for the theatre. Daily Rates can be negotiated. Our three storey building is completely wheel-chair accessible and has a lift servicing all floors. Catering can be arranged. Open 7 Days, 10 am - 4 pm (Sunday 11am - 4 pm)
...the Art of Good Coffee Exclusive, fresh ground, espresso coffee from ‘PURO’ fairtrade, tasty deli snacks, delicious soups & mouthwatering cakes and bakery items at very affordable prices. Find us within A’ the Airts, 8-12 High Street, Sanquhar. You will be greeted by our friendly staff. Pop in or book a table. Tel: 01659 50514 and ask for the Café.
Cafe@Cumnock Located within the Cumnock Factory Outlet, The Cafe offers shoppers a full range of freshly made meals, delicious home baking, hot and cold drinks and daily special offers. Whatever time of day you prefer to shop, we'll be serving up hot and cold food for Breakfast, Lunch or Afternoon Tea. Craigens Rd, Cumnock, Ayrshire. Tel: 01290 421 121. info@cumnockfactoryoutlet.co.uk
Scottish Charity No : SCO35319 Funded by the Big Lottery and Dumfries and Galloway Council