dr t s Beall

For the first time in (at least) 80 years the Showman's Guild Bell rang out over the Whitesands to signal the opening of the 2025 Dumfries Rood Fair! Hosted by lessee Raynor Codona, Provost Tracey Little was joined by the Rev. Thomas Bonnar, Guild Chair Richard Wilmot and Guild Jnr Vice President Alex James Colquhoun to welcome fairgoers and get the event underway. One of Scotland's oldest and most prestigious fairs, the Rood Fair traditionally marks the 'back end' to the fairground season and stretches along the Nith from Whitesands to Dock Park. The Fair is open Saturday and Sunday 1pm-9pm, so if you're in the Southwest, please come on by! Thanks go to @stovenetwork and @martinjoneill for working with Fair Scotland to bring the Bell back to the 'Sands, and to all at the Showman's Guild, lessee Raynor Codona and all the wonderful tenants on the Fair who keep this wonderful tradition alive! #roodfair #dumfries #fairs #funfairs #fairgrounds #circus #ich #worldfunfairmonth

This superb article by Dani Garavelli just came out today, but what it details is the culmination of years of work by all of us at Fair Scotland and, in Dumfries especially, half a decade of engagement and advocacy by T.s. Bealleall with the support of organisations such as The Stove Network. Here's hoping this piece starts meaningful conversations about the future of fairs in Scotland - and that these are fruitful. /.../25096955.last.../ If you are one of Showland's Own, or just care about the future of our fairs, please fill out our online survey on Scotland's lost and endangered fairs: /.../1FAIpQLSeXOpaXTwLXL1.../viewform

Back by popular demand! Join the 5th annual Fairground Walkabout this Sat 29th March 11am. Join artist TS Beall and Showpeople Alex-James Colquhoun and Raynor Codona for a walk into the past, present and future of Dumfries' March Fair. A rare opportunity to learn about the fair & its history from those who know it best! Hosted by Fair Scotland & The Stove Network. FREE, but booking recommended: /event/fairground-walkabout-2025/

🕯5 years ago today, the UK entered its first COVID lockdown. As we observe this day of reflection across Scotland, we remember those we lost, the dedication of careworkers, and our united communities. This beautiful video by @kirstinmcewanphotography showcases Dumfries and Galloway's COVID Memorial Forest—over 400 native trees planted across five locations in Dumfries, Castle Douglas, Moffat, Sanquhar, and Stranraer – creating a living tribute to each person lost to COVID-19 in our region. 🙏🏾 Pls share with those impacted by the pandemic & encourage those nearby Dumfries, Castle Douglas, Moffat, Sanquhar, and Stranraer to VISIT the Memorial Forest 🌳🌳🌳 Link in Bio & at 🔗memorialforestdg.co.uk🔗 . . . Music by SongWave Community Choir Lead Artists @tsbeall  @katie_j_and Lead Partners @rememberingtogether.scot  @dg_unlimited1  @dumfries_and_galloway_council / Site Partners across D&G @thecrichtontrust @nhs_dg @nationaltrustforscotland @castledouglasdevelopmentforum @bordersforesttrust @atheairts Makers @xylo.phil  @weagreeoneggs  @susibriggsauthor Pls share @dgwgo #COVID19Memorial #DayOfReflection #RememberingTogether #Livingmemorial #Covidmemorial #Covid #Plantingtrees

✨How is Care Working?✨ Join me & 3 other artists for a conversation & presentation of creative works reflecting on care/work post-pandemic. Featuring interviews/quotes from carers & NHS staff Wed 15 May 1-3pm (drop in anytime) Royal Alexandra Hospital, Paisley ALL WELCOME 🍰There will also be tea and cake! … I’ve been working quietly on this project, and towards this event at the Royal Alexandria Hospital for almost a year – really looking fw to seeing the performances by Karen Herbison and the carers she’s been working with, as well as works of @audsvisual and @kayleighmcguinnessartist . My work for the day is titled ‘The Writing is on the Wall’, and includes quotes from staff and care/workers from Renfrewshire, and recent stats about the NHS. Feel free to come along if you are nearby – Members of the public are warmly welcome to attend, and careworkers (paid and unpaid) and NHS staff are encouraged to *drop in* on the day whenever they can. more details 👇 Posted @withregram • @wovennetwork As part of the Woven in Renfrewshire project, Fablevision, commissioned artists and community partners warmly invite you to an unforgettable event on Wednesday 15th May, 1-3pm, with community performance and artworks reflecting on care/work post-pandemic. These new artworks feature interviews and quotes from carers and NHS staff.  The Details: How is Care Working? A Creative Event at the Royal Alexandra Hospital Wed 15th May, 1-3pm – Performance at 1:30pm THE GALLERY at the Royal Alexandra Hospital, Paisley (above Reception) ALL WELCOME – feel free to drop in when you can Documentation of these artworks & live performances, and a short film about the project, will be displayed in a touring exhibition June–September 2024. TOURING EXHIBITION SCHEDULE * 4-6 June – The Scottish Parliament * 10-28 June – The Paisley Shopping Centre * 29 June-31 Aug – Royal Alexandra Hospital, Cafe / Hub * 6-14 Sept – Sma’ Shot Cottages Woven in Renfrewshire is led by Fablevision. Funded by Creative Scotland, the National Lottery Heritage Fund and Renfrewshire Council. Presented in partnership with @nhsggc . We look forward to seeing you there!

