Following a day of inspiring discussions, creative workshops and thought-provoking presentations at the Healing Arts Scotland 2026 Dumfries & Galloway Day conference, delegates came together for a special evening celebrating the power of music, film and community. Produced in collaboration with Arts D&G, Paragon Music and Loch Arthur Camphill Community, the evening began with a warm welcome at Loch Arthur. Delegates and members of the Loch Arthur community shared a delicious buffet meal, lovingly prepared by the talented chefs at… Read more

Our latest Public Art Project is now well underway, with our graduates working alongside artists Alice Griffin and Katie Anderson to create a series of collaborative artworks for the Women & Children Department at Dumfries & Galloway Royal Infirmary. Over the past few weeks, the group has been exploring a range of creative techniques including mark-making, collage, texture and pattern-making, developing ideas for a collection of uplifting artworks for the Neonatal Unit and breastfeeding spaces. Together, they’re creating designs that aim to bring moments… Read more

More than 100 delegates from across Scotland gathered in Dumfries & Galloway this week as OutPost Arts hosted a sold-out conference for Healing Arts Scotland 2026, welcoming internationally renowned speakers, artists and public health leaders for a day celebrating the transformative role of arts, culture and creativity in health and wellbeing.  The event highlighted Dumfries & Galloway’s growing role within Scotland’s creative health movement, showcasing the region’s leadership in bringing communities and culture, healthcare, social care, and education sectors together to explore how the arts can improve lives and create healthier places. … Read more

Alongside patient-focused programmes, OutPost Arts continues to deliver dedicated Staff Wellbeing Workshops for teams at NHS Dumfries and Galloway, creating space for colleagues to pause, connect and recharge through creativity. In recent months, teams from Mountainhall have taken part in workshops exploring printmaking and clay with artists Helen Walsh, Julie Stephen, Alice Griffin and Ruth Elizabeth Jones. Printmaking & Play: Clinical Education & Psychology Teams Workshops for the Clinical Education Team and the Psychology Team introduced staff to block printing,… Read more

As part of the Healing Arts Scotland 2026 Dumfries & Galloway Day, in partnership with The Crichton Trust and NHS D&G, OutPost Arts has commissioned artist Jim Buchanan to develop two land art installations across Mountainhall and The Crichton Estate Greenspaces. This evolving project explores how greenspaces can be activated through creative practice, encouraging people to connect with nature, movement and mindful wellbeing over time. At Mountainhall, Jim is creating a mown labyrinth, a simple, circular pathway designed for walking,… Read more

Art Journal Project participants have now moved into the Graduate Programme, but before we share more about this, we are looking back on their year of creative exploration with Liz McQueen. Now in its third year, the project has continued to grow in both scale and reach – this year, we welcome our largest and most geographically diverse cohort yet, with 30 participants joining from across Dumfries & Galloway. It has been a pleasure to bring together these individuals who… Read more

We are delighted to share an exciting new exhibition now on display at DGRI by Dumfries & Galloway-based photographer Callum Malone. Bringing together a striking collection of street photography captured across the Dumfries area, Looking Out presents a series of images that observe everyday life as it unfolds, documenting people, passing moments and quiet corners that shape the character of the region. From the energy of busy public gatherings to fleeting instances of stillness and solitude, the photographs form an intimate visual… Read more

As our Creative Toolbox Participants move into the Graduate Programme, it’s the perfect time to reflect on the wonderful and uplifting year they have had. We welcomed 20 new young people in May 2025, our largest cohort yet, and the project has since grown and evolved into a space full of curiosity, connection and creativity. Alongside our five dedicated peer mentors, the Creative Toolbox participants brought lots of fresh energy and an openness and willingness to explore and have fun,… Read more

Between September and November 2025, Midpark Hospital once again became a vibrant centre of creativity as the second block of Art Matters workshops invited patients, staff and visitors to explore Nature Ceramics and Textiles with artists Ruth Elizabeth Jones and Helen Walsh.  Across six sessions, participants were encouraged to slow down, try something new and enjoy the grounding, sensory experience of working with clay and textiles.  In Ruth’s ceramics workshops, participants created leaf-imprinted tiles, explored hand-building techniques and experienced the calm that comes from shaping clay by hand. In Helen’s textile sessions, embroidered… Read more