Scotland’s largest rural performing arts festival will take place across Dumfries and Galloway in just over a fortnight’s time.
The 45th Dumfries and Galloway Arts Festival will run for 11 days from Thursday, May 23 to Sunday, June 2, with a line-up of world-class theatre, music, dance, comedy and spoken word.
The much-loved celebration of local and national artists promises a wide ranging programme of events brought to the heart of communities across the region.
The hard-working festival team have curated an eclectic and exciting mix of everything from outdoor circus events at the Crawick Multiverse near Sanquhar and in Castle Douglas, to spoken word events with Chrys Salt and Richard Ingham and I AM LOUD bringing their South of Scotland Poetry Slam Heat.
Festival CEO and director, Simon Hart, said: “Over the past five decades our festival has brought the work of leading Scottish and UK performers to venues large and small throughout Dumfries and Galloway.
“Over this time, we have also played an important role in helping to promote and showcase the skills and talents of locally based artists, both within the region and to audiences across the rest of Scotland.
“This year’s 45th anniversary programme has something for everyone, we look forward to welcoming you to one of our events this May.”
The 45th festival will open at Easterbrook Hall on Thursday, May 23, at 7.30pm, with music and multimedia from local artists who have created The Galloway SangStreams.
The songs link life, land and legacy and tap into the region’s rich cultural heritage and vibrant artistic performers. There will be new works from the Cairn Chorus and guests Emily Smith, Jamie McClennan, Wendy Stewart and Hugh McMillan.
There is also a chance to see it the following day at 7.30pm in the Old School Thornhill.
Directed by Fiona Mackinnon and a hit at last year’s Fringe, Raymond Wilson’s Made in Scotland show, I Hope Your Flowers Bloom, offers a raw, moving and genuinely funny exploration of healthy masculinity, self-worth and working-class access to nature. You can catch it on Thursday, May 23, at 7.30pm in The Studio, Moffat; and Friday, May 24, at the CatStrand.
Join I Am Loud Productions for a thrilling poetry slam heat in their 2024 nation-wide Slam Series at The Stove Cafe on Dumfries High Street at 7.30pm on May 24. Poets compete for a £200 prize and entry into the grand slam final with a £3,000 prize. It follows a workshop also at The Stove earlier in the day.
Dumfries and Galloway Arts Festival is partnering with Cirqulation to present a special free outdoor extravaganza in Castle Douglas with Castle Douglas Development Forum on Saturday, May 25, from 1.30pm to 5pm in Lochside Park.
Showcasing new work presented by leading national and emerging local circus artists, there will be daring aerial feats, amazing acrobats, skilful jugglers and fire in a 45-minute show which will be held at 1.30pm and 4pm.
There will also be drop-in circus workshops for the public to try juggling, poi spinning, balancing, hula hoops, flower sticks and plate spinning from 2.30pm to 3.30pm as well as food stalls organised by the Castle Douglas Development Forum and access to the Crannog Family Activity Centre.
Cirqulation will also give a free performance on Sunday, May 26, from 1pm to 2pm at the Crawick Multiverse.
Castle Douglas Town Hall will host a breath-taking blend of Scottish and South Asian inspired music and storytelling, When Mountains Meet, at 7.30pm on Saturday, May 25, by The Authentic Artists Collectives, with a cast of international storytellers and musicians on an unforgettable voyage from the Scottish Highlands to the Himalayas.
The Galloway Consort will present their show Our Most Special Servant at The Usual Place in Dumfries, on Sunday, May 26, at 2.30pm, evoking the youthful joy and ever lurking danger of the Scottish Renaissance.
In the evening, at 7.30pm, two of Scotland’s finest singers and musicians, Aaron Jones and Rachel Walker, will perform at The Vault in Newton Stewart, promising an evening of captivating live music and song.