Bit more background on the @rememberingtogetherdg project with the inestimable @katie_j_and ~ and how we came to the idea of the Dispersed Memorial Forest 👇🏾 Posted @withregram • @rememberingtogetherdg During Phase One of the project (July-Dec 2022) we spoke to individuals and communities across the region about their experiences during the pandemic - the things they wished they could let go of and forget, the things they would like to remember. We gathered many of these stories on handwritten postcards and ribbons for our memorial tree, and in the second phase of the project have been exploring ways to incorporate these personal messages into the final project through bronze and stone markers that will identify the Dispersed Forest sites. As part of our tree planting days, we will be sharing some of these stories - if you’d like to find out more come along to one of our upcoming dates or drop us an email to [email protected].

Posted @withregram • @rememberingtogetherdg The proposal for Remembering Together Dumfries and Galloway is for a Dispersed Memorial Forest, a forest of 400 trees planted over five locations in the region accompanied by sculptural markers and community launch events that share stories of loss and resilience. As part of our project proposal we have identified five key sites across the region, in Moffat, Dumfries, Stranraer, Sanquhar and Castle Douglas! The forest is split between urban sites with very small planted areas or copses, and larger more rural locations with more expansive planted areas. We are working with site owners including the NHS, a community nature reserve and publicly accessible Trusts to host the areas of the Dispersed Memorial Forest. We’ll be sharing more details about each specific site, stay tuned! @greenspacescotland @rememberingtogether.scot @tsbeall @katie_j_and @dg_unlimited1 #rememberingtogether #communitycovidmemorial #dumfriesandgalloway

Have been a bit quiet on insta but happy to report, verrah busy— here’s some of the latest: It’s been an absolute honour to be working w @katie_j_and on @rememberingtogetherdg over the past 2 years — part of a ScotGov funded project to create a community Covid Memorial in each of Scotland’s 32 local authority areas. Katie and I have worked w local communities across D&G to co-create a Dispersed Memorial Forest for D&G. The aim is to plant one tree for every soul lost in D&G, with additional trees representing different types of losses, and the way communities can together over Lockdown/s. More below… Posted @from @rememberingtogether.scot Remembering Together | Dumfries and Galloway Earlier this week the first trees were planted as part of Remembering Together Dumfries and Galloway’s Community Covid Memorial. Project lead artists @tsbeall and @katie_j_and are working with communities across the region to co-create a Dispersed Memorial Forest, with 400 trees set to be planted at 5 sites across Dumfries and Galloway to honour those lost to Covid in the region. The first trees were planted during a community event at Crichton Estate in Dumfries on Tuesday which was attended by local organisations and community members including NHS staff and volunteers from The People’s Project. Trees will also be planted at locations in Castle Douglas, Sanquhar, Stranraer, and Moffat in the near future. To find out more the project and future planting dates visit @rememberingtogetherdg and for further information about Remembering Together and projects happening across Scotland, click the link in our bio. Image Credit: Kirstin McEwan #rememberingtogetherscotland #DispersedMemorialForest #communitycovidmemorial #rememberingtogetherdg #dumfries #dumfriesandgalloway #rememberingtogether #artists

Posted @withrepost • @fairscotland 📣Here's a bit more about the #creative #heritage #walkandtalk event in Dumfries last week👀 🥁🥁🥁 Fairground Walkabout: It’s a Fair History… 2022 🎠🚶‍♀️🚶🚶‍♂️👩‍🦯🌉 in partnership with @stovenetwork 🗣Our Co-Chair T.s. Beall sent us this👇🏽: "During the walk, my co-hosts and I spoke about the history of Dumfries' funfairs, which go back to at least the 1500s. It is likely that the fairs in Dumfries have been around about as long as the town itself, although myself and others at Fair Scotland (a new charity working to promote Scottish Fairgrounds, past and present) are still researching this. My co-hosts Alex James Colquhoun (Chair of the Scottish Section of the Showmen's Guild) and Raynor Codona (Organiser of Dumfries Fairs) shared their own memories and those of their families, who have been traveling to #DumfriesandGalloway for generations. The walk covered subjects like: 👨‍👨‍👧‍👦Show Families 🎢 Industry and Innovation in the Fairground 🛩Wartime Show families were 'parked up' on the Green Sands during all of WW2 and played their part alongside Doonhammers, working in local munitions factories, serving as engineers, or driving lorries (as reserved occupations). Many young Showmen also served in the armed forces. 🚛🚛🚛 🐘Circuses and Elephants🎪 Dumfries had 2 very famous circuses operate as part of its fairs – Pinder's Circus and Paulo's Circus. I've collected a lot of stories of elephants related to Pinders Circus, with the help of the Pinder family and members of Fair Scotland." - @tsbeall 👉🏾👉🏾👉🏾If you have any information or stories about buried elephants in D&G – or any other funfair-related memories – 🙏🏾 pls do share them! You can message us here at Fair Scotland (or email [email protected])🐘🐘🐘 . . . . 📸images @tsBeall & Graham Rooney 🙏🏾Supported by @dg_unlimited1 DGUnlimited, Dumfries & Galloway Council, & The Stove Network . #wildgoosefestival2022 #fairground #historyandheritage #elephant #circus #community #walks #walkingtour #dumfriesandgalloway

