Published: 18 Sep 2015
Creative Scotland, Dundee City Council and Leisure & Culture Dundee officially launched Dundee’s Place Partnership today at the newly refurbished High Mill in Verdant Works.
Janet Archer, Chief Executive Creative Scotland and Lord Provost Bob Duncan highlighted the new three year programme of activity to celebrate the cultural talent and creative diversity of the city.
Place Partnership is supported by Creative Scotland and partners Dundee City Council, Leisure & Culture Dundee, University of Dundee and Abertay University.
Rachel McCrum and Gemma Connell performing Flow! Dance & Poetry in Wellgate Shopping Centre
Dundee’s Place Partnership team and city wide partners will deliver a series of initiatives and ambitious projects to encourage creativity in communities across Dundee.
Projects such as Comic School, Autobiography of the City and Dundee Music Development will benefit from the support of Dundee’s Place Partnership which has at its foundation a commitment to improving access to the arts and assisting individuals and communities to flourish. The Place Partnership will make Dundee an even more creative place to live, work and visit.
Lord Provost Bob Duncan said: “Place Partnership is a fantastic initiative that will celebrate Dundee’s cultural diversity.
“It is committed to improving access to the arts and will allow communities to flourish in whatever creative pursuit they wish to undertake."
Stewart Murdoch, Managing Director of Leisure & Culture Dundee commented: "The Place Partnership will help to drive forward implementation of Dundee's Cultural Strategy. The importance of having a great cultural offer for our citizens, visitors, students and those who work here cannot be overstated, it is what will make Dundee thrive."
Janet Archer, CEO, Creative Scotland, said: “It’s a special privilege to launch Dundee’s Place Partnership in the High Mill in the heart of Dundee’s original industrial heartland. Creative Scotland celebrates the fact that Places and quality of life are transformed through imagination, ambition and an understanding of the potential of creativity. We do this through our Place Partnerships and we are very proud that we now have these with twelve local authority areas across Scotland helping to ensure that creativity continues to thrive in communities across Scotland.”
She added: “Dundee’s cultural landscape is incredibly rich, vibrant and forward looking. It is a city blessed with a rich mix of individual artists and established arts organisations, including Dundee Rep, Scottish Dance Theatre and DCA - organisations which we support through Regular Funding in partnership with the City Council. The Dundee Place Partnership will bring together these organisations along with Dundee City Council, the local tourism and education sectors and the new industries of the city to ensure the arts, culture and the creative industries are embedded in the City’s strategic plans in building a new future for Dundee.”
Performing at the launch were Voices of Harmony, Whitfield's Community Choir who have been singing together for over 5 years. Originally set up as part of the Dundee Healthy Living Initiative, the group has grown in numbers and confidence ever since meeting weekly at their community hub, The Crescent.
Choir facilitator Sarah Harrop said: "We have found that singing improves our sense of wellbeing as well as building community links. It's not about having a fabulous voice; it’s about learning, joining in and having fun!"
An early highlight of this work has been the creation of the Sound of Dundee CD for the Place Partnership Launch, a compilation of 15 tracks by bands and musicians closely connected with Dundee. The CD includes work by established artists such as Model Aeroplanes, Spare Snare, Michael Marra & The Hazey Janes and Sheena Wellington alongside up and coming local talent Be Charlotte, Lunan Bay and 2014 Youth Music Initiative participant Syann. The eclectic CD boasts a variety of genres including instrumental works and those featuring spoken word. The CD is available to pick up for free in locations across the city today and in the coming week.
Sound of Dundee contributor Be Charlotte said: 'I like to take inspiration from the people, places and situations around me. My song Discover was written earlier this year whilst I was walking through Dundee and is about the idea of looking up and seeing a different point of view. I realised how beautiful things can be from a new perspective.'
The Place Partnership launch also included a two hour programme of pop up performances and creative activities across the city centre from midday until 2pm. Free and accessible to all the locations for the pop up performances include The Wellgate, City Square, Overgate and The Penguins by City Churches and we are delighted to be working with partners Dundee Contemporary Arts, Literary Dundee and Dundee & Angus College on the delivery of the pop ups.
The Sound of Dundee CD will be available to pick up in the following locations; Dundee Science Centre, Groucho’s, Hannah MacLure Centre, HM Frigate Unicorn, PDQ Print Services, Time Boutique and new store record store Assai in Broughty Ferry.
Place Partnerships are a targeted programme within Creative Scotland’s budget which operates at a strategic level with local authorities. The aim is for local areas to identify collectively opportunities for development and growth across the arts, screen and creative industries
Dundee’s Place Partnership will contribute to a wide a range of activity reaching into many communities in the City including the new Comic School which will have a significant outreach programme for young people building on Dundee’s central place in the history of British comics. There are plans to create an Autobiography of the City - a multimedia project designed to capture the experiences of Dundonians from all walks of life and all parts of the city. Music will also feature with a particular focus on increasing the contribution of live music to a vibrant evening economy. The City’s excellent track record of culture and community led regeneration will also act as a catalyst for a national and international debate involving UK and international partners in the context of Dundee’s accolade as UNESCO City of Design.
Place Partnership funding of £250,000 is being made available from Creative Scotland which is matched by funding and resources from local partners.
Find out more about Place Partnerships.
Creative Scotland is the public body that supports the arts, screen and creative industries across all parts of Scotland on behalf of everyone who lives, works or visits here. We enable people and organisations to work in and experience the arts, screen and creative industries in Scotland by helping others to develop great ideas and bring them to life. We distribute funding provided by the Scottish Government and the National Lottery. For further information about Creative Scotland please visit www.creativescotland.com. Follow us @creativescots and www.facebook.com/CreativeScotland
Sophie Bambrough
Media Relations & PR Officer
Creative Scotland
E: sophie.bambrough@creativescotland.com
T: +44 (0) 131 523 0015
M: +44 (0) 774 760 6146
Switch Board: +44 (0) 330 333 2000
