This, our third Winter edition, is a celebration of all the wonderful people we have worked with and a reminder of some of our achievements this year. The team are already busy with their preparations for next year. But it is good to rest and reflect during the winter months.
My column in the December issue of DG Life talks about ‘wintering’ and considers our need for rest and recuperation to continue creating, performing, and making. Grab yourself a copy of DG Life and follow our monthly column. And we are proud sponsors of the DG Life Culture Champion Award. DG Life magazine is available all over Dumfries and Galloway.
In this issue of FOCUS we are looking at the year past and thinking about the year ahead. Our Conference 24 was a great success and as we look back at the day in these pages get ready for news in the new year - we are excited to tell you about Conference 25!
The team travelled around the whole region in the last year, speaking to you – our members –and making new connections and friends. Our membership has increased, and our Talent Pool is growing.
We attended Spring Fling, DG Arts Festival, Music at the Multiverse, DMC Presents TRAX, Wigtown Book Festival, Kirkcudbright Fringe. We visited exhibitions at CAMPLE LINE, Gracefield, Kirkcudbright Galleries, independent galleries all over the region, and in our own time we went further afield too – visits to The Huntarian and The McIntosh House, The Modern Institute, The Common Guild, GOMA, The National Galleries in Edinburgh, and in London, Tate Modern, Tate Britain, and the National Gallery. We have enjoyed a year of creativity and share some of the highlights with you in this issue.
We said bye to our Comms Officer, Lauren McDougall, as she spreads her wings toward her next creative endeavours. Lauren shares her experience of growing and learning with DG Unlimited and being part of our team, and we take another look at her adventures from this year’s Eden Festival. We visit Venice with founding DG Unlimited member and friend, Bea Last. Bea has had an exciting year, and she kindly shares some of her adventures with us. And we are proud to give you an exclusive glimpse into the work of our friend, Robert Shields | ONR, as he works on his beautiful project, ‘Listening Planet’
This year we successfully delivered the unique publication, ‘The Pull of the Moon’ a unique publication celebrating the European Lunar Symposium which took place in June, hosted by the Crichton Trust, the OU in Scotland, and a whole host of the world’s major science and space administration agencies. We launched our DG Unlimited Talent Pool, and Resource Sharing Library, and we welcomed a wonderful Board of Trustees, all of whom we are proud to re-introduce to you.
Turn the pages and enjoy this issue as we look back and look forward.
Wishing you all warmth, health and happiness for this festive season and the coming year.
Tabi
FOCUS is a creative digital magazine brought to you by DG Unlimited. FOCUS is free to access and download from dgunlimited.org. It is published to shine a light on the creative and cultural work, activities, and projects in Dumfries and Galloway.
Tabi Mudaliar, Editor of FOCUS Magazine and Creative Director of DG Unlimited.
BEA LAST
Bea Last, is a founding member of DG Unlimited and established contemporary Scottish artist, educator, and mentor.
In her own words, “My creative practice is process led exploring drawing in its broadest sense whilst experimenting with refurbished, recycled and found materials. Exploring relationship, connection, placement, environment and process these Sculptural Drawings are a response to both inner and outer landscapes and responding to both personal and current global issues.”
Bea’s sculptural drawings create narratives which are deeply meaningful and have great beauty. All her works are unique and distinctive, changing in the environment in which they are installed and providing the viewers who experience them with powerful narratives from many angles. Bea’s installations invite viewers in – to walk around them, to listen, and to use our senses to fully appreciate them as they move and react to the atmosphere. Bea’s Red Bags, installed in the grounds of Gracefield Arts Centre, were a powerful example of how the sculptural drawings become living works, enhanced by the interaction of viewers and the influence of the elements and nature.
Bea’s work is a testament to her ongoing and dedicated commitment to the artistic process and her ability to transform and repurpose found, salvaged, and gifted materials into her sculptural drawings. The works are abstract in form and illustrate inner and outer landscapes and narratives important to Bea. Recent works have challenged perceptions and opened dialogues on conflict, humanitarianism, and the climate crisis.
Born in 1963 in Cyprus amidst the early troubles between Greek and Turkish Cypriots, Bea’s proximity to conflict in her early life has been an influence for her artistic practice as she responds to current conflicts around the globe.
“Bullets and Bandages”, Bea’s current work, consists of independent sculptural forms that contribute to a whole sculptural experience and are Bea’s response to conflict and the explorations for childhood and generational trauma. Bea’s unique concept of “sculptural drawings” is distinctive and rooted in her own deeply personal experiences and influences.
Bea was a finalist in the 19th edition of the Arts Laguna Prize in Venice earlier this year, and before this, in 2023, a finalist in the Aesthetica Art Prize. This year Bea was awarded the prize for DG Visual Artist of the year at the DG Life Awards in recognition of her career to date and in particular Bea’s work with emerging artists as a mentor and educator.
Congratulations, Bea on an amazing year!
Read more about Bea here and follow her on Instagram here
Out and about with DG Unlimited
This is just a small selection f the images from our travels this year. We have enjoyed art, culture, and creativity in every part of our beautiful region of Dumfries and Galloway, and beyond in the UK and Europe.