In a multi-media performance award winning poet Chrys Salt and acclaimed saxophone player Richard Ingham will explore the fascinating stories of Angus MacPhee and Ötzi the Iceman – two weavers of grass separated by 5,000 years – at the The Faed Gallery/Mill on The Fleet, Gatehouse on Monday, May 27 at 7.30pm and on Wednesday, May 29 at the Robert Burns Centre, Dumfries.
A captivating mix of storytelling, music and comedy in James Rowland’s touring show, Piece of Work, is not to be missed. You can see it at Moffat Town Hall on Monday, May 27, The Print Room in Wigtown on May 28, and in Glencairn Memorial Institute, Moniaive, on May 29. All at 7.30pm.
A return of the partnership between the Dumfries and Galloway Arts Festival and the World Famous Oran Mor’s A Play, A Pie and A Pint brings lunchtime theatre, ROOST – heartful play about pigeons, home and the power of hobbies, inspired by Glasgow’s doo-men – to three venues with five perfromances.
All tickets include a pie plus a drink (alcoholic or soft) and you can see ROOST from 1pm 2pm at Dumfries Theatre Royal on May 28 and 29; Stranraer Millennium Centre on May 30; and Moffat Theatre on May 31 and June 1.
Shona Cowie and Neil Sutcliffe will present With the Devil’s Assistance in Eskdalemuir Hub on May 28 and Kirkcudbright Parish Church Hall on May 29, telling their researched story of Maggie Osborne from the 17th century who supposedly made a deal with the devil. It is a purposeful examination of feminism, patriarchy and capitalism then and now.
There is also community participatory 5pm workshops with Shona Cowie, in Kirkcudbright and Eskdalemuir, about the show.
Dance will also feature in this year’s programme with The Willow Trio bringing their highly acclaimed show The Swan of Salen to The Swallow Theatre on May 28 and Johnstonebridge Community Centre on May 29. A multimedia adaptation of the heartbreaking tragedy of Tchaikovsky’s Swan Lake and the parallel Gaelic legend, it features a unique blend of his iconic music and enchanting footage of stunning choreography projected behind the musicians.
The festival has also teamed up with UP YER AIRTS, a groundbreaking initiative empowering young people to curate vibrant cultural events. They will be putting on a gig with three great bands – Valtos supported by Dlù and Tiderays – at the newly reopened Loreburn Hall on Thursday, May 30, from 7.30pm to 11pm, sponsored by DYW D&G.
On the second weekend of the festival, there will be a free artists’ showcase from 3pm to 5pm onF riday, May 31, in Dumfries Theatre Royal. Dumfries and Galloway-based performing arts practitioners supported this year through the Support for Ambition Fund and Rough Mix collaboration with Magnetic North will perform and offer the audience an opportunity to talk with them about their work.
At Easterbrook Hall in the evening, the festival team will host a celebratory concert and ceilidh to mark 45 years with some of the incredible performers who have played a pivotal role both in the festival and creating a thriving and vibrant performing arts industry across the region.
The line-up includes The Lucky Doves, Will Archibald, Claire Hastings, Kate Kyle and Sarah Turner.
On Saturday and Sunday, June 1 and 2, Scottish Opera will be visiting Wigtown County Buildings and Glencairn Memorial Institute in Moniaive for two performances at each, with audiences set to experience opera of the highest quality on a miniature scale with specially create 30 minute versions of Don Giovanni and The Merry Widow.
They will also be touring the region’s schools for three days prior to their public performances as part of a residency programme in partnership with the festival.
The festival is also partnering with Tricky Hat Productions at The CatStrand on June 1 at 7.30pm in New Galloway to present Flame Out using a mix of film, music and performance to explore stories about life after 50.
There will also be a creative community engagement project with the over 50s.
The festival finale will be comedian Connor Burns’ show, Vertigo, at the Loreburn Hall, Dumfries, on June 1 at 8pm.
The punchline packed stand up show – from a sold out run at the Edinburgh Fringe last year – serves up superb material, brilliant delivery and proper belly laughs with Scotland’s fastest rising comedy star.
For booking and ticket details see the Dumfries and Galloway Arts Festival website at https://dgartsfestival.org.uk/
