Ferry Bell Rings Out on BBC Radio Scotland

Well tuned folks may have heard The Ferry Bell's ringing on BBC Radio Scotland yesterday evening, as Willie Johnston reported on the works grand unveiling in D&G's finest February weather. If you missed it, you can listen back to the whole programme online for the next week here, or have a wee listen to the extended report below. Ring Out Wild Bells indeed!

Blondin Production

We thought we'd share a sneak peak of the blondin in production. This is about half of the final structure - Finn Barlow has been doing a stellar job! If you happen to be out and about along that never-ending A75 in the next week or so, keep your eye's open for some exciting changes near Creetown…
More details to follow!

Creetown Bell Casting - the film

Our event at Creetown last Thursday has been deemed a success, with plenty of chat, exciting unveiling of designs from Will and Lisa and the world premiere of the short film Amy Dee Tighe of the Creetown Initiative made documenting the bell casting weekend. If you missed us up at the Gem Rock, Amy has kindly uploaded the video to share. It already feels like a fair while ago, and the stovies were feeling pretty nostalgic watching it back! Thanks to the fantastic work by Roddy and Kevin at the Mobile Foundry that weekend.

The Creetown Bell from Creetown Initiative on Vimeo.

Sculpture Design to be Unveiled!

Exciting things are happening in Creetown this week. Artists from the Stove Network have been working in and around Creetown since January this year, developing a new way-marking sculpture for the town. 

This is the first chance to see all of the work produced thus far coming together, as the final designs for the sculpture are unveiled and artists involved in the project will be on hand to discuss their work on the project. 

We would like to extend an invitation to all those from the wider Stove community and those interested in the project to attend our open evening, which will take place this Thursday, 3rd October in the Gem Rock Museum.

For more details please contact the stove by email info@thestove.org

Bronze Pour in Creetown - Ring Out!!

Exciting things have been happening in Creetown.
It started slowly, and built throughout Saturday - to climax point, when just after 6pm The Mobile Foundry poured Creetown a new bell.

Head the The Stove's flickr account for a peak of the events!
It emerged on Sunday amidst the drizzly morning, and a keen crowd that trouped down to witness the unveiling. 
Stay tuned for more pictures!!

Ring Out, Wild Bells - Creetown Plays with Fire

Exciting things are happening in Creetown......

We have teamed up with , Roddie Mathieson who runs The MobileFoundry, to create a bronze bell, which will form the centrepiece of the sculpture. This is taking place next Saturday and will be open for everyone to come and witness. 

“This is an opportunity to see the casting process in action,” says Roddie, “We will make moulds of the bell and clapper and pour them as part of a public demonstration. It is quite a spectacle and really exciting to watch.”

We will also be holding an all day casting session at Creetown Primary school for pupils to get a chance to try their hand at the casting process. They will use moulds to make sculptures and will then use a charcoal furnace with bellows to cast them.

Exciting events are unfolding next week, look forward to seeing everyone there!

 

BBC get in on the action!

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-south-scotland-21698407

Ring on girl

Ferry over the Cree and Marble games in Wigtown

In 1813 Richard Ayton and William Daniell embarked on 'A Voyage Round Great Britain' by the coast, starting from Land's End, Daniell making the engravings (see earlier post) and Ayton compiling the written account. The project took 12 years to complete travelling during the summer months reaching Creetown in 1814. This is what he wrote:

 

For an edited version of Ayton's text through Cumbria and Dumfries and Galloway - 'Sailing on Horseback' edited by Innes Macleod, published 1988 by T.C. Farries and Co. (I found it in the Kirkcudbright library).

Creetown in times gone by

Colin unearthed this aqua tint of Cree-town by artist William Daniell (approx. date 1810) - sourced from the Tate Archives (link here).

Ferry Town of Cree

Creetown Initiative has teamed up with The Stove artists’ collective to bring a new six-month long community arts project to Creetown, which will lead to a new, permanent artwork for the village. During the project there will be a series of creative workshops open to local residents, exploring ideas of signalling and communication as well as fun, engaging, community events that develop and showcase artworks created as part of the project.

“We are really excited to have been selected for this project,” says representative of the Stove, Will Levi Marshall. “Although The Stove is based in Dumfries, most of our members are from around Dumfries and Galloway so we are keen to work with communities from across the region.  This project fits with our commitment to engage local people in creative activities.”

The project is funded by the Creative Place initiative, which awarded Creetown a prize of £40,000 last year to spend on arts events for the local community.  This prize, which was awarded by a panel made up of representatives from Creative Scotland, VisitScotland and EventScotland, was awarded in recognition of Creetown’s achievements in involving local people in arts and cultural activities. The funding is supported by a grant from LEADER.

Andrew Ward, Senior Project Manager at Creetown Initiative says, “This is a great opportunity for the people of Creetown to take part in an exciting creative process and to work alongside a team of highly skilled, professional artists. We are really looking forward to working with The Stove over the coming months.”

Look out for the first event in late February, Creetownians please email thestove1@gmail.com  to get involved or you can join the project’s facebook page, www.facebook.com/inspire.creetown where you can keep up to date with this and other community projects in the village.