All of us in team DG Unlimited understand how important it is for us to spend time with you, our members. We want to see and experience the fruits of your labour and the results of your creativity and cultural endeavours, and to celebrate your successes, and also to support you if times are tough.
We look forward to visiting every part of our region and seeing your work and activities and to speaking to you during 2025.
Team DG Unlimited had a blast looking through all our photos from this year. We could have filled the whole issue with images from around the region and beyond. We want to thank all our members, friends, and colleagues for all their contributions during 2024. It has been an amazing year for us and we are ready to embrace 2025 and all that it brings.
Tate Modern Mike Kelley
Tate Modern Mire Lee
DG Life Awards
Bea Last, Visual Artist/Maker of the year 2024
A huge and heartfelt thank you to, and in no particular order:
Dumfries and Galloway Council colleagues, past, present and also to our new colleagues too!
A special thanks to Rebecca Coggins for her outstanding contribution to the region’s creative and cultural sector.
Massive thanks to Steve Kirkpatrick, Artibrand - who has transformed our brand.
And a special thank you to all our creative friends, too many to mention but who include: DMC, Wigtown Book Festival, DG Arts Festival, CAMPLE LINE, Kirkcudbright Galleries, Outpost Arts, UPLAND, Crawick Multiverse, For Enjoyment CIC, The Holywood Trust, Creative Scotland, The Crichton Trust, NHS D&G, The Theatre Royal, The Stove Network, The Southern Upland Partnership, SOSE, Live Borders, Creative Dundee, Creative Edinburgh, CABN, Alchemy Film and Arts, Live Borders, SSDA, Event Scotland, VisitScotland, Stranraer Oyster Festival, The Open University, Dumfries and Galloway College, CT Productions, SW Audio, Thomas Tosh, Catstrand, The Usual Place, Gracefield Arts Centre, A’ the Airts, DG Life, Hullabaloo To You, Oceanallover, V&A London, V&A Dundee, National Galleries Scotland, BBC Scotland, Alive Community Radio SCIO, Greatest Hits Radio, DG Standard, Dumfries Courier, and every one of our members.
Thank you for being part of an amazing year!
Visiting the Turner Prize 24
Wigtown Book Festival
DG Unlimited Conference 24
Turner Prize, Jasleen Kaur
Welcome to the new
We worked with Steve Kirkpatrick of Artibrand to develop a fresh, colourful and engaging brand identity for DG Unlimited which included aspects of the colour and beauty of our region and hand drawn elements. Thanks to Steve for a fantastic job, and to the participants of For Enjoyment CIC drawing classes who contributed hand drawn illustrations of key regional icons.
new look DG Unlimited
“I love our new brand! I wanted it to be vibrant, recognisable, and give us flexibility to use new images over time. Steve developed our unique colour palette using images from around the region - the names reflect their source.”
Tabitha Mudaliar
Dark Sky Devorgilla Crawick
Carrick
Merrick Criffel Logan Locharbriggs
DG Unlimited Conference 24
A day to remember
The entire Board and team of DG Unlimited had the pleasure of welcoming friends from across the region and beyond to our first Conference since 2018, and our first in person AGM since 2019! Years of pandemic restrictions behind us, it was a joy to see so many well kent faces and to share news of our new brand, website, and plans for the coming year.
Despite the torrential rain pouring down all over the region, our wonderful members travelled to A’ the Airts in Sanquhar to spend the day with us. In the morning, we had a walk around the Crawick Multiverse, and despite the rain, a small group of intrepid explorers set off to see the now world-famous land art installation by Charles Jencks.
A’ the Airts in Sanquhar was our home for the rest of the day and what a warm welcome we all received! First we had our AGM, reinstating our existing Board and giving our members the opportunity to welcome our new Trustees.
After the AGM we were treated to a delicious lunch – a generous buffet was a welcome reward after the business was concluded. Huge thanks to Zoë McAuley and the whole cafe team for a delicious lunch, and for catering to all our needs. Sanquhar has a wonderful community arts centre, with a warm friendly atmosphere in the café and throughout the building, a shop loaded with all manner of gorgeous things and cared for by a dedicated team led by Yvonne Barber, who we are fortunate to have as a valued DG Unlimited Trustee. If you haven’t been to A’ the Airts as yet you must plan a visit.
A’ the Airts translates from the old Scots into modern English as ‘All the elements’ so it was the perfect venue for our Conference which was a showcase of some of the talent and creativity evident amongst our members. Our friend, Derek Crichton welcomed everyone and spoke with genuine affection and enthusiasm for DG Unlimited and the creative sector in our region. Then, artists t s Beall and Katie Anderson shared their latest images of the tree planting and community involvement for the regions’ Remembering Together COVID Memorial, the Dispersed Forest Project for Dumfries and Galloway. We met the newest members of DG Unlimited, a group of young talented filmmakers and performers from Sanquhar – Edward Ryan-Sharpe, Jamie Morrison, Payton I’ Anson, and Amilia Wark are the first Junior members of DG Unlimited. We believe that the real future of the creative sector in Scotland is in the creative hands of the youngest members of our community, so it is important DG Unlimited knows about the young creatives we have
growing up in our midst. We have created a junior member tier, where a parent, carer, teacher, or mentor can recommend a young creative aged between 8 and 18. Our ‘Rising Stars’ will be able to access mentors and support in various forms as they pursue a creative career or try a new creative pursuit, and access information to help them in their creative endeavours. Our first four Rising Stars chatted with members, talked about their creative practices and ambitions, and served us all an ice-cream treat at the break!
