Back in May, we launched the newest Creative Toolbox project, with sixteen new young people joining us alongside five returning peer mentors.  The group arrived with budding curiosity, eager to meet each other and play. It was exciting to see a new wave of energy enter Creative Toolbox at our Welcome Session.   This year, we partnered with Wonder Fools Theatre Company on their Positive Stories For Negative Times project.  They co-commission playwrights to create work for young people to engage… Read more

We’re excited to share the report from the Creative Health & Wellbeing Symposium, hosted by OutPost Arts in Dumfries back in February. The event marked the first of its kind in our region, bringing together arts, health, social care and community professionals to explore how creativity supports health and wellbeing. Spotlight on the Symposium The day was packed with inspiring talks, engaging performances and thought-provoking discussions. Attendees connected across sectors, shared innovative ideas and celebrated the growing impact of creative initiatives… Read more

Between April and June 2025, Midpark Hospital’s Atrium was transformed into a vibrant creative hub through a series of clay workshops led by local ceramic artist Ruth Elizabeth Jones. Over six fortnightly sessions, patients and staff came together to explore a new skill, ceramics, and in doing so discovered not just the joy of creativity but also connection, calm and community. These sessions formed the foundation of the Art Matters Exhibition, now proudly on display in the very space where… Read more

By Creative Toolbox Lead, Georgia Blue Ireland Earlier this year, I wrote about the writing workshops that Creative Toolbox participated in during their time as graduates and in partnership with The Stove on their Creative Caerlaverock project. At the end of May, The Stove put together a finale event for this which showcased the work of all partners, including us, at Caerlaverock Castle. So, what was shared and how did we get there?  After completing their writing pieces, the Toolboxers… Read more

Over the past year, our team has had the privilege of delivering creative wellbeing workshops at Midpark Hospital, a mental health facility offering inpatient care.   These sessions, aimed at both patients and staff, sparked something special. The staff embraced the workshops so enthusiastically that they began running their own weekly creative sessions for patients – embedding creativity into the heart of their care approach.  In this interview, we speak with Caroline, an Advanced Clinical Practitioner Occupational Therapist at Midpark, about… Read more

by Youth Lead, Georgia Blue Ireland  OutPost Arts is built with many instrumental cogs, each helping the other to tick over and be the organisation that we are. We have our core team, our associate artists, our participants, our partners & funders, but as it’s volunteer week, I’d like to take the time to praise and thank OutPost Art’s volunteers, in particular, our Peer Mentors, without who, our creative communities would not be complete.  Our Peer Mentors first take part in Creative… Read more

By Liz McQueen, Art Journal Project Lead As the lead of the Art Journal Project, I’ve witnessed numerous moments of transformation, but nothing quite captures the spirit of our work like the journey of our Peer Mentors. National Volunteer Week 2025 offers a perfect moment to reflect on this unique form of volunteering that has become the cornerstone of our creative community. On April 26th, we launched our 2025 projects at The Bridge in Dumfries. Over fifty individuals arrived needing… Read more

This April, creativity and community came together at The Bridge in Dumfries for the official launch of the 2025 Art Journal Project and Creative Toolbox. The joint event welcomed participants from both programmes, each designed to support creative expression and wellbeing in unique and age-specific ways. Attendees were introduced to their journeys with an in-person session, where they connected with facilitators, met fellow participants and received a free set of art materials to kickstart their personal explorations. Looking ahead, both… Read more

In a world that often demands constant productivity and perfection, our mental health can easily take a back seat. But during Mental Health Awareness Week, we’re reminded of the importance of pausing, reflecting and reconnecting with ourselves. One powerful yet often overlooked tool in this process is free writing. Free writing isn’t about grammar, structure or even making sense – it’s about giving your thoughts space to breathe. Whether you’re navigating stress, anxiety or just trying to make sense of your… Read more

As we begin Mental Health Awareness Week, we’re taking a moment to reflect on the ethos that’s at the heart of everything we do at DG Creative Wellbeing: Enriching lives with meaningful creative interventions, events and activities Whether it’s through painting, writing, music or movement – creative expression offers powerful ways to process emotions, reduce stress and connect with others. It gives people space to breathe, imagine and heal. That’s why creativity is at the core of every wellbeing session,… Read more