Some images from this weekend’s’ Fairground Walkabout’, which I co-hosted w/ Alex James Colquhoun, Chair of the Scottish Section of the Showmen’s Guild and Raynor Cadona, Organiser of both Dumfries Fairs. We were fully booked for this 3rd annual walk-and-talk, in which the sun even made an appearance. Thanks to all who came along & to @stovenetwork & #WildGooseFestival2022 for their support. Thnx also to @dg_unlimited1 for grant to support us in making an audio recording — more on that coming soon… . . . . @fairscotland #fair #walkandtalk #fairground #scotland #dumfries #dumfriesandgalloway #scottishhistory

🎡Looking forward to this Saturday’s ‘Fairground Walkabout’ ~ if you are nearby do come along to Dumfries’ Whitesands and hear some of the incredible histories of the Shows, and this amazing and often underknown community ~ Scotland’s Travelling Showpeople. 🎟Book via Eventbrite— check @stovenetwork / Wild Goose Festival programs for details ~ Link also👇 📆this Sat, 22 Oct 13:30 – 15:00 BST 🎠This is, incredibly, our 3rd annual walk ~ began as part of the @atlaspandemica project led by @stovenetwork , co-hosted w/ Showpeople Alex James Colquhoun, Raynor Cadona & supported by @fairscotland . 🐘We’ll share stories of secret buried elephants, flooded birthdays, and more… one not to miss… 🙏🏾 to @dg_unlimited1 @creativescots for supporting this event — & special shout-out to 🗣💖📸@we_are_imaginarium for beautiful image of ‘Biddall’s Bridge’ / aka the Suspension Bridge during our walk in 2021 🌉 . . Posted @withrepost • @fairscotland Fair Scotland is excited to announce the return of the ‘Fairground Walkabout’ - It’s a Fair History - part of the Stove’s WILD GOOSE FESTIVAL. Learn about the long history of the Dumfries Fun Fairs & the Travelling Showpeople who make them happen. Many Showfamilies have been operating on the banks of the Nith for generations – hear their stories while walking the path of our local fairgrounds, past and present. Hosted by Showman & Chairman of the Showmen’s Guild Alex James Colquhoun, Dumfries Fair Organiser Raynor Codona, & artist @tsbeall . 📍 Start location: Dockhead Dumfries DG2 (Pls gather on the east side of the Suspension Bridge aka 'Biddall's Bridge') 🌉 Attendees are invited back to the @thestovecafe for free soup, tea/coffee 🍲☕️🫖 Spaces are limited. register for free: /e/wild-goose-festival-fairground-walkabout-its-a-fair-history-tickets-405825383647 Dress for the weather. Recommended for 12+ . . . . #Dumfries #dumfriesandgallowaylife #dumfriesshire #dumfriesandgalloway #fairgroundart #culture #history #walking #walkandtalk #entertainment #fairground #socialpractice #socialpracticeart #sociallyengagedart #sociallyengagedpractice

Delighted to be hosting 2 final ‘Stitch & Blether’ sessions at Kinning Park Complex as part of @wovennetwork // for the Woven in Govan exhibition. If you are nearby, come for a blether… 📆👀The exhibition for Woven in Govan is up for 2 more weeks - closing 6 Oct. If you’ve not seen it, it’s worth checking out the amazing work of @map_making @ursula_kam_ling @audsvisual @donskidoll & Alex Wilde&AilieRutherford — more 📸 @wovennetwork . . . . Posted @withrepost • @kinningparkcomplex Next week, we're welcoming artist @tsbeall for the first of two final instalments of Stitch & Blether embroidery sessions running from 4-6pm on Thursday 29th September and 6th October. The photos feature some of our community members who took part in the previous sessions. 🙋 Come along to learn while stitching the words and stories of careworkers during lockdown onto NHS uniforms as part of an ongoing artwork, the burden of care. 🧵 Transcripts of interviews will be available to read. Please note some content may be upsetting, as interviews deal with topics of stress, illness/Covid, isolation, and death. 💬 @wovennetwork @creativescots