The day was rounded off by an outstanding live acoustic session from ‘VanIves’ the popular local band from Castle Douglas and courtesy of our friends at Dumfries Music Collective (DMC). Stuart Ramage on lead vocals and guitar, David Scobie on Bass, and Kyle Sharp on Drums, performed some of their new tracks as well as firm favourites from their repertoire. Their music has a chilled depth and is meaningful and beautifully sung, Stuart sings accompanied by accomplished guitar and drums. Bravo gents! A heartfelt thank you to DMC and VanIves for coming to our Conference.
Thanks to the entire Board of DG Unlimited, to David and Lauren for their support on the day. Images by Rhiannon Mudaliar, who kindly stepped in at the last minute when our Lauren broke her ankle! It was a massive job for the entire team getting the event ready, but we are all thrilled by how the day went and the responses from our friends and members. Here’s a selection of photos as a reminder of our big day.
FOCUS on LAUREN MCDOUGALL
My name is Lauren McDougall; I am a multi-disciplinary artist based in Glasgow – and I have recently sadly left my Digital Communications Officer post with DG Unlimited.
My artwork explores the intricate depths of feminist frameworks, investigating the nuanced dynamics that define the relationships between women, themselves, nature and the constructs of society. At the heart of my practice lies a surrealistic reinvention of the female form, culled from the archives of artworks, advertising, and the vast expanse of pornography. Through my work, I aim to interrogate and challenge Western portrayals of women’s bodies, both historic and contemporary, unravelling and reshaping the narratives that permeate society.
Although I hold an honours degree in Photography, my work expands to various media such as collage, video & sound art, and textile practices. I like to place particular emphasis on the intersection with the digital era. In addition to fusing analogue techniques with digital processes in my artistic practice, I like to utilise the pervasive influence of technology as a transformative lens.
My journey with DG Unlimited began in December 2022 when I returned to Dumfries due to family circumstances. Stepping into the role of social media intern, I quickly became immersed in the region’s vibrant and dynamic creative energy. From the outset, I felt embraced by DG Unlimited’s supportive and encouraging environment. My ideas and aspirations for the role were consistently met with enthusiasm, and I was provided with unwavering support during the challenges I faced in my personal life. One of my goals when I began working with DG Unlimited was to enhance engagement among young creatives in the region. This aspiration became a consistent focus throughout my roles as an intern, Youth Arts Advocate, and, ultimately, as Digital Communications Officer.
Later in 2023, I had the privilege of becoming one of DG Unlimited’s Youth Arts Advocates, collaborating with Catriona McGhie. This role provided me with an incredible opportunity to delve into the creative landscape of Dumfries and Galloway, particularly how it interacts with and supports young creative practitioners. Together with Catriona, we facilitated Youth Arts meetings that offered valuable insights into the experiences of young creatives within the region’s arts community. These discussions sparked important conversations about the then-current state of the creative sector and highlighted areas where meaningful change was needed.
During my time with DG Unlimited, I was proud to become an alumnus of the second wave of Leaders Unlimited! Embarking on this journey was an extraordinary experience, allowing me to connect and network with inspiring creative practitioners from across the region. Through engaging meetings and transformative workshops, I gained valuable insights and tools that have been essential in shaping and advancing my career as a creative freelancer.
This June, I was fortunate enough to photograph @edenfestival for DG Unlimited, an experience that will forever hold a special place in my heart. Eden Festival is a realm of joy and creativity, and I felt deeply honoured to document the vibrant energy and unity that it fosters. The festival’s spirit of happiness and togetherness is truly unparalleled, and capturing these moments was a profoundly rewarding experience.
Take a look at some of my favourite images I captured during my time at Eden Festival!
Above all, my time with DG Unlimited is something I truly cherish. The diverse roles I held within the organisation provided me with invaluable opportunities to forge lasting connections within the creative community. I will forever treasure the chance to be part of the region’s vibrant creative atmosphere and to play a vital role in shaping the organisation’s communications and the engagement of young creative practitioners.
I am deeply grateful to the team for their unwavering support and encouragement throughout my journey at DG Unlimited. Their guidance was greatly essential in helping me develop and refine my skills, shaping my experience as a young creative freelancer in Dumfries and Galloway.
Thank you Lauren for all your hard work and commitment to DG Unlimited!
We will all miss Lauren, but we will be staying in touch and look forward to inviting her to work with us in the future if she is available. We will be welcoming our new Communications Officer in the new year.
Tabi Mudaliar, Creative Director
Listening Planet –Robert Shields / ONR
“I became involved in this whole project without having a clue what it would become or the places it would take me. It started as a genuine work of passion. I liked Martyn straight away, loved talking to him and hearing about his story. It resonated deeply with my own love of the natural world and our shared deep affinity with areas of wilderness in particular. I knew I wanted to be involved as soon as I spoke to Martyn; he’s one of the most unique, special, wonderful people I’ve ever had the fortunate to work with.
