Creative Caerlaverock
An ambitious project unearthing imaginative possibilities for one of Scotland’s most unique historical landmarks.
The project is an active and exciting enquiry themed around representation, creative exploration, curiosity and purpose.
Commissioned by Historic Environment Scotland, Creative Caerlaverock is an innovative approach to creative learning, heritage and community arts working to realise and inspire new possibilities in working with the region’s historic locations. Through gatherings, activities, groups and residencies, this co-created project is seeking new relationships, understandings and links to our past so as to understand and connect with our future. From climate change to migration, Creative Caerlaverock is on a creative journey through the records both real and imaginary, shaking-out new interpretations of the role heritage plays in our current outlook of the world.
What does Caerlaverock castle mean to us now?
What do we value?
Whose stories are yet untold?
What can history tell us about our current way of life?
Engaging and co-creating with the local community as well as those historically under-represented in heritage initiatives, Creative Caerlaverock is uncovering new connections and stories from the roots of its grounds, to its closest village, to the centre of the town it sits only 8 miles south of.
The methodology and creative approaches underpinning Creative Caerlaverock are designed by DJ McDowall of The Gallovidian Way in their guise as The Imaginarium. Creative Caerlaverock builds on the success and learning from Hidden Histories of D&G, rolled out here in collaboration with The Stove Network.
The following link includes access to our Phase 1 Community Engagement Report, videos + a more detailed background on the project.
https://thestove.org/creative-caerlaverock/
Some examples of our delivery modes . . .
vCC Commissioned by Historic Environment Scotland and delivered, in partnership, by The Stove Network and The Imaginarium, Creative Caerlaverock co-creates new opportunities to creative learning, heritage and community arts with the local community and under-represented groups in heritage initiatives, using our past to better connect us with our future and embark on a journey to discover how heritage shapes our outlook of the world. For more information on Creative Caerlaverock visit: https://thestove.org/creative-caerlav...
We cordially invite you to A Time Travelling feast for the senses - otherwise known as an Ancestral Supper…
Combining food, music, soundscape, and live performance, our Ancestral Suppers were the first of a series of engagement events for Creative Caerlaverock, curating a space for local priority audiences, targeted community members, and key stakeholders to come together, We designed these fully immersive conversation evenings to be experiential, dialogic and to break down barriers across participants from many diverse backgrounds and experiences. to explore our shared connection and ideas / hopes for future developments at this beloved and iconic Scottish landmark.
stakeholders, targeted community groups to come together to share food, reflections and discuss their experiences of Caerlaverock, how to maximise its potential, and how to make it more relevant to local diverse communities and stakeholders.
Fusing these creative approaches under the theme of a Medieval feast, the team delivered an interactive and engaging set of action research and participatory appraisal methodologies, whilst exemplifying the kind of creative learning mechanisms that could be utilised at Caerlaverock
We requested the company of those we knew would have diverse and valuable insights and/or unique perspectives to contribute to the discussion about the future of Caerlaverock, alongside representatives who were in a position to implement change.
We gathered and feasted on local produce which was inspired by food that is archaeological appropriate for feasting in the heyday of Caerlaverock, and explored the past, present, and future of Caerlaverock Castle and it’s surrounding landscape, re:connecting and uniting us with the worlds of our local ancestors, living and/or ancient who roam these lands..
Utilising themed multi-sensory storytelling, character interactions, interactive Participatory Appraisal exercises,, specially created tarot cards and performance we transformed the Barbour VIllage Hall into an immersive learning experience the results from which informed the future direction of Creative Caerlaverock, and ensured we had creatively and enthusiastically engaged / on boarded our target community audiences (New Scots, Young People, LGBTQ+ and the Local Geographic Community) . Providing the perfect introduction to the purposes of the project, allowing them to build ownership over its development / delivery and ensuring their future engagement and investment in the project, and ultimately the future of the castle. Many changes have occurred from these evenings, instigating significant positive impacts for both our local cultural heritage sector, beyond Caerlaverock, and the inclusion of these targeted communities..
