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Arts, Communities, Place Gathering in Galashiels

Photograph of a selection of objects laid on a table: a raspberry pi computer, an oak sapling, a book, a miniature wooden chair, an old family photograph, a piece of tartan, and tin with some interesting stones in.

Arts, Communities, Place Gathering in Galashiels, 7th March 2023

by Jules Horne

Around 50 arts and community workers came to Galashiels’ arts venue MacArts on 7 March for an inaugural gathering on art and culture’s significant contribution to placemaking. The first-of-its-kind event welcomed arts freelancers and microbusinesses, as well as representatives from arts and community organisations and agencies across the Scottish Borders. The wide range of sectors and business scales in the room led to lively and fruitful discussion about the potential of arts and culture in community regeneration.

This was a rare chance for a cross-sector group of people in Borders arts, culture and community development to get together around shared interests. It was encouraging also to see sole traders taking part, some supported by freelance bursaries. This was especially welcome in a rural area where small, scattered businesses add up to significant economic activity.

The event was organised by Borders-based creative organisations Creative Art Business Network (CABN), Connecting Threads, Alchemy Film & Arts, and Creative Coathanger, and Dumfries and Galloway-based The Stove Network and Outpost Arts. The groups are all involved in strategic community and sector development in their areas, and were working together for the first time.

The impetus came from arts and community organisations The Stove Network in Dumfries, and Borders arts initiative Connecting Threads, with funding and support from the South’s new economic development agency, South of Scotland Enterprise (SOSE). The Stove has long experience in the mix of arts, culture and community development known as ‘creative placemaking’. Connecting Threads is the cultural strand of Destination Tweed and is developing Tweed catchment-based arts projects under the auspices of Southern Uplands Partnership. SOSE meanwhile reports directly to the Scottish Government and was keen to galvanise a Scottish Borders-wide contribution to regional placemaking, and bring a range of stakeholders together.

The event kicked off with super-speedy PechaKucha presentations by the organisers, giving examples of work and a chance to sketch in ‘where we’re at’, given the turbulence of the past few years. ‘Transition’ was a shared underlying theme, and the adaptations and flexibility of the arts sector came across clearly. For many creatives present, it was the first sizeable work gathering they’d been to in a long while, and a welcome chance to catch up with peers and colleagues. It was also lovely to see lots of new faces and meet people who had recently moved to the area.

Photograph by Hannah Claire

A lively range of objects on a display table, from sketches, moss, glass and paintbrushes to Raspberry Pis, turned out to be personal icebreakers to start the group breakout. These were a chance for small groups to articulate and dive into some issues and ideas for the sector. These sessions were positive, focused and productive, with key themes summarised below:

How can we all share learning about creative, collaborative work with communities as part of place development / regeneration?

Discussions highlighted the importance of personal connections, understanding history, mapping creative industries, and promoting new talent. Challenges included low funding, volunteer burnout, and the need for better communication and understanding across sectors. Suggestions included creating community hubs, sharing creative practices, and supporting mentorship. It was also raised that artists can be hard to find, and a directory and community anchor groups could be helpful.

How could more cross-sector working, and collaboration be supported / facilitated?

Participants shared examples of good practice, such as between arts and museums and the health sector, and mentioned models in other sectors. Suggestions included SBC area partnerships as a route to cross-sector working, meetings between culture, and town regeneration and enterprise, and a central hub.

What support is needed for those involved (Community groups, Creative Freelancers, Organisations) to help this work happen?

Discussions highlighted capacity, material conditions, and the complexity of the funding landscape. Knowledge exchange, skills audits and mentoring were suggested as ways forward, and it was noted that funding was needed to support this. People appreciated the arts and cultural activity going on in the Borders, and this chance to exchange with each other and make connections. The terms ‘placemaking’ and ‘creative placemaking’ were also discussed, as they weren’t familiar to everyone.

Overall, the Arts, Communities & Place & Communities event was a lively and thought-provoking gathering that highlighted the richness and diversity of the creative sector in the Scottish Borders, and the potential of the arts to shape and strengthen local communities. People said they enjoyed and welcomed the day, with feedback comments including ‘inspiring’, ‘good buzz’, ‘brilliant turn-out’, ‘left feeling positivity and ambition’, ‘energised’ and ‘good food’ (thanks to Café Recharge, Galashiels, for catering and MacArts as brilliant hosts!). The hope was to generate momentum, and several people reported making new connections that have meanwhile been followed up and may lead to partnership working.

What are the next steps? Feedback and outcomes from the day will be included in The Stove’s report to SOSE, and the event’s organisers are now planning future collaboration.

Please view an in-depth report summarising the key areas of discussion from the day: Arts, Communities & Place Report – Mac Arts, 7th March 2023

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If you’d like to know more about the event, or any of the organisations mentioned, follow the links below or contact CABN.