He’s also - to a genuinely frustrating extent sometimes! - the most self-effacing, humble person you will ever meet. You would never, ever know of the remarkable places he’s been, or scenes he’s witnessed, or the incredible things he’s done unless you teased it out of him. It’s part of what makes him so unique. He has genuinely no desire to be celebrated or leave any kind of celebrated legacy. He records these sounds purely because he just loves doing it, and I guess latterly, because he now recognises the importance of his collection. I keep telling him “you have a legacy mate, whether you want one or not!”
Outside of his conservationism, from a purely technical perspective, his audio captures are absolutely beautiful. They were such a joy to hear and work with. With something as perfect and precious as this, my approach was: leave well alone. His audio is exactly as captured, no compression, no EQ, no dynamic control. I’ve seen my role as trying to write around the audio, to treat it as a collaborator and not as a competitor or a canvas.
It has been one of the most rewarding and joyous records to work on. Obviously, it is marked with a great deal of sadness and pathos at times. The project exists because humanity is losing these environments, mistreating them and squandering the beauty of our natural world. We hope that, as a very small part of a huge collection of similarly-minded artists, we can challenge that and help to push environmentalism forward in people’s perceptions of what is most important to them and their loved ones.
From a Dumfries & Galloway perspective, I’ve spent most of my life growing up and living here, so those tracks that were recorded here were of particular importance to me. I used some of Martyn’s audio from the 1970s captured at Caerlaverock at the Solway coast, and some from peregrine falcons captured in the woods in Dalbeattie - both beautiful recordings. ‘You & I’ was the first single from the record, and it was captured in the Solway Coast, about five miles from where I now live, which is quite fitting.
Martyn believes that Scotland - and in particular the Highlands - is one of the few places where he feels like true wilderness, and that connection with the land and its natural inhabitants, still exists. I can’t wait to see him over here. It’ll be very emotional, I’m sure.”
La Bella Luna
The Moon has been a feature for many of us in Dumfries and Galloway recently. In addition to our breathtaking dark skies which provide eternal inspiration to so many creatives around the region, our region and The Crichton Trust have been a home from home to some of the world’s leading Lunar scientists at the European Lunar Symposium.
“The European Lunar Symposium is the premier Moon-focussed meeting in Europe attracting experts from across the world to discuss the latest developments in science and exploration of the Moon…”
The OU in Scotland successfully bid to bring the 12th edition of the European Lunar Symposium to Dumfries and Galloway, and various organisations and agencies worked together to bring this world class event to Dumfries. I had the privilege of attending a few of the events and it was a thrill to see so many internationally renowned scientists visiting our region.
DG Unlimited was delighted to work with artist and illustrator - Emily Tough, and artist and writer - Rhiannon Mudaliar. And from the Open University, Professor Mahesh Anand, Derek Goldman, and Kieran McKinstry. DG Unlimited had access to a unique view of this special event so we could creatively record it and develop a digital supplement to be shared with the OU and international attendees of the Symposium. We are delighted to say we were also able produce printed copies to be sent to all the delegates and to key partners and supporters of the event.
Our artist illustrator, Emily Tough also signed limited edition prints which will be on display in the Crichton Central and in the Open University in Milton Keynes. Emily did a series of beautiful illustrations for us. We recently visited the Crichton to present our OU and Crichton colleagues with their signed prints.
You can see the Pull of the Moon here
Emily Tough signing limited edition prints
Left to right: Fiona Rands, (Events Manager, Crichton Trust), Tabitha Mudaliar (Creative Director, DG Unlimited), Frank Hayes (Chair, DG Unlimited), Emily Tough (illustrator), Gwilym Gibbons (The Crichton Trust), Derek Goldman (The Open University in Scotland), Pam Stokes (Manager, Crichton Foundation), Andrew Walls (The Crichton Foundation), Kieran McKinstry (The Open University in Scotland).
Earlier this year we were delighted to introduce you to
The DG Unlimited Board of Trustees
Our Trustees have been busy on behalf of DG Unlimited this year, so while we take the opportunity to re-introduce them to you, we thought we would give you an update on what they have been up to during 2024.
Back in 2023, we started working with Culture Radar consultancy to assist us to recruit new members of our Board of Trustees. After three months of sharing the opportunity around the UK’s creative and third sector networks, we were delighted by the response to our call out and the sheer number of applications we had received. Culture Radar helped us with a scoring framework for all applicants and assisted us with the interviews for the short list.
Our new candidates hail from all over the UK, but all have ties to Scotland or the South of Scotland. They are a multi-talented group of people. It is our pleasure to re-introduce to you, the Dumfries and Galloway Chamber of the Arts, DG Unlimited Board of Trustees.
Frank Hayes, Chair
Frank has a broad and varied experience as a photographer, illustrator and environmentalist as well as being the founder and Creative Director of For Enjoyment CIC, working within the arts in D&G for the last 16 years. Through this work, Frank has seen much success and recognition, including winning the D&G Community Champion Award. Frank is committed to nurturing the artistic ability within everyone and improving mental and social health, confidence and wellbeing through the power of art and creativity. He has developed productive partnerships with many organisations in D&G and throughout Scotland. Frank has exhibited his own work this year, and he has been busy with his previous Art in Healthcare role, and more recently has been developing new projects and ideas which connect creative wellbeing with our natural environment. Frank has been representing DG Unlimited at a number of key strategic meetings including the South of Scotland Destination Alliance, the Dumfries and Galloway Cultural Partnership Steering Group, and the Remembering Together Steering Group. Frank is a warm, creative, and friendly figure head for us all.
