Following on from the success of their sold out event in May, the Dumfries & Galloway Arts Festival are hosting another Gallovidian Gathering at Castle Douglas Town Hall. Join them on Saturday 23rd December to celebrate with a new spin on the auld cultural traditions of the region.
Through an immersive night of time travel, eating, drinking, dancing and seasonal merriment, you’ll gain an insight into some of the most innovative and exciting sounds coming out of Scotland.
Headlining the evening celebrating local artists will be Samson Sounds showcasing how they bring their Gallovidian roots to the world stage with their positive dance floor vibrations. Using a combination of voice, guitar, percussion and brass with electronic musicality they will bring a wide range of grooves and energy into any situation. The band has grown through the rich UK Soundsystem culture, playing and performing in venues and festivals nationally and internationally.
They’ll perform alongside a massive line up of other genre bending musicians, DJ’s and traditional performers curated by the team to showcase and cultivate connections to the vibrant and authentic culture of Castle Douglas and Stewartry.
Featuring the loudest and brightest exports of Gallovidia, the night will include drum and bass outfit Bass Injection feat. Wends, The Xenalaliens, Iron Aye Hifi, who will bring audiences all the tribal beats needed to bring together modern day Gallovidians to celebrate the Winter Solstice and the turning of the Wheel of the Year, as our ancestors have done before us.
With a full bar provided by Sulwath Brewery and more acts to be announced, come join them for a night to relight local town halls and bring music back to the heart of the region.
Liam Russell, Event Producer at the Dumfries & Galloway Arts Festival stated: “The Gallovidian Gathering is a call to arms to people Galloway. We have such a rich and diverse heritage that has cultural implications that run so deep that we may not even notice them in the everyday. We believe that The Gallovidian Gathering is a platform to celebrate what it means to be Gallovidian, and reconnect with our past to shape our future.”
The event is produced by Dumfries & Galloway Arts Festival’s own Liam Russell and DJ McDowall of the Imaginarium and co-curated by Tom Spirals. Their aim is to celebrate the cultural traditions of Stewartry and bring life back to the Town Halls that communities have missed in recent years. This is a night curated by communities for communities and showcases the incredible depth of artistic expertise of all those involved.
Liam Russell and DJ McDowall have teamed up on a number of projects through the D&G Arts Festival and have been the creative and operational leads behind many of the successes of the organisation in recent years.
The duo have celebrated local stories across Dumfries & Galloway, most notably with STORM in 2021, a 10m high giant puppet that roamed Dumfries High Street and attracted over 8000 people back to the town and more recently celebrating the life of Dr Flora Murray at Dumfries Museum with local artists Aaron Jones and Rachel Walker.
Liam is also the Youth Development Officer for the organisation and has been instrumental in developing an engaging programme of events and support activities that underscores the importance of nurturing a future for performing arts for young people in D&G.
Both Liam and DJ have secured a reputation for organising high quality events and rooting their work in the heart of communities. They are creating a legacy that will support performing arts for years to come and their Gallovidian Gathering will connect audiences with their cultural heritage and honour what our vibrant and incredible areas have to offer.
Tickets can be purchased from the D&G Arts Festival Website and may be available on the door, however tickets sold out quickly at their summer event and audiences are advised to purchase in advance to avoid disappointment.
