YOUR TOWN

MEETING WITH

A DIFFERENCE

 

STRANRAER NEEDS YOU MORE IN 2023

The next Vision and Action Meeting on the 23rd March, Wigtownshire Rugby Club, 6.15 pm – 8.00 pm

 

More street art is coming - Join the conversation of the town and have your say

Let Us Know - What creativity you want to see and share your ideas.

Discover - Why art can revive a town

Also - meet the artist and learn what is behind the Stranraer mural

Waste Land, what shall we do with it?

The Blank Stank area is being developed - Come and share your ideas and meet the people involved with developing it.

 

FREE Food, tea and coffee, courtesy of the Fed Up Café

And

Music from The Life O'Riley

 

STRANRAER AND THE RHINS NEEDS YOU

Join the next Listening and Visioning Meeting on the 2nd November, Millennium Centre, 6 pm – 8.30 pm

A FREE hot meal from the Fed Up Café

FREE Prize Draw from local shops

Meet the artist who will bring you your first Professional Street Art.

Join the conversation of the town and have your say

And

Music from Wild Thyme

Join me, Janet Jones, your Art and Engagement Officer,

and let’s start creating.

Register online at:   www.creatingstranraer.co.uk Or scan here :

This helps me know how many cups of tea to make but you can just show up.

 

STRANRAER NEEDS YOU SEEDS OF IDEAS

 

 

 

 

Gathering of Artists Minds in Stranraer and the Rhins

Part One – 28th June 2022

Today, I realised why Stranraer has a big heart. I took the time to learn about Blin Johnnie – John Alexandre. Visiting The Sculpture by Gordon Rogers, on the corner of George Street and King Street, I read about how he entertained generations of locals and in his absence the town changed.  In the few months I have lived here, I have witnessed an abundance of kindness for folk less well off. I see the evidence of compassion in the actions of the people, in the music, in the poetry and in the monument dedicated to ‘Blin Johnnie’.

In the meeting we discussed the need for ‘identity’. In the first meeting on the 16th of June 2022  the group came up with ‘Stranraer – the town with a heart.’ In this meeting, the artists took that one set further and came up with ‘Stranraer – the town with a Heart’ I am sure there are many stories like Blin Johnnie’s when we look deeper.

 

Other notes from the meeting:

We started by looking at what visual artists needs were. If, as an artist in Stranraer, you can think of other needs, please add your comments below.
  • Funding – for a space/gallery/year-round exhibition.
  • Marketing and PR to attract visitors and sales
  • Working demonstration space and artist meetings
  • Joined up thinking – possibly my role and connecting all the arts
  • Equipment sharing, to keep costs down, be more creative and better for the environment.
  • Build artist community – to generate ideas, inspiration, mutual support, inspire young people to join the community.
  • Exhibition for historic art – Stranraer stories and UK stories, travelling exhibitions etc. Possibly a travelling art gallery in the town.
    • Galloway Hoard – Viking Exhibition
    • Spring Fling to be in Stranraer
  • All this needs to be on Visitscotland
  • To make connections with national art colleges and centres to make art more accessible and information more readily available to budding artists.
  • Create Artist Residences – providing courses and places for people to stay.
  • Education – A. College has its first art course starting this year. Diana Hamilton will be taking that. It includes art facilities. B. The University holds debates around art. This is needed in Stranraer.

    • Artists Ideas.

    This was an exciting part. These ideas are how we can inspire the town with art and lift people’s aspirations subliminally. Don’t you feel brighter when you are in a space that has colour and information? This wasn’t only about making the town pretty but also brining in the history and a more entertaining and accessible way.
    There are steps around town that can have colour added or share more of the story of the town.
    • The first idea was about sharing the stories of famous people of Stranraer. How we can present them in art/stories.
    • Creating wall art and brightening up the town.
    We got very enthusiastic about adding historic shanty tales and images to the wall at the car park by the harbour and bring that art into the town by creating a trail of stories throughout time to modern day.

    Then the discussion around what opportunities we have now.

    To be recognised as a town for Art and Culture it is important to get to work now and demonstrate that, collectively, we are VERY serious about turning the destiny of this amazing town around. We have:
    • Empty shops that could become pop up art exhibitions.
    • Art and local history that we could create trails around the town and link surrounding areas.
    • A listing of local artists – if you aren’t on it, please contact me at the Stranraer Development Trust.
    • We have buildings that could have art projected onto them and create interest and vibrancy around the town.
    • We could add more monuments as we have reasons to do that and a past and future to celebrate.
    • We could arrange a Geocaching trail. This could be around the town and take people on a treasure hunt around the Rhins. This could include, songs, poems, art, pebbles. There could be a themed one for the Coastal Walk. This would bring many tourists in for an adventure.
    • We could have an outdoor cinema.
    • There could be a ‘story night.’ Local stories read by performers. These could be recorded and used again for future art work.
    • There could be art pieces along the coastal path that could be crayoned over using paper and crayon to create artwork and evidence of doing the trail that could be rewarded with a certificate, downloadable online with evidence of the art.
    If you would like to share your ideas, you can add your comments in the section below or come along to the next LIVE event. We are privileged to live in a beautiful place. Let’s show the world. STRANRAER NEEDS YOU!

     

     

     

     

    Meet Janet Jones – your new Art and Engagement Officer

     

    Janet is enthusiastic and passionate about art and its power to heal, inspire and grow a community.

    As an author of happiness, a speaker/trainer and photographer, Janet is well suited to lead this role.

    Be sure to join her meetings, ‘have your say’ and be part of the exciting future being developed for your town, Stranraer.

    Register your place below.

    Hi, I’m Janet, and at the first meeting we had, we filled the room. Thanks to everyone who were able to make it.

    In the meeting we:-

    • Discussed the amazing assets Stranraer already has.
    • The Architecture. It needs love and attention and some new ideas but we have it and it is amazing.
    • Agriculture – The Young Farmers are an inspiration.
    • Local History – The WW2 stories,  Sir John Ross, Arctic Explorer.
    • The Arts – Here we can make a big splash. It has been proven the world over that regenerating a town with Art and Culture is great for morale, retail, inspiring young people and giving them hope and a strong vision of the future. In Stranraer we have artists, performers, musicians, writers and so many more talents. Look out for this being more visible in the streets.
    • Geographical Location – the land/sea and the environment. This makes us unique and worth making the effort to come and see. Not only are we the Gateway to Ireland, we offer activities on the water, bird and seal watching, and nature that David Attenborough would be jealous of. We can offer walking, cycling, scuba diving. The opportunities to develop are endless.
    • Gardens – Rolling garden landscapes to enjoy, from the Botanical garden, stately gardens to community gardens and harvesting gardens. A wide range to be enjoyed by visitors and the community.
    • The People – the people are the greatest asset of all because we all play an important role to make all this happen. There aren’t many communities left in the country, let’s hold on to this one and make it stronger. We will be looking at ways to create opportunities for young people and creative ways to bring all generations together more regularly.

    We have other assets, such as restaurants making meals with local produce, Visitor and Tourist Industry, Retail, local crafts and bakers. There are so many. In the coming months and years, we will be putting all of this on the map to share Stranraer as a place to visit and for some people, like me, put down roots.

     

    Janet.