Yvonne Barber, Treasurer
Yvonne has been involved in the arts since she was a teenager with Knowsley Youth Theatre in Liverpool. She is a fully qualified post-sixteen teacher. A graduate of drama school and post-graduate in Educational Management, Yvonne has previously been a manager in a large Further Education College and worked in education for over 25 years. Yvonne is the Manager of A’ the Airts, the prize-winning Community Arts Centre in Sanquhar where her main role is that of manager and fundraiser and has overall responsibility for the team and Centre. She is passionate about encouraging children and young people to the arts, and this is demonstrated by the success of her drama group in Sanquhar! Four of its young members were our first, Rising Star, Junior members of DG Unlimited, earlier this year. This year, Yvonne has been working with our Finance Officer to redevelop and streamline all our Management Systems. Yvonne also attends What We Do Now meetings and is a committee member of the Museums and Heritage Network. Yvonne is our rock, and we honestly do not know what we would do without her!
And in alphabetical order - CONTINUES OVER
Jonathan (Yoni) Bentovim
Yoni is a film director based in London. His films, spanning documentary and fiction, have been programmed worldwide at festivals and for television broadcast, including Channel 4, France 3, SBS, RTP, The Guardian online, Victoria and Albert Museum, Barbican, NY Anthology Film Archives. His accolades include official selections and awards at internationally acclaimed film festivals including Tribeca, Montreal, Docaviv, Alchemy, Aspen shorts, Winterthur, Cameraimage, Raindance, East End, Split, Munich, Imago, Cinemajove, Fest Tous Courts, Sao Paulo and Los Angeles Film Festival. Jonathan teaches experimental film and media at The Architectural Association School of Architecture in London. This year, Yoni has assisted us with recruitment as we expand our DG Unlimited team. He has also been instrumental in providing advice to us for various commissions and introduced us to important key contacts in London and beyond. We had the pleasure of spending some time with Yoni in London recently, and he is looking forward to being in Scotland next spring for Conference 25. Yoni is a talented filmmaker with vision and insight, and he is an accomplished educator who understands young creatives.
Dionne Braham
Dionne is a dynamic and creative facilitator of change with a passion for developing transformational organisations, communities and leaders. Having studied Education and Drama as an undergraduate, creativity has always been an intrinsic part of her consultancy practice and delivery. Using the arts as a learning medium, Dionne’s training is a memorable experience and not simply a series of knowledgeable moments. Alongside this Dionne holds a Master of Science degree in Combined Psychology (clinical & behavioural) and has over 25 years’ experience of delivering courses that create opportunities for people to expand thinking, growing new possibilities and create practical, emergent strategies that enable sustainable change. Her commitment to the area of equity and inclusion infuses her work and her approach is influenced by the works of Paulo Freire, Audre Lorde and Bell Hooks, amongst others. Dionne has recently returned to her love of ceramics and has been attending classes and ceramics exhibitions this year. Dionne has provided Coaching for members of the DG Unlimited team and is working with our Creative Director on a programme of coaching. Dionne is a strong advocate for equality, a powerful voice of reason and an enthusiastic contributor to our charity’s vision for its future.
Steven Burnie
Steven is Grey’s School of Art alumni and an established visual artist with a studio in Dumfries. He has a role with Turning Point Scotland, leading a team of artists to deliver workshops and one-to-one sessions to vulnerable adults and young people who have complex needs. This role includes several responsibilities, such as, project monitoring and evaluation, ensuring outcomes, meeting funding criteria, recruiting/ interviewing, supporting and developing staff, establishing and growing partnerships and cross-sector partnerships. Steven has a strong network of contacts in the creative sector in Dumfries and Galloway. This year, Steven has been sharing his knowledge around creativity for individuals with complex needs and has provided continued support to his fellow Trustees and to the team in his capacity as Trustee. Steven is a doer, and as a result, is always busy! And it is a sign of his dedication to creativity in this region and his support to all that DG Unlimited does.
Paul Denney
Paul is a senior special effects designer in the film and live events industries and a former District Councillor from Stroud in Gloucestershire. In 2014 Paul designed, built, installed, and operated all the winter special effects for the opening and closing ceremonies of the Russian winter Olympics in Sotchi. Paul also designed effects for the 2018 film “Blade Runner 2049” which won the BAFTA and the Oscar for best Visual Effects. Paul describes himself as a creative engineer who uses his knowledge of electronics and engineering to create the magic of the silver screen. His role with Stroud District Council as vice chair of the Environment committee saw the council become the first and only local authority in Europe to become carbon neutral in its operations. Paul is passionate about the Film and TV production industry and is keen to promote it in Scotland in general, and in D&G in particular. Paul also has a passion for sustainability, renewable energy and the environment. Paul moved to Dumfries and Galloway in 2020 and lives just outside Dumfries with his wife and youngest son. This year, Paul was in Paris helping to ‘build’ the Olympics, and his work has taken him to Japan – but he has always had time for DG Unlimited, wherever he was in the world on any given month! Paul is an active Trustee, keeping an eye on news and developments in the region, UK and beyond, keeping us abreast of developments which may be of interest or significance to our charity and our sector.