Based upon a community engagement concept (The Gallovidian Gatherings) developed by The Imaginarium as part of their work on Hidden Histories of Dumfries and Galloway, the core Creative Caerlaverock team including Heritage Remixers delivered a series of 3 themed focus groups under the title of ‘Ancestral Suppers’.
Combining food, music, and live performance, the Ancestral Suppers were themed interactive events (held at Barbour Memorial Hall, Glencaple) and provided a chance for local priority audiences, targeted community members, and key stakeholders to come together to:
● Cast their votes on our participatory appraisal ‘Bean Counter’ exercise,
● Predict the future of Caerlaverock through our bespoke Tarot Card game
● Discuss issues related to the development of Caerlaverock Castle
● Experience and explore options and opportunities for delivery of Creative Caerlaverock
● Co-create next steps for the project, ensuring robust engagement whereby local community
members, stakeholders and key priority audiences were actively co-creating next steps in the projects’ delivery.
The Ancestral Suppers were immersive time travelling focus groups, which utilised various creative approaches (theatre, living history, re-enactment, themed food, storytelling and music) in the guise of a mediaeval feast. This allowed a range of representatives from priority audiences, key
The Ancestral Suppers
“It was so engaging and so clever, such an inspired concept’”
“I have to attend ALOT of consultation events, this was by far the best one ever”
“A Triumph!”
“This consultation methodology deserves to be researched, it’s innovative and impactful - it’s
brilliant!’”
“I have never, and will never, experience anything as amazing as this.”
Conversations at The Ancestral Suppers uncovered the opportunity for delivery of a co-created Dungeons and Dragons live action role play event. This consisted of a historical and fantasy themed quest around Caerlaverock Castle and woods with interactive activities and challenges bringing the history of the castle to life for local young gamers aged 14-25 from NW Dumfries.
Working alongside local heritage experts and re-enactors (Wordsmithcrafts, Medieval Brice Trust, Wildings O Galloway/The Gallovidan Way) an interactive storyline with themed activities was co- created with the Dungeons and Dragons youth group. These activities included challenges around the use of sling shot and trebuchets; medieval combat and defence skills, and interactive engagement with historic characters associated with the castle.
By weaving the history into the mechanisms and challenges involved in delivery of this adventure, activities and interactions enabled participants to experience the history and stories of the castle first hand and bring it to life for participants through immersive learning experiences. The majority of attendees at the event had never visited Caerlaverock before.
Numbers were deliberately kept low as most of the young participants were neurodivergent and felt more comfortable to trial this concept with their own familiar, regular Dungeon and Dragons group of friends.
The concept has received many requests to be repeated and expanded.
The quest continues . . .
Dungeons & Dragons. A Caerlaverock LARP
Creative Caerlaverock’s ‘Time Travelling Forest School’ was co-created with the Heritage ReMixers group, a local Freelance Ranger Elizabeth Tindal, a local living history practitioner Wordsmithscrafts, Caerlaverock Estate manager, and local primary school teachers from Caerlaverock Primary.
The 4-week interactive programme enabled pupils and participants to explore the site and history of Caerlaverock, how people would have lived with and off the land, and how that has changed over time, due to climate and cultural changes.
Participants learned some basic survival skills, arts and crafts, and gained the knowledge of how to live off and with the land that our ancestors possessed. They explored the sciences associated with these practices such as natural dying, shelter building, clay making, fire starting, sling and trebuchet skills, willow weaving, knot making, and hosting their own medieval feast including the learning of medieval songs and dances.
After 3 days of delivery to P4-P7 groups, the TTFS team delivered a day of sessions which engaged the full school. Feedback was complimentary around how engaging these sessions were and how there was enough variety of examples presented experientially to connect to different interests of pupils. The teachers expressed how much they had enjoyed the classes personally and how impressed they were at the effective ways of communicating and connecting pupils with their local history the project presented. Teachers particularly liked the crossover of science and art into history and how that worked across curricular activity offering up a variety of different learning outcomes for their classes.
Pupils and teachers reflected that they felt that their close geographic proximity to the castle brought a deeper connection to the history. Stories being shared made it feel more tangible for them and left lots of them expressing desires to find out more and take part in further sessions.
Time Travelling Forest School.
