A vision which began 23 years ago has transformed into Sanquhar’s newly-refurbished and extended A’ the Airts, fully accessible community hub serving Upper Nithsdale.
For the past six months, the centre’s team and users have been temporarily housed in St Bride’s Church Hall while building work – which has, in total, taken 14 months – was being carried out.
They have celebrated their first week back in their High Street home which is now doubled in size as a much-loved community arts centre with charitable status and in which residents can learn new skills, meet friends and express their creativity.
Centre manager, Yvonne Barber, pictured below, said: ‘It is a very exciting time for us and the Upper Nithsdale community. What we had prior was effective but limited in view of the number of people we could support. Now we have much more space to increase customers in our café and shop, develop and deliver workshops and activities, enable larger performances and exhibitions to take place, and ensure people of Upper Nithsdale have a base to enjoy, relax, partake, learn new skills, explore their creative side, and socialise.”
The enhancements made include a dedicated gallery for local artists to exhibit; an upgraded 50-seater bespoke theatre/cinema area for performances and film showings; a state-of-the-art digital media suite and two craft rooms.
There is also a new upstairs hospitality area; an expanded shop where local people can sell their crafts and art; a new Sanquhar Pattern knitting facility and a larger café at the back of the building, leading out to an alfresco area and landscaped garden.
All paving the way for an exciting new future for creatives in Upper Nithsdale.
A’ the Airts story began at the start of the new century when the town supported a plan to transform a run-down building in the High Street into an arts, crafts and cultural centre.
Records show that “after a lot of hard work and considerable commitment,” funding was eventually acquired to purchase the site and the building work started but stalled in 2008.
Meanwhile, The Friends of A’ the Airts group was set up to organise cultural activities in Upper Nithsdale.
Upper Nithsdale Arts and Crafts Community Initiative, with support from the Big Lottery and the Scottish Government, among others, got building work started again in April 2010.
It led to the opening day on November 20, 2010, with UNACCI establishing it firmly in the community.
So popular has it been in the years since that they realised they needed to expand to meet demand for the future.
Yvonne said it has always been a dream to grow the service offered to the community and visitors following the purchase of an adjacent, dilapidated property several years ago via Scottish Land Funding.
However, funds were needed to make those changes a reality and it is thanks to cash from the Scottish Government,
Dumfries and Galloway Council and the Hollywood Trust that enabled the work to be completed.
Chairman of UNACCI, William Waugh said: “We are so appreciative of all our funders for supporting the vision of expansion for A’ The Airts. Over recent years, it has proved itself to be a well-regarded and important part of our High Street. Now we can offer even more to the community and our plans ensure there will be something for everyone in the months and years ahead.”
One of the new highlights is a new gallery at A’ the Airts which has been named after a Jean Clayworth.
Yvonne said: “Jean was a great supporter of A’ the Airts and we thought it was a fitting tribute to name the gallery after this lovely woman. Please do visit the “Clayworth” to see a beautiful exhibition of photographs of Sanquhar taken by our young Sanquharians.”
Celebrating the talents of local young photographers, it features photographs by Sanquhar Academy’s S3 (2022) art students and members of the Sanquhar Camera Club.
The Centre, whose core hours are Monday to Saturday, 10am till 4pm with additional evening openings based on a programme of events, is now also working towards playing a role within the forthcoming Sanquhar Arts Festival, which runs from May 26 to 28.