Lucy Lee
Lucy is an artist and runs a creative business, The Old Mill in Palnackie. In the building is a gallery space and bookshop as well as a studio where they facilitate regular workshops on making ‘sustainable’ art materials with a focus on nature connection and cultural heritage. She completed a BA (Hons) in ceramics in 2006, however this is no longer her medium. She worked several internships and volunteer roles, both in the UK and abroad in arts organisations. She has worked and continues to work with people with complex support needs and hopes to provide a creative supportive service in the future. She has experience in working one to one with autistic people in need of support, people with chronic fatigue and chronic pain, people with mental health challenges and people with learning differences. Although her focus is the business, she continues to have part time roles and volunteer within our region. Lucy has attended several meetings and events on behalf of DG Unlimited this year, and has been a wonderful ambassador for us, in person and online! Lucy has also leant her passion and knowledge of the natural world as a source of inspiration and colour and supporting neuro-divergent creatives. She has widened our horizons and helped shaped our thinking. Lucy has a gentle and reassuring presence and is lovely with people. Her passion for colour is infectious!
Ailsa Malcolm-Mackay
Ailsa is a Research Centre and Programme Manager with extensive experience working across academia, government, and practice, specialising in community resilience capacity building. Based in Dumfries and Galloway, she is also an established practicing artist and art tutor. Ailsa leverages the unique characteristics of the creative sector, blending practical experience, academic evidence, and community insights to demystify complex concepts, bridge understanding gaps, and empower individuals to make informed decisions. Passionate about fostering community cohesion and cultivating preparedness for environmental changes, Ailsa employs creative approaches to enhance health and well-being. Her work helps individuals build resilience against life’s inevitable challenges. As a co-author of several research projects, Ailsa has explored community resilience building and fostering resilience in young people with special needs, demonstrating her commitment to empowering communities and promoting sustainable, resilient futures. Ailsa has been representing DG Unlimited on the Dumfries an Galloway Cultural Partnership Steering Group and has been working with the whole Board and team to develop our plans for 2025 in support of the Cultural Partnership. Ailsa is a talented creative, with an infectious laugh. She sees the positive in the most difficult of circumstances, which is like a super power these days! She is a strategic thinker and has been leading by example and showing us how to be resilient when it has been needed.
Cynthia Moore
With over 20 years of experience, including working in global STEM organisations, managing large Business Transformation Programmes as Programme Manager, as well as running her own business, Cynthia has learnt about Strategy, Transformation & Leadership excellence from different perspectives. She now brings that wealth of experience to her work as an Executive & Business Coach and Strategy Consultant. As part of her work, Cynthia has been supporting small and medium enterprises (SME’s) across the South of Scotland with their business development; creating new revenue streams, increasing profitability and helping create sustainable business models. Cynthia has also been involved with charitable works for Business Captain with XForces Enterprise, supporting Service Leavers and Veterans in starting their own business. Cynthia is a strong leader and has been able to step in and support Frank this year in her role as Vice Chair. Cynthia has attended several events around the region, representing DG Unlimited. Her knowledge of business, entrepreneurship and business strategy is proving invaluable to us as we develop new projects and plans for our charity. Cynthia is a positive influence as our organisation has undergone change and transformation in the last year.
Julian Watson
Julian holds a degree in Fine Art, specialising in both its history and his own artistic practice. This was followed by a diploma in Picture Conservation. Currently, he works as a freelance consultant in the Third Sector and Community spheres, sometimes operating independently but frequently collaborating with others. Julian’s work transitioned to encompass the “total economics” of restoring historic buildings for new purposes, encompassing the benefits and challenges of such endeavours. This also included land management, social surveying, support, and programming associated with these projects. Since 2014, Julian has worked as an independent associate consultant with Creetown Initiative. Julian is a universally loved and highly respected Trustee who has served DG Unlimited the longest. He generously shares his experience and knowledge of culture, arts, and heritage, and provides sage advice and a steady approach which has been invaluable to us all. Julian has attended several events and strategic meetings on behalf of DG Unlimited this year, including Burns Tourism, and visiting various creative and cultural organisations with our Creative Director and providing advice and feedback on our Strategic Plan which we developed with Culture Radar. Julian is true friend of DG Unlimited and all we do and every one of us look to him for his leadership and guidance.
We hope this gives you a glimpse into the work of our wonderful Trustees! Our thanks to them for all their hard work, loyalty and commitment to DG Unlimited and the whole team.
TALENT POOL
Talent pool is our list of creative talent in the region. DG Unlimited is a member organisation, and we are all about people. We are currently developing a talent pool of creatives in this region who are available for commissions and work. This is a comprehensive list and will take time to develop so we are doing it in stages and gathering names by creative practice. First up are multimedia and digital creatives:
Photographers
Videographers
Illustrators
Creative writers
Poets
Social media specialists
Graphic designers
Sound artists
Sound designers
Multi-media creatives of all types!