One of the target audiences for Creative Caerlaverock is young people, and in particular those with no prior experience of heritage or who would not otherwise have the opportunity to take part. Creative Caerlaverock offers huge potential to ensure young people’s voices, skills for life and work, wellbeing opportunities and using heritage to support local programmes and priorities such as youth employability are embedded throughout.
Young people in formal education, youth work, employability support programmes, and from an area of deprivation were engaged in this phase of the project. Further to this, 4 local emerging young practitioners from varied backgrounds and disciplines, were integrated into the core project team as part of the young people strand of engagement as ‘Heritage ReMixers’. These young people become advisors and content creators for Creative Caerlaverock activity co-designing engagement and consultation in collaboration with the project team at The Stove Network.
As a core part of the delivery team the Heritage Remixers inspired new ideas and approaches and undertook research and development with local creatives and heritage experts.
They co-created the communication strategy and social media presence and consultation methodology. They were also responsible for creating soundtracks to events, the content of promotional videos, researching in the archives, and assisting in the management and delivery of events and activities, as well as helping to compile results for this report.
This offered a wide set of work experiences exemplifying possible employability pathways in the heritage sector, opportunities for integrating and embedding creativity and heritage into their career development. Inspiring consideration of how their skill set could be utilised in the heritage sector, and a better understanding of the breadth of opportunities that lie within heritage.
Heritage ReMixed.
“‘Creative Caerlaverock provided me with an insane amount of opportunities that will benefit my career currently, reignited some old flames in terms of passion, and made me realise that I’m exactly where I’m supposed to be.’”
Medieval Bootcamp.
Overview coming soon . . .
Our Land. Our Stories.
Our Land. Our Stories is a creative oral histories project focused on those who jnow Caerlaverock like none others, with those who for generations of ancestors (some right back to Jacobean times) have been farming on the estate and living on the since Jacobean times.
In collaboration with Caerlaverock Estate + Dumfries & Galloway Heritage Service, we are undertaking a process of collecting stories and oral histories with some of Caerlaverock Estates’ longest tenant farmers and key employees.
By creating intimate gatherings we will be taking time travelling trips down memory lane, exploring how life has changed on the estate, living / working on the land, some bizarre local happenings, infamous local characters, folklore and traditions.
From this, we are recording oral histories, which will be sampled by local musicians, inspiring new Songs of Caerlaverock.
Adding these modern pieces of music to the wealth of musical treasures that already exist in our local archives, which reflect the life and times of those living The Gallovidian Way.
A snapshot of some of the super random eclectic Caerlaverock related stories already covered…
- Ghost Armies / Mary Queen of Scots / Ancient Boar’s Teeth / Murder Brig / Hags / Man eating lion’s / Origins of Field & Place Names / Rogue Big Game Hunters / Zeppelins over the Nith / Buried Tanks / Lost Viking Longship / Family Memoirs / The 1745 Rebellion / Haaf Netting / Desert Warfare / The Lovely Lady Mary
Whoever said history was boring?? Our local musicians will have plenty to play with to inspire their creations.
Finished songs and live performances coming Spring 2025.
Queer Caerlaverock.
Presenting a series of time-travelling sessions exploring the uncharted Queer Heritage of Caerlaverock Castle.
Join Alchemist Dawn Eva Berry, Historian Mary W Craig from Maiden Mother Crone CIC,, and our Creative Director DJ McDowall on a journey through Scotland’s hidden LGBTQ+ histories.
Discover how magic, myth, and heritage shape our understanding of LGBTQ+ identities today.
Archives can uncover hidden LGBTQ+ histories, shedding light on how these lives were understood and treated in society. Some histories are ‘hiding in plain sight,’ some deliberately hidden, while others persist as myths and fables.
Inviting us to fill in the gaps with our imagination. ‘Queer Caerlaverock’ will explore both real and imagined histories to reveal new insights into our present world, and the collective futures we would like to build..
From these discussions and explorations, we will work with our local LGBTQ+ community and allies from an informed base. to create new imagined queer artefacts for The Imaginarium’s ‘Missing Museum’—a fantastical archive showcasing the lost and hidden stories of our local suppressed histories, and hidden heroes.
To be revealed for LGBT History Month, February 2025.