We are a producer of cultural programmes.
We’re one of the biggest community platforms in the South of Scotland, and we work with our partners to use culture as means to improve the lives of our community who are experiencing high levels of social and rural isolation. As a unique social co-operative, we have nearly 800 members who contribute to our social model through volunteering, sponsorship or advocacy.
Anyone can join our membership organisation.
In 2021 we began a pilot programme Loreburn Hall in the centre of Dumfries testing our a programme of entertainment and community arts as part of our search to find a new home for our organisation. We are now in the process of trying to secure our new home which we hope to announce shortly.
Our work takes place in schools, residential homes, cafes, car parks, swimming pools and in all sorts of locations throughout our region. We believe that there are barriers that prevent members of our community taking part in culture and we do everything we can to deliver socially driven projects that help to improve the cultural health of our region through our seasons of projects which aim to increase resilience by connecting our community through our cultural programmes and services.
Our signature projects include a diverse range of community arts based programmes and iconic place-making projects including our annual winter festival, Carlisle Fringe, Dumfries Carnival, Le Haggis, High Tea, Queer Haggis, Dumfries Youth Theatre, Dumfries Community Choir and Producers of the Future.
Every year we deliver more than 300 shows across our festival programmes, as well as weekly community arts sessions to over 250 participants, creative industry training for emerging artists and the sector across Dumfries & Galloway, and traineeships in producing across our major projects. Our cultural skills development programme is one of the largest of its kind in the UK.
At the centre of our work is the belief that we can use culture to connect people, we advocate that culture is good for our wellbeing and health, and that art is a form of human expression and creativity. Our network of over 100 associate artists and producers includes performance makers, producers, artists and collaborators who believe in the power of social change.
You can read our Big Burns Supper Strategic Plan 2020-2024
We create cultural experience by curating a major festival programme in South Scotland and
year-round community arts programmes with lots of different artistic and community partners to
develop our people, our place, our profile and our position in the world.
(1) We raise the profile of our place within UK, Europe and internationally.
(2) We create culture that offers our audiences an experience they will never forget, and we use
culture as a means for social connection.
(3) Our organisation continues to thrive, and we deliver a balanced portfolio of projects that are
sustainable into the future.
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