A listing on the DG Unlimited talent pool (which will adhere to GDPR and data security) is free, but you do need to be a member to be added. Sign up as a member.
If you are a member, simply drop our comms team an email to comms.dgu@gmail.com and they will send you a form to be added to the DGU Talent pool.
How does it work?
It’s simple. DG Unlimited are often asked by our members, partners, public agencies, and cultural organisations to make recommendations of great creative practitioners and talented individuals we have in our region who are available for commissions or for work. In our last membership consultation, you asked DG Unlimited to open up these freelance creative practitioner opportunities for all in a more equitable, fair, diverse, and inclusive way. This is one of our solutions. Join our Talent pool today
“In 2025, some of our members who have benefited from joining the Talent Pool will be sharing their stories with us and showcasing how their creative talents have brought them commissions and work.”
Tabi Mudaliar, Creative
Director
A Creative Development Opportunity for young people in D&G!
Performance Collective Stranraer are inviting artists from all creative backgrounds to apply for the ninth Residential Development Lab.
Dates: Thursday late afternoon, 9th January to mid-afternoon Sunday, 12th January 2025
Place: The Studio Theatre, Moffat.
Cost: FREE
The lab brings young artists together for a weekend of creative workshops, ensemble building and storytelling. You will delve into different styles of theatre making and performance, all while gaining new skills with the chance for everyone’s individual talents to be explored and considered. The aim of the weekend is to create synergy between the participants, as well as meet everyone’s development needs.
This Lab will be led by PCS Artistic Director, Sarah Rose Graber, and an additional guest artist.
Travel, accommodation, and food will be provided, free of charge. Though we anticipate artists will arrive by car, we can also provide route and travel information for those using public transport.
Who can apply?:
You must be between the ages of 16-25 from Dumfries & Galloway or with a connection to the region and able to participate in the whole residential experience.
This lab is for artists from any creative background - theatre, dance, poetry, writing, film, music, design, directing, etc.
To apply:
Please provide:
- A short statement under 200 words on your interest in the lab and why you would benefit from it.
- Evidence of your passion for the creative arts i.e. a CV, a video or written testimony, photographic documentation, an autobiographical poem etc.
Please email applications by 5pm on Wednesday 18th of December 2024 to Artistic Director, Sarah Rose Graber at sarahrose@performancecollectivestranraer.com
PLACES ARE VERY LIMITED.
More information about this opportunity can be found on the Creative Scotland Opportunities Page.
SHARING IS CARING
Sharing is Caring is the DG Unlimited equipment bank of creative resources, available to borrow, free of charge, for activities, workshops, or events that you are running.
To help us build up our bank of equipment, we are asking our members and partners if they have any equipment in good working order that they no longer need and would like to donate.
Do you have equipment you would be willing to have listed as available to borrow when you don’t need it? If you have any items you would like to donate or loan, let us know – we’re particularly looking for musical instruments, artists’ tools, digital equipment. Any other items of equipment that you may have in a cupboard, unused, make a brilliant start.
We already have artists’ easels, thanks to our friends at A’ the Airts in Sanquhar. We also have digital drawing tablets, pop-up gazebos, a pop-up selfie wall, lanyards, badge holders, pop-up banners, art materials and stationery, and we have members who have offered to loan equipment and help with time and advice if it is needed.
We are bowled over by the generosity and love you are showing for your fellow creatives. You are helping us make the best use of the finite resources we are all trying to manage with.
Think Circular! We all believe in a circular economy where we re-use, share, and re-purpose. We will be announcing another circular economy workshop in early 2025.
If you have equipment you’d like to loan or donate – or need to borrow some yourself, please get in touch!
DATES FOR YOUR DIARY
VACMA FUNDING
https://dgunlimited.org/vacma-funding-2024-2025/
Support available for artists and craft makers in Dumfries & Galloway and The Scottish Borders through VACMA Scotland funding.
Practising Visual Artists and Craft Makers across the South of Scotland, (Dumfries and Galloway and The Scottish Borders), are invited to apply for grants of up to £1000 to support their creative and professional development, thanks to funding from The National Lottery through Creative Scotland and in partnership with Live Borders Arts & Creativity, Dumfries & Galloway Council, DG Unlimited and Upland.
The Visual Artist and Craft Maker Awards (VACMA) funds activities such as mentoring and skills development, testing new ideas, experimenting with sustainable and renewable materials, purchasing necessary equipment, and residencies tailored to the artist’s creative and professional development.
The programme offers a newly enhanced £1000 bursary for artists and makers who have been practising for over 5 years, as well as a £500 early-career bursary for artists and makers that have been practising for less than 5 years. Artists must live and work in Dumfries and Galloway or The Scottish Borders to be eligible.
Bursaries of £500 and £1000 now available
Winter deadline: 5pm, 4 February 2025
Should an applicant wish to discuss any aspect of submitting an application to VACMA – and this is strongly recommended– we urge you to please contact Amy Marletta (Dumfries and Galloway) or Jane Somers (The Scottish Borders):
Amy Marletta
Creative Director, Upland
Email: amy@weareupland.com
Jane Somers
Live Borders Arts & Creativity
Email: artservice@LiveBorders1.org.uk
Applicants from either, Dumfries and Galloway and The Scottish Borders must submit their applications, by the round deadline, to Live Borders Arts & Creativity: artservice@liveborders1.org.uk
For more information visit the VACMA page on the Live Borders Website
Gallovidian Gathering December 2024
Third Sector Youth Support
Nick Mortimer Exhibition
Tabi’s READING Recommendation
Here are three books that the whole DG Unlimited recommends, they are books we are reading or have read recently. The entire team will be sharing their recommended reads in 2025.
Recommended by Julian Watson, Trustee of DG Unlimited
Question 7
Richard Flanagan
WINNER OF THE BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE FOR NON-FICTION 2024
“Who loves longer?
Beginning at a love hotel by Japan’s Inland Sea and ending by a river in Tasmania, Question 7 is about the choices we make about love and the chain reaction that follows.
By way of H. G. Wells and Rebecca West’s affair, through 1930s nuclear physics, to Flanagan’s father working as a slave labourer near Hiroshima when the atom bomb is dropped, this daisy chain of events reaches fission when a young man finds himself trapped in a rapid on a wild river, not knowing if he is to live or to die.
Flanagan has created a love song to his island home and his parents and the terrible past that delivered him to that place. Through a hypnotic melding of dream, history, science and memory it shows how our lives so often arise out of the stories of others and the stories we invent about ourselves.”
Question 7 is a beautifully written memoir - about parents and where we grow up, and how the past leads us to our reality - but don’t let that put you off! It is unique in its style and written with stunning prose and deep moral and emotional rigour. It is full of compassion and strength of character. WE Love it! Our Trustee, Julian Watson is reading it now, and it is on the reading list for three of us in the DG Unlimited team. I have read that it is a book to be savoured and can be enjoyed over a long period of time, dipping in a page at a time. Do read it and tell us what you think.
Recommended by Yoni Bentovim, Trustee of DG Unlimited
Never Understood: The Jesus and Mary Chain
William Reid and Jim Reid
AN UNCUT BOOK OF THE YEAR 2024
For 5 years after they’d swapped sought-after apprenticeships for life on the dole, brothers William and Jim Reid sat up till the early hours in the front room of their parents’ East Kilbride council house, plotting their path to world domination over endless cups of tea, with the music turned down low so as not to wake their sleeping sister. They knew they couldn’t play in the same band because they’d argue too much, so they’d describe their dream ensembles to each other until finally they realised that these two perfect bands were actually the same band, and the name of that band was The Jesus and Mary Chain.
The rest was not silence, and picking up those conversations again more than 40 years later, William and Jim tell the full story of one of Britain’s greatest guitar bands for the very first time - a wildly funny and improbably moving chronicle of brotherly strife, feedback, riots, drug and alcohol addiction, eternal outsiders and extreme shyness, that also somehow manages to be a love letter to the Scottish working-class family.
We love this book! This is a book being read by our Trustee, Yoni Betovim, and by David Wright. They are both fans of music memoir and Yoni is a long-time fan and follower of the music and careers of The Jesus and Mary Chain. It paints a perfect picture of real, gritty, and hard, Scottish working class life, and how using your creativity can change your life.
Recommended by Frank Hayes, Chair of DG Unlimited
The Creative Act: A Way of Being
Rick Rubin
“Famed for providing legendary artists with the space to rediscover their authentic selves, music producer Rick Rubin reflects on the creative process and its engagement with the wider world in this masterful, engrossing volume.
Many famed music producers are known for a particular sound that has its day and then ages out. Rick Rubin is known for something else: creating a space where artists of all different genres and traditions can home in on who they really are and what they really offer. He has made a practice of helping people transcend their self-imposed expectations in order to reconnect with a state of innocence from which the surprising becomes inevitable.
Over the years, as he has thought deeply about where creativity comes from and where it doesn’t, he has learned that being an artist isn’t about your specific output; it’s about your relationship to the world. Creativity has a place in everyone’s life, and everyone can make that place larger. In fact, there are few more important responsibilities.
The Creative Act is a beautiful and generous course of study that illuminates the path of the artist as a road we all can follow. It distils the wisdom gleaned from a lifetime’s work into a luminous reading experience that puts the power to create moments - and lifetimes - of exhilaration and transcendence within closer reach for all of us.”
This book is perfect for anyone who is following a creative path. Rick Rubin’s attention, consideration, and ideas will influence the reader and inspire them in their own creative work. Our Chair, Frank Hayes, is reading this now. It’s been on his wish list for a while, and he was delighted to open the covers recently.
DG Unlimited’s vision is to shine a light on the excellence demonstrated within the creative and cultural sector in Dumfries and Galloway. We are the operational arm of the Dumfries and Galloway Chamber of the Arts. DGUnlimited.org
To become a member of DG Unlimited complete the form here.
To contribute to FOCUS magazine, please email our FOCUS editor and director, Tabi Mudaliar at comms.dgu@gmail.com
With our thanks to Dumfries & Galloway Council.
Acknowledgements
DG Unlimited would like to thank all the contributors and everyone who has contributed to the making of this magazine. And, to extend our gratitude to Dumfries and Galloway’s creative community for helping to make our region such a vibrant, culturally active, and creative force in Scotland.
